Best Time To Visit Nairobi > Weather, Temperature & Season

What is the best time to visit Nairobi ?

June to October and December to March are the best times to visit Nairobi. Those are the two dry seasons: July is the driest month of the year.

Nairobi sits at 1,795 metres, so it is far cooler than its position on the map suggests. July is the coldest month with nights near 12°C, and July and August are also the cloudiest, with about a third of January's sunshine.

Two rainy seasons, not one. The long rains run March to May and peak in April; the short rains run October to December and peak in November. Those two months are the wettest of the year.

The city itself is a day or two: the national park, the Giraffe Centre, the Karen Blixen museum. The Masai Mara is a separate trip, five hours by road or 45 minutes by air.

Monthly Weather in Nairobi

Month	High/Low (°C)	Rain
January	25°/ 15°	15 days
February	26°/ 16°	14 days
March	26°/ 16°	26 days
April	25°/ 16°	20 days
May	24°/ 15°	19 days
June	22°/ 14°	23 days
July	23°/ 14°	5 days
August	24°/ 13°	6 days
September	25°/ 14°	7 days
October	24°/ 15°	21 days
November	24°/ 15°	19 days
December	24°/ 15°	23 days

Nairobi Travel Packages

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15 Nights / 16 Days

15 nights/16 days East Africa Escape: Kenya, Tanzania & Lamu

Nairobi(5N) → Naivasha(2N) → Tanzania(6N) → Lamu(2N)

₹335,000/person

5 Nights / 6 Days

Kenya Safari Adventure: 6 Days, 5 Nights

Nairobi(1N) → Lake Naivasha(1N) → Amboseli(1N) → Masai Mara...

$1,450/person

8 Nights / 9 Days

Kenya’s Finest Wilderness Escape

Nairobi(1N) → Tsavo West National Park(1N) → Amboseli National Pa...

$4,370/person

6 Nights / 7 Days

7-Day Kenya Safari: Mara, Amboseli & Mombasa

Nairobi(1N) → Masai Mara National Reserve(2N) → Lake Naivasha(1N)...

$2,604/person

11 Nights / 12 Days

12-Day Kenya Safari Adventure: Samburu, Masai Mara, Amboseli, Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru

Nairobi(1N) → Samburu(2N) → Ol Pejeta(1N) → Lake Nakuru(1N)...

$6,980/person

7 Nights / 8 Days

8-Day Kenya Safari Adventure and Mombasa Beach Escape

Naivasha(1N) → Nairobi(1N) → Mombasa(3N) → Masai Mara Natio...

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₹320,000/person

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More about Best Time to Travel to Nairobi

Long Dry Season in Nairobi: June to October

June to October is the driest stretch of the year,, with July the driest month of the year and August and September close behind. Days run about 22°C to 25°C.

It is also the peak safari season, so this is when the city is busiest and hotel rates highest. Nairobi National Park is at its best now: the grass is short and animals gather at the water.

Short Dry Season in Nairobi: December to March

December to March is the warmest and sunniest part of the year. March is the warmest month at about 28°C, and January has roughly three times August's sunshine.

Nights still drop to about 13°C. This is the better half of the year for the city itself, and it pairs well with the Kenyan coast at Diani and Watamu, which is also dry now.

Long Rains: March to May

The long rains run March to May and peak in April, the joint wettest month of the year. It rains most afternoons rather than all day.

Days cool to about 20°C to 25°C and the city turns green. Keep the Nairobi National Museum, the Karen Blixen Museum and the Railway Museum for the wet afternoons. Rates are at their lowest.

Short Rains: October to December

The short rains run October to December and peak in November. They are showery rather than sustained, so a day out is rarely written off.

Migratory birds arrive, which makes this the best birdwatching of the year in the park and at Lake Naivasha. Rates drop until the Christmas fortnight. 12 December is Jamhuri Day, Kenya's independence day.

Why July in Nairobi Is Cold and Grey

At 1,795 metres, Nairobi's coldest month is July, with nights near 12°C and days around 24°C. It is also the cloudiest: sunshine falls from about 288 hours in January to about 127 in August.

Locals call it the Nairobi winter, and it comes with a persistent grey drizzle rather than proper rain. It catches people out because it lands in the middle of peak safari season. Pack a fleece even for a July trip.

What Is Actually Near Nairobi, and When

Nairobi National Park, the Giraffe Centre and the Karen Blixen museum are all half-day trips and work in any month, though the park is best from June to October when the grass is short.

Lake Naivasha and Hell's Gate are a comfortable day trip, best June to October and December to March. The Masai Mara is not a day trip: allow two nights minimum, and go between August and October if you want the migration.