Booking choice: The park, baby elephants and giraffes tour, from $35 per person. Check dates Tour details
Nairobi has a fixed point in its day: the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust opens its elephant nursery to the public from 11am to noon, and only then. Everything else fits around that hour. A game drive goes before it, the giraffes after it, and lunch and the bead workshops slot into the afternoon.
Below is the one-day plan most tours follow, how many days you really need, a second-day plan in Karen, the must-do list, what the day costs (and whether Kenya is expensive), and the questions people ask before they pack, from US dollars to wearing red.
The quick answer
Start with a game drive in Nairobi National Park at dawn, reach the elephant nursery for the 11am to noon visit, then feed the giraffes at the Giraffe Centre after midday. A shared tour does all three with hotel pickup from about $35 plus fees on the day. Add a second day for the Karen Blixen Museum and the bead workshops.
What is the best way to spend one day in Nairobi?
Game drive first, baby elephants at 11am, giraffes after midday. That order follows the animals and the fixed nursery hour.
This is the day as the classic tour runs it. Times are per the listing and shift a little with traffic and pickup order.
| When | What |
|---|---|
| 5:20 to 6:00am | Hotel pickup in Nairobi |
| Early morning | About 4.5 hours of game drive in Nairobi National Park |
| 11:00am to noon | The public visit at the Sheldrick elephant nursery |
| Around lunch | A restaurant stop (food is extra) and the Kobe Beads workshop |
| Afternoon | Feeding the giraffes at the Giraffe Centre, then back to your hotel |
Shorter on time? The half-day safari does the park and the giraffes without the nursery, and the Giraffe Centre feeding tour is 3 hours for the giraffes alone. The Giraffe Centre's recommended visit is 1.5 to 2 hours, and it is busiest from 11am to 1pm on weekdays, which is why tours arrive after the elephants.
Why do Nairobi day tours start so early?
Animals are most active at first light, and the elephant nursery only opens from 11am to noon. Leaving at dawn gives you a full game drive before that hour.
The nursery visit cannot be moved or extended, and visitors are asked to arrive by 10:30am. The Trust takes bookings by email only, so tours that include the visit reserve the slot with the Trust themselves. Ask your operator for the Trust's own confirmation email before the day, and bring US$20 in cash per adult for the entry donation.
It pays off. Jared, after the budget park and giraffes tour: "If you have one day in Nairobi I recommend this safari." (Nov 2024)
Pickup from 5:20am, a 4.5-hour game drive, the 11am elephants and the giraffes in one booking.
Check dates for the park, baby elephants and giraffes tourHow many days in Nairobi is enough?
One full day covers the game drive, the baby elephants and the giraffes. Two days let you add the Karen Blixen Museum, the bead workshops and the National Museum without rushing.
A second day works best in Karen and Lang'ata, the leafy south-west of the city where these sights sit. A relaxed plan:
| Day 2 | Plan |
|---|---|
| Morning | Karen Blixen Museum, the farmhouse at the foot of the Ngong Hills |
| Late morning | A bead workshop: Kazuri or Kobe Beads |
| Afternoon | The Giraffe Centre if you skipped it on day 1, or the Nairobi National Museum |
The giraffes, Karen Blixen and beads tour packs this into 4 hours with hotel pickup. If you would rather pay every entry fee upfront, the Giraffe Centre and Karen Blixen tour includes them all.
What are the must-do things in Nairobi?
Feed a giraffe from the platform, watch the orphaned elephants at 11am, and do a game drive with the skyline behind the rhinos. After that, Karen Blixen's house, the bead workshops and the National Museum.
- Feed the giraffes at the Giraffe Centre: eye to eye with Rothschild's giraffes, now usually classified as the Nubian giraffe, from a raised platform. AFEW Kenya, founded in 1979, runs the centre, which cares for 10 of them.
- See the baby elephants: the Sheldrick nursery's public hour, with the keepers telling each calf's story.
- Do a game drive in Nairobi National Park: see our Nairobi National Park guide.
- Visit the Karen Blixen Museum: the house of the author of Out of Africa.
- Watch beads being made: Kazuri (Swahili for "small and beautiful") was founded in 1975 and runs a free factory tour from clay to glazing, per Lonely Planet; the classic tour stops at Kobe Beads.
- See the Nairobi National Museum: US$18 for a non-resident adult under the National Museums of Kenya 2026 schedule, paid on eCitizen.
Bomas of Kenya, the cultural centre in Lang'ata, is being redeveloped into a convention complex (The Star, June 2026). Check that its dance show is running before you plan around it.
Is the Karen Blixen Museum worth adding to a Nairobi day?
