When is the best time to visit Kenya?

The best time to travel to Kenya depends on what you want to do during your trip. Kenya is considered a year-round destination for both safaris and beach holidays. Kenya has two historic wet seasons between April and June called the long rains and November to December called the short rains. The best times for safari are between January and March and July to October. However, January to March is a hot time of year to travel. 

If you want to see the Great Migration in Kenya, the herds are generally in the Mara from August to October, but climate change has affected the rainfall patterns, and this has become more unpredictable.

The Kenyan coast can be visited all year round but from mid-March to the end of May you can expect rain on the coast and stronger winds so this is not the best time to visit the Kenyan coast.

What is the weather like in Kenya?

Kenya has a tropical climate, but the landscape differs hugely across the country though many areas are dry. The temperatures are affected by altitude, so on Mount Kenya and in the Aberdare’s, it can be much cooler. Nairobi lies at 1660m in altitude, so it is much cooler than in the Mara. From July – August it can be as cool as 5°C at night, even though daytime highs in the shade at that time of year easily exceed 21°C. On the coast such as in Mombasa temperatures rarely drop below 20°C.

Kenya has two historic wet seasons between April and June called the long rains and November to December called the short rains. January and March and July to October are warm and generally have no rain so this is when most visitors come on safari. However, January to March is a hot time of year to travel. 

The diversity of game in Kenya is simply astounding. From the big five to the small five, Kenya’s game parks, reserves and other wildlife protection areas host some of the wildest game thus the reason why this is home for the safari. Dotted in their unique landscapes, geographical features, a vast array of game ensues. The icing on Kenya’s wildlife cake is the annual Wildebeest Migration at the infamous Maasai Mara migration between mid-August and late October. This is the best example of wild nature at its best as hundreds of thousands of wildebeests, zebras, Thomson’s gazelles, topi and elands.