Matobo National Park
Discover the Timeless Beauty, Rich Culture and Unique Wildlife of Matobo National Park
Just 35 kilometres south of Bulawayo, Matobo National Park is one of the most spectacular landscapes in Zimbabwe. Granite domes, spires and impossibly balanced boulders rise out of wooded valleys, sculpted by weathering from rock more than two billion years old. The park sits at the core of the Matobo Hills, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its caves and overhangs shelter some of the finest San rock art in southern Africa.
Matobo is also one of the best places in Zimbabwe to see rhino. Both black and white rhino are protected here, most of them in the Whovi Wild Area, the park's game section. Birders come for the raptors, above all the magnificent Verreaux's eagles that nest on the granite kopjes and ride the thermals above them.
History runs deep in these hills. Cecil John Rhodes is buried on the summit of World's View, a bald granite dome with a sweeping outlook across the whole range. For photographers, walkers and anyone with an eye for landscape, Matobo is a remarkable place to linger.
Matobo National Park Facts
- Size: 424 km²
- Location: 35 km south of Bulawayo
- When to visit the park: Year-round
- Highest point: Gulati, 1,549 metres, just outside the park's north-eastern corner
- Accommodation: Lodges In The Matobo National Park
Where is Matobo National Park located?
The Matobo Hills lie in south-western Zimbabwe, 35 kilometres south of Bulawayo along the Matopos Road.
Click on this map link to get a better idea of where the Matobo National Park and Hills are located: Google Maps - Matobo National Park
When is the best time to visit Matobo National Park?
Matobo is open year-round. Summer brings warm days and occasional thunderstorms; winter is cool and dry. There is no bad time to come — the granite and the rock art are magnificent in any season. For month-by-month conditions across the country, see our guide on when to visit Zimbabwe.
Main Attractions Of Matobo National Park
- Granite domes, spires and balancing rock formations
- San rock art in the caves and overhangs of the hills
- Black and white rhino in the Whovi Wild Area
- Verreaux's eagles and other raptors
- Cecil John Rhodes' grave at World's View
Matobo National Park FAQs
Where is Matobo National Park?
Matobo National Park is 35 kilometres south of Bulawayo in south-western Zimbabwe, reached along the Matopos Road. It forms the core of the Matobo Hills. Bulawayo is 439 kilometres by road from Victoria Falls, so Matobo slots neatly into a wider Zimbabwe itinerary alongside the falls and Hwange National Park.
How big is Matobo National Park?
Matobo National Park covers 424 square kilometres, which makes it small by Zimbabwean standards. It protects the heart of a much wider granite landscape, the Matobo Hills, most of which lies outside the park on communal land and farmland. The Whovi Wild Area, the park's game section, holds most of the rhino.
Is it Matobo or Matopos?
Matobo and Matopos are the same place; Matobo is the correct name and the one we use. It comes from the Ndebele for the smooth, weathered granite domes, often translated as "bald heads". Matopos is the colonial-era form and survives in tourism and road names, including the Matopos Road from Bulawayo.
Why are the Matobo Hills a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
The Matobo Hills are a UNESCO World Heritage Site for their cultural landscape rather than their wildlife. The caves and overhangs hold an exceptional concentration of San rock art, and the hills remain spiritually important to local communities today. The granite itself, weathered from rock more than two billion years old, is the dramatic setting.
Can you see rhino in Matobo National Park?
Yes, Matobo is one of the best places in Zimbabwe to see both black and white rhino. Most live in the Whovi Wild Area, the park's game section. Sightings are never guaranteed, and rhino tracking on foot is arranged through the lodges; our Matobo lodges page covers which properties offer it.
Where is Cecil Rhodes buried?
Cecil John Rhodes is buried on the summit of World's View, a bald granite dome inside Matobo National Park known locally as Malindidzimu. The short walk up the rock is one of the park's most popular outings, rewarded with a sweeping view across the Matobo Hills in every direction, best of all in the late afternoon light.
How does Matobo compare with Hwange National Park?
Matobo and Hwange offer very different experiences, which is why they pair so well. Hwange is Zimbabwe's largest national park, famous for its elephant herds and classic game drives. Matobo is small and scenic, prized for rhino, raptors, rock art and granite. Hwange is 4–5 hours from Bulawayo by road.
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