2027 – VIP Elephant Tour – NC Zoological Society

Tour Details

Tour Dates: Public Tour dates and the dates ticket sales begin.

Dates Sales Begin Tour Dates
Oct. 30, 2026 March 20, April 10, April 24
March 1, 2027 May 15, June 12, June 26
May 1, 2027 July 24, August 14, August 28
July 1, 2027 September 11, September 25, October 9, October 30

Tour Time and Meeting Place: 1:15 p.m. Guests gather at the yellow Land Rover Jeep parked near the bathrooms in the plaza located between the two elephant habitats in the African section’s Watani Grassland habitat cluster. An open-air shuttle transports guests to the off-habitat elephant barn and holding space.

Minimum Age: 12 years old – Children younger than 18 must be accompanied by a paying adult.

Tour Overview: This tour usually lasts about an hour and a half. A private bus transports guests from the Stedman Education Center to the off-habitat elephant barn to meet with zookeepers to see how they train and manage the elephants. Guests also tour the elephant barn and usually visit a non-public viewing area behind one of the elephant habitats. Guests may not take photographs when they are inside or around the elephant barn. Please note that sometimes animals choose not to participate in a training session. When that happens, keepers do not force the animals to comply. The animals are always given the choice to leave or ignore the trainer.

ADA Status

This public tour is not ADA-accessible, but some ADA accommodations can be made for guests who purchase a private tour. Visit the 2027 Private Elephant Tour page to learn more. This modified tour is offered as a Private Tour only and does not include the full range of experiences provided in the VIP Public tour.

Important Health and Safety Restrictions

Safety Note: To accommodate the needs of our guests and staff, we limit the number of people attending this tour to 15.

Guests may not approach or try to touch any of the Zoo’s elephants and must remain at least 6 feet away from then at all times. Elephants can be dangerous animals, and guests are required to follow all safety instructions issued by the animal keepers or tour guides.

Current Health Requirements: Guests are not currently required to wear masks or gloves to participate in this tour. However, the Zoo may need implement some health measures (e.g., requiring guests to wear gloves) if the veterinary staff determines that changs are warrented.

Tour Specifics: This tour is available from March – October. The temperature must be 45 degrees or warmer for this tour to take place.