When is the best time to hike the Mount Kinabalu Climb?

Best time to hike the Mount Kinabalu Climb

Best: March–September. Also good: February.

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BestAlso goodPossible

The Mount Kinabalu Climb is 8 km long, in 2 stages. Below is the average weather for every month at about 2,868 m, the middle height of the trail (1,845–4,048 m), from 10 years of daily data (2015–2024).

Weather month by month

Month	High °C	Low °C	Rain mm	Rain days	Daylight h
January	11°	5°	395	26	11.8
February	12°	5°	176	16	11.9
March	12°	5°	151	17	12.1
April	13°	6°	145	18	12.2
May	13°	7°	179	22	12.4
June	12°	6°	247	25	12.5
July	12°	6°	241	24	12.4
August	12°	6°	255	26	12.3
September	12°	6°	251	25	12.1
October	12°	6°	281	29	12.0
November	12°	6°	310	28	11.8
December	11°	6°	408	29	11.8

Higher up it is colder: about 6 °C less for every 1,000 m of height. The highest point of the trail is 4,048 m.

Season notes from our guide

You can climb all year. The drier months are roughly March to September; October to January is usually the wettest time. Rain can fall on any afternoon, so plan to reach Panalaban early. At the summit expect about 0 to 5 °C before dawn, wind and sometimes frost; at Laban Rata nights are about 10 °C. In heavy rain or strong wind the guides stop the summit attempt, and Sabah Parks does not refund it. In July 2025, 155 climbers had to be brought to safety when heavy rain sent a torrent of water down the summit trail.

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Best time for other trails

Weather: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis), daily values 2015–2024 near 6.05, 116.56, adjusted to 2,868 m. Rain days: days with at least 1 mm. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th of the month.