What is the 'Garden of God'?

It is the local name (Bustani ya Mungu) for the Kitulo Plateau, protected as Kitulo National Park, a high montane grassland famed for its spectacular wildflower and orchid displays and dubbed the 'Serengeti of Flowers' by botanists.

When should I visit Kitulo for the flowers?

The wildflowers bloom during the wet season, roughly late November to April, which is the best time to see the plateau in full colour, though the roads can be muddy and a 4x4 is advisable.

Is the Mbeya region a safari destination?

Not in the classic big-game sense; the Southern Highlands are about hiking, crater lakes, wildflowers, tea estates and Lake Nyasa's beaches, making the region ideal for nature lovers and independent travellers rather than traditional game drives.

How do I get to Mbeya?

You can fly from Dar es Salaam to Songwe Airport (MBI) near Mbeya, or travel overland on the TAZARA Railway or long-distance buses along the Tanzam Highway; the town is also close to the Zambian and Malawian borders.

Destination guide

Mbeya Highlands

Tanzania's cool, green Southern Highlands, home to Kitulo's 'Garden of God', crater lakes and the shores of Lake Nyasa.

How to get there

Getting to Mbeya Highlands

However you're arriving — from overseas, from another part of Tanzania, or just moving around once you're here.

Flying in from abroad

International visitors

Most visitors arrive via Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) in Dar es Salaam and then fly or travel overland; the region also borders Zambia and Malawi, with the busy Tunduma and Songwe border crossings nearby.

From elsewhere in Tanzania

Upcountry & other cities

Songwe Airport (MBI), about 20 km from Mbeya, receives scheduled domestic flights from Dar es Salaam; the TAZARA Railway and long-distance buses along the Tanzam Highway also connect Mbeya to Dar and to the southern borders.

Getting around locally

Once you're in the region

Around town and the highlands, use taxis, bajaji, boda-boda motorbikes and daladala minibuses; reaching Kitulo, Ngozi and Lake Nyasa usually requires a hired 4x4, especially in the wet season.

Want the door-to-door leg handled? Travel with a driver who knows the roads.

Book a driver