Last updated October 2026

Choose where you are going, when, and how you will travel, and the list keeps only what applies to your trip. Each item comes from advice on our travel tips and destination planning pages.

Documents

• Passport valid for at least six months after you arrive, with blank pages for entry stamps.
• Travel insurance details. The policy should cover medical treatment, evacuation by air and every activity you plan.
• A yellow fever vaccination certificate, if you arrive from or have transited through a country with a risk of yellow fever.
• Your driving licence or the international permit you need, plus copies of your passport and visa.

Money

• US dollars in small, clean notes: plenty of $1, $5, $10 and $20. Torn or marked notes may be refused.
• Exact US dollar cash for a visa on arrival, if your nationality allows one.
• A Visa or Mastercard as back-up. Cards are not accepted everywhere, and payments can fail when connections are down.
• Cash for fuel, as fuel stations may not take cards.

Clothing

• Warm layers and a hat for cold mornings and nights.
• Warm, windproof and waterproof clothing and a warm hat. The highlands are cooler and wetter than the rest of the country, and the weather can change within hours.
• Warm, windproof clothing and a warm hat for early game drives in open vehicles.
• Warm clothing for the evenings, especially on the water.
• Cool, comfortable clothing, a sunhat and sunscreen.
• Warm clothing for the evenings in the hills.
• A raincoat, or plan to hire one, for the heavy spray at the Falls.
• Good walking shoes with grip, for granite and steep paths.
• Good walking shoes, and warm, windproof and waterproof layers. Most mountain hikes are arduous.
• Leave camouflage clothing at home: civilians may not wear it in Zimbabwe.

Health

• Insect repellent and clothes that cover your arms and legs in the evenings. Ask a travel clinic whether you need antimalarial tablets.
• A mosquito net, which Zimbabwe Parks recommends at Kariba.
• A good first-aid kit. Help can be a long way off.
• A first-aid kit for the trail.
• Sun cream and plenty of water for the heat.
• Water to carry on hot days at the ruins and in the hills.

Gear and supplies

• A torch or headlamp. Power cuts are common.
• A waterproof bag for your phone and camera.
• Enough fuel, water and food for your whole stay. There are no shops in the park.
• Enough food for your whole stay if you self-cater.
• Your own drinking water: camp water is untreated.
• Recovery equipment, a portable compressor and spare tyres for remote camping.

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