Elephant orphanage and Giraffe Centre tour Overview
This private six-hour elephant orphanage and Giraffe Centre tour starts with Nairobi hotel pickup at 08:00 and is planned to finish at 14:00, subject to traffic and optional stops. Visit the Giraffe Centre and the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Nairobi Nursery on a private tour with hotel pickup and drop-off, a guide and bottled water. Giraffe Centre admission and the Nursery entry donation are included. The mandatory KWS Nairobi National Park admission is a separate excluded charge. Nursery entry requires official advance confirmation for the 11:00–12:00 public session. The complimentary beadwork workshop stop is optional, and lunch and purchases are at your own expense.
Your private vehicle can be a Land Cruiser 4×4 or safari minivan. Check the selected package for its vehicle and price basis; different options may have different prices.
This is a day tour with no overnight stay included. Budget, Mid-Range and Luxury accommodation options are available for a separately arranged stay.
Elephant orphanage and Giraffe Centre tour Highlights
Private Nairobi hotel pickup and drop-off
Giraffe Centre conservation visit with admission included
Sheldrick Nursery public session with official advance confirmation
Nursery entry donation included; separate KWS park admission excluded
Your guide collects your private party from the agreed Nairobi hotel or residence and takes you to the Giraffe Centre. The day visits the Giraffe Centre first, followed by the Sheldrick Nairobi Nursery and an optional Kobe Tough craft stop before the Nairobi return.
1 hour
09:00–10:00 :
Giraffe Centre
The Giraffe Centre visit introduces giraffes and their conservation through viewing and educator-led interpretation. Any feeding offered during the visit is supervised by the Centre’s educators and follows their instructions.
There is time to observe the giraffes and learn about the Centre’s work before continuing to the Sheldrick Nairobi Nursery.
1 hour
11AM-12PM :
Sheldrick Nairobi Nursery
At the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Nairobi Nursery, the public session provides an opportunity to observe orphaned elephants with their keepers. Only the keepers feed and directly handle the elephants; visitors watch the care programme.
The fixed session runs from 11:00 to noon under official advance confirmation and does not operate on 25 December. The next stage is the optional Kobe Tough workshop visit.
1 hour
12.15PM-1PM :
Optional Kobe Tough beadwork workshop
The optional Kobe Tough beadwork workshop and shop introduce the craft and provide time to browse locally made souvenirs. The stop follows the Nursery visit before the return to Nairobi.
There is no purchase requirement. Shopping is optional and purchases are paid for separately.
45 minutes
1PM-2PM :
Lunch & Return
The final stage returns your party to the agreed Nairobi drop-off point after the wildlife and optional craft visits. This completes the Giraffe Centre and elephant Nursery programme.
1 hour
Inclusions & Exclusions
Included
Nairobi hotel pickup and drop-off
Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Nairobi Nursery entry donation and Giraffe Centre admission
Mandatory KWS Nairobi National Park admission for access to the Nursery, payable through eCitizen; separate from the included Nursery entry donation
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Nursery visit require advance confirmation?
Yes. Nursery entry requires a confirmation issued by Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. A tour booking alone is not that confirmation. Same-day Nursery bookings are unavailable.
Which admission charges are included?
The Nursery entry donation and Giraffe Centre admission are included. Mandatory KWS Nairobi National Park admission for access to the Nursery is excluded and is paid separately through eCitizen. This tour does not include a Nairobi National Park game drive.
When is the Nursery public visit?
The public session is 11:00–12:00, except on 25 December. Sheldrick advises reaching the gate by 10:30 for entry formalities. Late arrivals cannot extend the session.
Can visitors feed the elephants?
No. Nursery keepers feed and directly handle the elephants; visitors observe and follow the keepers’ instructions.
Are the beadwork stop and lunch compulsory?
No. The complimentary beadwork workshop stop and any lunch stop are optional. Lunch and purchases are at your own expense.
What are the pickup and return times?
Nairobi hotel pickup is at 08:00, with a planned 14:00 finish. The programme is approximately six hours. Traffic and optional stops can affect the return time.
A sense of the journey
Your route, at a glance.
6 hoursKenya
Nairobi → Giraffe Centre → Sheldrick Elephant Nursery → Nairobi
↗
Find your journey on the map.
Tap a stage below to explore the journey.
Location markers are approximate. Connections show the journey sequence, not roads, exact driving distances or live vehicle tracking. The itinerary sets out each stage.
Rustic Nature Tours and our guide Kelvin provided us with a fantastic day in Nairobi. This day tour is designed to provide the guests with an opportunity to experience some of the highlights that exist just outside the city- feeding orphaned baby elephants, hand-feeding giraffes, and touring the Bead Factory.Kelvin is an experienced guide who is extremely knowledgeable and has a deep passion for the animals, people, and culture of Kenya. His positive spirit and warmth helped us have a spectacular day despite some challenges that our schedule and extremely late night arrival presented.This is a day tour not to miss…highly recommend!
