Nairobi National Park Giraffe Centre Sheldrick Tour

The Order of the Day

The day starts with pickup at your Nairobi accommodation in an air-conditioned van or jeep. The park gates open at 6:00 AM, so an early game drive is what makes the rest of the schedule work. Nairobi National Park is about 8 km from the city centre by KWS's own routing text, on Langata Road past Langata Army Barracks.

After the game drive the combined option moves to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust nursery, whose public visiting window is fixed at 11:00 AM to 12 noon and cannot be extended for late arrivals. Visitors reach the nursery through the KWS Mbagathi Gate, also called the Workshop Gate, on Magadi Road. The Giraffe Centre sits on Nyumbi Road in Langata and is open 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily, so it fits after the nursery. The listing does not name exact clock times for pickup or each stop, so confirm those with the operator.

Included and Excluded, Line by Line

The listing includes private transportation, pickup and drop-off, an air-conditioned vehicle, free onboard Wi-Fi and a professional guide-driver. It excludes entry to Nairobi National Park, the Giraffe Centre and the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Viator adds $115 in charges at checkout on top of the $37, which is the largest checkout add-on among the listings on this site.

One fee to plan for at each stop: the KWS park fee for non-residents is $80 per adult and $40 per child. Sheldrick nursery entry is $20 per adult and $5 per child under 12, paid in cash on the day. Giraffe Centre admission is KSh 1,500, about $15, for a non-resident adult, payable by M-Pesa, Visa or Mastercard only. Bring both cash and a card.

The listing does not state that the park fee is paid in cash at the gate. KWS's own rule is that independent visitors pay through the KWSPay portal, so confirm with the operator how your entry ticket is bought.

Check These Before You Book

The shared group runs up to 20 people in one van, so a window seat is not guaranteed. If a small group matters, the Half-Day Game Drive caps shared groups at 15.

The review base is thin: a 5 rating from 38 reviews, against 1,585 reviews for the Park, Elephants and Giraffes Shared Day on the same three-stop route. The $115 Viator checkout charge is also the largest add-on on this site, and the park fee on top nearly doubles the bill again. If you want the figure you see to be the figure you pay, the Private Half Day, All Fees In at $194.81 puts the park fee inside the price. If you want a private vehicle with no strangers, the Private Park, Elephants and Giraffes runs seven hours with your group only. The day is long for the combined option and no minimum age is stated, so it suits most ages but is a seated drive throughout. Wheelchair access is listed, with all areas and surfaces accessible.

Compare the full range on Nairobi National Park tours before you decide.

Paying the Park Fee

KWS entry for non-residents is $80 per adult and $40 per child. KWS directs independent visitors to pay through the KWSPay portal at kwspay.ecitizen.go.ke, which accepts M-Pesa, Visa card and bank transfer. Buy the ticket before the day rather than queueing at the gate. Gates open at 6:00 AM and close at 6:00 PM, and this tour's early start is built around that. The park covers 117 square kilometres and holds more than 100 mammal species: four of the Big Five, with no elephants in the park itself. The elephants of the day are the orphans at the Sheldrick nursery. Black rhino, lions, giraffes, buffalo and over 400 bird species are recorded there, though no sighting is ever guaranteed on a wild game drive.

On seasons, KWS calls July to December and December to March 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 get muddy and four-wheel drive may be needed. See more on the best time to visit and the gates and hours.

What to Bring, and the Two Payment Rules

KWS's visitor tips list clean drinking water, a camera, binoculars, sunscreen, insect repellent and sunglasses. Wear layerable, earth-toned clothing and lace-up shoes. Single-use plastic is banned across all KWS parks, so carry a reusable bottle.

Now the detail no other ranking page tells you as one warning: the two stops need opposite payment methods. The Sheldrick nursery is cash only, $20 per adult, and the Trust says it does not accept bookings made through Viator, GetYourGuide or Tripadvisor, only its own confirmation. The Giraffe Centre refuses cash entirely and takes only M-Pesa, Visa or Mastercard. Carry both cash and a card from the hotel, and ask the operator how it secures the Sheldrick booking before you pay.