What‘s Included

Reviews

• Very great experience....

  Kishor M,

  Apr 14, 2025

  - Viator

  4.00

  Very great experience. Nice to see the young elephants are properly taken care of. One issue: I signed up on line for two for $300.00. But just coming the gate of Nairobi National Park, we were told that there is park entrance is to be paid in addition to our paid fee. That was disappointment. We should be told that when we are buying the ticket for this trip. Driver was very courteous, prompt and friendly.

• This Is A Must in Nairobi!

  Brian W,

  Feb 21, 2025

  - Viator

  5.00

  This was a highlight of our Nairobi visit. It was very educational & fun. I adopted an elephant. Our guide & driver was very pleasant. We enjoyed ourselves.

• Great day for all of us

  Johanna M,

  Jan 23, 2025

  - Viator

  5.00

  Sheldrick is very strict about visiting hours but worth it. The bs it’s we so great to watch great..

• Don’t Miss

  Amy T,

  Jan 20, 2025

  - Viator

  5.00

  Great experience getting so close to these adorable baby elephants. So fun and Stephen was an excellent tour guide and helped us get a perfect viewing location.

• Disappointing, crowded, too touristy - though the orphanage does good work

  Jennifer L,

  Nov 3, 2024

  - Viator

  2.00

  I booked this the night before, and was quite disappointed by the experience. Communications were initially good (on WhatsApp) from the local tour operator, messaging me about my pick-up at my hotel. Driver was on time and ok, but spoke little English and didn't know where he was going. I thought we were going to the elephant orphanage (as I had booked), but he drove me to the bead factory (which I rejected at first, but was actually impressive - beautiful things), where I joined (squeezing into a minibus) a big loud group of tourists who were all together (and wondered where I had come from). The driver/guide drove us to the park entrance where we joined a queue of vehicles, and I paid the $45 (6000 Kshs) fee (which I expected, having read the details). When we got to the elephant orphanage, there were already many people there for the 11-12:00 visit (the only time), and the talk had already started. It was hard to see over the tall people along the rope line. Elephants were cute but hardly babies any more (much bigger than I'd seen on 2 previous visits years ago). We heard about the resident rhino orphans but didn't get to see them. After the talk and watching the elephants eat and get their bottles, everyone had to leave, with many crowding around the small area where there were souvenirs for sale and the orphan adoption table - impossible to even get close. Guide found me and gruffly said everyone else was in the van and waiting for me (he had said nothing when we arrived about how to meet at the end), so we hustled back to the vehicle, which was full, so I was sent to another van full of tourists, and had to squeeze in there. Because I didn't want to join this big group to go to the giraffe house (been there, done that years ago), the guide called for a car to take me back to my hotel. Driver was ticked off, very gruff, didn't say a word to me for the 90 mins driving in horrible traffic to my hotel. At the hotel, he asked for payment. I had to message the tour company to get them to pay him (this should have been arranged, as these transfers were in my high fee paid for the excursion!). I was disappointed with the tour companies involved (better communication and organization is needed), and with Sheldrick orphanage which was quite different from when I visited years ago - when there were not big crowds, the visit was not so short, and we could get closer to the baby elephants, see where they sleep, see the baby rhino etc. I think it's become too popular (I blame Instagram), and they're just moving the masses in and out daily for this short, expensive visit. They still do great work, but the visit was disappointing. (And I would have bought a painting and probably adopted an elephant, but I was hustled out to rejoin this big loud group of tourists that I didn't want to join). As a solo, last-minute booking, I expected to be placed into a group, but not like this. As other reviewers said, there are better ways to do this, to avoid the tourist vans. And I would try to find a better day (not a Saturday) when maybe the visit would be less crowded. It just felt too zoo-like and touristy (especially compared to my previous visits). Unfortunately quite disappointing, for the 1-hr visit (and 2.5 hrs of driving) and $150.