Date of Experience:
January 26, 2025
Verified Purchase
By Lily Giles
(United Kingdom)
January 3, 2024 An amazing layover tour
As an unexpected last-minute decision to spend our Christmas and New years holiday in Africa. We had a 10-hour layover in Nairobi and we decided to reach out to a few tour companies in Nairobi to see the baby elephants and giraffes three days before Christmas. We came across Rustic Nature tours with excellent reviews on Trip Advisor, and we were very impressed by Kelvin’s quick response, especially with our last-minute travel plan. I received an email back from Kelvin promptly with all relevant information regarding the tour we wanted to do with competitive pricing. He was also patient and helped us when we ran into an issue applying for our visa. On arrival, he picked us up and took us on an amazing tour to visit the giraffes, the elephant orphanage, the Kobe Beads women factory, a local restaurant for lunch and a shop next door to buy souvenirs. It was a great day and well worth the money spent. I definitely recommend to do this tour with Rustic Nature tours. Thanks again, Kelvin.
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/ Adult
From
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4.9
Based on 664 reviews
Erica Anderson
What an amazing tour: we saw an incredible number and variety of animals and got to learn so much from our fantastic guide Kelvin. He was very knowledgable and patient with us andWhat an amazing tour: we saw an incredible number and variety of animals and got to learn so much from our fantastic guide Kelvin. He was very knowledgable and patient with us and he made our experience unforgettable. Could not have asked for a better introduction to Kenya!…
Laura H
Very knowledgeable and friendly
michael graham
Kelvin met us at the airport, took us to our hotel and then picked us up next morning for a 5 day Safari through the Masai Mara. Brilliant experience! Kelvin is knowledgeable,Kelvin met us at the airport, took us to our hotel and then picked us up next morning for a 5 day Safari through the Masai Mara. Brilliant experience! Kelvin is knowledgeable, patient and great fun. Rustic Nature Tours are well organised and quick to respond from my very first enquiry. You won’t be disappointed.…
Peter M
Great experience! Kelvin is an excellent guide and is full of knowledge. He made sure our 3 experiences were to the max. I highly recommend Rustic Nature Tours and I recommendGreat experience! Kelvin is an excellent guide and is full of knowledge. He made sure our 3 experiences were to the max. I highly recommend Rustic Nature Tours and I recommend asking for Kelvin as your guide.…
Ruth
My husband and I completed a half-day Nairobi Park and Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage tour and the variety of wildlife was amazing: enormous dazzle of zebras cautiously drinking atMy husband and I completed a half-day Nairobi Park and Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage tour and the variety of wildlife was amazing: enormous dazzle of zebras cautiously drinking at the lake, three lions slinking past our vehicle as they hunted an impala, a huge crocodile incubating eggs, two white rhinos napping on the side of the road, and so much more. Our guide was happy to provide knowledgeable answers to all of our questions and was amazing at locating wildlife. I absolutely recommend this company.…
Michael G
Rustic Nature Tours were responsive from my very first contact and flexible with what we wanted to do and when. The Safari was excellent and accomodation/food spot on. If someoneRustic Nature Tours were responsive from my very first contact and flexible with what we wanted to do and when. The Safari was excellent and accomodation/food spot on. If someone says they had a better guide than Kelvin, they are making it up! He’s the MAN. We had a blast.…
Fernando Estaragues
It was a really good experience, it's totally recommended, the service of the office guys is good, they answer to you everytime and with a lot of enthusiasm.The truck was reallyIt was a really good experience, it's totally recommended, the service of the office guys is good, they answer to you everytime and with a lot of enthusiasm.The truck was really good with a lot of personalized service.The guide was the best one, fully recommended our guide, Kelvin Ndolo, he drive through all the safari to let us catch some good pictures, the service is really good with him, he was a nice person with a lot of experience, telling you about everything in Kenya in general, nice time with him, helping, giving advices, experienced man.He is el chingon!!In general we can say that we wouldn't be in a better tour and guide for the first experience in Kenya!…
Nicole S
We had a wonderful day exploring Nairobi and learning so much about the history of both the city and Kenya. This private tour was great value, offering pick-up directly from ourWe had a wonderful day exploring Nairobi and learning so much about the history of both the city and Kenya. This private tour was great value, offering pick-up directly from our hotel and a comfortable ride to each site.Our driver/guide, Denish, was fantastic! extremely safe, knowledgeable, and always ready to answer any questions we had. Every guide we met at the individual stops was equally kind and full of insights.Highlights of our day included a delicious lunch, visiting local community shops for souvenirs, and especially the museum and Kobe Tough! It was the perfect blend of culture, history, and city highlights. If you have a day in Nairobi, we highly recommend booking this tour!…
Marc-Antoine Ladouceur
