Timing your trip
best time to visit nairobi
Nairobi’s highland altitude keeps temperatures mild year-round, but its clear dry and rainy phases shape when safari links, rooftop dining and garden visits are at their best.
seasonal guide to nairobi
Wildlife viewing in Nairobi National Park holds up year-round, but the drier months sharpen it. June to October and January to February bring shorter grass, clear skies and game near permanent water, with reliable connections onward. The long and short rains green the landscape and lift the birding, though some tracks turn muddy. The altitude keeps it mild all year.
month by month details
January is one of the strongest months to visit, combining relatively dry, warm conditions with reliable access to the main safari areas. The altitude moderates the warmth, keeping the city pleasant for exploration.
Clearer skies and good wildlife concentration at Nairobi National Park waterholes make this an excellent time for game viewing, while rooftop dining and outdoor garden visits are easily enjoyed.
February continues the drier, warmer phase, making it a favoured window for combining Nairobi with safari itineraries. Highland altitude keeps temperatures comfortable rather than hot.
Road and air reliability is good, and the clearer conditions suit both wildlife viewing at park waterholes and city activities such as outdoor museums and rooftop dining.
March marks the onset of the long rains, bringing heavier, more sustained rainfall and lusher landscapes. Early in the month conditions can still be settled before the rains take hold.
Birding improves and dust drops away, but some outdoor activities may be affected by showers and park tracks can begin to turn muddy.
April sits in the middle of the long rains, with heavier, more sustained rainfall affecting outdoor plans. The green landscapes are striking, but conditions are at their wettest.
Park tracks may be muddy and some activities disrupted by showers, though the lush scenery and excellent birding reward those who travel now.
May remains within the long rains, so expect sustained rainfall and the possibility of muddy park tracks. The countryside is at its greenest and dust is minimal.
Birding is excellent and landscapes are lush, but outdoor activities can be interrupted by showers, making this a quieter, more weather-dependent month.
June opens the drier, cooler season, one of the best stretches for combining Nairobi with the main safari areas. Pleasant temperatures and lower rainfall define the month.
Clearer skies and good wildlife concentration at park waterholes make game viewing rewarding, while the cooler weather suits city exploration and outdoor garden visits.
July offers cool, dry conditions and dependable road and air access, making it a prime month for safari-linked travel. The highland altitude keeps temperatures comfortable.
Wildlife concentrates at waterholes under clearer skies, and the pleasant weather is ideal for rooftop dining and outdoor museum and garden visits.
August continues the drier, cooler season with reliable conditions for both safari and city plans. Lower rainfall and clearer skies make travel straightforward.
Good wildlife concentration at Nairobi National Park waterholes pairs well with comfortable temperatures for exploring the city and its gardens.
September closes the drier, cooler months and remains a favoured window for combining Nairobi with the main safari areas. Conditions stay pleasant and reliable.
Clearer skies and strong wildlife viewing at park waterholes complement outdoor city activities, from rooftop dining to garden visits.
October can begin dry before the short rains arrive, bringing shorter but often intense showers later in the month. Early days may still feel like the dry season.
The landscapes stay green and birding is good, though showers can affect some outdoor activities and park tracks may soften.
November sits within the short rains, with shorter, often intense showers and lush, green surroundings. Dust is low and the scenery is at its best.
Birding is excellent and the rains tend to be brief, but some outdoor plans may be interrupted and park tracks can be muddy.
December sees the short rains easing, with conditions improving as the drier, warmer phase approaches. The altitude keeps temperatures mild and forgiving.
Greener landscapes and lower dust persist, and as showers reduce, road reliability and outdoor activities such as rooftop dining and garden visits become easier.
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frequently asked questions
June to September, and again in January and February.
At 1,700 metres the city is mild all year, so what changes is the rain rather than the temperature. Those windows are the dry ones, and they line up with the best months in the Mara and the north.
June and July are the coolest, with grey mornings that surprise people.
The rain is the thing that matters, mostly because it affects the light aircraft rather than the city.
April and May are the long rains and the wettest stretch of the year.
In the city the rain falls in heavy afternoon bursts and drains away; the streets carry on. What it affects is the bush flights, which can be delayed, and the parks you are flying to.
November's short rains are milder and clear quickly.
We plan the dates around the safari rather than around Nairobi, and treat the city nights as the practical bookends they are.
Cool rather than cold, and cooler than most visitors expect of Kenya.
June to August brings grey mornings and evenings that need a jumper, with daytime temperatures in the low twenties. December to March is warmer and brighter.
It never freezes and it never really bakes.
Pack a light jacket for the evenings and keep the safari kit in the bag underneath: the bush is a different climate entirely.
July and August, and around Christmas.
Those are the peak safari months, so the hotels near both airports fill and the light aircraft run back to back. Nairobi also takes conference and business traffic that has nothing to do with the safari calendar.
That is the thing that catches people out.
We book the city nights when we book the camps, months ahead, rather than assuming a room will be free.
Whenever the light aircraft can take you on, which usually means the morning.
The bush flights from Wilson leave in the morning and early afternoon, so a dawn arrival can connect the same day and an evening arrival cannot. That, rather than the season, decides whether you need a night.
In the rainy months the flights are less predictable, so we leave more margin.
Tell us your flight times and we will build the first day around them.
July to October, and January to February.
Those windows are strong in the Maasai Mara, the north and on the coast at once, so one set of dates carries the whole trip and the flying from Wilson is reliable.
April and May are weak nearly everywhere in Kenya.
We would keep the city to a single night at each end and put every other night into the bush or the beach.
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Every journey starts with a conversation. We take the time to understand your vision before we start planning.
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Every journey starts with a conversation. We favour a direct, personal approach: understanding your vision before anything else.
Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape a journey that is both thoughtfully considered and expertly delivered.
Get in touch to start planning yours.