Straight answers
Timing, answered plainly
Including the questions where the honest answer is "nobody knows".
Choosing a month
Which month, and why
What is the best month overall?
For river crossings, late August to early September. For everything else there is no single answer, and that is not evasion — February, June, September, October and November are all excellent months for different reasons and at very different prices.
Tell us what you want most and we will name the month.
What is the cheapest month?
April and May, by a clear margin, where camps stay open. November is close behind and is much easier going. February is the cheapest month that still gives you classic dry-season conditions.
What is the busiest month?
August, followed by July, and then Christmas and New Year. In the Mara national reserve in August a good sighting can draw a crowd of vehicles, which is the main reason people pay the premium for a conservancy.
Is September better than August?
For most people, yes. Crossings are still likely, the herds have settled, and both the crowds and the rates start easing from the second week. August has slightly better crossing odds; September has a noticeably better experience around them.
The rains
Rain, and what it actually does
When are the rainy seasons?
The long rains run roughly from late March into May, and the short rains from late October into December. Those are averages — in recent years they have arrived early, late and occasionally not at all.
The long rains are the wetter and more disruptive of the two. The short rains usually come as afternoon storms rather than as days of rain.
Will rain ruin a safari?
Rarely, outside April. Game drives run in the rain, vehicles have covers, and the hour after a storm is the best light of the trip.
April is the exception. It can rain for a day or more at a time, black-cotton tracks in parts of the Mara become very difficult, and some camps close for the month.
Is the green season a good idea?
It depends on who you are. It is superb for returning visitors, photographers, birders and anyone who values space over certainty. It is a poor choice for a first safari of one week with no flexibility. We set out both sides on the green season page.
Should we worry about malaria in the wet months?
Risk exists across most of Kenya year-round and does rise after rain. This is a question for a travel clinic rather than for us — see one well before you travel, in whichever month you go, and follow their advice on prophylaxis and bite avoidance.
Practical
Booking, holidays and the coast
We are tied to school holidays. What are our options?
Late July is peak but reliable and the migration is usually under way. The first half of December is quieter, cheaper and green. Easter falls in the long rains, which is the holiday we would think hardest about — if that is your only window, weight the trip towards Laikipia and the Rift Valley lakes.
Whichever holiday you are in, book earlier than you think you need to.
Does the coast follow the same seasons?
No. The coast runs on monsoon winds: roughly November to March is calmer and hotter, and April to October is windier and fresher. April and May are the wettest months there too, and some hotels close.
A safari in August followed by a beach week works, but the beach half is in the windy season. January, February and September to October suit both halves at once.
How cold does it get?
Colder than people expect. Much of Kenya’s safari country is at altitude, and dawn game drives in June, July and August are genuinely cold on an open vehicle. Bring a warm layer in any month and a proper jacket in the middle of the year.
How far ahead should I book?
For July to October — the migration months in the Masai Mara — six to twelve months is normal, and the best small camps sell out first. Christmas and New Year book up just as early.
For the shoulder months, three to four months is usually comfortable. Inside eight weeks we can still put a very good trip together, but you are choosing from what is left rather than from everything.
Do you charge for planning?
No. Sending your dates, getting an itinerary and getting a costed quote is free and carries no obligation. Money only changes hands when you decide to hold space at a camp.
Who actually arranges my safari?
This site is a planning guide. When you send an enquiry it goes to Nomad Africa, our partner travel agency in Kenya, who prepare your itinerary and quote and handle the booking, the payments and you on the ground.
You deal with one team from the first email to the airport transfer home.
More from our Kenya guides
Specialist guides across our Kenya network
Each of these is a focused guide we publish. Same Kenya specialist behind every enquiry.
Still not sure which month?
Send us your window and what matters most to you. We will tell you plainly what that month gives you — including when we would suggest a different one.