MjiNairobi, the gateway to Masai Mara, Kenya
Most things to do in Nairobi before or after the Masai Mara, Kenya, sit on one side of the city: the Lang'ata side, where Wilson Airport is and the Mara flights leave. Three fixed hours shape the day. The Sheldrick Nursery opens to the public for one hour, 11:00 to 12:00, booked ahead. Nairobi National Park's gates open 6:00 to 18:00. The Giraffe Centre is open 9:00 to 17:00. A night near Wilson or in the city center, about 15 minutes by road from Wilson as AirKenya states it, puts all three within reach of a morning.
Photo: Lebu Ayiga / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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The question is less what Nairobi offers than what fits between your flights. If you land at JKIA in the morning and fly to the Mara from Wilson the next day, you can see the elephant orphans at 11:00, the giraffes after lunch and the park in the late afternoon. If you come back from the Mara at noon, the Nursery hour has gone, but the Giraffe Centre, a museum and the park's last hours remain. Set your own times in the planner below. For the trip to the Mara itself, by road or by air, see Nairobi to Masai Mara.
SaaThe fixed hours first
Pick where you land and when you are out of the airport, where you leave from and when your airline wants you there. The planner books the Nursery's hour first, because it cannot move, then the Giraffe Centre outside its busy midday hours where it can, then a game drive in the longest free stretch, then a museum.
Half-day planner
Set the times from your tickets. The planner places the fixed hours first, then the open ones, on the Lang'ata side of the city where Wilson Airport is.
Out of JKIA at 7:00, a flight from Wilson the next morning:
1Sheldrick Nursery visit 10:30 to 12:00
Through Mbagathi Gate on Magadi Road by 10:30; the public hour is 11:00 to 12:00, every day except 25 December. Book with the Trust ahead: no same-day bookings, up to three months ahead.
Minimum donation USD 20 per adult 12 and over, USD 5 per child under 12, in cash on the day, plus the park entry fee of USD 80 per non-resident adult.
2Giraffe Centre 13:00 to 15:00
Open 9:00 to 17:00 every day; the Centre suggests 1.5 to 2 hours. This slot falls in the weekday busy hours, 11:00 to 13:00; no other slot was free.
KES 1,500 (about USD 12) per non-resident adult, KES 750 per child 3 to 12; M-Pesa or card only.
3Game drive in Nairobi National Park 15:00 to 18:00
The longest free stretch inside the gate hours. The KWS fee buys a single access, valid up to 24 hours. A game drive and the Nursery hour inside one entry need one fee; if you leave the park between them and come back through a gate, Mbagathi Gate included, that is a second entry and a second fee.
USD 80 per non-resident adult for 24 hours, single entry (KWS 2025 schedule), plus KES 600 (about USD 4.50) per vehicle per day for a car with fewer than six seats.
Karen Blixen Museum
At the foot of the Ngong Hills; National Museums of Kenya sites open 8:30 to 17:30 every day.
USD 17 per adult from outside Africa; no cash, pay through eCitizen.
Nairobi National Museum
In town, not on the Lang'ata side; open 8:30 to 17:30.
USD 18 per adult from outside Africa, USD 25 with the Snake Park; eCitizen only.
Free inside the gate hours: 8:00 to 10:30 and 12:00 to 13:00.
From JKIA the planner allows the hour Safarilink advises for the drive to Wilson in the rush hours (about 25 minutes otherwise). The strip shows the order of the stops, not the minutes on the road between them: ask your driver how long each leg takes. A museum gets the planner's own floor of one hour.
MpangoThree common days
The same planner on the three days most Mara travelers have in Nairobi. Each strip runs from 5:00 to 22:00; the shaded band is the park's gate hours.
Safarilink's flight 02 from the Mara lands at Wilson at 12:20 in its 2026 timetable. Safarilink flights to the Mara leave Wilson at 7:15, 10:00 and 14:15; all airlines and times.
Out of JKIA at 7:00, a night in Nairobi.
Free inside the gate hours: 8:00 to 10:30 and 12:00 to 13:00.
Out of Wilson at 12:20, at JKIA by 20:00.
Sheldrick Nursery visit left out: you reach the Lang'ata side after the Nursery's 10:30 arrive-by time.
Free inside the gate hours: 12:20 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 18:00.
Already in Nairobi, no flight that day.
Free inside the gate hours: 15:00 to 18:00.
On the free day the drive takes 4 hours 30 minutes before the Nursery hour, which is inside the park. The KWS fee buys a single access, valid up to 24 hours. A game drive and the Nursery hour inside one entry need one fee; if you leave the park between them and come back through a gate, Mbagathi Gate included, that is a second entry and a second fee.
