Excursion

Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage

Kenya, Africa

The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Nairobi Nursery offers visitors the chance to witness orphaned baby elephants during their rehabilitation journey. Located inside Nairobi National Park, the nursery hosts daily public visits (11am–12 noon, except December 25) for pre-booked guests. Visitors can watch the young elephants being fed and playing, while learning about their rescue and reintegration process. Entry requires both a nursery donation and a Kenya Wildlife Service park fee. Proceeds from visits directly support the Trust’s vital conservation and orphan rescue work

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!