Kenya
Nairobi in May
🌦️ Shoulder (showers)Pleasant and some showers.
🎒 Pack: compact umbrella or rain jacket
Why May scores 8.8What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort9.2
- ✓Comfortable temperatures (25°C highs / 15°C lows)
- ✓Slightly humid (dew point 14.1°C)
- !Wet: ~109 mm rain, ~1 heavy-rain days
- Air quality8.5
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~14 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline5.0
- ·High caution
| May | Jan | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 8.8 Excellent | 9.2 Excellent |
| Season | 🌦️ Shoulder (showers) | ☀️ Dry season |
| High / low | 25° / 15° | 27° / 14° |
| Rain | 109 mm | 58 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 14° | dew pt 12° |
| PM2.5 | 14 µg/m³ | 11 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Nairobi weather-station normals. Rainfall: Nairobi weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsMay 2027
No long holidaysNo long public-holiday weekends this month. School holidays aren't counted, so check those if you want to avoid family crowds.
Other public holidays: Labor Day (1 May)
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore NairobiEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyKenya's capital and main gateway to East African safaris, unusual for having a national park with lions and rhinos on the edge of the city.
No major events on our calendar for May.
Coming up later
Madaraka DayEvery year1 June every year
Marks Kenya attaining internal self-rule in 1963.
Why go: Public holiday; government offices close.
Where: Nationwide
Mashujaa DayEvery year20 October every year
Heroes' Day, honouring those who fought for independence.
Why go: Public holiday.
Where: Nationwide
Jamhuri DayEvery year12 December every year
Kenya's independence and republic day.
Why go: Public holiday with official celebrations.
Where: Nationwide
Nairobi National Park
A savannah park minutes from downtown with lions, rhinos, giraffes and city-skyline views.
Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant nursery
An orphanage for baby elephants with a short public viewing at feeding time.
💡 Visits must be booked in advance.
Giraffe Centre
A conservation centre in Langata where visitors can feed endangered Rothschild's giraffes from a platform.
Karen Blixen Museum
The farmhouse of the Out of Africa author at the foot of the Ngong Hills.
Nairobi National Museum
Kenya's main museum of history, culture and natural history, including early human fossils.
Karura Forest
An urban forest with walking and cycling trails and a waterfall.
Nyama choma
Grilled goat or beef, eaten with kachumbari salad and ugali.
Ugali and sukuma wiki
Firm maize porridge with sautéed greens, the national staple.
Githeri
A stew of maize and beans.
Mutura
A spiced sausage grilled at street stalls.
Kenyan tea and coffee
Highland-grown tea, usually drunk as sweet milky chai, and Kenyan AA coffee.
Kenyan coffee and tea
Beans and loose tea from the Kenyan highlands.
💡 Supermarkets and coffee shops
Kazuri beads
Hand-made ceramic bead jewellery made by women in Karen.
Kiondo baskets
Woven sisal handbags.
Soapstone carvings
Carved bowls and figures made from Kisii soapstone.
💡 Maasai Market, which moves between locations through the week