ZimParks Main Camp
Self-catering lodges, cottages, chalets and camping · At the main gate near Dete, south-eastern sector · ZimParks
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Budget
Inside the park
Park-run (ZimParks)
Self-catering lodges, cottages and chalets at the Main Camp gate near Dete, the cheapest base inside the park. Lodges have full kitchens, cottages share hotplates, and chalets cook on a braai with shared ablutions, so check which unit type you are booking before you arrive. About eight in ten Hwange visitors stay here. Bring your own cookware and towels.
Pros and cons
Pros
- The cheapest beds inside Hwange, with camping from $23 a site
- At the main gate near Dete, so no long transfer
- Nine unit types, from $60 chalets to full-kitchen lodges at $90
- Nyamandhlovu Pan viewing platform is ten kilometres away
- A small restaurant on site when you tire of cooking
Cons
- Chalets cook on a braai and share ablutions
- Bring your own cookware and towels
What's here
- Campsite
Arranged from the lodge:
- Community visits
Read from ZimParks Main Camp's own website in July 2026. Anything not listed we could not confirm, which is not the same as it being absent.
What the park charges on top
The rate above buys you a bed. Hwange National Park charges its own entry fee for every day you are inside. Here is what that adds up to.
- Park entryThe rate for guests sleeping inside the park.
- $12per person, per day
- VehicleForeign-registered vehicle, at the staying-inside rate.
- $3per vehicle, per day
Three nights means three days inside, so two adults sharing one vehicle pay $81 in park fees before anyone pays for a bed.
Sleeping inside the boundary is what keeps that low. $12 if you sleep inside the park, against $24 a day for anyone driving in from outside.
The full fee schedule for Hwange National ParkRates at ZimParks Main Camp
From $23 per camping site. Chalets from $60, cottages from $70, lodges from $90, the Impala Executive Lodge $235. All per unit per night, international rate.
What the rate covers is not confirmed. We do not know yet whether meals, drinks and activities are included, so read this as the bed only.
Every figure on this page is in US dollars.
Indicative 2026 rates from operators' own rate cards, gathered July 2026. Always confirm with the lodge. One thing to watch when comparing: some camps include ZimParks fees in their rate and some do not, which shifts the real gap by $12 to $36 per person per night.
Questions about ZimParks Main Camp
How much does it cost to stay at Main Camp in Hwange?
Main Camp is the cheapest base inside the park. Camping starts at $23 a site, chalets at $60, cottages at $70 and lodges at $90, with the Impala Executive Lodge at $235. These are per unit per night at the international rate, so the price is shared by everyone in the unit.
What do you need to bring to Main Camp?
Bring your own cookware and towels. Lodges have full kitchens, cottages share hotplates, and chalets cook on a braai with shared ablutions, so check which unit type you are booking. Campers need their own tent, sleeping bag and enough food for the stay, as ZimParks advises. There is a small restaurant.
Can you self-drive to Hwange Main Camp?
Yes. Main Camp sits at the main gate near Dete, and ZimParks gives road directions to it from both Bulawayo and Victoria Falls. The park's camps are linked by its road network, so it works as a self-drive base. There is also an airstrip at Main Camp, but landing needs permission.
Is Main Camp good for families?
We found no published child policy for Main Camp, so ask when you enquire. What it offers families is price and choice: units are charged per unit rather than per person, and the lodges have full kitchens for a family cooking for itself. Chalets share ablutions, so pick the unit type carefully.
How do you book Main Camp in Hwange?
Book directly with ZimParks by email at info@zimparks.org.zw; its Hwange page also lists the phone number +263 242 707625. Prices are per unit per night at the international rate. Confirm the unit type in writing, because a chalet, cottage and lodge differ in kitchen and bathroom set-up.