Nairobi Giraffe Centre & Elephant Orphanage Tour: Feed & Meet

Hand-feed endangered giraffes, then stand feet away from baby elephants being cared for at a sanctuary

This eight-hour tour in Nairobi takes you to the Giraffe Centre to feed Rothschild giraffes with special pellets and learn their distribution across Kenya, then to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust to watch orphaned baby elephants receive their formula and hear each elephant's story. A professional guide, private transport with hotel pickup and drop-off, and entry to both sanctuaries are included. You can add Nairobi National Park to see rhino, buffalo, cheetah and lion against the city skyline. Conservation park fees are paid online before arrival.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Giraffe Centre2h · entry included
2. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust1h · entry included
3. Maasai Market30m
4. Nairobi National Park4h

Visit Giraffe Centre and Elephant Orphanage

• Interact with Rothschild giraffes
• Feed giraffes with special pellets
• Attend 40-minute giraffe class
• Take guided nature walk in sanctuary
• See orphaned baby elephants at sanctuary
• Watch elephants receive milk formula
• Touch baby elephants if possible
• Visit Kobe Beads Centre
• Optionally visit Nairobi National Park
• Return to hotel or airport

The experience

You start at the Giraffe Centre, where you feed the Rothschild giraffes directly with special pellets and attend a 40-minute session on giraffe species distribution in Kenya and East Africa. A guided nature walk through the sanctuary follows, giving you time to photograph the giraffes up close as they move around you. The center explains the characteristics and behavior of these endangered animals and what the sanctuary does to protect them.

From there, your guide drives you to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, where orphaned baby elephants are rehabilitated before being released back into the wild. You'll watch the elephants receive their specially formulated milk formula and learn the individual story behind each one: how they arrived at the sanctuary and what their path forward looks like. The trust positions you at a strategic spot where you can watch the elephants as they pass, play and bond with each other, and if they come close enough, you may have a chance to touch them.

The tour includes a stop at Kobe Beads Centre, a pottery workshop and women's empowerment project that employs single mothers from Nairobi's poorer neighborhoods. You'll see the full bead-making process from start to finish. Lunch is available for purchase, and your guide can arrange a drop-off at your hotel, apartment or the airport afterward. If you choose the Nairobi National Park option at checkout, you'll also spend time in the park (only seven kilometers from the city center), where you can see four of the Big Five (rhino, buffalo, cheetah and lion) roaming the open plains, highland forest and rocky valleys with the city skyline in the distance. Over 300 bird species live in the park, including Secretary birds, crowned cranes and vultures.

What’s included

• Private transportation with hotel pickup and drop-off.
• professional tour guide speaking English.
• bottled drinking water.
• entry to the Giraffe Centre with special pellets to feed the giraffes and a 40-minute class on giraffe distribution.
• guided nature walk through the giraffe sanctuary.
• entry to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust to watch baby elephants receive their formula and learn their individual stories.
• visit to Kobe Beads Centre to see the pottery and bead-making process.

Options for this experience

3 options

Half-day tour of the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and Giraffe CentreGuide in English · 08:00 and 08:30Elephant nursery and giraffes: the half-day option visits only the Elephant Orphanage and the Giraffe Centre. Statutory park fee is not included. Pickup is included.

Nairobi National Park optionGuide in English · 06:00Safari with elephants and giraffes: explore Nairobi National Park, baby elephants and the giraffe center. Park fee is not included. The tour is done in a 4x4 safari van. Pickup is included.

Jeep/LandcruiserGuide in English · 06:00Jeep or Landcruiser tour of Nairobi Park, the Elephant Orphanage and the Giraffe Centre. Pickup is included.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 06:00, 08:00 and 08:30

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Paid on siteUS$ 80

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyNot recommended with heart problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Rustic Nature Tours

Is this one for you?Choose the half-day option if you have a free afternoon and want to see the giraffes and elephants without committing a full day, or add Nairobi National Park if you want to see the Big Five and over 300 bird species in the same outing: the park sits just seven kilometers from the city, so both fit into a single morning or afternoon depending on which option you pick.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

Can I feed the giraffes myself at the Giraffe Centre?

Yes. The Giraffe Centre provides special pellets and you feed the Rothschild giraffes directly. You'll also attend a 40-minute class on giraffe distribution in Kenya and East Africa, and take a guided nature walk through the sanctuary where you can photograph them.

What will I see at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust?

The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is where orphaned baby elephants are rehabilitated. You'll watch them receive their specially formulated milk formula, learn the individual story of how each elephant arrived at the sanctuary, and watch them play and bond with each other from a strategic viewing spot. If they come close, you may be able to touch them.

Is Nairobi National Park included in this tour?

Nairobi National Park is optional and available as a separate purchase option at checkout. If you add it, you'll see rhino, buffalo, cheetah, lion, zebra, giraffe and antelopes roaming the plains just seven kilometers from the city center, with over 300 bird species also present in the park.

What's included in the tour price?

Private transportation, hotel pickup and drop-off, a professional English-speaking guide, bottled drinking water, and entry to the Giraffe Centre and Sheldrick Wildlife Trust are all included. Conservation park fees for Nairobi National Park (if you choose that option) are paid online through the E-CITIZEN platform before your arrival: cash is not accepted.

How long is this tour?

The tour runs for eight hours. Lunch is available for purchase during the day, and your guide can arrange a drop-off at your hotel, apartment or airport when it ends.