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Region

Antananarivo and the highlands

Sleep in Antananarivo for one or two nights, do the hill and market in a day, then go east to Andasibe for lemurs with a driver.

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Key facts · Madagascar

Best months
May–Oct
Visa
Depends on your passport
Currency
Malagasy ariary
Language
Malagasy and French
Plugs
C · E · 220 V
Time zone
UTC+3 all year
Month by month here
Rules in force · 8Nine African countries on this site have no trip line bec…
  • Africa ↗When a route touches a yellow-fever country — even a transit of 12 hours or more — keep the original yellow card (ICVP) in your hand luggage; health desks and airlines can refuse boarding or entry without it.
  • Africa ↗Nine African countries on this site have no trip line because governments advise against travel; several others have no-go regions. Read your government's advice for every country on the route before paying deposits.
  • African islands ↗Sleep on the island you fly home from the night before your long-haul departure; inter-island flights and ferries in this region are cancelled or rescheduled often enough to break a same-day connection.
  • African islands ↗In the Indian Ocean islands book flexible rates for December to March: a cyclone warning can shut airports, ferries and roads for two or three days.
  • Madagascar ↗Check visa and e-visa rules for your passport on Madagascar's official e-visa portal before booking.
  • Madagascar ↗Book a travel-clinic visit several weeks ahead; ask about malaria prevention and whether a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for your route.
  • Madagascar ↗Hire a car with a driver for road trips; self-drive is rarely practical and driving after dark is unsafe.
  • Madagascar ↗Do not buy or export wildlife, tortoise shell, precious stones without a certificate, or protected plants; enforcement at the airport is strict.

The highlands are one base and a few slow trips. The city's sights are close on the map but steep and crowded; the lemur forest at Andasibe is a half-day east by road. Keep one bed, use a driver, and hold a buffer night before any flight.

Where to sleep

3 places in this region

Sleep base

One or two nights

  • AndasibeGuide: planned

    Indri lemurs in the rainforest; half a day east by road, so overnight.

    Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.

Day trip

  • AmbohimangaGuide: planned

    The royal hill north of the city; check road and opening hours.

    Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

3 nights
Antananarivo 1, Andasibe 2
  • Do not book a tight connection between the road east and an international flight.

Day-trips door to door

ToFromDoor-to-door p50Last returnNote
AmbohimangaAntananarivo60 minunknownHotel-booked car; check the opening hours first.
AndasibeAntananarivo210 minunknownA long road; overnight rather than a day trip.

Bags between cities

No luggage forwarding culture: leave the big bag at the Antananarivo hotel and take a small bag east.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go1 partSeasons

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table
CountryJFMAMJJASOND
Antananarivo
Madagascar (country-wide)
Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on1 partGo next

Go next

Other regions of the country

The RN7 south

planned

7–9 nights

Antsirabe, Ranomafana, Isalo and the Tuléar coast by road

The north

planned

5–7 nights

Nosy Be islands, Diego Suarez, Ankarana and Amber Mountain

The west

planned

4–6 nights

Morondava, the Avenue of the Baobabs and the Tsingy de Bemaraha (dry season only)

Antananarivo and the highlands: what we know, and what is coming

1 of 3 places open

On this page

  1. 3 places with their role: where to sleep, what to do as a day trip
  2. How to split 3 nights
  3. 2 day trips with door-to-door time
  4. Seasons month by month, from the cities’ own tables
  5. What to do with the big bag between beds

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Climate strip by zone, with the storm and haze months
  2. Get in: airports and stations with door-to-door times
  3. Regional passes and cards, with a buy / skip verdict
  4. Regional food: what, where and when it works
  5. A page for Andasibe — Indri lemurs in the rainforest; half a day east by road, so overnight.
  6. A page for Ambohimanga — The royal hill north of the city; check road and opening hours.

Meanwhile

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids3 partsIn numbers · Trips here · Local time

Region in numbers

Where to sleep
1 base
Day trips
2, 1 h to 3 h 30
Nights suggested
3 nights

Trips that stop here

From the Madagascar guide

  • Tana, lemurs and one island

    7 days · 2 nights here

    Antananarivo → Andasibe → Nosy Be → Antananarivo

  • The RN7 to Isalo

    10 days · 3 nights here

    Antananarivo → Andasibe → Antsirabe → Ranomafana → Isalo → Antananarivo

  • RN7 to the sea

    14 days · 3 nights here

    Antananarivo → Andasibe → Antsirabe → Ranomafana → Ambalavao or Fianarantsoa → Isalo → Ifaty → Antananarivo

All Madagascar trips →

Local time

What time it is there now, compared with the clock on your device.

  • Antananarivo

    …

    Checking your clock…Indian/Antananarivo

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