When to go · Nairobi
Nairobi in May
Avoid month. Rain continues; some lodges close.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Avoid
- Temperature
- 22°C (72°F)72°F (22°C) / 14°C (57°F)57°F (14°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 13
- Crowds
- Low
- Kenya overall
- Prices
- Low
- Kenya overall
Verdict
Rain continues; some lodges close.
All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.
Is another month better than May?
May is rated avoid. These months rate higher:
Weather in May
- NairobiHighs around 22 °C (72 °F), lows around 14 °C (57 °F), rain on about 13 daysHighs around 72 °F (22 °C), lows around 57 °F (14 °C), rain on about 13 days
- Central highlands and Nairobi, Kenya · Nairobi, Mount Kenya, Aberdaresrainy
At 1,700 m Nairobi is mild; June–August evenings are cold, so pack a fleece.
Long rains season
Green landscape and fewer visitors.
Watch: Downpours slow roads; some lodges close.
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.
Labour Day
May 1 · Citywide
Offices closed.
Long rains
Mar–May
Downpours in the afternoon slow roads; some lodges close in April and May.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Kenya overall
- Low
- Prices · Kenya overall
- Low
Kenya overall: Rain eases toward month end; green season deals, but check which camps are open.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Nairobi, side by side.
Verdict
May: Avoid
Jan: Great (better)
Daytime high
May: 22 °C (72 °F)72 °F (22 °C)
Jan: 25 °C (77 °F)77 °F (25 °C)
Night low
May: 14 °C (57 °F)57 °F (14 °C)
Jan: 12 °C (54 °F)54 °F (12 °C)
Rain days
May: 13
Jan: 5 (better)
Crowds
May: Low
Jan: Medium
Prices
May: Low
Jan: Medium
Festivals listed
May: 2
Jan: 2
May: Rain continues; some lodges close.
January: Warm, mostly dry; good month.
Nairobi: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast