A giraffe centre and elephant orphanage tour is the easiest way to get close to animals in Nairobi itself, no long drive, no early wake up call, just a half day that works before a flight, after a safari, or as a stand alone outing.
- FromUSD 60per person, private vehicle, group of 6
- DurationHalf day, about 3 to 4 hours
- StartsNairobi
- Best forFamilies, short layovers and anyone before or after a longer safari
- StylePrivate, 1 to 6 people per vehicle
Rated 5.0 on Google from 46 reviews. Price confirmed in writing before you pay.
You hand feed Rothschild’s giraffe at eye level from a raised platform, then watch orphaned baby elephants during their public feeding hour at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust nursery. Both stops are short, well organised and genuinely moving, not staged animal encounters.
We run this as a private half day tour with a driver guide, timed around Sheldrick’s fixed public visiting hour. Prices below are per person, confirmed in writing on WhatsApp before you pay a deposit.
Highlights
- Hand feed Rothschild’s giraffe at the Giraffe Centre’s raised platform
- Watch orphaned baby elephants during Sheldrick’s public feeding hour
- A genuinely short, half day outing that fits any schedule
- Ideal before a flight or as a break during a longer Nairobi stay
- Private vehicle and driver guide throughout
- Optional add on to the Karen Blixen Museum nearby
Day by day plan
- Morning
Pickup and drive to Sheldrick
Pickup from your Nairobi hotel timed to reach the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust nursery for its public visiting hour, usually 11am to 12pm daily. Keepers introduce each orphaned elephant by name, explain their rescue story and let you watch the mud bath and milk feeding up close from behind a rope barrier.
- Midday
Giraffe Centre
A short drive to the nearby Giraffe Centre, home to endangered Rothschild’s giraffe. From a raised wooden platform, you hand feed pellets directly to the giraffe at eye level, close enough for a giraffe kiss if you are willing. The centre also has a short forest boardwalk if you want to stretch your legs before moving on to the next stop.
- Early afternoon
Optional Karen Blixen Museum
For guests with extra time, a stop at the Karen Blixen Museum, the former home of the Out of Africa author, adds a cultural layer to the day. It is a short, well presented tour through the colonial era house and gardens.
- Afternoon
Return to your hotel
Drop off back at your Nairobi hotel or transfer directly to the airport, depending entirely on your own schedule for the rest of the day. This closes out a compact, well paced giraffe centre and elephant orphanage tour in well under half a day.
Giraffe Centre and elephant orphanage tour, per person
| Group size | Per person |
|---|---|
| 1 person | USD 110 |
| 2 people | USD 80 |
| 4 people | USD 65 |
| 6 people | USD 60 |
- Includes a private vehicle and driver guide, plus Giraffe Centre entry.
- Sheldrick entry is by voluntary donation at the gate, not a fixed ticket price; bring cash if you wish to give.
- Kenyan residents and citizens pay a separate, lower KES rate at the Giraffe Centre; ask us for the current rate.
Get my exact price on WhatsApp
Reserve this trip
Pick your dates and group. See the total. Hold it with a deposit.
Pay by Mpesa, bank transfer or card once we confirm in writing. Free changes until you confirm.
Included
- Private vehicle and driver guide
- Giraffe Centre entry fee
- Hotel or airport pickup and drop off
Not included
- Sheldrick entry, by voluntary donation
- Karen Blixen Museum entry, if added
- Tips for your driver guide
- Travel insurance
What a giraffe centre and elephant orphanage tour covers
This tour packs two of Nairobi’s best animal encounters into one short outing: hand feeding endangered Rothschild’s giraffe, then watching orphaned baby elephants at their public feeding hour. Both sit close together on the edge of Nairobi’s Karen suburb, a short drive from most city hotels.
Unlike a full safari, a giraffe centre and elephant orphanage tour needs no early wake up call and no long drive, which makes it a popular choice for guests with limited time in Nairobi or a gap in a longer itinerary.
What are the Sheldrick public visiting hours
The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust nursery in Nairobi opens to the public for one hour daily, usually 11am to 12pm, when keepers bring the orphaned elephants in for a mud bath and milk feed in front of visitors. Outside this window, the nursery is not open to casual visitors.
