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Zimbabwe in December

Africa's best authentic tailor-made safaris

December is such a magical month! It’s one of the wettest times of the year, and with all that rain, the landscapes turn a stunning shade of green—perfect for a fun photographic safari!

Mornings tend to be bright and clear, but keep an eye out for some lovely afternoon showers.

While wildlife viewing can be a bit tricky this time of year since there are plenty of water sources, which means animals might not be as active, the experience is still unique!

Zambezi National Park is a fantastic choice if you’re looking for an awesome spot to explore. It’s home to a beautiful, jungle-like riverine forest filled with majestic trees like ebonies and baobabs.

Plus, a safari in December offers a fantastic birding safari experience and breathtaking photo opportunities.

Weather in December

Wildlife viewing is poor in December, but birding is at its prime.

Temperatures often reach a high of 30 degrees, which means thunderstorms are present, but it generally feels warm.

Average Weather in December

Temperature Celsius Fahrenheit Rainfall
Min 18℃64℉151 mm
Max 30℃86℉262 mm

Highlight Park to Visit in December and Why

Lake Kariba National Park

Four Big Five are in Lake Kariba, with just the rhino absent. Hippos are seen around the lake during the day and grazing on land in the evenings.

However, wildlife viewing is much more challenging around this time of year, and a birding safari is much more successful here.

Birds you get to see here are the African fish eagle, malachite kingfisher, lilac-breasted roller, and great white pelican, to name a few.

Activities to do in December

  • Birding
  • Spa treatments
  • Photographic safaris

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"I cannot speak highly enough of Discover Africa. From the first interaction with Chrizaan, we felt confident that our trip to South Africa and Zimbabwe was going to be the trip of our lives. Chrizaan was kind and thoughtful and really listened to what we..."

Adrienne Eliza, Australia•04 Sep 2026•

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Safari Bookings review

"First safari for us - 3 days in Arusha, 2 Tarangire, 2 Ngorongo, 4 Serengeti and 6 in Zanzibar. We found the choice of potential locations, accommodation, routes etc almost bewildering at first. Matthys at DA carefully sought to understand we were lookin..."

Darren C, United Kingdom•21 Aug 2026•

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Google review

"Excellent trip -- tour operators were professional and on time. Safari lodge choices excellent. Adelle communicated issues that cropped up in a timely manner and the whole process was a pleasure."

Jake Sanderson, United States•29 May 2026•

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Google review

"Justin helped craft the perfect honeymoon for us! There are so many options when it comes to choosing a tour operator that I feel so fortunate we landed on Discover Africa. The experience felt seamless from start to finish. Our trip felt perfectly tailored ..."

Alex Dwornik, United States•17 Apr 2026•

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Safari Bookings review

"After discovering a high number of camps in and around the Okavango, and at a price higher than we typically go for on a safari, we were very unsure on the route to go down for our honeymoon (especially whilst trying to planning our wedding!). So we reached..."

Rhys and Grace Fitzgerald, Bahrain•10 Apr 2026•

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"Chrizaan Troch of Discover Africa helped us organize a recent safari in Chobe National Park. She was great to deal with - listened to what we wanted, and also offered other suggestions. She was very efficient, and always replied promptly to our questions. ..."

Celia Schroeder, Canada•03 Dec 2025•

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