Tour overview

This 14-day small-group journey crosses Madagascar from its arid south-west to the rainforests of the east, discovering the island's extraordinary wildlife and the communities working to protect it. Groups have up to 12 travellers aged 15 and over, with a local leader throughout. You stay thirteen nights in hotels, beach bungalows and a guesthouse, and an internal flight saves a long drive. Breakfast is included every day, with four lunches and a dinner, including breakfast beneath baobab trees and village lunches.

Your adventure begins in Antananarivo. An early flight takes you to Tulear and on to Reniala Private Park, where you eat breakfast under baobabs before a guided walk through the spiny forest, one of the last areas of primary forest in the south, with baobabs over 13 metres around and rare birds such as the long-tailed ground roller. A free day at Ifaty lets you relax by the beach and pool.

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After a tour of Tulear, with its rickshaws and tamarind-lined avenues, you spend a full day in Isalo National Park, a landscape of canyons, rock formations and plains home to ring-tailed lemurs and dancing sifakas. At the Anja Community Reserve, villagers guide you among semi-tame ring-tailed lemurs, and in Fianarantsoa you stay at a hotel school that trains young people from the community, exploring the old town and a nearby village.

In Ranomafana National Park a four-hour guided walk looks for lemurs, chameleons, geckos and frogs, and you visit the ValBio Research Centre to learn about conservation with a researcher over lunch. In Ambositra you see marquetry artists at work, then learn about silk weaving with a women's association near Antsirabe, where you enjoy a group dinner. In Andasibe National Park, home to 11 lemur species, you take a guided walk and a night walk in search of mouse lemurs and chameleons, before a hands-on chocolate workshop back in Antananarivo.

The physical rating is medium, with forest walks and long drives. This trip suits wildlife lovers who also want to meet the people of Madagascar.

Trip highlights

  • Breakfast beneath baobabs at Reniala (Day 2)
  • A day in Isalo National Park (Day 5)
  • Ring-tailed lemurs at Anja (Day 6)
  • Ranomafana and the ValBio Research Centre (Day 8)
  • A night walk in Andasibe (Day 12)
  • A chocolate workshop (Day 13)

Your route

11 stops from Antananarivo to Antananarivo

14-day route: Antananarivo – Tulear – Ifaty – Isalo – Fianarantsoa – Ranomafana – Ambositra – Antsirabe – Andasibe – Antananarivo
  1. Antananarivo Day 1
  2. Tulear Day 2
  3. Ifaty Days 2–3
  4. Isalo National Park Days 4–5
  5. Ambalavao Day 6
  6. Fianarantsoa Day 6
  7. Ranomafana Days 7–8
  8. Ambositra Day 9
  9. Antsirabe Day 10
  10. Andasibe Days 11–12
  11. Antananarivo Days 13–14

Why choose this tour

Madagascar's wildlife from the spiny forest to the eastern rainforest. Community visits that support conservation.

Best suited to

  • Wildlife lovers
  • Nature and photography lovers
  • Solo travellers looking for a small group
  • First-time visitors to Madagascar
Baobab trees lining a sandy road at the Avenue of the Baobabs, Madagascar

Day-by-day itinerary

14 days from Antananarivo, Madagascar to Antananarivo, Madagascar

  1. Day 1 · Antananarivo Arrive in Antananarivo

    A welcome meeting.

    Hotel
    Hotel
  2. Day 2 · Tulear, Reniala Private Park Ifaty

    Fly south to breakfast under baobabs.

    Hotel
    Bungalow
    Meals
    Breakfast
  3. Day 3 · Ifaty Ifaty

    A free day by the sea.

    Hotel
    Bungalow
    Meals
    Breakfast
  4. Day 4 · Tulear, Isalo Isalo

    A city tour and the drive to Isalo.

    Hotel
    Bungalow
    Meals
    Breakfast
  5. Day 5 · Isalo National Park Isalo

    Canyons and lemurs.

    Hotel
    Bungalow
    Meals
    Breakfast
  6. Day 6 · Anja Community Reserve, Fianarantsoa Fianarantsoa

    Ring-tailed lemurs and a hotel school.

