Cheap flights to Harare
Set your departure airport and maximum budget: SniperAir tracks prices to Harare and alerts you the moment a deal matching your criteria appears.
Quick summary
Country
Zimbabwe
Continent
Africa
Airport
HRE
Currency
US dollar (USD) and ZiG
Time zone
UTC+2 (CAT, all year)
Deals already spotted to Harare
Real flight examples detected by SniperAir, with their reference price.
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Why track Harare with SniperAir
A green highland capital and the gateway to Zimbabwe
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Harare, called Salisbury until 1982, is the capital and largest city of Zimbabwe, according to Wikipedia (EN). It stands on the Highveld plateau at about 1,480 m (1,483 m per Wikipedia EN and FR), a height that gives it a mild climate for the tropics. Wikivoyage (EN) praises its highland climate, garden suburbs that are pleasant to walk around in, and an extensive collection of public museums and historic monuments. Population figures differ by source, so we publish none.
Above all Harare is the starting point for trips across the country: Victoria Falls, Hwange and Mana Pools, the Matobo rocks. SniperAir tracks prices to HRE, compares them with the real price history of the route and alerts you when one drops below your budget. It sells and books nothing.
Airport and getting into town
Robert Gabriel Mugabe airport, south of the centre
Harare – Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport (HRE)
Harare's airport is the country's main air gateway, according to Wikivoyage (EN, ES). Wikipedia (DE) places it about 10 km south of the centre and Wikivoyage (FR) 12 km to the south-east: allow roughly ten kilometres, with no reliable journey time. Wikivoyage (EN) mentions a fixed airport taxi price that it judges high for the distance; we do not repeat an amount, which dates quickly.
Sources give roughly ten kilometres between the airport and the centre (10 to 12 km) and no reliable journey time. We publish no taxi fare or timetable, because they change.
Wikivoyage (EN) lists flights from Johannesburg, Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Luanda, Cairo and Amsterdam; they change, so always check the connections on your ticket. Wikivoyage (DE) adds that regional airlines also fly to Durban, Windhoek, Lilongwe, Gaborone, Maputo and Beira.
By road, Wikivoyage (EN, DE) says buses from Johannesburg take 16 to 24 hours, with border waits of 3 to 8 hours. The Mbare bus terminal, about 3 km south-west of the centre, is described as huge, confusing and unsafe: a taxi is advised to reach it or leave it. We publish nothing on trains: services have been suspended and we cannot confirm their present state.
Landmarks
Jacarandas, gardens and balancing rocks
Harare is discovered through its tree-lined avenues, its parks and a few natural curiosities in the city or at its edge. The places illustrated below are described from our sources; we give no opening hours or prices, which change.
The jacaranda avenues
Wikipedia (ES) notes that Harare is famous for its beautiful streets lined with jacarandas, which fill the city with a violet-blue colour when they flower; the jacaranda and the red-flowered flamboyant were introduced in colonial times. The photo shows a road running through a tunnel of trees with mauve flowers.
Harare Gardens and an obelisk
Wikivoyage (EN) mentions Harare Gardens, a spacious park downtown next to the Monomotapa hotel, with a swimming pool and open-air theatre, while judging it unkempt and unsafe: stay cautious. The photo shows a pale stone obelisk among trees with a glass skyscraper behind.
The Epworth balancing rocks
Wikivoyage (EN) describes a famous balancing-rock formation in Epworth, on the city's edge, which became known by featuring in the country's banknote designs. The same page gives two different distances (10 km south-west or 13 km south-east), so we keep neither. The source advises watching your personal safety inside the site.
A granite stack in the savannah
A tall pile of big rounded blocks stands here next to a tree, in dry savannah vegetation, on the same site as the previous image. In the centre, the Kopje, a granite hill to the south-west, offers an excellent view of the city according to Wikivoyage (EN).
Other places named by Wikipedia (EN, DE) and Wikivoyage (EN, DE): the Kopje, a granite hill south-west of the centre, Sacred Heart Cathedral, the Anglican Cathedral of St Mary and All Saints, completed in 1961, the 68-hectare National Botanic Garden and the Harare Sports Club, a cricket ground established in 1900. Wikivoyage (FR) also names Lake Chivero Recreational Park, about an hour by car.
Museums and culture
National gallery, human sciences and carved stone
National Gallery of Zimbabwe
Wikivoyage (EN) presents the national gallery as a valuable national collection that also hosts travelling international exhibitions and has a permanent display of outstanding Shona soft-stone carvings. A small cafe is frequented by young local artists. We give no hours or prices.
Museum of Human Sciences and National Archives
Wikivoyage (EN) lists the Zimbabwe Museum of Human Sciences, formerly the Queen Victoria Museum, and the National Archives, which keep diaries, notebooks and reports by explorers and missionaries.
Chapungu Sculpture Park
Outcrops of black serpentine stone, visible from the airport road, have encouraged stone carving. Wikivoyage (EN) presents Chapungu Sculpture Park as a large space with exhibitions by many artists.
