Visit Matusadona
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What it costs

What a trip to Matusadona actually costs

Three ways to do Matusadona, priced at dated rates: camping at Tashinga, a fully inclusive lodge inside the park, and a luxury houseboat. The park's levy sits on top of almost all of them, and the crossing from Kariba is the one cost almost nobody publishes.

If you only want the answer

For two international adults and three nights, camping at Tashinga comes to about $255 in camping and park fees at the last published rates, before food, fuel and the crossing. Changa Safari Camp in high season comes to about $4,272 including the $30 levy. The MV Matusadona houseboat, which takes a minimum of three guests for three nights, costs about $9,531 for three including its $60 park charge. Boat transfers from Kariba are extra and unpublished.

Price your own trip

Set your party and your nights, pick a place per budget and add activities. Everything recalculates from the dated rates on this page.

Travellers
2
Nights in the park
3
Your rates

Self-drive camping

At park headquarters; last published (2023) rate

…

… per person

Tashinga Campsite details

A lodge in or near the park

1 November to 31 March, fully inclusive

…

… per person

Changa details

The top end

2026 rate; minimum 3 guests and 3 nights; $60 park charge

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… per person

MV Matusadona details

Add park activities

The lodges include their own activities in these rates. The activity prices come from a Kariba booking agent because the trust publishes no 2026 activity tariff.

Estimates, rounded, at the dated rates sourced at the bottom of this page. Food, drinks, fuel and the crossing from Kariba are not included. Park entry uses the trust's levy as passed on by operators in 2026; the ZimParks gazette figure is lower. Camping uses the trust's 2023 rate because no 2026 rate is published. Lodge rates are international rack rates, per person sharing.

Three worked budgets

All three are for international guests and three nights, at the rates on this page. None of them includes the crossing from Kariba, which is a charter with no published price unless your lodge includes it.

BudgetWhat it coversTotal
Camping at Tashinga, 2 people, own 4x4Camping $60 (2023 rate), levy $180, vehicle $15About $255
Changa Safari Camp, high season, 2 peopleFully inclusive stay $4,092, levy $180About $4,272
MV Matusadona, 3 people (the minimum)Charter $8,991, park charge $540About $9,531

Levy at $30 per international adult per day, per operators' 2026 rate sheets. On the ZimParks gazette's $24, the levy lines would be $144 instead of $180.

The costs nobody publishes

The crossing. A speedboat from Kariba to Tashinga takes about an hour and is priced as a charter; ask the trust or your camp. Fothergill includes its transfer from Marineland, and Spurwing runs a scheduled transfer. With a vehicle, the McMaster ferry is priced for the whole ferry and shared between vehicles: one forum post from November 2025 quotes $700 for up to four vehicles, which we could not verify.

The lake usage fee. Both Kariba Ferries and the McMaster ferry exclude a 'National Parks lake usage fee'. We could not confirm the amount or who collects it.

VAT. Operators now add 15.5%. Changa includes it in its rates; Kariba Ferries does not.

Houseboats: priced per boat

Most Kariba houseboats are hired per boat per night, and many are dry boats, meaning you bring and cook your own food. VisitKariba lists Phillippa at $350 a night, OB Joyful at $380 in low season, Philadelphia at $450 to $500 and Osprey at $500 to $700, and catered boats such as Malachite at about $900. Split across a full group the boat itself can work out modest per head, but park fees, diesel, food and drinks all come on top.

Remember that houseboat guests may not go ashore in the park without an armed guide, and the park's own activities for houseboat guests need a minimum of four people.

Where the money goes

The park-run campsite, cottages and camps are operated by the trust, which says the profits go directly to the park's conservation work. The conservation levy is collected by the same trust. If keeping your money in the park matters to you, the park-run options are the most direct way to do it.

Sources