Harare.
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Overview

Harare is the capital and largest city in Zimbabwe. Harare has an excellent highland climate and well-planned garden suburbs that are very pleasant to walk around in. It has an extensive collection of public museums, institutions and many of the nation's most important historic monuments and memorials.

Understand

Harare is home to over two and a half million people, with most in central Harare but some 500,000 in the surrounding districts of Norton, Chintungwiza and Epworth. Though a city of modern buildings, wide thoroughfares, numerous parks and gardens, it suffered from increasing neglect thanks to Zimbabwe's economic crisis, however in the 2010s there has finally been some new investments in infrastructure. Despite this, Harare is still one of Africa's most pleasant cities to visit with plenty of attractions and friendly locals.

Get in

Harare's airport is the major gateway for flights into the country. Air Zimbabwe also operated a small network of domestic flights before ceasing operations. However, an increasing number of foreign airlines are flying into Harare these days. They include South African Airways with direct flights from Johannesburg. Ethiopian Airlines from Addis Ababa, Kenya Airways from Nairobi, TAAG Angola Airlines from Luanda and Egypt Air from Cairo via Dar es Salaam and KLM from Amsterdam.

By train National Railways Of Zimbabwe service was suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic, and remains suspended as of November 2025.

By car The condition of the roads in Zimbabwe has deteriorated dramatically since the government has failed to maintain them. Most of the country is now without street lights. The main highways are still in a good state of repair outside of the cities: traffic is so light now that damage from trucks is minimal.

A good road from Johannesburg allows easy access. However, be careful of the sometimes frightening drops at the side of the roads, at the edge of the tarmac, particularly with oncoming trucks at night. Driving at is not advised.

You should be all right without a 4x4 unless you head into rural areas and game parks. If you enter from South Africa, ensure that your insurance waiver is valid for Zimbabwe.

By bus Buses from Johannesburg are easily available ranging from Eagle Liner (for R330). Greyhound (for R450) and Intercape (R420). The bus takes between 16-24 hours. Delays at the border are very common and typically range 3-8 hr, but they can be as much as 20 hr at Christmas time. Intercape, which has the largest intercity network in southern Africa also have buses from Mutare, Masvingo, Gweru, and Bulawayo.

Most ordinary long-distance bus services arrive at the Mbare Terminal, 3 km southwest of the Central district. The terminal itself is giant, hectic, confusing, and dangerous. There are several disconnected regions of the terminal, and finding something as simple as a taxi can require walking over 500 m through markets and alleys. Although minibuses to Mbare depart from the 4th Street Terminal in Central (at 4th and Mugabe), it may be worth taking a taxi, which will be able to find a bus to your destination for you.

"Luxury" buses (including Eagle Liner/Greyhound/Intercape) arrive and depart from the modern Roadport terminal at 5th & Mugabe.

Get around

Harare is very spread out. The best option to get around is by car, which is easier now that dollarization has made fuel shortages a thing of the past. Fuel is readily available at most outlets for cash or through a coupon system. Most operators now import fuel by themselves and prices are independently set. Most service stations close in the evening, while some offer 24-hour service.

By taxi inDrive is popular in Harare and probably the best app to book a taxi. Hwindi is another option.

You can also take shared taxis. In 4+1 style shared taxis, it is very common to fit as many as 8 people inside.

By minibus Minibus taxis are readily available with frequent services between central and all suburbs. Ask around for the terminal for your destination.

See

There is a strong appreciation for the city's cultural and historical heritage and a number of the older buildings have been preserved. The Mining Pension Fund Building at Central Avenue and Second Street is one example and many more are to be found along Robert Mugabe Road between Second Street and Julius Nyerere Way.

National Heroes Acre. National monument commemorating Zimbabweans who died during the liberation war. The monument itself is 1km passed the ticket office

Harare City Library. Formerly the Queen Victoria Memorial Library.

The Kopje. A granite hill rising above the southwest corner of central Harare, is a great place to go for views of the city.

National Gallery of Zimbabwe. Houses not only a valuable and interesting national collection but also hosts travelling international exhibitions and has a permanent display of some outstanding Shona soft-stone carvings. There is also a small cafe frequented by young, local artists.

Zimbabwe Museum of Human Sciences. Formerly the Queen Victoria Museum.

National Archives. Houses a priceless collection of Rhodesiana and Africana in the form of diaries, notebooks and reports of various origins. Some of the original works of some of the greatest names in African exploration and missionary can be viewed.

Chapungu Sculpture Park. The vast number of rocks of black serpentine stone found around Zimbabwe, and noticeable even as you drive in from the airport, have encouraged the development of stone carvings by Zimbabwe's talented artists. This large area has exhibitions by numerous artists.

Sacred Heart Cathedral. A historic Roman Catholic Church.

Cathedral of St Mary and All Saints. Anglican cathedral, completed in 1961.

National Botanic Garden. 68ha and hosts more than 900 species of wild trees and shrubs from all over the country.

Mukuvisi Woodlands. 277 hectares of remarkably preserved natural woodland that straddles the banks of the small Mukuvisi stream. A variety of bird and of wild animal species such as giraffe, zebra, impala, tsessche, wildebeest, bushbuck, steenbuck, reed buck and eland can be viewed. You can freely walk on marked trail routes of around 3, 5, 8 and 10 km.

Harare Gardens. This is a spacious park downtown with a swimming pool and outdoor theater, but it is rather unkempt and unsafe, sadly. (different than the botanical gardens).

