When to go · Nairobi
Nairobi in October
Mixed month. Short rains can start late in the month.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Mixed
- Temperature
- 25°C (77°F)77°F (25°C) / 14°C (57°F)57°F (14°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 8
- Crowds
- Medium
- Kenya overall
- Prices
- High
- Kenya overall
Verdict
Short rains can start late in the month.
All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.
Is another month better than October?
October is rated mixed. These months rate higher:
Weather in October
- NairobiHighs around 25 °C (77 °F), lows around 14 °C (57 °F), rain on about 8 daysHighs around 77 °F (25 °C), lows around 57 °F (14 °C), rain on about 8 days
- Central highlands and Nairobi, Kenya · Nairobi, Mount Kenya, Aberdaresbest weather
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.
Mashujaa Day
Oct 20 · Citywide
Public holiday.
Short rains
Oct–Dec
Showers, flooded roads in low areas.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Kenya overall
- Medium
- Prices · Kenya overall
- High
Kenya overall: Herds start drifting back south to the Serengeti; Mashujaa Day on 20 Oct.
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
Oct: Mixed
Jan: Great (better)
Daytime high
Oct: 25 °C (77 °F)77 °F (25 °C)
Jan: 25 °C (77 °F)77 °F (25 °C)
Night low
Oct: 14 °C (57 °F)57 °F (14 °C)
Jan: 12 °C (54 °F)54 °F (12 °C)
Rain days
Oct: 8
Jan: 5 (better)
Crowds
Oct: Medium
Jan: Medium
Prices
Oct: High
Jan: Medium
Festivals listed
Oct: 2
Jan: 2
October: Short rains can start late in the month.
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.