Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Antananarivo
Welcome at Ivato International Airport. Transfer to your hotel. Afternoon city tour of Antananarivo: Upper Town, Queen’s Palace with panoramic views, and the bustling Analakely Market. Welcome dinner featuring Malagasy specialties — zebu steak, romazava (leafy green stew), and vanilla crème brûlée. Trip briefing with your guide. Overnight in Antananarivo. (D)
Day 2: Antananarivo — Highlands & History
Full day exploring Madagascar’s capital: Ambohimanga, the “Blue Hill” — a UNESCO World Heritage royal city and the most sacred site of the Merina kingdom, with its stone walls, royal tombs, and views of the highlands. Afternoon: artisan workshops, including a wild silk weaving collective and a Malagasy musical instrument maker. Evening at leisure in Tana. Overnight in Antananarivo. (B)
Day 3: Fly to Morondava — Avenue of the Baobabs
Morning flight west to Morondava. After settling in and lunch, the moment you’ve been waiting for: the late afternoon drive to the Avenue of the Baobabs. Grandidier’s baobabs, ancient and immense, line both sides of the dirt road. As golden hour arrives, the baobabs cast impossibly long shadows. The sunset here is legendary — layers of orange, pink, and purple behind the stark silhouettes of trees that look like they’ve been planted upside-down. Overnight in Morondava. (B)
Day 4: Kirindy Reserve — Fossa Territory
Full-day excursion to Kirindy Reserve, 60 km north of Morondava. This dry deciduous forest is one of Madagascar’s wildlife hotspots. The fossa — Madagascar’s apex predator, resembling a small puma — is the star attraction here. With patience and luck, you may observe one hunting or resting. Kirindy also shelters seven lemur species including Verreaux’s sifaka, as well as the giant jumping rat, narrow-striped mongoose, and three endemic baobab species. The birdlife includes the giant coua and sickle-billed vanga. Return to Morondava. Overnight in Morondava. (B, L)
Day 5: Morondava → Bekopaka — Tsingy Gateway
A full day’s drive north through baobab-studded savanna to Bekopaka. Cross the Tsiribihina River by local ferry. The journey passes through Sakalava villages and landscapes that feel unchanged for centuries. Arrive at Bekopaka, the village at the edge of Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park. Settle into your lodge and rest for the adventure ahead. Overnight in Bekopaka. (B, L, D)
Day 6: Grand Tsingy de Bemaraha — World Heritage Stone Forest
A full day exploring the Grand Tsingy — a 152,000-hectare UNESCO World Heritage site protecting one of the world’s most extraordinary landscapes. The tsingy is a “stone forest” of razor-sharp limestone pinnacles formed by millions of years of erosion. Traverse suspended rope bridges stretched between the peaks, climb via ferrata routes through impossibly narrow canyons, and reach the Cathedral viewpoint for a jaw-dropping panorama. Decken’s sifaka lemurs leap between the karst spires — white angels navigating a grey labyrinth. The tsingy shelters 11 lemur species, over 100 bird species, and endemic reptiles found nowhere else. Overnight in Bekopaka. (B, L, D)
Day 7: Petit Tsingy & Return to Morondava
Morning exploration of the Petit Tsingy — smaller but equally dramatic limestone formations with excellent wildlife viewing. Canoe trip on the Manambolo River through towering limestone gorges, past Vazimba burial caves hidden in the cliffs. Afternoon drive back to Morondava, arriving in time for one last sunset at the Avenue of the Baobabs. Overnight in Morondava. (B, L)
Day 8: Fly to Tana → Antsirabe
Morning flight back to Antananarivo. Upon arrival, drive south on RN7 to Antsirabe, Madagascar’s colonial-era spa town. The city sits at 1,500 meters amid volcanic crater lakes and thermal springs. Afternoon rickshaw tour of the tree-lined boulevards, visits to gemstone polishing workshops (Antsirabe is famous for semi-precious stones), and the thermal baths. Overnight in Antsirabe. (B)
Day 9: Antsirabe → Ranomafana National Park
Continue south through highland scenery. Stop in Ambositra to visit Zafimaniry woodcarvers, whose intricate geometric designs are UNESCO-recognized. Arrive at Ranomafana National Park by afternoon. This misty cloud forest was created in 1991 to protect the golden bamboo lemur, discovered here in 1986. Evening: night walk along the park road — the forest after dark is a completely different world, alive with mouse lemurs, chameleons, frogs, and nocturnal lemurs. Overnight near Ranomafana. (B)
Day 10: Ranomafana — Golden Bamboo Lemur & Cloud Forest
Dawn walk for the park’s signature species. The golden bamboo lemur eats bamboo shoots containing enough cyanide to kill a human — how it survives remains a scientific mystery. Your tracker will also help you find the greater bamboo lemur, Milne-Edwards’ sifaka, red-bellied lemur, and red-fronted brown lemur. Ranomafana hosts 12 lemur species in total. Afternoon: thermal hot springs for a relaxing soak, then visit the research station to understand the ongoing science and conservation work. Overnight near Ranomafana. (B, L)
Day 11: Ranomafana → Anja Reserve → Isalo
Drive south to Anja Community Reserve. This community-managed protected area is one of Madagascar’s best places to photograph ring-tailed lemurs. The setting is cinematic — lemurs posing on granite boulders with the Andringitra Mountains in the background. Local guides share the story of how their community transformed from destructive forest use to conservation, earning 100% of tourism revenue. Continue to Isalo National Park. Overnight near Isalo. (B)
Day 12: Isalo National Park — Jurassic Landscapes
Full-day trekking through Isalo’s 200-million-year-old Jurassic sandstone formations. The massif has been sculpted by wind and water into deep canyons, bizarre rock formations, and hidden oases. Walk the Canyon des Singes (Monkey Canyon) where ring-tailed lemurs and sifaka inhabit the forested canyon floor. The highlight: Piscine Naturelle, an emerald-green natural pool fed by a waterfall, framed by pandanus palms. End at the Window of Isalo — a natural rock arch perfect for sunset photography. Overnight near Isalo. (B, L)
Day 13: Isalo → Toliara → Fly to Tana → Andasibe
Dawn drive from Isalo to Toliara through the spiny desert — baobabs, didiereaceae, and Mahafaly tombs with their distinctive aloalo grave posts. Morning flight from Toliara to Antananarivo. Upon arrival, drive east to Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. Arrive at your forest lodge in time to hear the evening chorus of the rainforest. Overnight near Andasibe. (B)
Day 14: Andasibe — Indri Lemurs & Mantadia
The grand finale. Dawn walk in Analamazaotra Special Reserve for the indri — Madagascar’s largest lemur, whose haunting song echoes for kilometers through the misty forest. This is the wildlife experience you’ll never forget. Morning walk through Mantadia National Park, the wilder sister reserve, with excellent chances for diademed sifaka and black-and-white ruffed lemur sightings. Afternoon visit to Vakona Lemur Island for close encounters. Optional night walk for mouse lemurs and chameleons. Farewell dinner at the lodge. Overnight near Andasibe. (B, L, D)
Day 15: Andasibe → Antananarivo & Departure
Final dawn indri serenade. Drive back to Antananarivo. Visit a craft market for last-minute souvenirs. Transfer to Ivato Airport. You leave having experienced Madagascar’s complete wildlife spectrum — baobabs, tsingy, cloud forest, Jurassic canyons, spiny desert, and the indri’s song. (B)
