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Orphaned elephant calves running for their milk bottles at the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi National Park, May 2015.

TemboNairobi National Park

Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage: the 11:00 visit, booking and fees

The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust's Nairobi Nursery opens to the public for one hour a day, 11:00 to 12:00, every day except 25 December, around the orphans' midday milk feed and mud bath. It is by advance booking only, never the same day, for dates up to three months ahead. You book by email with the Trust. On the day you pay twice: a minimum donation in cash to the Trust and the Nairobi National Park fee to Kenya Wildlife Service, which takes no cash. Be at Mbagathi Gate by 10:30.

Photo: U.S. Department of State / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (US government work)

Edited by Rainer Lang Updated

Some links on this page are affiliate links: the guide earns a commission when you book through them. The partner sets the price; the guide adds no fee.

The Trust accepts only its own booking confirmations, not bookings made through Viator, GetYourGuide or Tripadvisor. A tour can drive you to the gate, but the place in the hour is yours to book. For visitors to Masai Mara, Kenya, it fits a morning in Nairobi, with the Giraffe Centre in the afternoon.

SaaThe one public hour

Book the hour, then plan the morning around it

Three steps: the booking weeks ahead, the morning at the gate, and the two payments when you arrive. The shilling amounts carry their dollar value at the Central Bank of Kenya rate of 12 November 2026.

Booking: by email, ahead of time

  1. TodayNo same-day bookings
  2. The replyAllow at least two business days
  3. Furthest dateVisits within the next three months

Send the date, the number of adult and child tickets, every visitor's name and the children's ages. Every booked ticket is paid, even if fewer people come. The Trust accepts only its own confirmations, not bookings made through Viator, GetYourGuide or Tripadvisor.

The visit day: from Mbagathi Gate to the Giraffe Centre

  • Be at Mbagathi Gate by 10:30the Trust asks for arrival at or before this time

  • Trust vehicle from the gate 10:15 to 11:30for visitors who came on foot, by taxi or by Uber

  • The public hour at the Nursery 11:00 to 12:00every day except 25 December; no delay or extension for late arrivals

  • Giraffe Centre open, the next stop 9:00 to 17:00every day in Lang'ata

Two payments on the day, to two bodies

Till 1, at the Nursery

Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

USD 20 adult, 12 and over

USD 5 child under 12

Minimum donation per non-resident. Kenya residents with proof of residency: adult KES 2,000 (about USD 15), child KES 500 (about USD 4.00).

In cash, on entry, on the day. Nothing is prepaid.

Till 2, at the park gate

Kenya Wildlife Service

USD 80 adult

USD 40 child or student

Nairobi National Park, per non-resident; KWS counts a child from 5 to 17. Kenya resident adult KES 1,350 (about USD 10), African citizen adult USD 40.

Per person per 24 hours, single entry (KWS 2025 schedule). KWS lists M-Pesa, Visa and bank transfer, not cash. The vehicle pays the KWS vehicle charge, and a taxi or Uber driver pays the park fee; tour drivers registered by the Tourism Regulatory Authority are exempt.

One adult, both tills, before any driver or vehicle fee

USD 100 non-resident

KES 3,350 (about USD 26) Kenya resident

The booking address is on the Trust's Nursery visit page. The Trust's adult rate starts at 12; KWS counts a child from 5 to 17. A 14-year-old pays the adult donation and the child park fee, so add the two tills up for each child yourself. The Nairobi National Park page has the park fee for every kind of visitor.

Orphaned elephant calf in the mud wallow

Photo: Sara Ahmed Naqvi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

TemboThe midday mud bath

The hour is built around the milk feed and the mud.

SheriaVisit rules

The Trust's rules for the hour

What the Trust states on its visit page and in its FAQ. They decide what to bring and when to leave the hotel.

  • No waiting for late arrivals

    The visit is not delayed or extended for anyone who arrives late. The Trust's vehicle from the gate runs 10:15 to 11:30.

  • Only the Keepers touch

    Only the Keepers feed and touch the orphans.

  • No smoking, personal photos

    Smoking and vaping are not allowed; photos and video are for personal use only.

  • Mud in the rains

    The ground can be muddy in March and April and from October to December. Closed shoes help.

