The Eastern Highlands

Zimbabwe's Eastern Highlands are the country's verdant surprise—a chain of mountains rising to 2,592 metres along the Mozambican border, cloaked in montane forest, tea plantations, and pine-scented mist. For travellers who associate Zimbabwe exclusively with bushveld and waterfalls, the Highlands deliver an entirely different experience: cool air, hiking trails, botanical gardens, and a landscape that evokes the Scottish Highlands more than the African savannah.

The Nyanga region, anchored by Nyanga National Park, shelters Mount Nyangani—Zimbabwe's highest peak—and the Mutarazi Falls, which at 762 metres are the second-highest in Africa (and the highest in Zimbabwe). The park's trout streams, dam-side walks, and ancient fort ruins create a highland experience suited to both active hikers and contemplative wanderers.

The Chimanimani Mountains, further south, offer some of the finest wilderness hiking in southern Africa. The Chimanimani National Park's peaks, gorges, and natural swimming pools are accessible via multi-day trails that traverse quartzite ridges and montane grassland with views stretching to Mozambique. The Vumba Mountains (now officially Bvumba) between Nyanga and Chimanimani provide a gentler alternative—botanical gardens, coffee estates, and luxury lodges perched on forested hillsides.

The Eastern Highlands pair well with Great Zimbabwe and Matobo Hills for a cultural-natural circuit of southern and eastern Zimbabwe, offering a counterpoint to the heat and drama of the Zambezi valley.