Safari Planning, Travel Guides & Practical AdviceThe best time to visit Laikipia is January and February, the driest months in both climate tables we checked for Nanyuki, with June to September a good second window. April and November are the wettest months. Because the Laikipia Plateau sits between 1,700 and 2,550 m above sea level, days stay warm at about 21 to 26 C and nights cool to roughly 7 to 11 C in every month.
Our guide to the Laikipia conservancies covers where to stay and what you will see. This page covers when to go. Laikipia has no single migration to time, so the weather mostly decides how comfortable your game drives are and how easy the tracks are to drive. Below you will find a month-by-month table, what each season means for wildlife, and how to fit Laikipia around the Masai Mara.
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Laikipia at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Best months | January and February; June to September is a good second window |
| Wettest months | April (long rains) and November (short rains) |
| Rainy seasons | Long rains March to May, short rains October and November |
| Daytime highs | About 21 to 26 C |
| Night-time lows | About 7 to 11 C, coldest in January |
| Altitude | Laikipia Plateau, 1,700 to 2,550 m above sea level |
| Rain per year | Roughly 700 to 1,000 mm, depending on the table |
| Sunshine | About 8 hours a day in January and February; about 5 hours a day in July and August |
Every weather figure here comes from two climate tables for Nanyuki town, on the edge of the plateau. Neither is a Kenya Meteorological Department station record, and we found none for individual conservancies. The west and interior of the plateau are drier than the Mount Kenya side, so treat the numbers as a guide, not a forecast.
Ol Pejeta best time to visit
With no rainfall record for Ol Pejeta itself, the Nanyuki tables are the best guide: January and February for the least rain, June to September for cooler and drier days, and April and November for the heaviest rain. Ol Pejeta is quoted as home to over 165 black rhinos (a conservancy figure, not a KWS count). Rhinos live on protected conservancies rather than following a migration, so your month is more about comfort than timing a herd.
Our 8 Days Ol Pejeta Masai Mara Amboseli Luxury Kenya Safari includes Ol Pejeta alongside the Masai Mara and Amboseli. It is priced from USD 10,270 per person, and prices depend on season, group size and lodge choice.
Laikipia weather by month
The table sets two Nanyuki climate tables side by side. Rain is shown as table A / table B in millimetres. Temperatures are from table A; table B agrees to within about 2 C.
| Month | Rain (mm), A / B | Day / night (C) | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 13 / 36 | 25 / 7 | Best. Driest month, coldest nights |
| February | 23 / 41 | 26 / 8 | Best. Dry, with the warmest days |
| March | 46 / 76 | 25 / 9 | Fair. Long rains begin to build |
| April | 120 / 173 | 23 / 11 | Wettest month, 19 rainy days in B |
| May | 81 / 137 | 23 / 10 | Wet. Long rains tail off |
| June | 51 / 48 | 23 / 9 | Good. Drier and cooler |
| July | 69 / 58 | 22 / 8 | Good. Coolest days, but not dry |
| August | 66 / 69 | 23 / 8 | Good. Cool, with some showers |
| September | 48 / 51 | 24 / 8 | Good. Among the drier months |
| October | 64 / 124 | 24 / 8 | Changeable. Short rains start, and the tables disagree |
| November | 86 / 140 | 23 / 9 | Wet, with 20 rainy days in B |
| December | 38 / 61 | 23 / 8 | Fair to good. Drying out |
Table A comes from Wikipedia’s Nanyuki page (Weatherbase data, retrieved in 2011). Table B comes from weather2travel, which prints inches and Fahrenheit, so we converted its figures. They disagree on yearly rain, about 700 mm in A against about 1,013 mm in B by our sum, so we say roughly 700 to 1,000 mm.
Laikipia weather and wildlife by season
January and February: the dry peak
These are the driest months in both tables (13 and 23 mm in A, 36 and 41 mm in B) and the sunniest, at about 8 hours a day in B. Ground cover thins and animals often gather around water. Nights are the coldest of the year, so dress warmly for early drives.
June to September: cooler and drier
July is the coolest month in table A (22 C), and July and August in table B (21.1 C). Rain still falls, and areas near the Aberdares and Mount Kenya get rain from June to August, so think drier and cooler, not dry. A KWS aerial count in late June and early July 2021 estimated 4,475 elephants in Laikipia county, a 2021 figure, not a current one.
March to May: the long rains
The county profile puts the long rains in March to May. April is the peak, with 120 mm in table A and 173 mm in table B. Expect green scenery, cloud and slower driving on wet tracks. Nights are the mildest of the year, 10 to 11 C.
