Best time to visit Kota Kinabalu
Malaysia · Asia · Tropical climate · Northern hemisphere
February
February is the canonical best window — average daytime highs of 27 °C and 98 mm of rain across those months. The wettest month is October (370 mm) and the driest is February (98 mm).
1 month · Winter
Good · 74/100
Warm conditions with heavy annual rainfall (2706 mm); the canonical best window is February.
- Recommended window
- 1 month
- Canonical best months
- Climate zone
- Tropical
- NASA POWER normals
- Dominant season
- Winter
- Derived
- Climate score
- Good · 74/100
- Real field
- Least favourable
- 8 months
- R1–R7 classification
- Typical stay
- 4 days
- Real field
Climate year
● recommended window · fixed scales −15–40 °C · 0–800 mm · 0–31 rain days · use ← → to change month
February
Winter · In recommended window
Favourable month (R1–R7) inside the canonical best-time window
- High / Low
- 27.1° / 21.5°C
- Mean
- 23.9°C
- Rain
- 97.8 mm
- Rain days (≥1 mm)
- 0.4
- Daylight
- 11.9 h
When to go
Go in February
February is the canonical best window — average daytime highs of 27 °C and 98 mm of rain across those months. The wettest month is October (370 mm) and the driest is February (98 mm).
Warm conditions with heavy annual rainfall (2706 mm); the canonical best window is February.
Read the full Kota Kinabalu destination guide- Best
- Feb1/12
- Good
- —0/12
- Mixed
- Jan · Mar · Apr3/12
- Avoid
- May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec8/12
Distribution across the twelve months
Why these months?
Kota Kinabalu's canonical best-time window is February — 1 month of the year. That window is derived from the R1–R7 classification of NASA POWER climate normals, and it is the primary signal behind the verdicts above.
Inside the window, NASA POWER climate normals for a tropical climate in the northern hemisphere read Warm with Low precipitation — 1991–2020 monthly averages, not a forecast. Outside it, month-by- month verdicts come from the R1–R7 climate classification over the same dataset.
The other 11 months sit outside the window. May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec read as least favourable for this zone.
Signals — Best: R1–R7 favourable months · Good / Mixed: R1–R7 workable · Avoid: R1–R7 challenging · climate normals: NASA POWER 1991–2020
Read a single month
● marks a month inside the recommended window · use ← → to change month
February
Winter · In recommended window
- Temperature
- 27.1° / 21.5°C
- Precipitation
- 97.8 mm
- Rain days (≥1 mm)
- 0.4
- Daylight
- 11.9 h
Avg high 27.1°C / avg low 21.5°C · 97.8 mm precipitation over 0.4 days with ≥1 mm rain.
Temperature, precipitation and rain days are 1991–2020 NASA POWER climate normals; daylight hours are astronomical. The verdict comes from the R1–R7 climate classification.
All twelve months
Twelve months of NASA POWER climate normals for Kota Kinabalu (1991–2020 average), side by side with the travel verdict: whether a month is Favourable, Workable or Challenging (R1–R7 classification), and whether it falls inside the canonical best-time window. Historical climate normals — not a forecast.
| Month | Season | Temperature | Precipitation | Month readout | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Winter | 26.9° / 21.8°C | 168.4 mm · 0.5 rain days | Avg high 26.9°C / avg low 21.8°C · 168.4 mm precipitation over 0.5 days with ≥1 mm rain. | Mixed |
| Februaryinside the recommended window; | Winter | 27.1° / 21.5°C | 97.8 mm · 0.4 rain days | Avg high 27.1°C / avg low 21.5°C · 97.8 mm precipitation over 0.4 days with ≥1 mm rain. | Best |
| March | Spring | 27.9° / 22.0°C | 105.4 mm · 0.4 rain days | Avg high 27.9°C / avg low 22.0°C · 105.4 mm precipitation over 0.4 days with ≥1 mm rain. | Mixed |
| April | Spring | 28.6° / 23.0°C | 141.9 mm · 0.5 rain days | Avg high 28.6°C / avg low 23.0°C · 141.9 mm precipitation over 0.5 days with ≥1 mm rain. | Mixed |
| May | Spring | 28.0° / 23.5°C | 203.6 mm · 0.6 rain days | Avg high 28.0°C / avg low 23.5°C · 203.6 mm precipitation over 0.6 days with ≥1 mm rain. | Avoid |
| June | Summer | 27.3° / 23.2°C | 257.0 mm · 0.6 rain days | Avg high 27.3°C / avg low 23.2°C · 257.0 mm precipitation over 0.6 days with ≥1 mm rain. | Avoid |
| July | Summer | 26.9° / 22.8°C | 260.8 mm · 0.6 rain days | Avg high 26.9°C / avg low 22.8°C · 260.8 mm precipitation over 0.6 days with ≥1 mm rain. | Avoid |
