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How many days in Madagascar? 10 days down the RN7, from the rainforest to the sea
By Tony Panopoulos · travel-agency planner in Greece · Updated
Madagascar is the fourth-largest island in the world, about 1,600 km long, and most of its animals and plants live nowhere else, including more than a hundred kinds of lemur. Roads are slow: short distances on the map take a full day. Give it ten days on the classic route: the rainforest of Andasibe for the indri, then south along the RN7 to Ranomafana, Anja, the canyons of Isalo and the sea at Ifaty, flying back to the capital. Almost everyone hires a car with a driver-guide.
Short answer
Seven days covers Antananarivo, Andasibe, Ranomafana and Isalo at a fast pace, with long driving days. Ten days gives you nights at each park, the walks at dawn and dusk when lemurs are most active, and two days of rest by the sea.
The 10-day plan, day by day
Day 1: Antananarivo: the Rova and the upper town
Morning. Arrive at Ivato airport, about 15 km north of the centre (taxi roughly 1 hour in traffic). Rest, then take a taxi up to the Rova, the restored royal palace complex on the highest hill of Antananarivo ('Tana'), with views over rice fields and the town's hills; entry is a modest fee.
Afternoon. Walk down through the Haute-Ville (upper town) to Lake Anosy, ringed with jacarandas that flower purple in October-November. The streets around Analakely market are crowded; keep valuables out of sight.
Evening. A zebu steak with green pepper sauce in a central restaurant costs about 25,000-45,000 Ar.
Tana's traffic is heavy and the city is not safe to walk after dark. Use your hotel taxi at night.
Day 2: To Andasibe and a night walk
Morning. Drive about 3-4 hours east on the RN2 to Andasibe, climbing and descending through hills and rice terraces. The road is paved but winding and busy with trucks heading to the port of Toamasina.
Afternoon. Visit a small community reserve near Andasibe for lemurs and chameleons, then check into a lodge at the forest edge.
Evening. Join a night walk with a local guide (about 30,000-60,000 Ar per group), looking for tiny mouse lemurs, sleeping chameleons and frogs by torchlight.
Bring a head torch, a fleece and a rain jacket; Andasibe is cool and damp at night.
Day 3: The indri of Analamazaotra, back to the highlands
Morning. Enter Andasibe-Mantadia National Park (Analamazaotra section) at 7:00 with a park guide. The highlight is the indri, the largest living lemur, whose loud wailing song carries through the forest in the morning. Walks last 2-4 hours; park entry and guide fees together cost roughly 70,000-120,000 Ar per person.
Afternoon. Drive back towards Tana, about 3-4 hours, and sleep on the southern edge of the city.
Evening. Rest early; tomorrow is a long day on the RN7.
Local taboos called fady protect the indri in many villages. Ask your guide about them; they vary from place to place.
Day 4: Antsirabe: the highland town
Morning. Drive south on the RN7, about 170 km and 4-5 hours, through the highlands, past brick villages and terraced rice fields, to Antsirabe, a spa town founded in the 19th century, at about 1,500 metres.
Afternoon. Ride a pousse-pousse, the local rickshaw (agree the price first, often 5,000-10,000 Ar), past the old thermal hotel, and visit workshops making toys from tin cans and objects carved from zebu horn.
Evening. Eat in town and try THB, the national beer, brewed in Antsirabe.
Withdraw cash in Antsirabe or Tana. ATMs are rare further south, and many lodges and guides want ariary.
Day 5: Ambositra and on to Ranomafana
Morning. Drive about 2 hours to Ambositra, the highland centre of woodcarving; the craft of the nearby Zafimaniry people is recognised by UNESCO.
Afternoon. Continue about 4 hours to Ranomafana, a village in a deep forested valley.
Evening. Soak in the small public thermal pool in the village (a few thousand ariary).
Today is 6-7 hours of driving. Leave by 7:30 and agree the rest stops with your driver.
Day 6: Ranomafana National Park
Morning. Spend 4-6 hours in Ranomafana National Park, a mountain rainforest protected from 1991 after the discovery of the golden bamboo lemur. With luck you will see several lemur species, including the golden and greater bamboo lemurs, plus chameleons, leaf-tailed geckos and birds. Paths are steep and muddy; wear proper shoes.
Afternoon. Rest by the river. Park entry plus a half-day guide costs roughly 80,000-150,000 Ar per person, depending on group size.
Evening. Dinner at your lodge, usually rice, zebu and vegetables for about 20,000-35,000 Ar.
Leeches are common in wet months. Long socks over your trousers help.
Day 7: Anja Reserve and the road to Isalo
Morning. Drive about 2-3 hours to Fianarantsoa and Ambalavao, a town known for its handmade Antemoro paper with pressed flowers. Then stop at Anja Community Reserve, run by local villagers, where ring-tailed lemurs live among granite boulders (entry and guide about 30,000-50,000 Ar). Walks last about 1.5 hours.
