A Day At The Incredible Giraffe Centre Nairobi

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Giraffes are the gangliest, most awkward looking animals – you just cannot help but love them. They are overtly friendly, and their curiosity is matched only by their desire to fill their stomachs. It was therefore a slam dunk decision that I would be visiting the Giraffe Centre Nairobi on a recent trip to Kenya.

As it turned out, this was not only a fantastic way to spend an afternoon in Nairobi, but one of the best wild animal experiences I’ve been lucky enough to do. Giraffes are amazing, and so is the Giraffe Centre which takes care of the Rothschild’s giraffes, a subspecies of the Northern Giraffe, and arguably one of the most endangered.

This well-run, ethical, sanctuary has helped more than double their population through conservation efforts. If that’s not worth a visit in itself, I don’t know what is.

What is the Giraffe Centre Nairobi?

The Giraffe Centre Nairobi is a popular place. I mean, who doesn’t want to get up close and personal with a tower of giraffes? That’s right, I looked up what a group of giraffes is called, and isn’t that the most fitting word for them?

The Centre is a sanctuary where you can feed, interact with and learn about the Rothschild giraffes that live there. As a non-profit, they rely on visitors and donations to fund the great work they do there.

Education is one of the main goals for the Giraffe Centre. Specifically to school children and youth groups so they can learn about these fabulous animals that live all around them.

Where is the Giraffe Centre Nairobi?

While the Giraffe Centre is classed as Nairobi, it’s actually in a suburb about 15km from the center. Just before you get too excited about being able to walk there.

To get there you’ll need to travel about 30 to 40 minutes by car, around to the western side of Nairobi National Park. It’s not far but you will have to plan how you get there.

The easiest way is to take a safari tour that includes the Giraffe Centre Nairobi. There are a number of day tours that give you time in the national park or other animal-related attractions, and stop at the center either before or after.

Another good option is to book a private car and driver for the morning or afternoon. Most hotels can help with this, or will find a reputable taxi firm to take you.

Lastly there’s public transport, however if you’re not too familiar with Nairobi I would probably urge you to stick with one of the first two options.

Getting tickets

As of 2023 a ticket to the Giraffe Centre Nairobi is 1500 Kenyan Shillings (around $10 USD). For the experience that you get this is honestly such a good rate. Getting tickets is incredibly easy. You can either book online in advance or purchase at the gate.

Booking in advance is best if you can, as it secures your spot for your visit. You do have to pick a time slot though, so make sure you don’t lose track of time on the way.

If you’re part of a tour, they will usually book the Giraffe Centre tickets for you – just make sure that’s the case when you reserve your spot.

If you don’t book your ticket in advance, not to worry, you can usually buy tickets at the gate. Since most people only usually spend an hour or two here, there’s a constant stream of people going through anyway.

How long do you spend there?

There’s no right answer here. Honestly, I would stand and feed giraffes all day if you let me. But your average visitor spends about 1.5-2 hours at the Giraffe Centre Nairobi.

The circular walk to feed and meet the giraffes is obviously the highlight, but make sure to leave time for the other activities. Speak with sanctuary staff members to learn more about the giraffes, or attend a talk.

Go for a walk along the nature trail, and then cool down with a drink in the cafe. Last but not least, don’t leave without visiting the gift shop – profits of which go back into the center to help the giraffes.

If you’re part of a tour, make sure you get enough time there. We were told 45-minutes but didn’t want to feel rushed, so talked to our driver. In the end we were there almost 2-hours – but if you’re part of a big tour group you may not have the luxury of extending your time as easily as we did.

Between feeding the giraffes, taking photos with and of them, and enjoying the rest of what the Giraffe Centre Nairobi has to offer, you can easily lose a couple of hours of your life here. And you won’t want to rush this incredible experience.

Is the Giraffe Centre ethical?

This is not a zoo, which is a very important point to make. The giraffes are free to come and go as they please within the 60-acre sanctuary. Whether the animals decide to come up for food or attention is up to them, so there’s no forced interactions.

That said, these curious animals are more than likely to get up close and personal if there’s food on the go. There are DOs and DON’Ts posted around the Giraffe Centre, and staff on hand to keep an eye on interactions.

