When to Go To Kenya on Safari?

Big Cats & Safari Wildlife
If you are looking for superb game viewing, Kenya is a serious contender. You are likely to see leopard, lion and cheetah in the Masai Mara, home of BBC’s Big Cat Diaries, in addition to fantastic and varied game viewing both here and in Kenya’s other parks and reserves.
Big Cats & Safari Wildlife
Great Migration
In the Great Migration two million ungulates including wildebeest, zebra and antelope species, undertake a journey of roughly 1,600 kilometres. The herds reach the Masai Mara in July and remain there until October when, following the rain, they start the slow march southwards back to the Serengeti Plains.
Great Migration
Green Season
If you want to enjoy the game reserves to yourself and don't mind the odd rain shower, June it is an excellent time to visit Kenya. During this time the animals take advantage of the abundant food and give birth to their young. They can be a little harder to spot because of the increased vegetation but you should not have to wait too long before seeing something new and you should still see all the animals that you would during the dryer months. It is also worth mentioning that travel at this time can be less expensive than travel later in the year.
Green Season
Hot Air Ballooning
Dawn over the Mara from a hot air balloon is a very special sight. You float up high, guided along the course of the Mara river by the prevailing winds, above delicate networks of animal tracks across the landscape. Champagne breakfast in the bush awaits you on landing.
Hot Air Ballooning
Local Culture
Kenya is home to the iconic Masai and Samburu. For centuries they have lived a traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle herding their cattle to areas of water and grazing. A stay at a community lodge means you can support local people, help preserve wilderness areas and enjoy a great safari.
Local Culture
Masai Mara
The Masai Mara is one of the most famous reserves in Africa. Home to the extraordinary Great Migration, which sees hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and zebra cross the Mara River each year, it has always been a favourite location for countless wildlife documentaries.
Masai Mara
Meru National Park
Meru achieved world recognition with Joy Adamson's 'Born Free' and the story of Elsa the lioness. Meru is well of the beaten safari trail and is located to the North East of Nairobi. On clear mornings you can see the snowy peaks of Mount Kenya to the southeast, and when the sun is directly behind, the Nyambeni Mountain range the backdrop is amazing! The game here was depleted in the 1940s as it was a popular area with hunters. However, animal life is now plentiful as the land has been protected sine 1959. The variegation is mainly Bushland so binoculars and a keen eye will be essential to find the game.
Meru National Park

Africa and The Indian Ocean

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When to Go to Kenya

This is a rough guide to when to travel to this region. Choose a month of travel to see typical temperature and rainfall around the country. The ticks indicate our recommended months to travel.

0.139

36.421

5.01993894577026

-4.67804765701294

41.8990821838379

33.9088516235352

Lamu Archipelago

-2.29012520986381
40.9066915512085

Janurary
- 30
- 7
- 9
February
- 31
- 3
- 9
March
- 31
- 28
- 9
April
- 31
- 134
- 8
May
- 30
- 307
- 7
June
- 30
- 157
- 8
July
- 29
- 87
- 8
August
- 29
- 44
- 9
September
- 29
- 47
- 9
October
- 30
- 43
- 10
November
- 30
- 51
- 9
December
- 30
- 31
- 9

Watamu

-3.35003548243891
40.0166273117065

Janurary
- 31
- 14
- 9
February
- 31
- 10
- 9
March
- 32
- 34
- 9
April
- 31
- 170
- 8
May
- 29
- 286
- 7
June
- 28
- 141
- 8
July
- 28
- 96
- 8
August
- 28
- 70
- 8
September
- 29
- 61
- 9
October
- 30
- 76
- 9
November
- 31
- 80
- 9
December
- 31
- 47
- 9

Masai Mara National Reserve

-1.52906384271232
35.1706695556641

Janurary
- 28
- 82
- 9
February
- 28
- 95
- 9
March
- 28
- 124
- 8
April
- 27
- 166
- 7
May
- 26
- 110
- 7
June
- 26
- 59
- 8
July
- 25
- 28
- 7
August
- 26
- 44
- 7
September
- 27
- 52
- 8
October
- 28
- 56
- 8
November
- 27
- 100
- 8
December
- 27
- 111
- 8

Samburu National Reserve

0.582565759979538
37.617359161377

Janurary
- 32
- 15
- 9
February
- 34
- 21
- 9
March
- 33
- 58
- 8
April
- 32
- 113
- 8
May
- 32
- 47
- 8
June
- 32
- 4
- 8
July
- 31
- 5
- 7
August
- 31
- 5
- 7
September
- 33
- 5
- 8
October
- 33
- 53
- 8
November
- 31
- 140
- 7
December
- 31
- 57
- 8

Amboseli National Park

-2.61932640797985
37.1420288085937

Janurary
- 30
- 45
- 9
February
- 31
- 56
- 9
March
- 30
- 87
- 8
April
- 28
- 146
- 7
May
- 26
- 68
- 7
June
- 25
- 13
- 6
July
- 24
- 4
- 6
August
- 25
- 5
- 6
September
- 27
- 7
- 8
October
- 29
- 31
- 9
November
- 29
- 103
- 8
December
- 28
- 80
- 8

Select a month
of travel:

JanuaryJan
FebruaryFeb
MarchMar
AprilApr
MayMay
JuneJun
JulyJul
AugustAug
SeptemberSep
OctoberOct
NovemberNov
DecemberDec

Climate data provided by Weather2Travel.com

Kenya is a dry country with 75% of its area classed as arid or semi-arid. While there are regional variations in temperature and rainfall, the climate can be divided into two belts.

'Inland' Kenya (including the Rift Valley and Central Highlands) has an idyllic climate with daytime temperatures averaging 20C and cooler nights. The "short rains" fall from late October to December and the "long rains" from March to May.

The coastal strip is hot and humid all year round, with daytime temperatures ranging from 26C to 32C and 70% humidity. The heat is pleasantly tempered by the monsoon winds that blow from the southeast from April to July and the northeast from September to March.

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Highlights Of The Year

{E09C999A-C6A6-4DE7-8B46-91AB077A08C9}Dhow racing in the Lamu Archipelago, Kenya

January

A few miles off the coast of northern Kenya coast is the beautiful Lamu archipelago. The local dhows are a common sight and a great way to enjoy the island on a short cruise. What's more, each January these craft are raced by the locals which makes for a spectacular sight.

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