Every giraffe centre and elephant orphanage tour we run is timed around this fixed hour, since it is the one part of the day that cannot move to suit a different schedule.
How much are Giraffe Centre and Sheldrick tickets
Giraffe Centre entry is about KES 1,500 for non residents, included in the price shown above. Sheldrick operates on a voluntary donation basis at the gate rather than a fixed ticket price, so bring some cash if you would like to contribute.
Residents and citizens pay a separate, lower rate at the Giraffe Centre; ask us for the current figure when you enquire about your giraffe centre and elephant orphanage tour.
Do I need to book Sheldrick in advance
For the daily public visiting hour, no advance booking is required, just arrival within the window. Sheldrick also offers a separate, bookable evening visit for adopters of a specific elephant, which is a different, more exclusive arrangement from the standard public hour covered here.
We recommend arriving 10 to 15 minutes before the hour starts, since the viewing area can fill up, particularly in peak tourist season.
Can I adopt an orphaned elephant
Yes, Sheldrick runs a foster program where you can symbolically adopt a specific orphaned elephant for a yearly donation, which includes updates on that elephant’s progress. This is separate from the standard visiting hour and is arranged directly through Sheldrick rather than through us, though we are happy to point you toward the right contact.
Many guests decide to adopt after seeing the orphans in person during their giraffe centre and elephant orphanage tour, so ask a keeper on the day if you are interested and they will point you to the right process and paperwork.
Can I combine this with the Karen Blixen Museum
Yes, the museum sits close to both the Giraffe Centre and Sheldrick, making it an easy add on if you have a full morning or afternoon rather than just a couple of hours. It suits guests interested in Kenya’s colonial history alongside the wildlife stops earlier in the day.
See our Nairobi city and culture tour page if you want the museum paired with other cultural stops instead, such as Kazuri Beads and Bomas of Kenya.
Is this tour suitable for young children
Yes, it is one of the most child friendly outings we run, short, safe and genuinely engaging for almost any age. Feeding a giraffe at eye level and watching baby elephants play in the mud both tend to be highlights that children remember well after the trip.
See our Kenya family safaris page for how this pairs with a longer family itinerary if you are building a full trip around Kenya’s wildlife.
How long does the tour take
About 3 to 4 hours including both stops and the drive between them, or a little longer with the Karen Blixen Museum added. This makes a giraffe centre and elephant orphanage tour easy to fit into a single morning or afternoon, whatever the rest of your day looks like.
Good for layovers and pre or post safari days
This is one of the best options for a long layover at JKIA, or for the day you land or the day before you fly home. It gives you a genuine wildlife experience without the commitment of a longer excursion and fits easily around flight timings.
See our Nairobi layover and stopover tour page if your main constraint is a flight connection rather than a full free day in the city.
What to bring and wear
Casual, comfortable clothing works fine for a giraffe centre and elephant orphanage tour, since neither stop involves walking far or rough terrain. Closed shoes are sensible for the Sheldrick viewing area, which can be muddy underfoot, especially just after the elephants’ daily mud bath session.
Bring a camera, since both the giraffe feeding and the elephant mud bath are genuinely photogenic moments and small cash notes if you want to buy a souvenir or leave a donation at Sheldrick’s gate. Our packing checklist covers the wider list if this tour is part of a longer Kenya trip.
Why this tour works well before a flight
Both stops sit closer to Wilson Airport and JKIA than most of Nairobi’s other attractions and the whole outing runs to a predictable, short schedule, which makes it easy to plan around a flight without the anxiety of a longer, less certain excursion. If you also need a vehicle for the rest of your stay, our car hire Nairobi page covers that separately.
Guests flying out in the evening after an early morning safari return often use this tour to fill the gap in between, turning otherwise wasted hours into a proper Nairobi highlight before heading to the airport. Our airport transfers page covers the logistics of that final leg if you have not arranged transport yet.
Booking a giraffe centre and elephant orphanage tour
We hold no funds until you confirm. Every quote for a giraffe centre and elephant orphanage tour is sent to you in writing over WhatsApp, with pickup time, price and any add ons like the Karen Blixen Museum laid out clearly before any payment is requested.
Message us with your hotel name, preferred date and flight details if this is a layover trip and we will confirm timing around Sheldrick’s fixed public hour. See our full itinerary listing if you want to pair your giraffe centre and elephant orphanage tour with a longer safari on the same trip.
