When is the best time to go on safari in Kenya
Kenya is a beautiful country with a diverse culture. With over 40 national parks and nature reserves across the country, it’s one of the most wonderful places in the world to visit if you’re in any way interested in wildlife safaris. However, these parks are not zoos and it’s important to realize that you can’t just visit at any time and get to see your favourite animals. You need to understand the animals and what they get up to throughout the years if you want the best chance of spotting a wild animal that you’re interested in.
So in this guide, we’re going to explain some of the best seasons to visit Kenya and what’s available during those specific times.
Make a list of what you want to see
Before we start, it’s important to ask a vital question; what do you want to see when you’re in Kenya? Perhaps you want to see Zebras, or maybe you want to enjoy a budget trip to Kenya and you’re not bothered about what animals you see as long as you have a good time on a safari. Either way, it’s vital that you take a look at what at what’s available so that you can formulate a plan.
Lions are arguably one of the most common and popular animals that people want to see when they go on a safari in Kenya. There are many places to see lions, but Maasai Mara National Reserve is arguably one of the most popular to visit. Next lions, the leopard is also a very popular animal that can also be seen at Maasai Mara and Lake Nakuru National Park. The Rhinoceros and African elephants are also commonly seen animals that are popular especially among children. Cheetahs are amazing animals to see especially when they are sprinting at full speed across the plains. They’re easier to spot in other countries, but Kenya’s Samburu National Park is a great place to see Cheetahs during the right seasons.
With so many animals to spot, it’s a good idea to write down a list of what you want to see or experience so that you can plan your holiday during the right season instead of having the season dictate what you can see.
The best and worst months to visit
There are generally no poor times to visit, but we do need to warn you that there is a rainy season in Kenya that could affect the experience. The months of March, April and May will see a lot of rain so some national park lodges and camp may be closed down for the reason. If there are any months that you should avoid, it would be these three months. Visiting during the end of the year (November and December) is also generally seen is a quieter season for wildlife with light showers which may compromise your safari, although it’s less likely to happen.
June to October will generally be the best times to go on a safari in Kenya because it’s generally when the animals are most active. Wildlife is much easier to spot because there are fewer places for them to hide, and it’s far less likely to rain. Instead, you’ll get plenty of clear skies, fewer mosquitoes and you’ll even get a chance to see the wildebeest migration during the months of July till October. It’s a fantastic few months to visit, but there is one downside; the crowds. This period is generally seen as the best time to visit Kenya, so you’re going to see a lot of crowds, it’s going to get busy and there will be many jeeps buzzing around. This generally won’t be a huge problem but if you want a more private experience with fewer people around, then it’s best to wait out this season.
November to May is a bit wetter but also a lot greener. The rates will generally drop because this is considered the low season, but it also gives you the fantastic opportunity of seeing newborn animals too. If you love birds, then migratory birds will also be around during September to April, meaning this is a fantastic opportunity to catch some exotic wildlife and do some bird spotting. Do keep in mind that this period is quite wet and rainy. Although most showers are short and won’t interrupt your safari, there is a chance that events may be cancelled due to the unpredictable weather.
This is a very general rundown of the months that you should visit. If you’re still in the planning phases and just want to gather interest with friends and family or pitch an idea, you can use these months as a general reference on when to embark on a safari in Kenya.
The Great Migration
One of the big events that occur every year in Kenya is the Great Migration. This is an event where millions of wildebeest and zebra gradually make their way from Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park to the Maasai Mara in Kenya where they’ll find larger grazing grounds, then eventually go back. Along the way, the wildebeest and zebra will encounter many of the predators that will prey on the weaker animals.
The Great Migration is one of the most celebrated events in the national parks across Kenya. It’s truly a wonderful sight to see and absolutely one of the best times to visit Kenya if you’re interested in going on a safari. We’d recommend going between September and October. This is when the majority of the heard will be in Kenya and can be seen at places that are close to the Maasai Mara.
September and October are also fantastic months to go because it’s at the end of the summer holiday rush period. This means that you won’t get the massive crowds associated with the regular summer months, and the weather won’t be as scorching hot when you’re on your safari. Towards November, the herd will start to move back across to Tanzania so it’s the last month you could go on a safari to spot the Great Migration happening. It’s a fantastic opportunity but you need to make sure you visit during these months in order to see the best of it.
