Zimbabwe · Heritage Walks

4-Day Bulawayo Cultural and Architectural Tour with Matopo and Khami

4 Days Round trip from Zimbabwe Moderate pace

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The journey

Trip highlights

01 Discover Bulawayo's Victorian architecture, including City Hall and the Exchange Building
02 Explore Rhodes Matopo National Park's magnificent rock formations, wildlife, and cave paintings
03 Visit the Khami ruins to see the architectural legacy of the early Shona civilisations
04 Experience Makokoba and Mzilikazi through local markets, traditional food, and dance performances
05 Take in panoramic views and a magnificent Matopo sunset from Malindidzimu

Embark on a 4-day journey through Bulawayo's Victorian-era architecture, museums, nearby heritage sites, and natural surroundings. Explore the city's historical buildings, the Natural History Museum, and the National Railways Museum, then head into Rhodes Matopo National Park for magnificent rock formations, wildlife, ancient cave paintings, and panoramic views from Malindidzimu. The experience also includes the ancient Khami ruins and Silozwane Cave, showcasing the architectural and artistic legacy of early civilisations in the region. Round off your tour with Bulawayo's vibrant local culture in Makokoba and Mzilikazi, traditional food, dance, and the city's lively evening scene.

Malindidzimu, also known as World's View, has a 360-degree view of its scenic surroundings, and the guests will be privileged to experience this.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 4 Days

Tour type Shared

Activity level Moderate

Accommodation Not included

Transport Included

Wheelchair access Not applicable

Cities Bulawayo, Matobo National Park

Languages English

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 01

Bulawayo Heritage Walk and Museum Discovery

We will prioritise exploring the city's rich historical background. Guests will be collected from their hotel for a visit to the Natural History Museum.
The museum holds a rich legacy of the history of Bulawayo and the country at large. We will spend around 2 hours there with the guests before taking a walking tour of the city.
While there are more than 155 ancient buildings in the city, we will select a few historically important ones.
These include City Hall, completed in 1895 and originally built as a public market, and the Exchange Building, completed in 1896 as the first Stock Exchange in Zimbabwe.
We will also look at the Chronicle Building, which printed its first newspaper on 12 October 1894, and the Bulawayo Club, now a hotel, which was established in 1895 as a gentlemen's social club.
Other key heritage buildings in the city include the Bulawayo High Court, the Tredgold Building, and the National Art Gallery.
The Victorian-style buildings, in their elegant grandeur, represent the highest standard of Victorian architecture. After lunch, we will visit the National Railways Museum, which is full of the history of the establishment of the railway system in Southern Africa. This will take us to the end of the day's activities.

Day 02

Matopo National Park, Rhino Tracking and Malindidzimu

We will take the guests out of the city to witness its beautiful natural surroundings.
We will take a short trip to Rhodes Matopo National Park. The park is characterised by its magnificent hills, rock formations, and rolling natural topography. It is rich in animal, bird, and plant life and is also home to the black and white rhino, as well as the world-famous black eagle, also known as Verreaux's eagle.
The park has a great deal of ancient cave paintings, each with a story to tell. Matopo is also where Cecil John Rhodes requested to be buried. His remains are interred there on a hill called Malindidzimu in the local Ndebele language. We will begin with white rhino tracking if guests are interested in the activity.
We will then drive through the park, soaking in the beautiful scenery and interacting with the animals, birds, and plants in their natural environment.
We will go to Nswatugi Cave to look at the ancient rock paintings there, as well as those at Pomongwe Cave, before visiting the museum located there.
We will then drive to Malindidzimu, passing through a curio shop within the park where guests may buy local curio products to support the community if they so wish.
We will proceed to Malindidzimu to see Rhodes's grave. It is not only Rhodes's grave that is located on the hill, but also those of his friends, including that of his trusted right-hand man, Leander Starr Jameson of the famous Jameson Raid. There is also Sir Charles Coghlan's grave and a monument in honour of Alan Wilson and his brave soldiers, who were wiped out by the Ndebele amabutho (soldiers) as they tried to pursue King Lobengula.
Malindidzimu, also known as World's View, has a 360-degree view of its scenic surroundings, and the guests will be privileged to experience this.
By the time we are through exploring the hill, it will be time to experience the magnificent Matopo sunset. It is an intriguing experience and one of the best sunset experiences one can imagine. After the sundowner, we will call it a day and return to the city.

Day 03

Khami Ruins and Silozwane Cave Exploration

This day will be reserved for the Khami ruins, an ancient city depicting the great architectural skills of the early Shona civilisations who once inhabited this area. It is located about 25 km outside the city and is related to the Great Zimbabwe ruins in the south-east of Zimbabwe.
After lunch, we will visit Silozwane Cave on the outskirts of Matopo National Park. This cave is very rich in ancient rock paintings, which are clearly visible, and the visit also makes for a good hiking exercise.
From the top of the mountain where the cave is located, guests can enjoy a good view of the local rural surroundings and soak in the fresh air as well. When we are done, we will go down the mountain and back to the city for a well-deserved rest while we prepare and look forward to the next day's activities.

Day 04

Bulawayo Township Culture, Traditional Food and Nightlife

The guests will experience the vibrant culture of the city of Bulawayo. After breakfast, they will be taken around local historical residential areas such as Makokoba and Mzilikazi for a meet-and-mingle with the locals.
We will visit mkambo, the vibrant big market in Makokoba where everything and anything is traded. It is quite an interesting place to visit. From there, I will take the guests for a traditional dance performance.
Our next stop will be a traditional foods restaurant for a sample of the traditional cuisine.
We will then go for an arts exhibition, either at the National Arts Gallery or Amakhosi if available, and if not, there can always be alternative activities of a similar nature.
By then, it will be time to experience the city's night scene.
The guests can have an early dinner at one of Bulawayo's more exotic restaurants, such as Buffalo Hill Spur Steak Ranch, Mozambik Restaurant, The Smokehouse, Kings Kraal, or The Cattleman Steakhouse, to mention a few. There are a number of good restaurants to choose from depending on individual tastes.
The guests can choose to enjoy the evening at one restaurant or move about for an all-round experience. At the guests' request, we will call it a day and return to the hotel for a good night's rest.

Where this trip takes you

City Hall, Exchange Building, Rhodes Matopo National Park, Malindidzimu

The route

Where you'll travel

Tour route map — Round trip from Zimbabwe 2 cities · 4 Days

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

Transport
Guiding services in English
Customizable itinerary
Light snacks and drinks
Park entry fees
Entry fees to night spots if required

What's Not Included

Accommodation
Charges for chosen activities like rhino trekking
Visa fees
Main meals
Liquor
Tipping

What to bring

Comfortable clothing that is lightweight and breathable
Dark-coloured safari clothing
Comfortable walking shoes
Sun hat
Sunglasses
Sunscreen
Mosquito repellent
Camera
A pair of binoculars

Know before you go

While this is a multi-day tour, it can be tailor-made to suit the tastes and interests of the traveller.
The days can be increased or reduced depending on the traveller's choice, and activities will be adjusted accordingly.
The guide is very flexible and receptive to special requests by the traveller.
If the traveller wants help with any other logistics, the guide is more than happy to assist at no extra cost.

Logistics