I booked a four-day trip with Rustic Nature Tour (Safari tour) in Kenya at the very last minute, and they absolutely nailed it. They put together a beautiful itinerary, adapted toI booked a four-day trip with Rustic Nature Tour (Safari tour) in Kenya at the very last minute, and they absolutely nailed it. They put together a beautiful itinerary, adapted to my preferences, at a price that really surprised me, in a good way. My guide was fantastic, not just knowledgeable about wildlife but also about the socialBiophysical environmental, geomorphology and human stories behind the places we visited. Everything just flowed. I couldn’t be happier with the experience and highly recommend them to anyone looking for an authentic Kenyan adventure…
FarAway57601419658
Just completed a half-day Nairobi Park and Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage tour and the variety of wildlife was amazing: enormous dazzle of zebras cautiously drinking at the lake,Just completed a half-day Nairobi Park and Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage tour and the variety of wildlife was amazing: enormous dazzle of zebras cautiously drinking at the lake, three lions slinking past our vehicle as they hunted an impala, a huge crocodile incubating eggs, two white rhinos napping on the side of the road, and so much more. Our guide was happy to provide knowledgeable answers to all of our questions and was amazing at locating wildlife. I absolutely recommend this company.…
Katie Richards-Schuster
Kelvin and Rustic Nature Tours were the absolute best choice for the two day trips we did during our time in Nairobi. We could not have asked for a better experience. The tripsKelvin and Rustic Nature Tours were the absolute best choice for the two day trips we did during our time in Nairobi. We could not have asked for a better experience. The trips were completely seamless. We had terrific communication beforehand in preparation for the experiences, and we felt that all aspects were accounted for. Kelvin was absolutely exceptional as a guide. He was very knowledgeable about the animals, the local history, and the elements of the safari experience. His ability to navigate us to exactly the spots where we could see the most, be the closest, and truly experience all that Kenya has to offer.For the first-day experience, we traveled to Amboseli. People in our group really wanted to see elephants. And elephants we saw! Kelvin helped position the Land Cruiser so that we had multiple herds of elephants (including babies) walk in front of the vehicle, less than 10 feet away!! It was a memorable sight. We also saw lions, zebras, wildebeests, birds (of all kinds), giraffes, and so much more. Kelvin has a college degree in wildlife management, and he is both extraordinarily knowledgeable and professional in the trip. He answered our questions, provided information, and helped us experience the wildlife in the safest manner possible. I would definitely recommend taking the Land Cruiser over the Safari van. The roads in the park are bumpy, and the Land Cruiser ensured a safe, comfortable ride while also getting us into the perfect spot to see the animals. After 4 hours or so in the park, we headed to a beautiful lodge to eat. The food and experience at the lodge were wonderful. After that, we did another drive before leaving to head back to Nairobi. A long but unbelievable day!For the second experience, we headed to Nairobi National Park, then the Sheldrick Elephant Trust, Kobe Beads, lunch, and the Giraffe Center. Again, Kelvin was a masterful guide. In the park, he got us close to hippos, rhinos, zebras, giraffes, ostriches, and even a crocodile- among many other animals. He found the perfect spots and maneuvered the vehicle just right (and sometimes even off the beaten path) to make sure we saw the best views of the animals (again, we recommend the Land Cruiser for the best experience!). After talking with others who took different trips to Nairobi National Park, we realized how special our visit was. Many of them didn’t have Kelvin guiding them and, as a result, missed seeing all that we saw. We can’t emphasize enough how amazing Kelvin is. From there, Kelvin got us to the Elephant Sanctuary. He had the tickets already set, so all we needed to do was walk in, and then he got us to the perfect spot where we could be feet away from baby elephants, a baby rhino, and a baby zebra. Truly spectacular! After that, we visited a local bead factory that is a microenterprise supporting local women. We had a tour, learned about the beading process, and then had the opportunity to visit their shop (no hassling or pressure to buy- but we did get some beautiful items!). Then to a hidden garden for lunch at a local restaurant, and then finally to the giraffes. By the time we got to the giraffes, it was very busy, but again, Kelvin worked his magic to get us through the line quickly (we felt like VIPs!) and to the perfect spot to feed them. He clearly knows the staff, as he was able to get us pictures and even additional food to feed the animals. After a long day, he masterfully navigated traffic (which is no joke) to return us to the hotel.All in all, our time in Kenya would not have been the same without Kelvin and Rustic Nature Tours. We can’t recommend their tours any higher. You will not be disappointed!!!…
Brianna D
Our amazing guide Faith was right on time to pick us up at our hotel. We started the morning with a trip to Kobe Tough where we saw the bead making process. Then we headed to theOur amazing guide Faith was right on time to pick us up at our hotel. We started the morning with a trip to Kobe Tough where we saw the bead making process. Then we headed to the elephant orphanage where Faith knew the whole system and was able to get us up close spots in the “splash zone.” Next up was the giraffe center where we got up close to hand feed giraffes. Faith knew all of the giraffes by name and personality and even took photos on our camera for us. Afterwards we stopped for traditional Kenyan lunch (at your own expense) and we elected to do the Karen Blixen museum for the entrance fee as well. Since it was just me and my husband, Faith even drove us to the local mall before taking us back to the hotel. Overall it was a day well spent with memories to last a lifetime!…
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