Combining with a Nairobi National Park visit
Some guests prefer a fuller day that also includes a Nairobi National Park game drive alongside the Giraffe Centre and Sheldrick, the only national park within a capital city anywhere in Africa. See our Nairobi National Park, Elephant Orphanage and Giraffe Centre day tour page for that fuller version.
Guests short on time usually prefer the shorter giraffe centre and elephant orphanage tour covered on this page instead, saving the national park for a separate visit.
How to book your giraffe centre and elephant orphanage tour
Booking your giraffe centre and elephant orphanage tour with us takes about five minutes of your time. The rest is our job. Here is exactly what happens, step by step, so there are no surprises along the way.
- Send your dates. Message us on WhatsApp with your travel dates, how many people are coming and the ages of any children. Tell us if you have a budget in mind. We plan with it, not around it.
- Get a written quote. We reply with a clear price per person, what it includes and what it does not. No hidden park fees and no vague extras. If a cheaper camp or a shorter route makes more sense, we say so.
- Tweak it until it fits. Change a camp, add a night or swap a park. Ask as many questions as you like. Changes cost nothing until you confirm.
- Confirm with a deposit. A deposit holds your vehicle, guide and rooms. You get a written confirmation with every detail and the date the balance is due.
- Travel day. Your driver guide meets you at your hotel or the airport with a name board. You have their number and ours for the whole trip.
What every trip with us includes
Every giraffe centre and elephant orphanage tour plan we put together comes with the basics done properly. You ride in a safari vehicle with a pop up roof, with a professional driver guide who knows the parks. Water is in the cooler box and park fees are sorted in advance so you do not stand in a queue at the gate.
We also stay reachable. If something changes on the road, a flat tyre, a closed route or a sudden storm, we sort it and keep you posted on WhatsApp.
Paying safely
We share payment details in writing only and every payment gets a receipt. The payment options and the balance date sit on your written quote, so nothing is left to memory or a phone call.
Why book with a Nairobi team
We live here. We drive these roads all year, we know which camps are honest about their photos and we know when a park is too busy to enjoy. That local knowledge is what turns a good giraffe centre and elephant orphanage tour into a great one. Our Google rating sits at 5.0 from 46 reviews and we plan to keep it that way.
Ready when you are. Send us a message and we will put a plan together for you shortly.
Questions people ask
What are the Sheldrick public visiting hours?
Usually 11am to 12pm daily, when keepers bring the orphaned elephants in for a mud bath and milk feed in front of visitors. Every giraffe centre and elephant orphanage tour we run is timed around this fixed daily window.
How much are Giraffe Centre and Sheldrick tickets?
Giraffe Centre entry is about KES 1,500 for non residents. Sheldrick operates on a voluntary donation basis at the gate rather than a fixed ticket price, so bring some cash if you would like to contribute to their work.
Do I need to book Sheldrick in advance?
No advance booking is required for the daily public visiting hour, just arrival within the window, ideally 10 to 15 minutes early. A separate, bookable evening visit exists for adopters of a specific elephant, arranged directly through Sheldrick.
Can I adopt an orphaned elephant?
Yes, through Sheldrick’s foster program, a yearly donation that includes updates on your chosen elephant’s progress. This is separate from the standard visiting hour and arranged directly with Sheldrick, though a keeper can point you to the process during your visit.
Can I combine this with the Karen Blixen Museum?
Yes, it sits close to both stops and makes an easy add on if you have a full morning or afternoon. Ask us to include it when you book your giraffe centre and elephant orphanage tour, or see our Nairobi city and culture tour for a version built around several cultural stops.
Is this tour suitable for young children?
Yes, it is one of our most child friendly outings, short and genuinely engaging for almost any age. Hand feeding a giraffe and watching baby elephants are both frequent highlights that children remember well after the trip is over.
How long does the Giraffe Centre and elephant orphanage tour take?
About 3 to 4 hours including both stops and the drive between them, or a little longer with the Karen Blixen Museum added. It fits easily into a single morning or afternoon around the rest of your schedule.
Official information: Magical Kenya on Nairobi attractions.
Ready when you are. Send your dates and group size. We reply with a clear price and a plan you can change.
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