Madagascar split from Africa around 160 million years ago, and most of its plants and animals are found nowhere else: lemurs, chameleons, baobabs and the razor-edged limestone of the tsingy. Seeing them means covering a lot of ground, and the roads are the part nobody puts on the brochure cover. Almost every tour page warns about long drives, and they mean it.
This guide is for anyone comparing Madagascar tours. We line up all seven on our Madagascar tours page by the region they cover, the south, the west or the north, with who each suits and its honest drawback. Bring a cushion and a sense of humour.
The quick answer
- If you want lemurs, rainforest and Isalo on a first visit, pick Madagascar Adventure.
- If you want the Tsingy and the Avenue of the Baobabs on a budget, pick Baobabs & Beyond.
- If you want the north and a beach finish on Nosy Be, pick Wild Madagascar.
- If you want to see as much as possible, pick Madagascar in Depth.
- If you want to walk, pick the Madagascar Wilderness Trek.
Every Madagascar tour compared
| Tour | Days | Price from | Physical rating | Group size | Flights included | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The south: rainforest to Isalo | ||||||
| Madagascar Adventure: Baobabs, Lemurs & Rainforest – 14 Days | 14 | £2,595 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | A first visit |
| Madagascar: The Lost Continent – 15 Days | 15 | £3,395 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | Andasibe to Ifaty by road |
| Madagascar Wilderness Trek: Andringitra, Ranomafana & Isalo – 15 Days | 15 | £2,910 pp | High | Max 16 | No | Fit walkers |
| The west: Tsingy and baobabs | ||||||
| Madagascar Baobabs & Beyond: Tsingy & Tsiribihina – 11 Days | 11 | £1,794 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | River camping, on a budget |
| Madagascar Wildlife Adventure: Tsingy, Baobabs & Isalo – 16 Days | 16 | On request | Medium | Max 12 | No | Kirindy, the Big Tsingy and Isalo |
| Madagascar in Depth: Tsingy, Baobabs & Lemurs – 24 Days | 24 | £4,707 pp | Not stated | Max 12 | No | West, south and east in one |
| The north | ||||||
| Wild Madagascar: Lemurs, Tsingy & Nosy Be – 14 Days | 14 | £4,503 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | Ankarana, aye-ayes and Nosy Be |
Prices are per person, twin share, live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). The lowest price can apply to a later departure, so check the dates you want on each tour page.
Ask us which Madagascar tour fits →
The south: rainforest to Isalo
A first visit
Madagascar Adventure: Baobabs, Lemurs & Rainforest – 14 Days
- 14 days
- From £2,595 per person
- Max 12 people
- Starts and ends in Antananarivo, Madagascar
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November
Fourteen days with a local leader and up to 12 travellers aged 15 and over, with a flight to Tulear to save a long drive. You have breakfast beneath the baobabs and a walk in the spiny forest at Reniala, a free day at Ifaty, then Isalo, Ranomafana with the ValBio Research Centre, Antsirabe and Andasibe with a night walk, plus a chocolate workshop.
Suits: first-time visitors and wildlife lovers. The honest drawback: there are long drives, and few lunches or dinners are included.
Andasibe to Ifaty by road
Madagascar: The Lost Continent – 15 Days
- 15 days
- From £3,395 per person
- Max 16 people
- Starts and ends in Antananarivo, Madagascar
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November
Fifteen days down the main road south with a tour leader, local park guides and ten to 16 travellers. You listen for the indri, the largest lemur, on day and night walks in Andasibe, cross the highlands to Antsirabe and Lake Tritriva, look for golden bamboo lemurs in Ranomafana, walk Isalo’s sandstone gorges to natural pools and cross the Spiny Desert to two days at Ifaty, then fly back to Antananarivo.
Suits: wildlife lovers and photographers. The honest drawback: the road days are long, and most meals are not included.
On foot: Andringitra and Isalo
Madagascar Wilderness Trek: Andringitra, Ranomafana & Isalo – 15 Days
- 15 days
- From £2,910 per person
- Max 16 people
- Starts and ends in Antananarivo, Madagascar
- Physical rating: high
- Flights not included
- Departures in April, September, October, November
Fifteen days for keen walkers, with a tour leader, local guides and porters for up to 16 travellers aged 16 and over. After Ranomafana’s rainforest you spend three nights camping on the Andringitra trek, with a trek cook and a climb to the summit of Imarivolanitra, then hike Isalo’s canyons and finish at Ifaty Beach.
Suits: fit, adventurous walkers. The honest drawback: daily hikes of up to nine hours, and basic camping with long-drop toilets and bucket washing.
