Giraffes have captivated humans for millennia.
These magnificent creatures, with their soaring, elongated necks, roof-high legs, and geometric-patterned coats, have been depicted in African petroglyphs and cave paintings dating back as far as 8,000 BC.
And, as any safari traveler will tell you, these colossal herbivores continue to create an enchanting spell. Glimpsing a giraffe in the wild towering over an acacia tree or galloping across the savanna—whether for the first or the twentieth time—is simply breathtaking.
If you are wondering where to see giraffes in Africa or what are the best places to see giraffes in Africa, the good news is that no matter where your safari itinerary takes you, you will have opportunities to spot giraffes.
Where to See Giraffes in Africa?
- Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda
- Etosha National Park in Namibia
- Samburu National Reserve in Kenya
- The Giraffe Manor in Nairobi Kenya
- Amboseli National Park in Kenya
- Lake Naivasha National Park in Kenya
- Giraffe Centre – Kenya
- Meru National Park in Kenya
- Nyerere National Park in Tanzania
- Arusha National Park in Tanzania
- Hwange National Park Zimbabwe
- Luangwa Valley in Zambia
- Kruger National Park in South Africa
- Okavango Delta in Botswana
- Kidepo Valley National Park in Uganda
- Lake Mburo National park in Uganda
- Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya
- Nairobi National Park in Kenya
- Serengeti National Park in Tanzania
- Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya
- Ol Pejeta Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya, etc.
You may also like; where to see lions in Africa?
13 Best Places to See Giraffes in Africa
There are a few that do stand out as perhaps the best places to see giraffes in Africa, and below are some suggestions:
1. Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda
Uganda’s oldest national Park, Murchison Falls is home more than 50% of the world population of Rothschild’s giraffes. The park contains around 1,250 giraffes and it is possibly the best place in Africa to see this localized subspecies of giraffe.
Large herds of giraffes, often numbering 30-plus individuals, can be seen on a game drive in the beautiful palm dotted savanna plains in the north of the park. You can also see the giraffes from a boat cruise that follow the Nile River to the base of the spectacular waterfall for which the national park is named.
2. Etosha National Park in Namibia
Etosha National Park in Namibia is flat, wide, and covered in thorny acacia trees, making it ideal place for giraffes.
If you want to encounter some of the best giraffe sightings in Africa, visit a waterhole; the arid climate of Etosha forces wildlife to congregate around scanty surface water supplies. As the world’s tallest land mammals—giraffes enjoy certain advantages among African wildlife. Their size, however, also comes with drawbacks.
Its day-to-day activities are made more difficult by their height. Just drinking water at Etosha waterholes, for instance, requires giraffes to assume an uncomfortable spraddle position, with their straight, 6-foot-long legs splayed widely, to reach the water surface. Waterholes are a favourite spot for lions to ambush their prey, and a drinking giraffe – splay-legged and head down – is about as vulnerable as nature gets.
3. Samburu National Reserve in Kenya
Although Kenya’s flagship reserve, the Masai Mara will deliver reliable giraffe sightings throughout the year, we prefer the lesser-known Samburu. Arid, wild and remote, Samburu is a very rewarding Kenya safari destination with a strong wilderness appeal, fantastic wildlife viewing and stunning natural beauty.
The area is also the traditional homeland of the Samburu people and a haven for the rare Special 5: Reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, Beisa Oryx; Gerenuk and Somali ostrich.
The coat of a reticulated giraffe features large polygonal, liver-coloured blocks outlined by a web of bright-white lines. They once ranged widely across northeast Africa, but are now effectively endemic to northern Kenya. They are very beautiful African giraffes.
4. The Giraffe Manor in Nairobi Kenya
Here, you are not only assured giraffe sightings, you they will literally eat out of your hand. Giraffe Manor, a historic hotel in a peaceful Nairobi neighborhood, is on 56 hectares of parkland and has become a sanctuary for the rare Rothschild’s giraffes.
Sitting down for breakfast is the big event of the day. Floor-to-ceiling windows bring in African sunshine while also allowing curious giraffes to investigate – don’t be frightened if a 6-foot neck emerges above your table! They will appreciate being given special pellets.