NdegeJKIA and Wilson
Nairobi has two airports that matter to a safari. International flights land at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, JKIA (code NBO). The light aircraft to the Mara leave from Wilson Airport (code WIL) on Langata Road. AirKenya flies only from its own terminal at Wilson and has no scheduled flights from JKIA. So the day you land and the day you fly to the Mara are usually a day apart, or a cross-town drive apart.
about 25 minutesJKIA to Wilson, Safarilink
at least 1 hourIn the morning and evening rush hours
Safarilink arranges a meet-and-transfer from JKIA to Wilson with at least 48 hours' notice; you pay the taxi company directly. AirKenya asks for check-in 60 minutes before departure at Wilson.
Bags: the Mara flights limit what you bring. Safarilink keeps excess baggage free in a secure store at its Wilson office, and AirKenya stores luggage free at its Wilson terminal for passengers on return flights. That lets you leave a city bag at Wilson and pick it up on the way back to JKIA. The baggage rules per airline are on the Mara flights page.
TemboSheldrick Wildlife Trust
The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust raises orphaned elephants at its Nairobi Nursery, inside Nairobi National Park. The public visit runs every day except 25 December, from 11:00 to 12:00, timed around the orphans' midday milk feed and mud bath. It is the one thing in a Nairobi day that cannot move, which is why the planner books it first.
There are no refreshments and no public Wi-Fi at the Nursery, and it can be muddy in the rains of March to April and October to December. At the end of the visit you can foster an orphan for a minimum of USD 50 a year. The Sheldrick Nursery visit in full.
Photo: GioRan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
TwigaGiraffe Centre, Lang'ata
Ten Rothschild giraffes, fed by hand from a platform at head height.
TwigaAFEW Giraffe Centre
The Giraffe Centre, run by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW), is on Nyumbi Road off Duma Road in Lang'ata. You hand-feed the giraffes pellets from a raised platform, hear a short talk and can walk a 1.5 km nature trail at no extra cost. The Centre cares for 10 Rothschild giraffes and has released over 40 into Kenyan parks and reserves since its first giraffe, Daisy I, arrived in 1979.
It is open 9:00 to 17:00 every day, weekends and public holidays included. The busiest times are 11:00 to 13:00 on weekdays and all day at weekends and on holidays, and the Centre suggests 1.5 to 2 hours for a visit. That is why the planner moves it to the early afternoon when the Nursery has the late morning. A tour such as Viator's Nairobi National Park, Elephant Orphanage and Giraffe Centre, from USD 48 listed 12 November 2026, park fees excluded, does the driving between the stops.
KES 1,500
About USD 12; KES 750 (about USD 6) per child aged 3 to 12, under 3 free.
No cash
The Centre lists M-Pesa, Visa and Mastercard, not cash. East African citizens and work-permit holders pay the resident rate, KES 400 (about USD 3.00) per adult.
It states that 90 percent of the money from entrance fees, the gift shop and the Tea House goes to its conservation work. Tours that pair the giraffes with the park and the orphans include Viator's National Park, Elephant Orphanage and Giraffe Centre, listed from USD 48 on 12 November 2026, park fees excluded. The Giraffe Centre in full.
HifadhiNairobi National Park
Nairobi National Park begins at the city's southern edge, about 8 km (5 mi) by road from the Central Business District along Lang'ata Road, as the Kenya Wildlife Service gives it. It covers 117 km² (45 sq mi) and, by KWS's count, holds four of the Big Five (no elephants), over 100 animal species and more than 400 bird species. The towers of the city stand behind the giraffes and zebras on the plains.
The gates open 6:00 to 18:00 unless you stay overnight. A non-resident adult pays USD 80 per person per 24 hours, single entry, a child USD 40, on the KWS 2025 schedule, through KWSPay by M-Pesa, card or bank transfer. A car with fewer than six seats adds KES 600 (about USD 4.50) per vehicle per day. An early drive from 6:00 still leaves time for the Nursery at 11:00; a late one ends at the gate at 18:00.
Inside the park the Kenya Wildlife Service also runs the Nairobi Animal Orphanage and the Nairobi Safari Walk, a raised boardwalk. The fee calculator for every visitor category and both packages is on the Nairobi National Park page. Half-day drives that pick you up in town include Viator's Nairobi National Park Half-Day Tour, from USD 38 listed 12 November 2026, park fees excluded.
ZiaraNational Museums of Kenya
National Museums of Kenya runs both, open 8:30 to 17:30 every day including public holidays. No cash: you pay through eCitizen. The fees below apply from 7 May 2026 to adults from outside Africa.
USD 17
At the foot of the Ngong Hills; the house was built in 1912 and opened as a museum in 1986, with guided tours through the day. Pair it with the Giraffe Centre, also out of the city center.
