Amboseli has two dry seasons — January to March and June to October — and two wet seasons. The long rains fall April to May; the short rains October to November. The dry seasons are better for game viewing: animals concentrate around the swamps, roads are passable, and dust haze is less severe. January to March is particularly good for clear Kilimanjaro views.
The wet season makes the lakebed impassable and turns some roads to mud, but it brings dramatic skies, green vegetation, and migrant birds. The park is rarely crowded by Kenyan standards; even peak season doesn't produce the vehicle jams common in the Mara. July and August, when both dry season and peak travel season overlap, are the busiest months.