Yes, if Out of Africa means something to you or you want an hour of history after the animals. Non-resident adults pay US$17 under the National Museums of Kenya 2026 schedule, on eCitizen.
The house was built in 1912 by the Swedish engineer Ake Sjogren. Karen Blixen and her husband bought it in 1917 and she lived there until 1931; it opened as a museum in 1986. Guided tours run through the day, and the house stands at the foot of the Ngong Hills.
National Museums of Kenya sites open 8:30am to 5:30pm every day, public holidays included. Fees go through eCitizen and the museum says cash is not accepted, so pay on your phone before you queue. One tour listing still prices the museum at "$12"; the schedule from 7 May 2026 says US$17 for a non-resident adult.
Morten took his family on the Karen Blixen and beads tour: "Even the museum was surprisingly enjoyable for our son, who usually isn’t a fan of museums at all." (Jul 2026)
The giraffes and the Out of Africa house in one half day, with every entry fee in the price.
Explore the Giraffe Centre and Karen Blixen tour Tour detailsHow much does a day in Nairobi cost, and is Kenya expensive to visit?
For a non-resident adult the three big entry fees come to US$100 plus KSh 1,500. Add a shared tour from about $35 and lunch. Park fees are the main cost of a Kenya trip.
Here is the day as a budget, per person, for a non-resident adult:
| Item | Cost | How you pay |
|---|---|---|
| Shared tour with hotel pickup | From $35 on GetYourGuide | When you book |
| Nairobi National Park | US$80, under the 2025 KWS rates (Legal Notice 160 of 2025) | Online on eCitizen |
| Sheldrick elephant nursery | US$20 donation | Cash on arrival |
| Giraffe Centre | KSh 1,500 (about US$11 to 12) | M-Pesa, Visa or Mastercard |
| Lunch and tips | Your choice | Cash or card |
For visitors, park fees are the big item in Kenya. Nairobi National Park at US$80 is the single largest item in this day, so check KWS or eCitizen before you go. Tours that fold fees in, like the elephants and giraffes tour, look pricier on the card but leave you less to pay on the day.
Is $100 a lot in Kenya?
It goes a fair way. At the Central Bank of Kenya rate of 15 October 2026 (KSh 129.81 to the dollar), US$100 is about KSh 12,981.
Put in visitor terms, that is the price of 8 non-resident Giraffe Centre tickets, or one Nairobi National Park entry with US$20 to spare. It will not cover the three entry fees and a tour.
A simple money plan for the day:
- US dollars in cash: for the US$20 elephant donation and tips.
- A card that works abroad: for eCitizen (the park and the museums) and the Giraffe Centre.
- M-Pesa, if you set it up: the Giraffe Centre takes it.
Elephants and giraffes with the nursery slot and the centre fee already in the price.
Check dates for the elephants and giraffes tour with fees includedCan I wear red in Kenya?
Yes. No law or official rule bans red, and it is the most common colour of the Maasai shuka cloth. On a game drive, muted colours are the better choice.
Safari outfitters advise khaki, olive and other muted tones in the park so you blend in, and they warn that dark blue and black attract tsetse flies. The 4x4 game drive listing adds: avoid bright colours since they attract insects. Red is fine in town, at the Giraffe Centre and at the museums.
For the rest of the trip, Canada's travel advice asks visitors to dress conservatively, most of all on the coast. In Nairobi, layers matter more than colour: a fleece for the dawn drive, a hat for the afternoon.
A Karen day for families: the Karen Blixen house, the bead factory and the giraffes, with hotel pickup.
Explore the giraffes, Karen Blixen and beads tour Tour detailsFrequently asked questions
Can I see Nairobi on a layover?
Yes, with a long enough gap. The half-day safari and the classic tour both pick up at hotels in Nairobi; the classic tour does not pick up at hotels inside the airport, and the half-day safari lists airport transfers at US$30 extra.
What should I bring on a Nairobi day tour?
Your passport, a card for eCitizen and the Giraffe Centre, US dollars in cash for the elephant donation, layers for the early drive, a hat, sunscreen and water.
Can I visit Giraffe Manor on a day tour?
No. Giraffe Manor is a private hotel of The Safari Collection. The Giraffe Centre next door is the public way to feed the same herd.
Do I need to book the elephant nursery myself?
Not on a tour that includes it: the operator reserves the slot with the Trust. Ask for the Trust's own confirmation email before the day.
Ready to book
Choose your tour
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
National Park, Baby Elephants & Giraffe Centre
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Driver-guide
- 4x4 or van with an open roof
Nairobi National Park & Giraffe Centre Half-Day
A game drive and the giraffes, without the orphanage
Giraffe Centre, Karen Blixen & Bead Factory
A Karen afternoon with crafts and history
