Nairobi National Park Elephant Orphanage and Giraffe Centre Tour

How the Listings Compare

Each row below comes from the operator's own listing, and anything the listing does not state is marked that way.

Pickup and the Gate

Your driver collects you at your hotel between 5:20am and 6:00am depending on your pickup location, from one of 20 listed spots across Nairobi including Parklands, Kilimani, Westlands and the CBD. The park gates open at 6:00am, so the timing lines up with opening. The listing does not state which gate the day uses.

Game Drive and the 11am Window

The listing gives the game drive about 4.5 hours through open grasslands, acacia woodlands and riverine areas, with the city skyline in the background. After the drive the van moves to the Sheldrick nursery for the one-hour public visit from 11:00am to 12:00 noon, where the orphaned herd takes its milk feed and mud bath.

Lunch, Beads and Giraffes

A lunch stop follows, at a restaurant the driver takes you to with food at your own cost. The optional Kobe Tough Beads and leather factory stop runs about an hour for shopping and a craft demonstration. The final stop is the Giraffe Centre, where you feed Rothschild's giraffes from the platform, and then the driver returns you to your hotel.

Want a shorter day without the extras? The Half-Day Game Drive is the same park in five hours.

How the Listings Compare

Each row below comes from the operator's own listing, and anything the listing does not state is marked that way.

Included

Your money buys the vehicle: a safari in a 4x4 jeep or van with an open roof, hotel pickup and drop-off, all round trips and a professional driver-guide. A bottle of water is included and the day stops for lunch, though the food is yours to buy. Full assistance from the operator is listed, and the Kobe Tough Beads and leather factory stop is part of the package.

The listing does not state a minimum age or wheelchair access, so ask the operator directly if either matters to you.

Not Included

Three entries sit outside the price and all are paid on the day. The KWS park entry is $80 per adult and $40 per child for non-residents. The Sheldrick orphanage visit is $20 per person, and the Giraffe Centre is $15 (KSh 1,500) per non-resident adult. Lunch, drinks and any tips are also yours.

One honest warning: the listing's Includes block also lists the park ticket and the two entry fees under its included ticks, which contradicts its own not-included lines. The official figures are clear, so treat the entries as pay-on-the-day extras and confirm with the operator when booking. Note too that the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust books visitors only through its own office and says it does not accept bookings made through Viator, GetYourGuide or Tripadvisor, so check how the operator secures your nursery slot. Compare the full picture of Nairobi National Park safari tours before you pay.

Anyone Who Hates a Long Shared Day

The listing says 5 hours but the real day runs about 8 hours door to door, in a shared vehicle where the listing allows up to 100 people. You may not get a window seat, and the beads stop is fixed into the schedule. If you want the park alone, the Half-Day Game Drive is shorter and cheaper at $33.

If you want the same three stops without strangers, the Private Park, Elephants and Giraffes day is your group only for 7 hours.

Anyone on a Tight Budget or a Tight Schedule

The fees on top nearly double the bill for a non-resident adult, with $80 park entry, $20 orphanage and $15 Giraffe Centre paid in cash or by card on the day. There is no stated minimum age or wheelchair access, and the 5:20am pickup rules out anyone not staying in one of the 20 pickup zones. If a fee-included price matters, the Private Land Cruiser, Fee Included puts the park entry inside the price.

Browse the full comparison of Nairobi National Park tours to weigh every option.

Anyone Who Needs Certainty

This is a wild park and no listing can promise a sighting. The park holds four of the Big Five but no elephants, so the day's elephants are the orphans at Sheldrick, outside the game drive. Travellers who want a guaranteed seat at the front and a guide answering only to them should look at the private options above.

Paying the Park Fee

Independent visitors pay KWS park fees through the KWSPay portal at kwspay.ecitizen.go.ke, which accepts M-Pesa, Visa card and bank transfer. Non-resident adults pay $80 and children $40. The full Nairobi National Park park fee picture, including resident and citizen rates, is on the homepage.

Carry your passport if you are a non-resident, or your ID if you are a Kenyan resident or citizen, because the gate checks it.

Gates and Wildlife

The gates open at 6:00am and close at 6:00pm. The park covers 117 square kilometres about 7-10 km from the CBD depending on the route, and holds more than 100 mammal species including four of the Big Five and black rhino, with no elephants inside the fence. More than 400 bird species have been recorded.

KWS rules apply: stay in the vehicle, keep at least 20 metres from wildlife, drive no faster than 40 km/h and never feed the animals. See what lives in the park for the full list.

Seasons and What to Bring

KWS groups July to December and December to March as the high season for game viewing, with short grass and sunny weather. April to June is the low season because of the long rains, when tracks turn muddy and 4-wheel-drive may be needed. The listing runs in rain either way.

KWS's packing list for the park is drinking water, a camera, binoculars, sunscreen, insect repellent and sunglasses, and the listing adds comfortable shoes, a sun hat and cash. Single-use plastic is banned across all KWS parks, so leave plastic bottles and bags behind. The best time to visit guide covers the timing in more detail.