Itinerary · 12 days · 44 places
12 Days in Madagascar
Twelve days across the great island: indris in the rainforest of Andasibe, the Avenue of the Baobabs at Morondava in the evening light and the limestone pinnacles of Ankarana in the north. Short domestic flights link the stages so the journeys don't swallow whole days.
Open in the appThere you can adjust the plan to your dates, your pace and your interests.
Photo: Herve Meftah · Pexels
The route on the map
The plan, day by day
Day 1Arrival in Antananarivo
Arrival in Antananarivo
Hotel check-in
Isoraka sits on the slope below the upper town, a quiet district of brick houses with restaurants within walking distance.
Lac Anosy
The heart-shaped lake below the upper town, with the white war memorial on its spit of land, lined with flowering jacarandas in October.
Day 2Royal city on twelve hills
Rova of Manjakamiadana
The rebuilt royal palace on the highest hill; from its walls the view stretches across the whole rice plain to the mountains.
Andafiavaratra Palace
The pink prime minister's palace just below the Rova displays the royal regalia rescued from the fire of 1995.
Analakely Market
The market beneath the arcades at the foot of the grand staircase, where vanilla, pepper and basketwork are sold.
Tsimbazaza Zoo
The capital's botanical and zoological garden, with sifakas, fossas and the skeleton of the extinct elephant bird.
Evening: Avenue de l'Indépendance and Soarano station
The broad boulevard ends at the brightly lit colonial railway station, whose hall has a café and shops open in the evening.
Day 3Into the rainforest of Andasibe
Onward to Andasibe
Hotel check-in
Vakôna Lemur Island
On this island surrounded by water live tame bamboo lemurs and brown lemurs that were raised in the private reserve.
Andasibe village and old station
The wooden village on the disused Tananarive–Côte Est line, with a small market and the station building of 1913.
Mitsinjo Orchid Park
The village cooperative's garden gathers endemic orchids and tree ferns from the surrounding area along a short loop trail.
Evening: night walk at the Mitsinjo forest edge
Walking along the road by headtorch: mouse lemurs, chameleons and leaf-tailed geckos often sit right beside the path.
Day 4Indris and primary forest in Mantadia
Analamazaotra Reserve
Early in the morning, indri families answer one another with their wailing song, which carries for kilometres through the forest.
Chute Sacrée in Mantadia
The sacred waterfall in Mantadia's primary forest, where diademed sifakas and red-bellied lemurs move through the canopy.
Lac Vert in Mantadia
A dark green forest lake in the park's highlands, a resting place for waterbirds and the starting point for short ridge trails.
Evening: night walk in the VOIMMA Reserve
This patch of forest, looked after by the village community, can be walked at night; woolly lemurs and giant cockroaches reliably put in an appearance.
Day 5Back to the highlands: lemurs near Ivato
Onward to Antananarivo
Hotel check-in
Croc Farm Ivato
Nile crocodiles in large pools, plus an enclosure with ring-tailed lemurs and radiated tortoises under palm trees.
Lemurs' Park
This riverside park on the Katsaoka is home to nine free-roaming lemur species, including crowned sifakas and ruffed lemurs, shown on one-hour guided walks.
Rova of Ambohidratrimo
The royal hill complex west of the city, with Merina tomb houses and a wide view over the Betsimitatatra basin.
Evening: bar terrace at the Manoir Rouge in Ivato
A brick building with a garden and open terrace — in the evening a quiet spot for a glass of Three Horses before the early flight.
Day 6Baobabs on the west coast
Onward to Morondava
Hotel check-in
Morondava market
The sandy market of this Sakalava town, with dried fish, zebu meat and the fishermen's flat boats on the channel shore.
Nosy Kely
The narrow spit between sea and river where pirogues land and the surf has swept away entire streets.
Baobab Amoureux
Two intertwined Adansonia za that have grown like a couple in an embrace, about seven kilometres off the avenue.
Allée des Baobabs
The row of centuries-old Adansonia grandidieri along the sandy track to Belo, glowing red in the last of the light.
Evening: beach bars of Nosy Kely
A handful of open-air bars right on the sand, where fish is grilled and salegy played in the evening.
Day 7Kirindy dry forest
Andranomena Special Reserve
Dry forest with baobabs and salt pans north of Morondava, territory of Verreaux's sifakas and chameleons.
Kirindy Forest: baobab trail
A wide forest track among three species of baobab, where red-fronted lemurs and Verreaux's sifakas are about in broad daylight.
Kirindy: fossa camp and research station
Around the long-term research station, fossas prowl between the huts, and the tiny Madame Berthe's mouse lemur lives here too.
Evening: night walk in Kirindy Forest
After sunset, mouse lemurs, owls and with luck the Malagasy giant rat appear in the torchlight.
Day 8The sacred hill of Ambohimanga
Onward to Ambohimanga
Hotel check-in
Rova of Ambohimanga
The World Heritage Site with Andrianampoinimerina's wooden house, the royal baths and the stone gateway that was sealed at night with a stone disc.
Ilafy Palace
The small summer palace halfway back to the city now houses a collection on highland folk culture.
Andravoahangy Market
The craft market in the north-east of the city, where Zafimaniry carvings, raffia and semi-precious stones are traded.
Evening: Isoraka district
Cobbled lanes with bars, live music and restaurants in old merchants' houses — the capital's nightlife quarter.
Day 9The far north: Antsiranana
Onward to Antsiranana
Hotel check-in
Rue Colbert
The port town's main street, with weathered colonial façades, cast-iron balconies and the clock tower at the end.
Montagne des Français
The lookout mountain above the bay, with ruins of the French fortifications, baobabs and crowned lemurs along the climb.
Ramena beach
A gently shelving sandy beach at the mouth of the bay, where fishermen haul their pirogues ashore in the afternoon.
Evening: beach bars of Ramena
A row of simple bars and grills right above the sand, where crayfish and zebu skewers go on the grill in the evening.
Day 10Limestone pinnacles of Ankarana
Onward to Ankarana
Hotel check-in
Petit Tsingy of Ankarana
A walkway leads across the razor-sharp limestone pinnacles, among which crowned lemurs and dry-forest plants take root.
Canyon Vert in Ankarana
A narrow, green, overgrown gorge in the middle of the karst, noticeably cooler than up on the plateau.
Ankarana bat cave
At dusk, thousands of fruit bats and bats stream out of the cave mouth to feed.
Evening: starry sky over Camp Mahamasina
With no street lighting at the forest edge, the Southern Cross stands clear above the camp's fire.
Day 11Grand Tsingy and cave rivers
Grand Tsingy (Tsingy Rary)
Ladders and suspension bridges lead into the pinnacle field of the Grand Tsingy, with views across a sea of grey limestone spires.
Perte des Rivières
Here a river vanishes into the limestone and only reappears kilometres away; crocodiles live in the cave system along its banks.
Andrafiabe Cave
One of the longest caves in Africa: chambers with stalactites, bat colonies and wall paintings near the entrance.
Evening: campfire at Camp des Anglais
The old bush camp in the park serves dinner by an open fire, with owls and mouse lemurs calling all around.
Day 12Red Tsingy and flight home
Red Tsingy of Irodo
Erosion formations of red laterite in a canyon off the RN6, looking like melted wax in the morning sun.
Departure from Antsiranana
Make it your trip
Viatro AI opens this plan in the app — with map, travel times and opening hours. You change the days, pace and places yourself.
