Season guide · Nairobi · Kenya
Nairobi in the warm dry season
January–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Hot, sunny days by Nairobi standards, green parks after the short rains and good game viewing; a popular time for safaris. Expect highs up to 26°C (79°F) and lows around 12°C (54°F), with about 9 rainy days across January–February. January–February are among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- January–February
- Temperatures
- 12°C (54°F) to 26°C (79°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 9
- Crowds
- Busy
- Hotel prices
- High
Weather in the warm dry season
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25°C (77°F) | 12°C (54°F) | 5 | 12.2 h | 4/5 |
| February | 26°C (79°F) | 12°C (54°F) | 4 | 12.2 h | 4/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 26°C (79°F) against a yearly 24°C (75°F), and 9 of the year's roughly 88 rainy days fall in these 2 months. Crowds rate 4/5 and hotel prices 4/5 on average.
What's on in the warm dry season
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- January: New Year holiday traffic eases by mid-month
Make the most of the weather
Nature · Langata
Nairobi National Park
Kenya's first national park, opened in 1946, covers about 117 km² of grassland and acacia bush just south of the city.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Nature · Nairobi National Park
Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage
Stand at the front of the rope line on the side nearest the mud wallow; the calves often splash the first row.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Kids
- Nature
- Photo spot
Nature · Langata
Giraffe Centre
Run by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife since 1979, the centre breeds endangered Rothschild's giraffes and lets visitors feed them pellets from a raised wooden platform at head height.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Kids
- Nature
- Photo spot
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
Zoo · Langata
Nairobi Safari Walk
A raised wooden boardwalk run by the Kenya Wildlife Service at the national park's main gate, passing enclosures of rescued animals including a white rhino, lions, cheetahs and bongo antelope.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Day trips in the warm dry season
- Lake Naivasha and Crescent Island (About 2 hours by road) — A freshwater Rift Valley lake fringed with yellow fever trees, where boat rides pass hippos and fish eagles.
- Hell's Gate National Park (About 2 hours by road) — One of the few Kenyan parks where you can cycle or walk among zebras, buffalo and giraffes, below the volcanic plug of Fischer's Tower.
What to pack
- Light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is the warm dry season a good time to visit Nairobi?
Yes: January–February are among the best months. Hot, sunny days by Nairobi standards, green parks after the short rains and good game viewing; a popular time for safaris.
+What is the weather like in Nairobi in the warm dry season?
Highs of up to 26°C (79°F) and lows around 12°C (54°F), with about 9 rainy days over the season.