  • No café, no Wi-Fi

    There are no refreshments and no public Wi-Fi at the Nursery.

  • Maxwell is not on view

    Maxwell, the Trust's blind rhino, cannot be seen during the public visit.

LangoMbagathi Gate

Getting to Mbagathi Gate

The Nursery is reached through the KWS Mbagathi Gate, also called the KWS Workshop Gate, on Magadi Road, on the edge of Nairobi National Park. Give a driver the gate's name and the road.

A taxi or Uber drops you at the KWS gate unless the park fees for the driver and the vehicle are paid. From there the Trust's own vehicle takes visitors who arrive without their own vehicle from the gate to the Nursery and back, between 10:15 and 11:30. A tour or hired driver who pays the vehicle fee can drive in.

Since 19 September 2023, KWS requires every Nursery visitor to pay the Nairobi National Park entry fee, whether or not they go further into the park. For a non-resident adult that is USD 80 per person per 24 hours, single entry. The KWS fee buys a single access, valid up to 24 hours. A game drive and the Nursery hour inside one entry need one fee; if you leave the park between them and come back through a gate, Mbagathi Gate included, that is a second entry and a second fee.

TemboFostering an orphan

Fostering, and what the Trust does

At the end of the visit you can foster one of the orphans in person, for at least USD 50 a year. The Trust's FAQ welcomes foster parents in the same daily public hour, 11:00 to 12:00, booked in advance like any visit; it names no separate foster-parent visit.

The orphans in Nairobi are calves the Trust has taken in. Older orphans move on to the Trust's Reintegration Units in Tsavo East and Kibwezi Forest, where only guests of its Eco Lodges can visit them in set slots; its Kaluku Neonate Nursery is not open to the public. At the Nairobi Nursery, only the Keepers feed and touch the orphans.

USD 20Minimum donation, non-resident adult

USD 50Fostering, minimum per year

Orphaned elephant calf drinking
An orphaned elephant calf drinking at the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi, February 2019.Photo: Sara Ahmed Naqvi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

ZiaraAfter the hour

After the hour: giraffes, a tour, the wild herds

The Giraffe Centre in Lang'ata is the usual next stop. It is open 9:00 to 17:00 every day, a non-resident adult pays KES 1,500 (about USD 12), and the Centre gives its distance from Nairobi's city center as 15 km (9.3 mi). Its own site has the rest.

Rather be driven? Nairobi National Park Elephant Orphanage and Giraffe Centre on Viator lists from USD 48 per person, park fees excluded (listed 12 November 2026). You still book the Nursery hour with the Trust yourself, and pay both tills on the day.

Elephants in the wild are the other half of the story: Amboseli National Park and the animals of the Masai Mara are where the herds live. The Nairobi to Masai Mara page covers the trip there.

Orphaned elephant calf at the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage
An orphaned elephant calf at the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi, September 2015.Photo: Nina R / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

MaswaliSheldrick questions

Sheldrick orphanage questions

The Trust's own pages: Nursery visit, FAQ. The park fee: KWS fee schedule, KWS payment FAQ.

How much does the Sheldrick elephant orphanage cost?

Two payments. The Trust's minimum donation is USD 20 for a non-resident aged 12 and over and USD 5 for a child under 12, in cash on the day. KWS adds the Nairobi National Park fee, USD 80 per person per 24 hours, single entry for a non-resident adult. One non-resident adult pays USD 100 in all, before any driver or vehicle fee.

Can I book the Sheldrick visit through Viator or GetYourGuide?

No. The Trust accepts only its own booking confirmations for the Nursery, not bookings made through Viator, GetYourGuide or Tripadvisor. You book by email with its Nairobi office, giving the date, the adult and child tickets, every name and the children's ages. A tour can still drive you to Mbagathi Gate.

Can I book the Sheldrick Nursery on the day?

No. The Trust takes no same-day bookings and books visits only within the next three months. Allow at least two business days for its reply, so a request the day before a visit is likely too late. Every booked ticket is paid, even if fewer people come.

How much does it cost to adopt an elephant at Sheldrick?

The Trust lets visitors foster an orphan in person at the end of the visit, for a minimum of USD 50 a year. Its FAQ welcomes foster parents in the same public hour, 11:00 to 12:00, booked in advance, and names no separate foster-parent visit.

