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City guide

Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, and the largest city in the country's Matabeleland region. 2 million.

Type City

Why go

  • City in Zimbabwe.
  • Served by Filabusi Airport.

History

Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, and the largest city in the country's Matabeleland region. The city's population is disputed; the 2022 census listed it at 665,940, while the Bulawayo City Council claimed it to be about 1.2 million. Bulawayo covers an area of 546 square kilometres in the western part of the country, along the Matsheumhlope River. Along with the capital Harare, Bulawayo is one of two cities in Zimbabwe that are also provinces.

Airports

Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport (BUQ) 16 km to the centre
Bulawayo, BU, ZW — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 2 airlines (Air Zimbabwe, South African Airways) · direct flights to 3 destinations incl. Johannesburg, Harare, Victoria Falls (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 2 airlines, 3 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor
Filabusi Airport 81 km to the centre
Filabusi, MS, ZW
Outdoor
Kezi Airport 85 km to the centre
Kezi, MS, ZW
Outdoor
Gwanda Airport 93 km to the centre
Gwanda, MS, ZW
Outdoor

Where things are

Full geo-intelligence in Better Mapping →
Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping base map © OSM

Photographs

When to go

Tourist season
October – March

The warmer, longer-day half of the southern-hemisphere year.

Shoulder season
April – May, September

Milder and quieter, with better value.

Worth avoiding
June – August

The southern winter — check local conditions before travelling.

Getting there & around

Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Filabusi Airport; 2 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below.

Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.

Trains & rail

Private aviation

On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.

Broker · Any aircraft via operators worldwide · Global charter broker with 30+ offices; private jets, group charters and cargo.
FBO, charter, management · Managed fleet · FBO network and management across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
Fractional, jet card · Embraer Praetor, Bombardier Challenger & Global, Gulfstream · Fractional ownership and jet cards in North America and Europe.
Charter, management · Large-cabin & VIP airliners · Geneva-based operator known for large-cabin and VIP airliner charters.
Charter, management, FBO, MRO · Managed fleet worldwide · General Dynamics company: charter, completions and FBOs in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the US.

Tours & experiences

Sightseeing