Protected area
Chinhoyi Caves Recreational Park
Limestone caves around a startlingly blue sinkhole, the Sleeping Pool, just off the Harare–Chirundu road at Chinhoyi.
0 km² · 1 gate · 1 campsite · Run by Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks)
About the park
Chinhoyi Caves is a small recreational park (1.2 km², with 8.6 km² of protected state land around it) built around Zimbabwe's most extensive cave system, a limestone and dolomite karst whose collapsed sinkhole holds Chirorodziva, the Sleeping Pool, of clear blue water. Steps and paths lead down to the pool's edge and through the Dark Cave to a view of the water from inside; divers have reached 103 m, and nobody knows the full depth. The caves were used for grain storage and refuge for centuries and are still visited by spirit mediums, so treat them as a sacred site. It is an easy stop on the A1 on the way to Kariba or Mana Pools, with a ZimParks campsite on site, a motel next door and some impala and baboons around. Rocks in the caves are slippery, so wear shoes with grip.
Highlights
- The Sleeping Pool (Chirorodziva) from the water's edge
- Walking through the Dark Cave
- Looking down on the pool from the rim above
Good to know
- Zimbabwe's most extensive cave system, in limestone and dolomite
- Pool dived to 103 m; true depth unknown
- Ramsar wetland since May 2013; protected since 1955
- Campsites in the park; on the A1 Harare–Chirundu road near Chinhoyi
Wildlife you may see
- Impala
- Chacma baboon
Sightings are never guaranteed.
When to go
Best time: All year
Gates
- Park entranceOpening hours not confirmedPer person per day (2026): day visitors US$5 local, US$10 SADC, US$12 international; staying guests US$2/5/5. Vehicle US$10/day foreign plates (US$3 if staying), US$3 local.Just off the A1 Harare–Chirundu road; the caves and the Sleeping Pool are a short walk from the gate. Campsite and motel beside the entrance.
Gate times change with the seasons: check with Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) before you travel.
Campsites
- Chinhoyi Caves CampsiteCampsite4.2US$12 pp/night
Park fees
| citizen | US$5 per person day |
| citizen (any) | US$3 per vehicle day |
| regional | US$10 per person day |
| international | US$12 per person day |
| international (any) | US$10 per vehicle day |
2026 day rate per person; overnight guests US$2 local, US$5 SADC, US$5 international. Vehicle US$10/day foreign plates (US$3 if staying), US$3 local. Camping US$8 local / US$12 international per person.
Places to see
- Chinhoyi CavescaveA collapsed dolomite sinkhole holding the cobalt-blue Sleeping Pool, an easy stop on the Harare to Kariba and Mana Pools road.
- Chinhoyi Caves picnic sitepicnic spotPicnic and camping area with hot-water ablutions at Chinhoyi Caves, a natural break on the Harare to Chirundu road.