Best time to visit Kenya for safari 2024
Kenya is a top destination but pinpointing the best time to visit Kenya can pose a challange. This article explores when you should schedule your Kenyan Safari.
A Kenyan safari is a bucket list item for many travellers but choosing the best time to visit Kenya can be puzzling due to weather and wildlife seasonality.
Although the country is an all-year-round travel destination, your travel time/month should coincide with what you would like to experience during your safari/vacation.
If you are only interested in sightseeing and game safaris, you can visit at any time but to see something like the great wildebeest migration you need to be there in specific months.
In this article, we will look at a month-on-month timeline of the best time to travel to Kenya.
An Overview of the best time to visit Kenya for safari
If you are looking forward to visiting Kenya for an unforgettable safari, then the best time to visit Kenya for a safari is between July and October. The dry season falls within these months.
Because of water scarcity animals tend to gather around water points hence easy to spot. Although the dry season is the best time to visit Kenya, it’s also expensive since the wildebeest migration happens within this time frame.
Best time to visit Kenya per month (January to December)
Depending on what you intend to do, the following are the best times to visit Kenya month-on-month
| Activity | Time to visist Kenya |
|---|---|
| Wildebeest migration | July to November |
| Climbing Mt Kenya | January to March and June to October |
| Safari | June to October |
| Wildlife viewing | June to October |
| Tribal visits | All year round |
| National museum visits | All year round |
| National parks visit | All year round |
| Visiting the Kenyan coast | January to March and July to October |
The best time to see the great migration
The great wildebeest migration is one of the seven wonders of the world. Between July to November, over 1.5 million wildebeest cross the Mara River from the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya and vice versa in search of pasture making this period one of the best times to visit Kenya or Tanzania.
It is estimated that over half a million succumb to hunger, thirst, exhaustion, and predation during the migration.
Although the wildebeest migration is a year-round phenomenon, the best time to see the great migration is between July to November.
To be more specific, wildebeests cross the Mara River from Serengeti to Maasai Mara from late July all through August.
They cross the river again on their way back to Serengeti from late October all through early November.
The best time to go on a safari in Kenya
It is recommended to embark on a Kenyan safari when the climatic conditions are favourable ideally during the dry season.
The dry seasons are between January to March and June to October. These periods are ideal for safari and climbing Mt Kenya/hiking.
Best time to visit Mombasa Kenya
Mombasa is a coastal town in Kenya known for its pristine beaches. The best time to visit Mombasa is between January and March when the climatic conditions are hot and dry.
You can visit Diani or Lamu Beach for a refreshing sunbathing therapy. When you are not at the beach, you can visit historical sites such as Fort Jesus.
It’s not recommended to visit Mombasa for a beach vacation during December. Kenyans go for vacations at this time of the year therefore expect high hotel prices and overcrowded beaches.
Cheapest time to go to Kenya
The cheapest time to go to Kenya is between April to June. These months are considered low season. At this time, hotels and tours are cheap as compared to high-season months like August.
August is considered the most expensive month to go to Kenya due to wildebeest migration. A this time, hotels around Maasai Mara are likely to be sold out and tours are quite expensive.
Winding Up
The best time to go to Kenya solely depends on what you would like to experience while in the country.
