Best Time to Visit Kenya: A Month-by-Month Guide

Quick picks

Safari: late June to October, or January to February.
The Great Migration: usually July to October, in the Maasai Mara.
The beach: December to March for heat and sunshine.
Fewest visitors: April, May and November, if you don't mind rain.
Coming home: December, August and Easter. Book early for all three.

Kenya month by month

The weather below is a pattern, not a promise: the rains arrive earlier or later each year. Kenyan school breaks are from the 2026 calendar; the 2027 calendar had not been published when we checked. UK breaks are those of schools in England; Scotland's summer holiday starts and ends earlier.

Month	Weather	Wildlife	Holidays and school breaks	Visitors	Good for
January	Hot and dry	Good viewing; the herds are in Tanzania	New Year's Day	Busy, then quieter	Safari, beach
February	Hot and dry	Good viewing	UK half-term; Kenyan half-term (late February)	Moderate	Safari, beach, hiking
March	Hot; the long rains can start late in the month	Green and quiet	Easter (26 to 29 March 2027); UK Easter break	Moderate	Beach, Easter visits
April	Long rains	Green season; muddy tracks	Kenyan school holiday	Quiet	Fewer vehicles
May	Long rains; the coast's wettest month	Green season	Labour Day; UK half-term	Quietest	Quiet parks
June	Drying and cooler; showers on the coast	Season picks up	Madaraka Day; Kenyan half-term; US summer holidays begin	Building	Safari from late June
July	Cool and dry inland	Migration usually arrives	US and UK summer holidays	Busy	Migration, family visits
August	Cool and dry inland	Migration; river crossings	Kenyan and UK school holidays; many US schools go back	Busiest	Migration, diaspora visits
September	Dry and warming	Migration; river crossings	Schools in England and the remaining US schools go back	Busy	Migration
October	Short rains usually start mid-month or later	Migration often still in the Mara	Mazingira and Mashujaa Days; Kenyan holiday starts; UK half-term	Moderate	Safari early in the month
November	Short rains	Green season	Kenyan school holiday; US Thanksgiving	Quiet	Green landscapes
December	Short rains ease off; hot on the coast	Good viewing	Jamhuri Day, Christmas, Boxing Day; school holidays everywhere	Very busy	Homecoming, beach

Safari

The parks are rewarding all year, because the resident wildlife stays. The dry months are the classic choice: firm tracks and long, easy game drives. In the long rains, the Kenya Wildlife Service warns that most park roads may need a four-wheel-drive vehicle, but the parks are green and quieter. Start with our guides to the Maasai Mara, Lake Naivasha and Nanyuki and Mount Kenya. If you plan to drive between them, the sister site's road trips from Nairobi has the routes.

The Great Migration

The herds of wildebeest and zebra usually cross from Tanzania's Serengeti into the Mara from July to October, with the dramatic Mara River crossings in that window. The exact timing moves with the rains, so allow three nights or more. July to September is the peak for visitors, and stays book up months ahead.

The beach

Diani Beach and Mombasa are warm all year, with daytime highs of roughly 28 to 32°C (82 to 90°F). December to March is hot, mostly dry and busiest. The heaviest rain usually falls from April to June, with May the wettest month. July to October is a little cooler.

Nairobi, family visits and Mount Kenya

Nairobi works all year. Pack a warm layer for the evenings and a rain jacket for the rainy months. For walking and hiking around Mount Kenya, aim for the drier months, roughly January to February and June to October, and pack warm layers: highland nights can drop to a few degrees above freezing in June and July.

The diaspora calendar

December is the big homecoming. Kenyan schools are on their long holiday from 26 October 2026 to 1 January 2027, and flights, cars, train seats and coast stays fill early. Our homecoming guide and the sister site's December homecoming checklist help you plan it.
August is the summer visit. Schools in England are out all month, Scottish schools go back in mid-August, and Kenyan schools have a three-week break. US schools go back between early August and early September, depending on the state, so check your district's dates.
Easter 2027 runs from Good Friday, 26 March, to Easter Monday, 29 March: a four-day weekend in Kenya.

The green season, honestly

The rainy months have real rewards: green landscapes, quieter parks and an easier choice of stays. You give up firm tracks: the Mara and the conservancies get muddy, and roads are slower. For October to December 2026, the Kenya Meteorological Department expects above-average rain in most counties, including Nairobi, Narok (home of the Mara) and the coast. Pack a rain jacket and leave extra time between places.

Dates that change plans

Public holidays: New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day (1 May), Madaraka Day (1 June), Idd-ul-Fitr (its date depends on the moon), Mazingira Day (10 October), Mashujaa Day (20 October), Jamhuri Day (12 December), Christmas and Boxing Day. A holiday that falls on a Sunday moves to the Monday, and the government can declare extra ones.
Christmas week: the roads out of Nairobi are full, and coast stays fill months ahead.
The Safari Rally, a round of the World Rally Championship, ran from 12 to 15 March in 2026. Its 2027 date had not been confirmed when we checked, so look it up before booking a March trip.

Our advice in one paragraph

For a first visit, aim for late June to early October, or January to February, with a few nights on the coast at the end. If you are coming home for December, book early and keep the first day or two quiet. And if your dates are fixed, come anyway: every month has something good, and we will tell you honestly what to expect. Plan your trip with us, or see how to get between each place.

Questions

Is October a good time to visit Kenya?

Often, yes. The migration can still be in the Mara early in the month, and the parks are quieter than in August. The short rains usually start in the second half of October; for 2026, the Kenya Meteorological Department expected them in Nairobi from the second or third week.

Does it rain a lot in Kenya in November?

November is in the short rains, so expect showers. For 2026, the Kenya Meteorological Department expects above-average rain in most counties, including Nairobi, the Mara and the coast. Pack a rain jacket, allow extra time on the roads, and enjoy the green landscapes and quieter parks.

When is the best time to combine Kenya and Tanzania?

For the migration, the herds are usually in the Maasai Mara from around July to October and in Tanzania's Serengeti for the rest of the year, so you can follow them. Tanzania has its own entry rules, so check them separately from Kenya's eTA. Parts of Kenya have a risk of yellow fever, so Tanzania asks for a yellow fever certificate if you arrive from Kenya.

When is the best time for a beach holiday in Kenya?

December to March for heat and sunshine, or July to October for slightly cooler days. May is usually the wettest month on the coast. See our Diani Beach guide.

When is the best time to visit Kenya with children?

Whenever your school holidays allow. The dry months make safaris easiest, and December is lovely but the busiest, so book early. See a travel clinic six to eight weeks before you go for malaria advice for your route.

Sources we checked

Facts checked 2 October 2026. Fees, schedules and entry rules change, so always confirm the latest with the official source.

The best time to visit Kenya, month by month