Giraffe Centre

Kenya, Africa

The Giraffe Centre in Nairobi is a conservation and education hub dedicated to the endangered Rothschild’s giraffe. Visitors can enjoy close encounters by feeding and even getting a “kiss” from the giraffes, explore the serene nature sanctuary, spot birdlife, attend wildlife talks, and relax at the Tea House. The centre also supports local schools through conservation education programs, and proceeds from the gift shop and visits go directly to wildlife conservation efforts

The Giraffe Centre is a conservation sanctuary in Kenya, dedicated to protecting the endangered Rothschild giraffe. Just about 40 minutes from Nairobi’s city center, it offers visitors the chance to feed giraffes up close, walk through bird-rich natural forest trails, visit the information centre for educational talks, and relax in the tea house amid beautiful surroundings. The Centre also runs a “release programme,” having bred giraffes in captivity and reintroduced over 40 of them into national parks and reserves.

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Pre-Booking Requirements for 11am Public Visit

Access to the Nursery is strictly by advance booking only. We encourage guests to reserve their slots early, as we have limited daily capacity.
We can only accept bookings for visits that will take place within the next three months. If you wish to book a date that is more than three months from today, set yourself a reminder to contact us nearer the time of your intended visit.
It is not possible to make same-day bookings and we ask that you do not come to the orphanage unless you have a confirmed booking.
Please only book the number of tickets you need. We have a limited number of visiting slots available each day, and we want as many people as possible to be able to enjoy the experience. For this reason, you will be required to make payment for all tickets in your confirmed booking, even if less people attend on the actual day.

SWT Entry Donations

The minimum donations for entry to the 11am public visit at the Nairobi Nursery are:

Adult, aged 12 years and above: US$20 per person, or the equivalent in Kenya Shillings (based on the day’s rate).
Adult, Kenya resident: Ksh 2,000, with proof of residency.
Child: aged under 12 years, US$5 per person, or the equivalent in Kenya Shillings (based on the day’s rate).
Child: Kenya resident, Ksh 500, with proof of residency.

Your entry donation is not pre-paid, but payable in cash upon entry to the SWT Nursery on the day of your booked visit.

Please note that the SWT Nursery entry donation is separate to the newly imposed KWS National Park fee, which is now required to pass through the KWS Mbagathi Gate — more details below.

KWS Park Fees
As of 19th September 2023, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) requires that all visitors to the SWT Nairobi Nursery must pay the Nairobi National Park entry fees, regardless of whether they will venture further into Nairobi National Park or not. However, since you must pay the fee regardless, we encourage guests to follow up their visit to the Nursery with a game drive through Nairobi National Park — it’s a wonderful opportunity to experience this incredible Park, known as the World’s Wildlife Capital, which is home to rhinos, lions, leopards, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras and so much more!

The Giraffe Centre is a peaceful wildlife sanctuary dedicated to the conservation of the endangered Rothschild giraffe. Located just outside Nairobi, it offers hands-on encounters including feeding the giraffes from an elevated platform, informative talks at the Information Centre, a 1.5 km nature trail through bird-rich forest and river scenery, plus relaxing spaces like a tea house and gift shop. All proceeds go toward wildlife protection, habitat restoration, environmental education, and sustaining the Centre’s mission of inspiring conservation.

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