Kenyans in the U.S.. Updated November 2026. 3 min read.
December is when Kenya comes home. Flights fill, families gather and the coast is at its busiest. If you are flying home for the holidays, a few days of safari or beach turns a family visit into a holiday, especially for children and partners seeing Kenya for the first time.
What December is like
The short rains usually ease in December, leaving green country, clear mornings and fewer vehicles in the parks than in August. The great herds of the migration are in Tanzania by then, but the Mara's resident lions, cheetahs, elephants and plains game are all there. On the coast it is hot, dry and lively from mid-December to New Year.
Add-ons that fit a family visit
- Half a day: Nairobi National Park, the Sheldrick elephant orphanage visiting hour and the Giraffe Centre, all minutes from the airport
- Two nights: Lake Naivasha and Hell's Gate, where you can cycle among zebra and giraffe
- Two or three nights: Amboseli for elephants under Kilimanjaro; clear mornings are common in December
- Three nights: the Maasai Mara by light aircraft from Wilson Airport, under an hour
- Four nights or more: the Madaraka Express train to Mombasa, then Diani or Watamu
Book early
Coast hotels and Mara camps fill for the weeks around Christmas and New Year, and prices are at their highest. We aim to confirm December add-ons by September. If your dates are flexible, the first two weeks of December are quieter and cheaper than the last two.
Pay citizen rates where you can
If you are Kenyan, carry your Kenyan ID or passport into the parks. Many lodges also run citizen and resident offers in December. We price each member of the family at the rate they qualify for.