October to December: the short rains
October and November bring the short rains. November is the wetter month, with 86 mm in A, 140 mm in B and 20 rainy days in B. October is where the tables disagree most, so expect a changeable month. December dries out again. Rains are not clockwork: the 2022 Great Grevy’s Rally was postponed after five consecutive failed rainy seasons.
Wildlife to look for, and what the numbers say
Several of Laikipia’s animals are rare, and no safari can promise a sighting in any month. These are the latest figures we could verify.
| Animal | Status and latest figure we could verify |
|---|---|
| Black rhino | Critically Endangered. Kenya had 1,059 eastern black rhinos at the end of 2024 (KWS) |
| White rhino | Near Threatened. Kenya had 1,041 southern white rhinos at the end of 2024 (KWS) |
| Grevy’s zebra | Endangered. The 2016 Great Grevy’s Rally estimated 2,350 in Kenya, and Laikipia was reported to hold over half |
| Elephant | KWS’s 2021 aerial count estimated 7,475 across the Laikipia-Samburu-Marsabit-Meru landscape, 4,475 of them in Laikipia |
| Reticulated giraffe | Endangered, with about 20,900 left in the wild |
| African wild dog | Endangered. Wild dogs and cheetahs each lost roughly half their numbers in Kenya in four years, according to the 2025 national census |
The rhino figures come from the Kenya Wildlife Service article on the rhino census, and the Grevy’s zebra background from the Grevy’s Zebra Trust. In the green months the scenery is lusher and tracks can be muddy; ask your planner which properties suit your month.
When the Mara is wet or busy: how Laikipia fits
Laikipia has its own long and short rains, so it is no dry escape in April or November. What it offers is a different kind of safari. There is no herd to time, and the rhinos live on protected properties (KWS notched 46 rhinos across Lewa and Borana alone in 2024), so seeing them does not depend on catching a crossing. Our month-by-month guide to the Masai Mara shows which months suit the Mara, and our Kenya-wide best time to visit guide shows how the rest of the country compares.
If you are still working out the geography, read where Laikipia is and how the plateau is laid out.
Two routes to build a trip around
- 8 Days Ol Pejeta Masai Mara Amboseli Luxury Kenya Safari: for travellers who want a luxury route through Ol Pejeta, the Masai Mara and Amboseli. From USD 10,270 per person.
- 10-Day Kenya Safari: Samburu to the Maasai Mara: for travellers who want northern Kenya and the Maasai Mara on one longer trip. From USD 5,100 per person.
Prices depend on season, group size and lodge choice.
What to pack for Laikipia’s weather
- Warm layers. Nights fall to about 7 to 11 C, and early game drives start in the cold.
- A light rain jacket. Useful in March to May and in October and November, and showers are possible in other months too.
- A sun hat and sunscreen. January and February bring about 8 hours of sunshine a day.
- Extra warmth for Mount Kenya. The mountain ranges from 1,374 to 5,199 m and is far colder than Nanyuki.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best month to visit Laikipia?
January and February have the least rain in both Nanyuki climate tables, with about 8 hours of sunshine a day. June to September is a good second window, with cooler days and less rain than the wet seasons.
Is Laikipia cold?
Days are warm, about 21 to 26 C, but nights fall to roughly 7 to 11 C because the plateau sits at 1,700 to 2,550 m. Pack warm layers for early drives.
When are the rainy seasons in Laikipia?
The long rains run from March to May, with April the wettest month, and the short rains fall in October and November. Areas near the Aberdares and Mount Kenya also get rain from June to August, and rains can shift or fail from year to year.
What is the best time to visit Ol Pejeta?
We have no separate rainfall record for Ol Pejeta, so we use the Nanyuki figures: January and February for the least rain, June to September for cooler, drier days. April and November are the wettest.
Can I visit Laikipia in the rainy season?
Yes, but expect showers, cloud and muddier tracks, and keep your days flexible. A planner can suggest properties and routes that suit the month you choose.
Is Laikipia a good alternative to the Masai Mara when it rains?
Not for escaping rain, because Laikipia has its own long and short rains in the same broad periods. It is a good complement when you want a cooler plateau, no migration to time and rhinos on protected conservancies.
Can I see the Great Migration in Laikipia?
No. The Great Migration herds cross the Masai Mara, not Laikipia. Laikipia offers wildlife such as rhinos, Grevy’s zebra and elephants, so pair the two if you want both.
Photo: Male Grevy's zebra in Samburu National Reserve, Kenya by Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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