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Witness / Attend in Great Zimbabwe
A ruined medieval stone city near Masvingo in southern Zimbabwe, the largest ancient stone monument in sub-Saharan Africa and the UNESCO-listed capital that gave the country its name.
Why here
Great Zimbabwe is the reason the country carries its name, the capital of a Shona kingdom that traded gold and ivory to the Indian Ocean coast between about 1100 and 1450 AD and left behind the largest stone structures in Africa south of the Sahara. You climb up through the boulder-strewn Hill Complex, once the royal and ritual heart, then walk down to the Great Enclosure, a curving mortarless wall over eleven metres high enclosing the conical tower whose purpose is still debated. The soapstone Zimbabwe Birds found here became the national emblem. Inscribed by UNESCO in 1986, the site spreads over some 800 hectares of valley and hillside, and a small on-site museum holds the surviving birds. It is Africa's great counter to the old myth that the continent built nothing in stone.
Best months
The monument is open daily through the year, roughly 8am to 4.30pm, and is best walked in the cooler mornings before the granite heats up. The dry winter months from May to September are the most comfortable for the climb up the Hill Complex, while the summer rains from November to March green the valley but bring midday heat and afternoon storms. A licensed site guide brings the ruins alive and is strongly recommended, and half a day at least is worth allowing.
Getting there & around
Great Zimbabwe lies about 30 kilometres south-east of Masvingo, a four-hour drive from either Harare or Bulawayo and an easy stop on the road between them or towards the Lowveld and South Africa. Masvingo has basic flights and plenty of accommodation, and there are a hotel and lodges close to the site. Pay entry at the gate, where curator-guided tours can be arranged, and combine the ruins with nearby Lake Mutirikwi.
Skill levels: beginner
Schools & guides (1)
National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe
OrganizerThe National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe is the state parastatal that manages Great Zimbabwe, established under the National Museums and Monuments Act and responsible for the country's heritage sites. It runs the monument's on-site museum, which houses the original soapstone Zimbabwe Birds recovered from the ruins, and its curators lead guided tours of the Hill Complex, Great Enclosure and Valley Ruins. Entry and guiding are arranged at the gate.