The west: Tsingy and baobabs
River camping, on a budget
Madagascar Baobabs & Beyond: Tsingy & Tsiribihina – 11 Days
- 11 days
- From £1,794 per person
- Max 12 people
- Starts and ends in Antananarivo, Madagascar
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in November
Eleven days with a local leader and up to 12 travellers: two days floating down the Tsiribihina River with two nights camping on sandbanks, then Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park for the Small and Big Tsingy, with suspended bridges and a pirogue on the Manambolo River, and a 4×4 day to Morondava for the Avenue of the Baobabs at sunset.
Suits: adventurous travellers and landscape photographers. The honest drawback: very long road days, camping, and hotels that are not luxurious.
Kirindy, the Big Tsingy and Isalo
Madagascar Wildlife Adventure: Tsingy, Baobabs & Isalo – 16 Days
- Price on request
- Max 12 people
- Starts and ends in Antananarivo, Madagascar
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Dates on request
Sixteen days for four to 12 travellers aged 16 and over, flying to Morondava for the Avenue of the Baobabs and a night walk in Kirindy Forest to look for the fossa, then the Big Tsingy with a harness, Ranomafana, Isalo and Ifaty. Dates are on request.
Suits: wildlife lovers and photographers. The honest drawback: several days involve eight hours on the road, and the Big Tsingy involves climbing and bridges, so it is not for anyone with a fear of heights.
Madagascar in Depth (24 days) combines the west and the south in one loop: two days by barge on the Tsiribihina, the Tsingy de Bemaraha, the Avenue of the Baobabs, a flight to Tulear, Reniala, Isalo, Ranomafana and Andasibe, with community visits from a paper factory to a silk association. It has two nights camping and drives of up to eight hours.
The north
Ankarana, aye-ayes and Nosy Be
Wild Madagascar: Lemurs, Tsingy & Nosy Be – 14 Days
- 14 days
- From £4,503 per person
- Max 12 people
- Antananarivo, Madagascar to Nosy Be, Madagascar
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in May, June, July, August, September, October, November
Fourteen days for four to 12 travellers aged 16 and over, with an expert tour leader: Andasibe for the indri and a night walk, two nights on the Pangalanes Canal with a visit to Aye-Aye Island, then a flight north to Antsiranana for Amber Mountain and the tsingy of Ankarana, ending on Nosy Be with snorkelling equipment provided.
Suits: wildlife lovers and return visitors to Africa. The honest drawback: some drives are up to nine hours, and accommodation is simple and locally owned.
How to choose
By what you want to see. Lemurs and rainforest: all of them. The Tsingy de Bemaraha and the Avenue of the Baobabs: Baobabs & Beyond, the Wildlife Adventure or Madagascar in Depth. The north and a beach: Wild Madagascar. Mountains on foot: the Wilderness Trek.
By time available. Eleven days: Baobabs & Beyond. Two weeks or so: Madagascar Adventure, Wild Madagascar, the Lost Continent, the trek or the Wildlife Adventure. Three and a half weeks: Madagascar in Depth.
By budget. Baobabs & Beyond and Madagascar Adventure cost the least; Madagascar in Depth costs the most. Live prices are in the table above.
By comfort. None of these is a luxury tour. Baobabs & Beyond, Madagascar in Depth and the trek include camping.
When to go
Most departures fall between April and November, and the western tours have only a few dates. The months for each tour are in its fact panel above.
Before you travel, check the FCDO travel advice for Madagascar.
Frequently asked questions
Which Madagascar tours visit the Avenue of the Baobabs?
Baobabs & Beyond, the Wildlife Adventure and Madagascar in Depth.
Which tours visit the Tsingy?
The Tsingy de Bemaraha on Baobabs & Beyond, the Wildlife Adventure and Madagascar in Depth; the tsingy of Ankarana on Wild Madagascar.
Are the drives really that long?
Yes. Tour pages mention drives of up to eight or nine hours, and some roads are rough.
Is there a Madagascar tour with a beach?
Wild Madagascar ends on Nosy Be, and several southern tours include Ifaty.
Do any Madagascar tours include camping?
Yes: two nights on the river on Baobabs & Beyond and Madagascar in Depth, and three nights on the Wilderness Trek.
Are flights included?
International flights are not included on any of these tours, though most include at least one internal flight.
Ready for Madagascar?
Tell us which corner of the island you most want to see and how long you have, and a Travelisto specialist will compare the Madagascar tours with you.
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Prices are live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). Tour details and dates can change; your specialist will confirm everything before you book.
