When to go · Nairobi
Nairobi in December
Good month. Mostly dry; holiday crowds and higher prices.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Good
- Temperature
- 23°C (73°F)73°F (23°C) / 13°C (55°F)55°F (13°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 8
- Crowds
- High
- Kenya overall
- Prices
- High
- Kenya overall
Verdict
Mostly dry; holiday crowds and higher prices.
All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.
Is another month better than December?
December is rated good. These months rate higher:
Weather in December
- NairobiHighs around 23 °C (73 °F), lows around 13 °C (55 °F), rain on about 8 daysHighs around 73 °F (23 °C), lows around 55 °F (13 °C), rain on about 8 days
- Central highlands and Nairobi, Kenya · Nairobi, Mount Kenya, Aberdaresfine
At 1,700 m Nairobi is mild; June–August evenings are cold, so pack a fleece.
Short rains season
Showers and green hills.
Watch: Flooded roads in places; Christmas peak.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
Jamhuri Day
Dec 12 · Citywide
Independence Day; parades and road closures.
Christmas
Dec 25–26 · Citywide
Shops shut; hotels busy.
Short rains
Oct–Dec
Showers, flooded roads in low areas.
Christmas and Boxing Day big impact
25–26 Dec · Kenya
Buses full, coast and lodges booked out, higher rates.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Kenya overall
- High
- Prices · Kenya overall
- High
Kenya overall: Short rains early in the month; coast and lodges full over Christmas.
High-price month: see what to book ahead.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Nairobi, side by side.
Verdict
Dec: Good
Jan: Great (better)
Daytime high
Dec: 23 °C (73 °F)73 °F (23 °C)
Jan: 25 °C (77 °F)77 °F (25 °C)
Night low
Dec: 13 °C (55 °F)55 °F (13 °C)
Jan: 12 °C (54 °F)54 °F (12 °C)
Rain days
Dec: 8
Jan: 5 (better)
Crowds
Dec: High
Jan: Medium
Prices
Dec: High
Jan: Medium
Festivals listed
Dec: 4
Jan: 2
December: Mostly dry; holiday crowds and higher prices.
January: Warm, mostly dry; good month.
Nairobi: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
Nothing unusual for the weather this month.