Kenya is one of Africa's best-known safari countries: open savannah full of wildlife, the volcanic lakes of the Rift Valley, a cool highland capital and a warm Indian Ocean coast with Swahili towns and long beaches. It sits on the equator, so the year is shaped by two rainy seasons rather than by summer and winter, and its clock never changes.
Kenya for visitors
Almost every trip starts in Nairobi, the capital, on the highlands in the south of the country. It is a large, modern city with a national park on its southern edge, where giraffes and rhinos graze in sight of office towers.
Safari parks
The Maasai Mara, in the south-west on the border with Tanzania, is the most famous reserve, with big cats, huge herds of plains animals and the river crossings of the Great Migration. Amboseli, to the south, is known for elephants and its views of Kilimanjaro across the border. Tsavo East and Tsavo West cover a vast area of dry bush between Nairobi and the coast, and Samburu lies in the drier north. In the Rift Valley, Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha make an easy stop on the way to the Mara. Mount Kenya, north of Nairobi, offers multi-day treks through forest and moorland to its rocky peaks.
The coast
Mombasa is the main city on the coast, with an old town of narrow streets and the Portuguese-built Fort Jesus. South of it, Diani has long white-sand beaches backed by palms; to the north are Watamu and Malindi, with marine parks for snorkelling. Further north, the Lamu archipelago feels a world away: no cars in the old town, dhows in the harbour, and a settlement that UNESCO describes as the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa ([1]).
Getting around
Distances between parks are long and roads can be slow and rough, so many visitors combine road safaris in a vehicle with a driver-guide with short domestic flights to the airstrips inside or near the reserves. A modern railway links Nairobi and Mombasa.
Time in Kenya
Kenya has one time zone, Africa/Nairobi, East Africa Time (EAT). It is UTC+3 all year: the country does not use daylight saving time, so the clocks never go forward or back.
Right now Nairobi is 3 hours ahead of London, 1 hour behind Dubai and 8 hours ahead of New York. Because the country lies on the equator, the length of the day barely changes through the year: in Nairobi the sun rises at about 06:33 in June and 06:24 in December.
Flights from Europe are often overnight and cross only a few time zones, so jet lag is usually mild; from the Americas or East Asia it is a bigger jump. One local detail: Swahili speakers often count the hours from sunrise rather than midnight, so "saa moja", hour one, means seven in the morning. If someone gives you a time in Swahili, check which system they mean.
Climate and weather
Altitude matters more than latitude in Kenya. The central highlands, including Nairobi, have a mild subtropical highland climate: warm, sunny days and cool nights all year. The coast is tropical, hot and humid, cooled by sea breezes. Much of the north and east is hot and dry, semi-desert or desert, while the area around Lake Victoria in the west is warmer and wetter than the highlands, with rain spread more evenly through the year.
Across most of the country, the year has two rainy seasons. The "long rains" fall roughly from March to May and the "short rains" from October to December, usually as heavy afternoon or evening storms rather than all-day rain. Between them are a cooler, often cloudy dry season in the middle of the year and a hotter, sunnier one at the start of the year. The rains vary a lot from one year to the next, with floods in some seasons and drought in others.
In Nairobi, average highs range from 24°C in July to 28°C in March, and the city gets about 738 mm of rain a year. April brings about 126 mm and November about 128 mm. The driest month in Nairobi is July, with only 11 mm. The Nairobi guide has the full month-by-month table.
- Nairobi
Show the numbers
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nairobi | 61 | 39 | 75 | 126 | 103 | 27 | 11 | 18 | 19 | 48 | 128 | 86 |
Nights on the highlands and in the Mara can be chilly in the middle of the year, and the upper slopes of Mount Kenya have freezing nights. The coast is warm in every season.
Best time to visit Kenya
For a safari, the long dry season from about late June to October is the classic time: the grass is shorter, animals gather near water and park roads are easy. It is also when the Great Migration usually reaches the Maasai Mara from the Serengeti, although the herds follow the rain and grazing, so the timing shifts from year to year. This is the busiest and most expensive period in the parks, so book lodges well ahead.
The shorter dry season at the start of the year, from January to February, is another good window, warmer and often less crowded. The long rains are the low season: some camps close, unpaved roads turn to mud and coastal resorts are quiet, but the landscape is green, and the parks have far fewer vehicles.
The coast is at its best in the dry seasons, when the sea is calm and clear for snorkelling and diving. Mount Kenya is best climbed in the dry seasons too. The Christmas and New Year period is busy everywhere, especially on the coast.
Practical facts
- Capital: Nairobi.
- Population: about 55 million (UN World Population Prospects 2024, 2023 estimate).
- Currency: Kenyan shilling (KES). Mobile money is a big part of daily life in Kenya, and cards are accepted in most hotels, lodges and larger restaurants. Carry some cash in shillings for markets, small shops and tips.
- Languages: Swahili, English. English is widely used in tourism and business, and Swahili is the everyday language across much of the country. A few words go a long way: jambo (hello), asante (thank you), karibu (welcome).
- Calling code: +254.
- Tipping: customary on safari, for driver-guides and lodge staff, and appreciated in restaurants.
- Driving: on the left.
- Emergency number: 999 for the police, fire service and ambulance ([2]).
Plan your trip with hoyoopin
- Nairobi city guide: the long and short rains, the cool dry season, safari timing, what to pack and how East Africa Time lines up with the rest of the world.
- World Clock: Kenya's time next to your own and other cities.
- Weather: live conditions and the forecast for Mombasa, the Mara or any other town in Kenya.
- Africa: time zones and key facts for every country on the continent.
- Before you fly: how to pack for any weather.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Kenya in?
Kenya uses East Africa Time, UTC+3, all year, with the IANA identifier Africa/Nairobi.
Does Kenya have daylight saving time?
No. The clocks stay the same all year. The difference with Europe and North America changes only when they change their clocks.
When are the rainy seasons in Kenya?
The long rains fall roughly from March to May and the short rains from October to December. In Nairobi, November is the wettest month.
When is the Great Migration in the Maasai Mara?
The herds usually arrive in the Mara during the long dry season in the middle of the year and stay until around October, but the exact timing depends on the rains each year.
Which side of the road do they drive on in Kenya?
On the left, as in the United Kingdom and much of East and southern Africa.
Sources
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Lamu Old Town: the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa.
- GOV.UK: Kenya, getting help: emergency services 999 (ambulance, fire, police).