5. Amboseli National Park in Kenya
Amboseli National Park is dominated by ashy plains and permanent marshes, and it is home to many enormous stands of umbrella thorn, a flat-topped acacia that is ideal for a hungry giraffe. Giraffes are mostly isolated to the park’s eastern acacia woodlands, near Kimana Gate. The park’s main distinguishing feature is snowcapped Mount Kilimanjaro – Africa’s tallest mountain – with height of about 5 kilometers above the plains and creates an excellent picture backdrop when the giraffes and acacias align right.
6. Lake Naivasha National Park in Kenya
Giraffes once roamed freely over unprotected areas of East Africa. Unfortunately, they are now almost totally restricted to national parks and wildlife reserves.
A noteworthy exception is Kenya’s Naivasha, a stunning Rift Valley lake where giraffes are frequently encountered browsing in the fringing fever trees. The giraffes here are quite calm and may easily be approached on foot, offering a neck-craning posture that lets you to truly appreciate their height.
7. Giraffe Centre in Kenya
This family-friendly breeding center, located in the leafy northern suburbs of Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, has played a critical role in the conservation of Rothschild’s giraffes. An elevated platform lets visitors to get up close and personal with the world’s tallest animal, as well as see its long flirtatious eyelashes. Once they reach the age of three, some giraffes are released into the wild, including Lake Nakuru, which is only a few hours away.
8. Nyerere National Park in Tanzania
Interestingly, while giraffes are missing from southern Nyerere National Park (previously Selous Game Reserve), they are so numerous in the park’s northern section that it has been dubbed ‘Giraffic Park’. Boat cruises on the River Rufiji, a spectacular tropical river teeming with hippos, crocodiles, and birds, provide an excellent opportunity to see giraffes drink. This astonishing feat of natural engineering requires the animal to spread its legs wide apart before cautiously lowering its lengthy neck until its head touches the water.
9. Arusha National Park in Tanzania
The Northern safari circuit of Tanzania, which includes the world-famous Serengeti and Ngorongoro, is one of Africa’s premier wildlife attractions. The circuit’s gem for giraffe viewing is the underappreciated Arusha National Park, where guided hikes offer a humble opportunity to observe these towering beasts up close.
Mount Meru provides a lovely backdrop (and, if you’re lucky, Kilimanjaro in the distance). Arusha National Park is just an hour’s drive from either of the two main airports on the northern circuit; why not spend the first or last night of your Tanzania safari there?
10. Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe
While giraffes are not more abundant in Hwange than in many other big African reserves, Zimbabwe‘s largest national park is remarkable for two behavioral oddities.
Laying down to rest is a laborious production, requiring giraffes to kneel and fold their long legs beneath them. This, and the fact that they need very little sleep—less than an hour per day—is likely why they almost always doze (and even give birth!) standing up.
Hwange National Park is the only site we know where giraffes frequently lie down in the middle of the day and stoop down to nibble on grass. Logistically, we would recommend this great Big Five reserve as a practical addition to the ever-popular Victoria Falls, which is only two or three hours northwest.
11. Luangwa Valley in Zambia
This appealing southern stretch of the African Great Rift Valley in Zambia safaris is well-known for its guided walking safaris and fantastic leopard sightings. It also hosts the world’s remaining 550 Thornicroft’s giraffes, a critically endangered subspecies that has never been seen in captivity or anywhere else in Africa.
12. Kruger National Park in South Africa
South Africa‘s largest national park is well-known for being a fantastic Big Five destination, as well as one of the greatest spots in Africa to observe giraffes.
13. Okavango Delta in Botswana
Okavango Delta in Botswana, a freshwater wetland at the heart of the Kalahari, is home to large numbers of giraffes all year round.
Believe it or not, a giraffe can run at speeds of up to 60 per hour. While their normal walking gait – moving both legs on one side of the body at the same time – is distinctly abnormal in the animal world, it is definitely the gallop that looks the oddest.
Want to see Giraffes on your Safari?
To plan your perfect safari itinerary—and see giraffes along with other dazzling African wildlife—start by talking with one of our safari experts.