    Hotel
    Ecole Hoteliere La Riziere
    Meals
    Breakfast
  7. Day 7 · Fianarantsoa, Ranomafana Ranomafana

    A village lunch, then the rainforest.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch
  8. Day 8 · Ranomafana National Park, ValBio Ranomafana

    A guided walk and a research centre.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch
  9. Day 9 · Ambositra Ambositra

    Woodcarving and marquetry.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch
  10. Day 10 · Sandrandahy, Antsirabe Antsirabe

    Silk weaving and a group dinner.

    Hotel
    Guesthouse
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
  11. Day 11 · Andasibe Andasibe

    A long drive east.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast
  12. Day 12 · Andasibe National Park Andasibe

    A day walk and a night walk.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast
  13. Day 13 · Antananarivo Antananarivo

    A chocolate workshop.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch
  14. Day 14 · Antananarivo Trip ends

    The trip ends after breakfast.

    Meals
    Breakfast
A brightly coloured panther chameleon on a branch

Where you stay

  • Antananarivo (1 night) Hotel
  • Ifaty (2 nights) Bungalow
  • Isalo (2 nights) Bungalow
  • Fianarantsoa (1 night) Ecole Hoteliere La Riziere
  • Ranomafana (2 nights) Hotel
  • Ambositra (1 night) Hotel
  • Antsirabe (1 night) Guesthouse
  • Andasibe (2 nights) Hotel
  • Antananarivo (1 night) Hotel

Hotel names are indicative and may be replaced with a property of similar standard and location.

What's included

Included

  • Accommodation 13 nights in hotels, bungalows and a guesthouse
  • Meals 13 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 1 dinner
  • Private transport and a flight to Tulear
  • Reniala spiny forest walk
  • Isalo and Ranomafana guided walks
  • ValBio Research Centre visit
  • Andasibe walk and night walk
  • Chocolate workshop and a local leader

Not included

  • International flights
  • Meals not included 7 lunches and 12 dinners
  • Optional activities
  • Visa, tips, travel insurance and personal spending
The hillside city of Antananarivo

This trip might not be for you if…

Honest disclaimer — please read

  • You dislike long drives
  • You want luxury
  • You want many meals included
  • You want international flights included — they are not

Good to know

Meals by day Breakfast: Days 2–14 · Lunch: Days 7–10 and 13 · Dinner: Day 10
FCDO advice UK FCDO travel advice for Madagascar
A sifaka lemur on a branch

In pictures

Departures & prices

From £2,595 per person, twin share, tour only. 84 upcoming departures.

Frequently asked questions

How do I book this tour?

Tap any "Enquire" button on the page and one of our travel specialists will be in touch within 24 hours (often same day). We'll confirm availability on your preferred date, run through anything you need to know, and only ask for the deposit once you've decided.

What financial protection do I get?

Every Travelisto booking is 100% financially protected. Your money is held in a ring-fenced Trust account until you return from your trip, and we are members of the Protected Trust Services scheme (PTS 6035). Most tours also include ATOL protection where flights are part of the package.

Will we see lemurs?

Very likely, especially at Anja, Isalo, Ranomafana and Andasibe.

Is there an internal flight?

Yes, from Antananarivo to Tulear. Send passport details at least 50 days before travel.

How long are the drives?

Some days involve long, bumpy drives. Bring motion-sickness tablets if needed.

Do I need a visa?

UK visitors need a visa or entry fee for Madagascar. Check the latest advice before travel.

Which meals are included?

Breakfast daily, plus four lunches and a dinner.

How many people travel together?

Up to 12 travellers, with a local leader.

Can you tailor the trip?

Yes — every escorted tour can be modified into a private tailor-made version with your own dates, adjusted pace, upgraded hotels and add-on extensions. Tell us what you'd like changed when you enquire and we'll quote it both ways so you can compare.

What if my flight is delayed or cancelled?

If your international flight is part of your booking through us, we re-book at no cost. If you've booked flights separately, the tour's local team holds your transfer slot until you arrive. We strongly recommend a comprehensive travel insurance policy that includes delay and cancellation cover.

ATOL protected 100% financially protected in a Trust bank account PTS 6035 4.7 on Trustpilot
Tailor-made option

Not quite the right fit? Make it tailor-made.

If this group tour doesn't match your ideal trip, our specialists will turn it into a private tailor-made journey — your own dates, your own pace, upgraded hotels where you want them, and the parts you don't love swapped out. Same destinations, just rebuilt around you.

Contact us for a tailor-made version of this itinerary

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