Season guide · Nairobi · Kenya
Nairobi in the short rains
November–December: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Samwalton9, CC BY 4.0
Quick answer
Showers in the afternoons and evenings with clear mornings; quieter and cheaper until the Christmas holiday rush. Expect highs up to 23°C (73°F) and lows around 13°C (55°F), with about 23 rainy days across November–December.
Key facts
- Months
- November–December
- Temperatures
- 13°C (55°F) to 23°C (73°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 23
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in the short rains
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November | 23°C (73°F) | 14°C (57°F) | 14 | 12.2 h | 2/5 |
| December | 23°C (73°F) | 13°C (55°F) | 9 | 12.2 h | 4/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 23°C (73°F) against a yearly 24°C (75°F), and 23 of the year's roughly 88 rainy days fall in these 2 months. Crowds rate 3/5 and hotel prices 3/5 on average.
What's on in the short rains
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- December: Jamhuri Day — independence holiday (12 December)
- December: Christmas and New Year holiday peak
Good choices for the short rains
Museum · Central Business District
Nairobi Railway Museum
Spend most of your time in the outdoor yard, where you can walk among and inside the old locomotives.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Kids
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
Gallery · Central Business District
Nairobi Gallery
Housed in the 1913 Old PC's Office at the junction of Kenyatta Avenue and Uhuru Highway, this small National Museums of Kenya gallery shows African art and artefacts, including pieces from the collection of Joseph Murumbi, Kenya's second vice-president.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Karen
Karen Blixen Museum
Read or watch Out of Africa beforehand; the guides point out rooms and views that appear in the book and the 1985 film.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Couples
- Outdoors
Museum · Museum Hill
Nairobi National Museum
Kenya's flagship museum covers human origins, with fossil casts from the Turkana basin, alongside galleries on Kenyan history, cultures, birds and mammals.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Day trips in the short rains
- Lake Nakuru National Park (About 3 hours by road) — A fenced Rift Valley park around a soda lake, known for black and white rhinos, Rothschild's giraffes, lions and, in some years, large flocks of flamingos.
- Amboseli National Park (About 4–5 hours by road; best overnight) — Large elephant herds against the backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro across the border in Tanzania are Amboseli's classic image.
What to pack
- Light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening
- A compact umbrella and waterproof shoes — rain is frequent
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is the short rains a good time to visit Nairobi?
It is a trade-off: Showers in the afternoons and evenings with clear mornings; quieter and cheaper until the Christmas holiday rush. The best months overall are January–February and June–September.
+What is the weather like in Nairobi in the short rains?
Highs of up to 23°C (73°F) and lows around 13°C (55°F), with about 23 rainy days over the season.