Is the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust ethical?

Judge it from what the Trust states. At the Nursery only the Keepers feed and touch the orphans; visitors do not. Older orphans move to Reintegration Units in Tsavo East and Kibwezi Forest, and the Kaluku Neonate Nursery is closed to the public. The public sees the calves for one hour a day, at the milk feed.

Sources

  1. Kenya Wildlife Service fee sheet defines a child as a person from five (5) years but below 18 years. Kenya Wildlife Service: Conservation Fees 2025 (fee sheet PDF, file name 'KWS-Conservation-Fee-October-2025').
  2. Kenya Wildlife Service fee sheet defines the daily fee as the fee for a single access to a national park, national reserve or sanctuary, valid for not more than 24 hours. Kenya Wildlife Service: Conservation Fees 2025 (fee sheet PDF, file name 'KWS-Conservation-Fee-October-2025').
  3. Kenya Wildlife Service accepted payment methods for park entry fees: M-Pesa, Visa card and direct bank transfer (Kenya Commercial Bank, ABSA, Equity Bank); cash is not listed. Kenya Wildlife Service: FAQs, 2026-02-22.
  4. Viator listing 'Nairobi National Park Elephant Orphanage and Giraffe Centre' (operator not shown on the page), read 12 November 2026: listed price from USD 48 per person, half-day (4 to 8 hours) from Nairobi, max 36 travelers, park fees excluded. Viator: Nairobi National Park Elephant Orphanage and Giraffe Centre, 2026-11-12.
  5. The Central Bank of Kenya's daily indicative exchange rate posted on 12 November 2026 is KES 129.96 per US dollar. Central Bank of Kenya: home page, Daily KES Exchange Rates (indicative), 2026-11-12.
  6. Kenya Wildlife Service conservation fee (2025 schedule) for Nairobi National Park: Kenya resident adult, per person per daily fee (single access, valid up to 24 hours), all year: KES 1,350. Kenya Wildlife Service: Conservation Fees 2025 (fee sheet PDF, file name 'KWS-Conservation-Fee-October-2025').
  7. Kenya Wildlife Service conservation fee (2025 schedule) for Nairobi National Park: non-resident adult, per person per daily fee (single access, valid up to 24 hours), all year: USD 80. Kenya Wildlife Service: Conservation Fees 2025 (fee sheet PDF, file name 'KWS-Conservation-Fee-October-2025').
  8. Kenya Wildlife Service conservation fee (2025 schedule) for Nairobi National Park: non-resident child/student, per person per daily fee (single access, valid up to 24 hours), all year: USD 40. Kenya Wildlife Service: Conservation Fees 2025 (fee sheet PDF, file name 'KWS-Conservation-Fee-October-2025').
  9. Kenya Wildlife Service conservation fee (2025 schedule) for Nairobi National Park: African citizen adult, per person per daily fee (single access, valid up to 24 hours), all year: USD 40. Kenya Wildlife Service: Conservation Fees 2025 (fee sheet PDF, file name 'KWS-Conservation-Fee-October-2025').
  10. AFEW Giraffe Centre (Lang'ata, Nairobi) entry fee, non-resident adult: KES 1,500. African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW) Giraffe Centre: home page, Our Rates.
  11. AFEW Giraffe Centre entry fee, non-resident child aged 3-12: KES 750. African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW) Giraffe Centre: home page, Our Rates.
  12. AFEW Giraffe Centre entry fee, resident adult: KES 400. African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW) Giraffe Centre: home page, Our Rates.
  13. AFEW Giraffe Centre entry fee, resident child aged 3-12: KES 200. African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW) Giraffe Centre: home page, Our Rates.
  14. AFEW Giraffe Centre is open 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM every day, including weekends and all public holidays. AFEW Giraffe Centre: FAQs.
  15. AFEW Giraffe Centre is on Nyumbi Road off Duma Road in Lang'ata, 15 km from Nairobi's city center (the home page says 40 minutes from the city center). AFEW Giraffe Centre: FAQs.
  16. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust's public visit at its Nairobi Nursery (inside Nairobi National Park) runs every day except 25 December from 11am to 12 noon, timed around the orphans' midday milk feed and mud bath. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: Nairobi Nursery Visiting.
  17. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: access to the Nairobi Nursery visit is strictly by advance booking; no same-day bookings; bookings accepted only for visits within the next three months. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: Nairobi Nursery Visiting.
  18. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: Nursery visit bookings are made by email to its Nairobi office (date, number of adult and child tickets, names, children's ages); allow at least two business days for a reply; all booked tickets must be paid even if fewer attend. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: Nairobi Nursery Visiting.