The Giraffe Centre Nairobi also focuses on breeding programs, the end result of which is (hopefully) successfully releasing giraffes into the wild. So far they’ve released more than 40.

One of the other main goals of the Giraffe Centre is education. Educating locals, visitors and schoolchildren about the importance of conservation of one of their native species. And what better way than by getting to know them in person.

Is this affiliated with Giraffe Manor?

The giraffes at the Giraffe Centre Nairobi are the same as the ones you see all over Instagram at Giraffe Manor. While a stay at the luxurious boutique hotel is an incredible experience, you can still meet the giraffes without paying the eyewatering hotel room cost.

Trade a $1000+/night hotel room for a $10 entry fee to the sanctuary where all the real care happens. A stay at the hotel is wonderful, but you are just as likely to get to feed giraffes at the Giraffe Centre. As mentioned already, there are no forced interactions.

You are able to sneak a peek at Giraffe Manor from the Giraffe Centre and view some of the vast space the giraffes have to roam. While you won’t get the same lavish breakfast at the Giraffe Centre that you would at the hotel, not to worry. You still get to feed them their food, and the show is all about them in the end anyway.

Best day ever at the Giraffe Centre Nairobi

Unable to contain my excitement I almost bounded to the entrance to get to my new potential giraffe BFFs. Like a kid at Christmas, I bubbled with anticipation of being able to meet one of my favorite animals in the flesh. There was zero disappointment in my day, or my experience.

As heads up, and I saw this in many attractions in Kenya, you are unable to take water inside. You have to leave your bottles at the entrance or empty your refillable water packs. After guzzling a half liter of water in 15-seconds I was in, and ready to mingle with the Centre’s stars.

First step – WASH YOUR HANDS. You’ll do this before and after meeting the giraffes, as the Centre really cares about protecting their animals.

Meeting the giraffes

Hand washing complete, you’ll be handed a little bowl made of a coconut shell, filled with giraffe food pellets. Don’t lose any – this is your key to making friends with the long-necked residents.

Follow the elevated walkway around until you spot the crowds straining to reach the hungry giraffes. Good news is, you don’t have to reach far as their necks do the hard work.

It’s busier in the middle of the day, so you might do better like me and go later (or earlier). I didn’t have to wait long before I was able to interact with the giraffes.

Laying the food on my open palm, they mopped up the pellets with their soft mouths, and a final lick with a sticky blue tongue. They’ll nuzzle you for more food and are constantly searching for tasty treats.

While the adults can reach you no problem, there were a couple of younger giraffes who, at a lower height, I was unable to reach. So if you have long arms, try to reach the babies too so they don’t feel left out. Big or small, they are cute as anything.

What else can you do here?

The experienced guides who work here are more than happy to share information and educate you on the giraffes. Don’t get too distracted by the giraffes (guilty) that you miss out on actually learning about them and the conservation efforts happening here.

The Giraffe Centre has a café where you can grab a bite to eat and a drink, although I will admit I skipped it to spend more time in the shop. That’s right, there’s a big shop selling everything you can possibly think of with a giraffe on it. I now own way more wooden carved giraffes than I care to admit, but this is a great place for some gifts for folks back home.

Is a visit to the Giraffe Centre Nairobi worth it?

I got to pet giraffes and feed them from my hand. Absolutely it’s worth visiting the Giraffe Centre Nairobi. While I would have loved to have spent longer, and would likely return if I went to Nairobi again, I was over the moon with the interactions I had.

I debated whether I wanted to shell out for a night at Giraffe Manor. While I’d look into that for a future visit, I’m glad I got the opportunity to really learn about the giraffes at the sanctuary first.

As a value for money experience, you can’t beat $10 for a couple of hours with some of your newest giraffe friends. They’ll welcome you with open…mouths, if we’re being honest. But it’s an incredible experience you won’t forget from your trip to Kenya.

If you’ve enjoyed this post about the Giraffe Centre Nairobi, leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. Have you visited the Centre or Giraffe Manor before? Let me know about your experience.