Food and drink
Sadza, grills and garden cafes
The staple dish
Sadza, a thick maize-meal porridge, is Zimbabwe's staple and is eaten at lunch and dinner with vegetables or meat, according to Wikivoyage (EN). Our country sheets add grilled meat, chicken and fish from Lake Kariba.
Cafes and restaurants
Wikivoyage (EN) stresses the large number of cafes and restaurants in Harare since the dollarisation of the economy, notably open-air cafes in the Avondale and Chisipite suburbs, sometimes with an art gallery. We name no business and no price.
Markets
For shopping the African way, Wikivoyage (EN) names the Mbare flea market and, calmer, the Avondale market, where baskets, clothes and fresh produce mingle.
Getting around
A sprawling city, minibuses and taxis
Car and taxis
Harare is very spread out: Wikivoyage (EN, ES) finds the car the most practical way to get around. Taxi fares are negotiated before you get in, and ride-hailing apps are very popular according to Wikivoyage (EN). Wikivoyage (DE) adds that drivers readily see tourists as high-fare customers: negotiate in advance.
Minibuses
Minibuses link the centre and all suburbs frequently; ask for the terminal for your destination (Wikivoyage EN, ES). They are often packed according to Wikivoyage (DE).
Driving in the centre
Wikivoyage (DE) notes that the many one-way streets in the grid-pattern centre can confuse drivers.
Budget and precautions
Budget and precautions
Price level
Wikivoyage (EN) says local goods are affordable and anything imported is relatively expensive, but no precise price is cross-checked by two independent sources, so we offer no range.
Currency
Wikivoyage (EN) says purchases are made in US dollars or the ZiG, the national currency, and that cash machines dispense dollars; some foreign cards may be refused, so carry several ways to pay.
Flying, safety and health
SniperAir tracks prices to HRE but does not sell or book tickets. Wikivoyage (DE) judges residential districts such as those along Samora Machel and Josiah Tongogara relatively safe and townships safe only by day. Official travel advice varies widely by country of departure, sometimes with regions advised against: check your own country's advice before booking. For health, ask a doctor or vaccination centre well before departure about malaria and routine vaccines.
When to go
A highland climate, mild all year
Warm, wet summer (November to March or April)
Wikipedia (EN) puts the rainy season from November to March or April: showers, heat tempered by altitude and green vegetation.
Cool, dry winter (May to August)
Winter is cool and dry: daily ranges run from about 7 to 22 C in July, the coldest month, according to Wikipedia (EN, ES). Very little rain falls from May to September.
Dry heat (September and October)
October is the hottest month, with daily ranges of about 15 to 29 C (Wikipedia EN, ES). The air is dry before the rains return.
Annual temperatures
The mean annual temperature is about 18 C, low for the tropics because of the altitude (Wikipedia EN, ES, DE). In January daily ranges run from about 16 to 26 C.
The plateau climate makes the city pleasant almost all year: the dry winter, May to August, is simplest for sightseeing, but pack a jacket for cool evenings. Travellers who like greenery will pick the rainy season.
By length of stay
What to do in Harare by length of stay
Centre, gallery and gardens
One to two days for the national gallery, the Kopje, the gardens and the tree-lined avenues.
Epworth, sculpture and suburbs
Add the Epworth balancing rocks, Chapungu Sculpture Park, the botanic garden and a garden cafe in the suburbs.
Victoria Falls and the parks
Harare is a base for Victoria Falls, Hwange or Mana Pools, presented on the country page. For remote regions, check your own country's official advice first.
In pictures
Harare in pictures
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions about flights to Harare
Where is Harare's airport?
Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport (HRE) is about ten kilometres south of the centre (10 km per Wikipedia DE, 12 km south-east per Wikivoyage FR). No reliable journey time is available.
Is Harare a safe city?
Wikivoyage (DE) judges residential districts relatively safe and townships safe only by day; Wikivoyage (EN) flags unkempt parks. Official advice varies widely by country of departure: check your own country's advice before booking.
What health precautions should I take for Zimbabwe?
Ask a doctor or vaccination centre well before departure: malaria prevention and routine vaccines. Entry conditions depend on your nationality and change: check official websites.
When is the best time to visit Harare?
The dry winter, May to August, is simplest; October is the hottest month and the rainy season runs from November to March or April. The mean annual temperature stays mild at around 18 C.
How long should I stay in Harare?
One to two days cover the centre, the national gallery and the gardens; allow three to four days with Epworth, the sculpture park and the suburbs.
What is there to see around Harare?
Wikivoyage (FR) names Lake Chivero Recreational Park, about an hour by car. The country's big sites, Victoria Falls, Hwange and Mana Pools, need more time and are presented on the country page.
How much does a flight to Harare usually cost?
The price depends mainly on your departure city, the time of year and how far ahead you book. The "opportunities" section above shows real examples of prices SniperAir has already detected to this destination.
How do I get alerted when a flight to Harare drops below my budget?
Create an alert profile with your departure airport, Harare (HRE) as the destination and your maximum budget. You are notified automatically as soon as a matching price is detected. SniperAir monitors and alerts, it does not sell or book tickets.
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