| August | Summer | 27.0° / 22.8°C | 262.5 mm · 0.6 rain days | Avg high 27.0°C / avg low 22.8°C · 262.5 mm precipitation over 0.6 days with ≥1 mm rain. | Avoid |
| September | Autumn | 27.1° / 22.8°C | 273.4 mm · 0.7 rain days | Avg high 27.1°C / avg low 22.8°C · 273.4 mm precipitation over 0.7 days with ≥1 mm rain. | Avoid |
| October | Autumn | 26.9° / 22.7°C | 369.9 mm · 0.8 rain days | Avg high 26.9°C / avg low 22.7°C · 369.9 mm precipitation over 0.8 days with ≥1 mm rain. | Avoid |
| November | Autumn | 27.1° / 22.8°C | 285.8 mm · 0.8 rain days | Avg high 27.1°C / avg low 22.8°C · 285.8 mm precipitation over 0.8 days with ≥1 mm rain. | Avoid |
| December | Winter | 27.0° / 22.6°C | 279.9 mm · 0.7 rain days | Avg high 27.0°C / avg low 22.6°C · 279.9 mm precipitation over 0.7 days with ≥1 mm rain. | Avoid |
● marks a month inside the canonical best-time window
- Best
- Favourable month (R1–R7) inside the canonical best-time window
- Good
- Workable month (R1–R7) — a viable alternative outside the stated window
- Mixed
- Transitional month — workable with a flexible plan
- Avoid
- Challenging month (R1–R7) — least favourable climate pattern
Method: temperature and precipitation are 1991–2020 climate normals (monthly means); verdicts combine the R1–R7 climate classification with the canonical best-time window. No daily forecast, crowd level or price index is claimed.
Climate data source: NASA POWER (NASA Langley Research Center) · Climatology / Daily / Monthly point APIs · 1991–2020 · UTC+00:00 daily boundary.
Season by season
The recommended window (February) runs through Winter. Below, each season is read on two axes: the NASA POWER climate normals for Kota Kinabalu's 1991–2020 record, and how much of it sits inside the canonical best-time window.
Spring
Mar · Apr · May
Warm / Hot · Moderate / High precipitation
Avg high 27.9°C / avg low 22.0°C · 105.4 mm precipitation over 0.4 days with ≥1 mm rain.
Outside the recommended window
Summer
Jun · Jul · Aug
Warm · High precipitation
Avg high 27.3°C / avg low 23.2°C · 257.0 mm precipitation over 0.6 days with ≥1 mm rain.
Outside the recommended window
Autumn
Sep · Oct · Nov
Warm · High precipitation
Avg high 27.1°C / avg low 22.8°C · 273.4 mm precipitation over 0.7 days with ≥1 mm rain.
Outside the recommended window
Winter
Jan · Feb · Dec
Warm · Low / Moderate / High precipitation
Avg high 26.9°C / avg low 21.8°C · 168.4 mm precipitation over 0.5 days with ≥1 mm rain.
1 of 3 months inside the recommended window
Temperature and precipitation are 1991–2020 NASA POWER climate normals (qualitative buckets are derived from the monthly values); the season names follow the destination's hemisphere, and daylight hours are astronomical.
Trip shape
- Typical stay
- 4 days
- Daily budget
- 75 MYR
- Currency
- MYR RM
- Time zone
- Asia/Kuala_Lumpur
- Airport
- BKI · Kota Kinabalu
- Travel style
- Active
- Region
- Asia
Frequently asked questions
What are the best months to visit Kota Kinabalu?
The best months to visit Kota Kinabalu are February, based on the R1–R7 classification of NASA POWER 1991–2020 climate normals. February is the canonical best window — average daytime highs of 27 °C and 98 mm of rain across those months. The wettest month is October (370 mm) and the driest is February (98 mm).
What is the weather like in Kota Kinabalu?
Kota Kinabalu is rated Good for climate, with a score of 74/100. Warm conditions with heavy annual rainfall (2706 mm); the canonical best window is February.
Which months should I avoid in Kota Kinabalu?
On the R1–R7 classification of NASA POWER climate normals, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December are the least favourable months in Kota Kinabalu. This is a historical climate pattern rather than a forecast; the recommended window remains February.
How many days do you need in Kota Kinabalu?
We recommend 4 days in Kota Kinabalu, ideally placed inside the recommended window of February.
Plan a February trip to Kota Kinabalu
The recommended window is February. The planner opens with Kota Kinabalu prefilled — set your dates inside that window and build the route around it.
Plan around this window
Climate data source: NASA POWER (NASA Langley Research Center) · Climatology / Daily / Monthly point APIs · 1991–2020 · accessed 2026-09-13 · dataset nasa-power-canonical-production-v1.2-wave2