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Voykit pocket guide · Zimbabwe
Bulawayo
Give Bulawayo 2 nights: one day for the museums and Khami Ruins, one for Matobo Hills rhinos. Skip it if you only have time for Victoria Falls.
Bulawayo is Zimbabwe's second city and the base for Matobo Hills, a UNESCO site an hour south where you can track rhinos on foot. The city itself is low-rise and walkable, with wide tree-lined streets, a strong railway and natural-history museum pair, and Khami Ruins 22 km west. Most travellers come for two nights between Victoria Falls and Harare, or as a stop on the Johannesburg road.
- Country
- Zimbabwe
- Best months
- May–Aug (cool, dry)
- Avoid
- Sep–Nov (hot, dry), Dec–Mar (afternoon storms)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- US dollars are widely used; the local currency, Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG, since April 2024), trades around 26–27 per US$ in 2026 and rules change often, so check before you travel.
- Daily spend
- Budget US$35–60 excl. bed · Mid US$60–120 excl. bed · High US$120+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Econet and NetOne sell SIMs with passport registration; Econet has wider coverage.
- Emergency
- Police 995 · Ambulance 994 · Fire 993
- Plugs
- Types D, G · 220–240 V · 50 Hz · UK-style G is common; power cuts happen, so carry a power bank.
- Tipping
- Safari guide: US$10–20 per guest per day.; Camp staff: US$10 per guest per day in the communal box.; Restaurant: 10%.; Transfer driver: US$5.
- Water
- Treated tap water in Victoria Falls hotels; elsewhere drink bottled or filtered water.
- Toilets
- Western toilets at hotels and lodges; few public facilities on the road.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | US$2–3 |
| Lunch, café or bookshop | US$5–10 |
| Steak dinner | US$11–18 |
| Beer, bar or pub | US$2–4 |
| Kombi ride, CBD to suburb | US$0.50 |
| Taxi, CBD trip | US$2 |
| Museum entry, non-resident | US$5–10 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BUQ · Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International
- About 20 km (12 mi) north of the centre; taxi to town around US$10 (check)About 12 mi (20 km) north of the centre; taxi to town around US$10 (check)
Typical fares
- Airport → CBD taxi
- about US$10, 25–30 min (check)
- CBD taxi
- about US$2
- Kombi, CBD → suburb
- about US$0.50
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is walkable; kombis (18-seat minibuses) cover the suburbs for about US$0.50. Taxis are unmarked but clearly signed: about US$2 in the CBD, roughly US$1 per km beyond. inDrive works here (check).
See and do
Known for
- Matobo Hills rhino tracking
- Khami Ruins (UNESCO)
- Natural History Museum
- Bulawayo Railway Museum
- Ndebele history and craft
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Matobo Hills | Guided 4x4 from Bulawayo, about 1 h to the park gate | 1–1.5 h |
| Khami Ruins | Taxi or self-drive, 22 km (14 mi) west of the centreTaxi or self-drive, 14 mi (22 km) west of the centre | About 40 min |
| Hillside Dams | Taxi or kombi to Hillside, then a short walk | About 20 min |
| Victoria Falls | Air Zimbabwe or Fastjet to VFA, about 1 h; road is 440 km (273 mi)Air Zimbabwe or Fastjet to VFA, about 1 h; road is 273 mi (440 km) | 3 h by air with transfers |
Sleep
- CBD (Fife Street / 8th Avenue)
- Walkable to both museums, the gallery and the Bulawayo Centre; best for a short stay without a car.
- Hillside
- Leafy suburb 10 min south by car; guesthouses with gardens, close to Hillside Dams.
- Burnside
- Quiet residential area about 6 km (3.7 mi) out; backpacker hostels and self-catering, kombi to town.Quiet residential area about 3.7 mi (6 km) out; backpacker hostels and self-catering, kombi to town.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Sawubonasa-woo-BOH-nah |
| Thank you | Ngiyabongangee-yah-BOHN-gah |
| How much is it? | Kubiza malini?koo-BEE-zah mah-LEE-nee |
| Where is the toilet? | Ithoyilethi likuphi?ee-toh-yee-LAY-tee lee-KOO-pee |
| I need help | Ngicela usizongee-CHAY-lah oo-SEE-zoh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Greet and ask about family before business; avoid: Rushing
- Elders: Lower your eyes slightly and use both hands to give or receive; avoid: Pointing at people
- Politics: Listen; avoid: Opinions on the government in public
- Dress: Modest dress in towns and villages; avoid: Camouflage prints
Scams and watch-outs
- Card machines can bill you in US dollars at a rate far above the local price: ask the total in US$ before you tap.
- Some shops give change in Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) notes, not US dollars: carry small US$ notes.
- The airport ATM has been reported out of service: bring cash.
- Matobo Hills roads are rough and unlit; go with a guide and be back before dark.
- Police roadblocks are common on intercity roads: keep your licence and papers to hand.
Bulawayo is calmer than Harare and fine on foot by day. Avoid walking after dark, keep to the main avenues, and use a taxi for anything past 19:00. Carry small US$ notes and never hand over your card.Bulawayo is calmer than Harare and fine on foot by day. Avoid walking after dark, keep to the main avenues, and use a taxi for anything past 7:00 PM. Carry small US$ notes and never hand over your card.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Bulawayo yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Matobo Hills rhino tracking
- Khami Ruins (UNESCO)
- Natural History Museum
- Bulawayo Railway Museum
- Ndebele history and craft
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Zimbabwe Tourism Authority: www.zimbabwetourism.net
- National Railways of Zimbabwe — passenger services: nrz.co.zw/passenger-services/
- Wikivoyage: Bulawayo, revision 5197203 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5197203
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Bulawayo
Ngicela uye kuleli kheli
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most embassies are in Harare; the US, UK and others keep no consulate in Bulawayo. Check your embassy in Harare before you travel.
Cash is king: US dollars in small notes. Cards work in hotels and supermarkets but watch the exchange rate.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/bulawayo). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.