  19. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust accepts only its own booking confirmations for the Nursery visit, not bookings via third-party platforms such as Viator, GetYourGuide or Tripadvisor. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: Nairobi Nursery Visiting.
  20. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust minimum entry donation for the 11am Nursery visit, adult aged 12 and above (non-resident): US$20 per person or the Kenya shilling equivalent at the day's rate. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: Nairobi Nursery Visiting.
  21. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust minimum entry donation for the Nursery visit, Kenya resident adult (with proof of residency): KES 2,000. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: Nairobi Nursery Visiting.
  22. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust minimum entry donation for the Nursery visit, child under 12 (non-resident): US$5 per person or the Kenya shilling equivalent. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: Nairobi Nursery Visiting.
  23. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust minimum entry donation for the Nursery visit, Kenya resident child (with proof of residency): KES 500. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: Nairobi Nursery Visiting.
  24. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: the Nursery entry donation is not prepaid; it is paid in cash on entry on the day of the booked visit. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: Nairobi Nursery Visiting.
  25. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust states that since 19 September 2023 KWS requires all Nursery visitors to pay the Nairobi National Park entry fee on top of the Trust's donation, whether or not they go further into the park; KWS also charges drivers and vehicles at the gate. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: Nairobi Nursery Visiting.
  26. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: access to its Nairobi Nursery is via the KWS Mbagathi Gate (also called the KWS Workshop Gate) on Magadi Road; guests should arrive at or before 10:30am. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: Nairobi Nursery Visiting.
  27. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: visitors arriving by taxi or Uber are dropped at the KWS gate unless park fees for driver and vehicle are paid; an SWT vehicle carries on-foot visitors from the gate to the Nursery between 10:15 and 11:30. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: Nairobi Nursery Visiting.
  28. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: the Nursery visit cannot be delayed or extended for late arrivals; smoking and vaping are prohibited; photos and video for personal use only; only Keepers feed and touch the orphans. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: Nairobi Nursery Visiting.
  29. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: visitors can adopt an orphan in person at the end of the Nursery visit for a minimum contribution of US$50 per year. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: Nairobi Nursery Visiting.
  30. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: no refreshments and no public Wi-Fi at the Nairobi Nursery; it can be muddy in the rainy seasons (March-April and October-December). Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: Nairobi Nursery Visiting.
  31. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: Maxwell the blind rhino cannot be seen during the public visit. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: Nairobi Nursery Visiting.
  32. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust FAQ: foster parents are welcome at the Nairobi Nursery in the same daily public hour, 11:00 to 12:00, by advance booking only; the FAQ names no separate foster-parent visit. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: FAQs.
  33. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: guests staying at SWT Eco Lodges can visit the orphans at the nearby Reintegration Unit (Ithumba and Voi in Tsavo East, Umani Springs in Kibwezi Forest) in set visiting slots; the Kaluku Neonate Nursery is not open to the public. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: FAQs.
  34. Park, camping, vehicle and balloon fees. Narok County 2025/26 Park Fees & Charges and Narok County Finance Act 2023 (reserve, Narok side); Mara Conservancy conservation fees (Mara Triangle); Kenya Wildlife Service Conservation Fees 2025 (Nairobi, Amboseli, Lake Nakuru); Enonkishu Conservancy fee page
  35. Exchange rate. Central Bank of Kenya, daily indicative exchange rate posted 12 November 2026 (average of major market participants' buying and selling rates at the open of trade)
  36. Unit conversions. Metric figures with US equivalents (1 km = 0.621371 mi, 1 m = 3.28084 ft, 1 kg = 2.20462 lb, 1 ft = 0.3048 m, 1 acre = 0.404686 ha, °F = °C × 9/5 + 32)