Visiting during dry seasons
The Great Migration is perfect for spotting wildebeests, zebras and their natural predators, but if you’re looking for other types of animals then you may want to set your sights on the dry season. This is the period from January to early March and also includes June till late October. At these times, the animals are quite easy to spot due to the bushes being less dense and the lack of water also means that they’re more likely to gather around waterholes, making them even easier to find. You can also expect a few light showers during the short wet season. During this time, there will be a little bit of greenery, giving the plains a very pleasant view while not sheltering the wildlife too much, allowing you to see the animals in all their glory.
In short, while the Great Migration is a fantastic event to spectate, it’s not the best or only time to visit. If you’d like to see other animals, then any dry season is a fantastic time to go if you want to spot not just animals, but also birds. To put it simply, any season between June to February is generally considered a great time to visit Kenya if you’re interested in going on a safari, but if you’d like to avoid seeing mainly wildebeests and avoid the crowds, then you’re better off visiting during a dry season that doesn’t line up with holidays such as the July and August period.
Best times to visit Kenya by the month
If you don’t have the luxury to plan a visit during the season you want, then we’ve broken down what you can expect to see during the months that you visit Kenya to go on a safari. We don’t recommend that you go without planning, so do at least consult this list to ensure that you’ll have an enjoyable time getting to see the wildlife that you want to.
January – At the start of the year, you can expect the weather to be a little calmer and it will be considered an off-season since most people don’t typically travel to Kenya for a safari during the start of the year. However, it is considered a dry season with slight showers and the prices are lower due to low demand. This is a fantastic time to visit Kenya and you’ll have easy-to-spot wildlife everywhere.
February – February is similar to January in that you can expect there to be light showers, calmer weather and cheaper prices due to it being the off-season. Again, you’re going to experience some light showers that won’t affect your safari and will breathe some green into the plains.
March – Towards March, you can expect there to be more showers and a lot more vegetation than February. This means some animals may be harder to spot, but there will also be more watering holes which are where the majority of the animals will congregate. This will be a very rainy month, so it’s not entirely recommended if you’re interested in going on a safari.
April – Aprils marks the start of the shoulder season. There’s still plenty of wildlife, but this is the month where you can expect very consistent rain which will likely ruin your safari experience.
May – Towards the end of May you should expect the prices to be driven up quite a bit in preparation for the peak season in Kenya. This is the last shoulder month so if you have to take a holiday in May, you’ll want to book your tickets in advance and look for the right safari to reduce prices. In addition, the showers will start to die down and the plains will start drying up.
June – June is the transitional month that merges the shoulder season with the prime season. You can expect this month to have some good last-minute deals. There will be plenty of wildlife and towards the middle of June, the prices will start to reach their peak. Expect hot weather and a lot less vegetation than the earlier months. June makes a fantastic budget month to go on a safari.
July – The start of the Great Migration. However, you won’t get to see any wildebeest migrating to Kenya yet because they start in Tanzania. It will be expensive and crowded, so make sure you book your tickets as soon as possible.
August – During August, you’re still not really going to see too many wildebeest because they may not have crossed the Mara river in Tanzania. This is going to be an expensive month so if you’re looking to spot the Great Migration, this isn’t the right month.
September – September is when the wildebeests are going to be easier to spot, and you’ll likely see some of their predators roaming around too. It’s going to be dry, hot and crowded, but this is certainly a great time to experience the Great Migration.
October – Another Great Migration month. The wildebeest will slowly start to migrate back into Tanzania, making this still a fantastic month of easy wildlife spotting. There’s going to be a few showers, but it’s generally a great safari month.
November – November will have beautiful green scenery, plenty of watering holes and also much lower prices. You’ll start seeing migratory birds around now and even newborn animals.
December – Much like November, you can expect prices to drop due to it being an off-season. This is a great time to visit and it makes a brilliant Christmas holiday experience.
Final words
As you can see, there aren’t many bad months to visit outside of the rainy months of March, April and May. Even then, you’ll get to see plenty of wildlife around and it will be a fantastic time to go on a safari.