Wild Is Life. Wildlife orphanage and rehabilitation center with resident elephants, giraffes, pangolins, hyenas and lions, among other animals. Afternoon tour: guided walk with connection to various animals (you can feed giraffes, pat wildebeests, etc.), tea break with pastries, lion feeding, sunset with champagne and canapés while watching animals grazing. Morning tour is the same but excludes lion feeding, champagne and canapés.

Haka Camp Game Park. Game park with various indigenous wildlife represented, particularly ungulate-types, as well as horseback riding.

Do

Cricket: Harare Sports Club. The country's main cricket ground, established in 1900. With a capacity of 10,000, it hosts Test matches, and Mashonaland Eagles in the domestic league.

Epworth Balancing Rocks. A famous balancing rocks formation is located 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) southeast of Harare, off the Chiremba Road. These rocks achieved fame when they were featured prominently in the design of Zimbabwe's bank notes. Be careful of your personal safety inside the park.

Buy

All purchases in larger stores are made with US dollars or the Zig which is the national currency.

Anything made locally is generally very affordable. Look for Zimbabwean goods as they tend to be of high quality. Everything that is imported is relatively expensive compared to other African countries, due to high import taxes and a lack of competition.

If you want to experience shopping the way it is traditionally done in many African countries, you could stroll around at the open flea-market at Mbare or the more upscale experience at Avondale market. Here tourists could feast their eyes on a colourful array of baskets, food, clothing and other items. Most locals prefer to do their shopping in shopping centres of which Borrowdale and Westgate are among the most prestigious.

ATMs give US dollars. The ATMs at Ecobank, Stanbic, Nedbank will accept international Visa or Mastercards.

Eastgate Centre. One of the largest shopping malls in Harare, centrally located.

Joina City. Harare's very modern shopping mall, capped with a skyscraper.

Spar Supermarkets. There are 64 Spar stores all over Zimbabwe.

Pick N Pay Supermarkers. There are over 50 TM-Pick N Pay stores all over Zimbabwe.

OK Supermarkets. There are over 50 OK stores in Zimbabwe.

Choppies Supermarket. big supermarket chian.

Eat

Zimbabwe's staple food is sadza: a thick white porridge (a bit like mashed potato), that's made from corn (maize) meal, seen throughout Southeastern Africa. It's eaten for lunch and dinner, accompanied by vegetables or meat in some form.

In Harare there are many cafes and restaurants serving various cuisines, a good place to start are its numerous outdoor cafes: Cafe Espresso on Cork Road, Avondale. Has a brilliantly landscaped garden, a wifi spot and excellent coffees 40 Cork Road, Avondale. An outdoor cafe, art gallery, and sculpture garden. Very much the place to be seen. 167 Enterprise Road, Chisipite. An old house converted into a restaurant with a huge garden with a pool, an art shop, gallery etc.

With the dollarisation of the economy, there has been a big increase in the number of restaurants and coffee shops in Harare. The Zimbabwe Tourism website has also been upgraded.

Khaya Nyama Wombles. May need to RSVP.

Coimbra. This Portuguese restaurant has invested little in the decor but that is no problem. You go for the food, not the wall decorations, and the food is very good. Quick Service.

Drink

Try Chibuku, a popular local beer with the working class. It comes in "scuds", which are large 2 litre brown plastic containers. The beer is lumpy and opaque beige, but is good and very cheap.Shake-shake is prepackaged sorghum beer (brewed in the traditional African style) and is very thick and filling, and comes in milk cartons.

The locally brewed Castle, Lion, Zambesi and Bohlingers are definitely worth trying and more popular with suburbanites. Wine consumption tends to be the preserve of the middle class, with most restaurants going for South African and to a lesser extent French and Australian wines. However, Zimbabwe does have a small wine scene of its own, dominated by the Delta Corporation and its wine brand, Mukuyu. However, newer upstarts such as, Kumusha produce wines of much better quality and are extremely affordable by international standards.

Harare has a very vibrant club scene that goes on until the early hours. Popular genres include the local Zimdancehall, amapiano, and Jamaican dancehall. Working class residents tend to favour grassroots Sungura and Congolese music, while the more well to do prefer Western artists.

On The Roof Bar. offers an open-air social environment for relaxing.

Beverlino Restaurant. Well known for its baskets, offer a wide range of food and beverages. Wherever, you are in town, the warm savoury food will be brought to your door.

Sleep

The city boasts a few high end hotels (such as the Meikles Hotel and Rainbow Towers), but also has a significant number of three to four star hotels that offer affordable accommodation without compromising on quality. These include the Crowne Plaza Monomotapa, the Cresta Lodge and the Holiday Inn.

Harare also has quite a number of bed and breakfast/guest houses and Airbnbs, mostly set in former residential houses with extensive gardens.

Backpackers Travellers Lodge. The main place for backpackers to stay in Harare. At the corner of Ridge and Argyle in Avondale. Camping, dorms, and some private rooms are available.

Bowood Lodge. Gu Bowood Road, Mount Pleasant, North Harare, has 4 double rooms. It is set in beautiful grounds and has internet and a pool. Very peaceful. Evening meals are also available.

Cresta Oasis. Three-star hotel just to the east of the Central Business District (walkable during the day, not advisable at night).

Simba Harare. Gu Westgate, New Adyllin, North Harare, has 8 double rooms, and a large swimming pool. Own water supply (borehole) and el (Solar energy). Internet. Safe. Airport pickup arranged per request.

Monomotapa Hotel. Backing onto the Harare Gardens park, this moon-shaped hotel provides comfortable accommodation.

Meikles Hotel. Despite the problems experienced in Zimbabwe, Meikles has managed to maintain its standards as one of Africa's best hotels. All the usual amenities and excellent service.

Embassies

United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland.