The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage in Nairobi is one of the most moving hours you can spend in Kenya. Baby elephants, rescued after losing their mothers, come out of the forest in groups for their milk, roll in the mud and play under the eyes of the keepers who raise them. It is also one of the places in Kenya where a little planning matters, because the public visit lasts exactly one hour, entry is by advance booking only and late arrivals are turned away. This guide explains how the Nursery works, when it opens, how to book it, what the donation is, how to get there, what you will see, how to adopt an orphan, where the Trust's other units are and how to fit the visit around a safari. People search for it as David Sheldrick elephant orphanage, David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Sheldrick elephant orphanage Nairobi, how to visit the elephant orphanage, Sheldrick Nursery booking, Nairobi elephant orphanage tickets and adopt an elephant Kenya.
Quick answer
The Nairobi Nursery is open to the public every day except 25 December from 11am to 12 noon, and entry is strictly by advance booking. You book by contacting the Trust's Nairobi office through its website, at least two business days ahead and within the next three months, and you pay a donation in cash on arrival: US$20 for an adult aged 12 or over and US$5 for a child under 12, or the equivalent in shillings.
Bookings made through Viator, GetYourGuide or Tripadvisor are not accepted. The Nursery lies inside Nairobi National Park, so you also pay the park's entry fee. Be at the Mbagathi Gate on Magadi Road by 10:30, because the visit cannot be delayed for late arrivals.
David Sheldrick elephant orphanage at a glance
| Item | What to know |
|---|---|
| Public visiting hours | 11am to 12 noon daily, except 25 December |
| Length of visit | One hour |
| Booking | Advance booking only, through the Trust's website |
| Notice needed | At least two business days; not same day; within the next three months |
| Adult donation (12 and over) | US$20 or the equivalent in shillings |
| Child donation (under 12) | US$5 or the equivalent in shillings |
| Kenya residents | KSh 2,000 adult and KSh 500 child, with proof of residence |
| Park entry | Nairobi National Park fee, paid online through eCitizen |
| Arrive by | 10:30 at the Mbagathi Gate on Magadi Road |
| Third-party bookings | Not accepted |
| Adoption | From US$50 a year |
Chapter 01: What is the Sheldrick elephant orphanage?
It is the Nairobi Nursery of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, the first stop for orphaned elephants rescued in Kenya. Baby elephants cannot survive without milk and care, and the Nursery's keepers give them both around the clock, then move them to reintegration units in Tsavo as they grow. The Trust states that 327 orphans have been successfully raised, and that more than 92 calves have been born to orphans it raised and returned to the wild.
For visitors it is a short, close, unhurried view of elephants at their most vulnerable and most playful. It is also a good first or last stop on a safari, because it is in Nairobi.
Chapter 02: When is the Nursery open to visitors?
The public visit runs from 11am to 12 noon, every day except 25 December. It lasts exactly one hour. The timing follows the orphans' day, since the elephants come out of the forest for their milk at that time.
There is only one public session each day, with a limited number of places, so the visit sells out. Plan around the fixed hour: the rest of your Nairobi day has to fit before and after it.
Chapter 03: How do you book a visit?
Access is strictly by advance booking. Use the contact form on the Trust's website to reach its Nairobi office and give the date, the number of adult and child tickets, the name of each adult and the name and age of each child.
Replies take at least two business days, so same-day requests are not accepted, and the date you ask for must fall within the next three months. Show the confirmation on the day. You pay for every ticket in the booking even if fewer people attend. The Trust does not accept bookings made through Viator, GetYourGuide or Tripadvisor, so tickets bought from those sites will not be honoured. We can make the request for you when you book a safari with us. Ask us early, because a late request may find the date full.
Chapter 04: What does it cost?
The entry is a donation, paid in cash on arrival. The minimum is US$20 or the equivalent in Kenyan shillings for an adult aged 12 or over and US$5 for a child under 12. Kenya residents with proof of residence pay KSh 2,000 for an adult and KSh 500 for a child.
You also pay the Nairobi National Park entry fee, because the Nursery sits inside the park. Entry has been mandatory for all Nursery visitors since 19 September 2023, and it is paid online through eCitizen. The exact park fee appears on your quotation. No refreshments are sold on site, and there is no public Wi-Fi, so take water and a little cash.
Chapter 05: How do you get there?
The Nursery is in Nairobi National Park, reached through the KWS Mbagathi Gate, also called the KWS Workshop Gate, on Magadi Road. Arrive at or before 10:30. The visit cannot be delayed or extended for late arrivals, and Nairobi traffic is unpredictable, so leave early.
Taxis and ride-hailing cars can drop you at the gate unless the driver and vehicle have paid the park fees. The Trust runs its own vehicle from the gate to the Nursery for visitors on foot, between about 10:15 and 11:30. The easiest solution is a private transfer with a driver who knows the gate, which we arrange as standard. Our Nairobi National Park guide describes the park around it.
Chapter 06: What will you see?
Groups of orphans come out of the forest to be fed bottles of a specialist milk formula, then play, wrestle and take mud or dust baths. A senior keeper introduces each orphan by name and tells its story, and only keepers feed and handle the animals. Some elephants may come to the cordon to greet visitors.
After the mud bath, a small shop sells clothing and gifts. The Trust also looks after other animals, but the Nursery visit is built around the elephants. Maxwell, a blind rhino, is also cared for there, but he cannot be met on the public visit.
Chapter 07: What should you bring and wear?
Wear closed shoes and clothes you do not mind getting dusty, because the ground is muddy in the rains and dusty in the dry season. Bring a hat, sunscreen, water, a camera and some cash for the donation. In the rainy months, March to April and October to December, the paths can be wet.
Chapter 08: Is it suitable for children?
Yes. Children under 12 pay the smaller donation, and a child who has seen elephants close up rarely forgets it. Explain beforehand that the keepers feed the elephants and that visitors watch from behind the cordon. The visit is one hour, which suits young children. Our Kenya family safaris guide covers other family stops.
Chapter 09: How does adoption work?
You can adopt an orphan for as little as US$50 a year, either online or in person at the end of your visit. In-person adopters receive a certificate, an elephant watercolour print and a profile card of their orphan, Giraffes are also fostered, and the Trust's website lists the orphans and their ages.
An adoption is a gift to the Trust, not a booking with a safari company, so you make it directly with the Trust.
Chapter 10: What other Sheldrick units are there?
The Trust runs reintegration units in the wild. Voi and Ithumba are in Tsavo East, Umani Springs is in the Kibwezi Forest, and the Trust also lists Kaluku and a Living Wild unit. Guests staying at the Trust's own lodges, the Ithumba and Galdessa lodges in Tsavo East and Umani Springs Eco Lodge, have exclusive access to the nearby unit. Day visits to these units are not part of the public Nairobi programme, so ask the Trust directly if you want to see one. Our Tsavo guide describes the national parks around them.
Chapter 11: When is the best time to visit?
Any day except 25 December works, because the visit is fixed at 11am. The mornings are cooler in the dry months, June to October, and the paths are muddy in March and April and from October to December, but the elephants come out in all weather. Book as early as you can for July to October and December, when Nairobi is busiest.
Chapter 12: How do you fit it into a safari?
The Nursery works well on the day you arrive or the day you leave, because it sits in Nairobi. A morning arrival leaves time for the 11am visit before an afternoon flight to the Mara, and a day before departure suits the visit. Its fixed hour has to fit around your flights, so build the day around it.
You can fit the Giraffe Centre into the same day, before or after the fixed Nursery hour, and our Giraffe Centre guide gives its hours. For the flight to the Mara see our Nairobi to Masai Mara guide.
Chapter 13: What mistakes should you avoid?
Booking through a third-party site, which the Trust does not accept, arriving after 10:30, asking for same-day entry, forgetting cash for the donation, expecting to touch or feed the elephants and planning a tight flight connection straight after the visit.
Chapter 14: Is it worth it?
Yes. It is a one-hour visit that gives a close view of elephants and of the people who raise them, and the donation supports their rescue and release. It is best as the opening or closing act of a safari.
Chapter 15: What is the verdict?
Book early, give the Trust the details it asks for, arrive by 10:30 and take cash. Treat the visit as a fixed appointment and plan the rest of the day around it.
Tell us your dates, and we will request the visit for you, arrange the transfer and fit it into your safari. See our Kenya destination page and tours such as our Maasai Mara and Amboseli safari and our Kenya family safari.
Send us your dates and we will request the visit, arrange the transfer and fit it into your safari, with a written quotation within 24 hours.
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