Overlooked ‘Sunshine City’ with 30C winters to get first direct UK flights in 14 years
A CITY with 3,000 sunshine hours a year that is barely visited by Brits is getting its first UK flights in more than a decade.
Launching later this month, Air Zimbabwe will connect the UK to Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe.
The first route takes of on July 22 from London Gatwick, with three flights a week.
It will be the first direct flights to the capital in 14 years, amid plans to open up travel between the UK and Africa.
The route was scrapped back in 2011 due to a financial difficulties at the time.
Fights start from £490 each way, or £675 return.
While Zimbabwe welcomed 1.78million tourists in 2025, 76 per cent of this was from Africa.
Despite this, the UK is the biggest market for the city when it comes to European arrivals.
Harare is known as the City of Sunshine for its sunny weather all year round thanks to it high altitude.
It is also much better to visit in the autumn and winter, as this is where highs of 30C can be found (compared to the cooler summers of 20C).
The city is also known for its beautiful green spaces, such as Mukuvisi Woodlands where you can everything from zebras and giraffes to wildebeast and impalas.
It also a great jumping off point for going on safari, or visiting Victoria Falls.
Here are some other new flights launching in the UK soon: