Mbeya is in a beautiful area with many banana, tea, coffee and cacao plantations, but in the city itself there is not much to see. There is a mountain close to town that provides magnificent views over the countryside. There are numerous hiking trails through the surrounding Poroto Mountains around the town of Tukuyu. Mbeya has several sites where rock and cave painting can be seen.

Many people prefer Mbeya over Kyela to stay overnight, before crossing into Malawi. Mbeya has better facilities and a larger choice of accommodation. There are many hotels and restaurants in town.

Mbeya also has better connections with the rest of the country. There is a railway station and buses run daily between Mbeya and Dar es Salaam. The route runs through the Mikumi National Park and usually you will see a lot of game during the trip.

Some places of interest in the region around Mbeya include Kitulo National Park, Ruaha National Park, Lake Nyasa, the Mbozi meteorite, theMwalalo Waterfalls, the great rift valley viewing point and Kisiba/Masoko crater lake.