USD 18
In town: about 20 minutes by road from the Central Business District, as National Museums of Kenya states it. With the Snake Park USD 25.
Children from outside Africa pay USD 9 at the National Museum and USD 8 at the Karen Blixen Museum. Kenya residents and citizens of the rest of Africa pay USD 9 per adult at either museum. The National Museums of Kenya fee notice lists every site.
BeiEntry fees, non-resident
Each stop has its own ticket and its own way to pay. Add them before you compare a tour price, because most tours below leave them out.
USD 80Park entry, per person, single entry
| Stop | Adult | Child | Pay by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nairobi National Park | USD 80 | USD 40 | KWSPay: M-Pesa, Visa, bank |
| Sheldrick Nursery, donation | USD 20 | USD 5 | Cash on the day, plus the park fee |
| Giraffe Centre | KES 1,500 (about USD 12) | KES 750 (about USD 6) | M-Pesa or card |
| Animal Orphanage and Safari Walk | USD 40 | USD 20 | KWSPay |
| Karen Blixen Museum | USD 17 | USD 8 | eCitizen |
| Nairobi National Museum | USD 18 | USD 9 | eCitizen |
Child means different ages at each place: 5 to 17 or a student at KWS, under 12 at the Nursery, 3 to 12 at the Giraffe Centre. The Giraffe Centre's KES figures convert at KES 129.96 per US dollar, the Central Bank of Kenya rate posted 12 November 2026.
SafariDay tours from the city
A tour solves the drives between the stops. It does not solve the Nursery booking: the Trust takes only its own confirmations, so book that yourself and give the operator your slot.
Viator · park fees excluded
Nairobi National Park, Elephant Orphanage and Giraffe Centre
from USD 48 per person, listed 12 November 2026
Groups of up to 36 travelers.
Viator · park fees excluded
Nairobi National Park Half-Day Tour
from USD 38 per person, listed 12 November 2026
The park only, groups of up to 15 travelers. Pairs with an afternoon at the Giraffe Centre.
Photo: DesiBoy101 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
MjiUhuru Park, central Nairobi
The city center is a short drive from Wilson; JKIA is on the other side of town.
HoteliOne night in Nairobi
Where to stay in Nairobi depends on the next flight, not on the neighborhood's reputation. Choose by the airport you leave from in the morning.
The full trip to the reserve, by road or by air, with the hours each way leaves you in the Mara, is on Nairobi to Masai Mara. For a whole route through Kenya, see the Kenya safari itinerary; for the days in the reserve, the Masai Mara itinerary.
AfyaHealth, safety and entry
The US CDC (malaria table updated 23 April 2025) states that malaria occurs in all areas of Kenya below 2,500 m (8,200 ft), game parks included, with rare cases in the highly urbanized center of Nairobi. Ask a travel clinic; CDC Kenya page.
The UK and US advisories, with their dates and the areas of Nairobi they name, are on the safety page. Read them before you choose a hotel area.
Kenya's entry rules, the electronic travel authorization among them, are on the Kenya eTA page, with a checker for your case. What to pack for the Mara flight's soft-bag rule is on what to wear on safari.
MaswaliNairobi questions
Official pages: the Sheldrick Nursery visit, the Giraffe Centre FAQs, the KWS Nairobi National Park page, KWSPay, NMK eCitizen payments and the Safarilink FAQs.
On the Lang'ata side you can fit a morning game drive in Nairobi National Park from 6:00, the Sheldrick Nursery hour at 11:00 to 12:00 and the Giraffe Centre in the early afternoon, when its weekday crowds thin. The Karen Blixen Museum, open 8:30 to 17:30, fits a spare hour. The planner on this page places them around your flights.
Safarilink, which flies from Wilson, says the drive from JKIA to Wilson takes about 25 minutes, and advises allowing at least 1 hour by road in the morning and evening rush hours. Safarilink can arrange a meet-and-transfer with 48 hours' notice; you pay the taxi company. The Mara flights do not leave from JKIA.
Yes. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust takes Nursery visits by advance booking only, by email, for dates up to three months ahead, and there are no same-day bookings. It accepts only its own confirmations, not bookings through tour platforms. Arrive at Mbagathi Gate by 10:30 and bring cash for the USD 20 donation, plus the park entry fee.
Yes, with the airline you fly. Safarilink offers a free secure store for excess baggage at its Wilson office. AirKenya stores luggage free at its Wilson terminal for passengers on return flights. Pack the soft bag the Mara flights ask for and leave the rest until you are back at Wilson.
Near Wilson or in the city center, if your Mara flight leaves in the morning. Safarilink's first departure is at 7:15, and AirKenya puts its Wilson terminal about 15 minutes by road from the center. A JKIA hotel adds the cross-town drive in the morning rush hours, when Safarilink advises at least an hour.
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