Afternoon. Continue about 4 hours south across the open Horombe plateau to Ranohira, the gateway village to Isalo.
Evening. Sunset at the rock formation called the Window of Isalo (La Fenêtre), on the road near the lodges.
Anja's entry fees go to the village that runs it; buy water and snacks there too.
Day 8: Isalo National Park
Morning. Start early with a park guide in Isalo National Park, a landscape of eroded sandstone canyons. A popular walk climbs to the plateau and down to the Natural Pool, a clear pool under a waterfall surrounded by palms, about 3-4 hours. Park fees and guide cost roughly 80,000-130,000 Ar per person.
Afternoon. Walk into the Canyon des Makis for lemurs, or rest at the lodge in the hottest hours.
Evening. Dinner at your lodge, under a very clear sky for stars.
There is little shade on the plateau. Carry 2 litres of water each and start before 8:00.
Day 9: To Ifaty and the spiny forest
Morning. Drive about 4-5 hours to Toliara (Tuléar), past the sapphire town of Ilakaka, then about 1 hour north to Ifaty.
Afternoon. Visit the Reniala spiny forest reserve, with octopus trees and baobabs (entry and guide about 30,000-50,000 Ar).
Evening. Sunset over the Mozambique Channel, then grilled fish at a beach lodge for about 30,000-60,000 Ar.
Bird lovers should do the spiny forest at dawn, when guides can find local species such as the long-tailed ground roller.
Day 10: Ifaty beach and the flight to Tana
Morning. Go snorkelling on the reef by pirogue (dugout boat), about 30,000-60,000 Ar per person; humpback whales may pass from about June to September.
Afternoon. Drive 1 hour to Toliara for the flight to Antananarivo, about 1h15; reconfirm times the day before.
Evening. Sleep near Ivato airport if you fly home the next morning.
Keep one spare day in your plan; domestic flights are often rescheduled.
Only have 7 days?
With 7 days, skip Andasibe or Ifaty. Drive Tana to Antsirabe, Ranomafana and Isalo, and fly back from Toliara. You will spend most of three days in the car.
Got extra days?
Add 3-4 days for the Avenue of the Baobabs near Morondava on the west coast, reached by a flight from Tana of about 1 hour, and the stone forests of Tsingy de Bemaraha in the dry season; or fly north to Nosy Be for beaches and diving.
Where to stay in Madagascar
| Budget | Area | Why | Typical double/night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Guesthouses along the RN7 | Simple rooms in each town, often with dinner; hot water not guaranteed. | 60,000-120,000 Ar |
| Mid-range | Park lodges (Andasibe, Ranomafana, Isalo) | Lodges at the park gates, so you start walks at dawn. | 150,000-350,000 Ar |
| Mid-range | Antananarivo (centre or near Ivato) | Safe hotels for first and last nights; Ivato is easier for early flights. | 180,000-400,000 Ar |
| Comfort | Boutique lodges in Isalo and Ifaty | Stylish rooms in the rocks or on the beach, with pools and good food. | 500,000-1,200,000 Ar |
Getting around
Most visitors hire a car with driver-guide, which typically costs about 250,000-450,000 Ar a day including fuel, for 2-4 passengers; book through a licensed agency. Public taxi-brousse minibuses are cheap but crowded and slow. Driving times: Tana to Andasibe 3-4 hours, Tana to Antsirabe 4-5 hours, Antsirabe to Ranomafana 6-7 hours, Ranomafana to Isalo 6-7 hours, Isalo to Toliara 4-5 hours. Domestic flights on the national airline (now Madagascar Airlines) link Tana with Toliara, Morondava and Nosy Be. Avoid driving at night.
What to eat in Madagascar
Malagasy food is based on rice, eaten at every meal, with a side dish called laoka. Order romazava, a beef and greens broth; ravitoto, pork with pounded cassava leaves; and zebu steak. For breakfast, try mofo gasy, small rice cakes. Drink THB beer and rhum arrangé, rum infused with fruit or spices. A meal in a local hotely costs 5,000-15,000 Ar, in a lodge 25,000-50,000 Ar.
Best time to visit
April to November is the dry season and the best time to travel, with highs of 20-27°C in the highlands and cooler nights; it can be near freezing in Antsirabe in July. September to November is good for baby lemurs. December to March brings heavy rain, flooded roads and cyclone risk. The rainforests are wet all year.
What a day costs
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing a double) | 40,000 Ar | 120,000 Ar | 350,000 Ar |
| Food & drink | 30,000 Ar | 70,000 Ar | 150,000 Ar |
| Sights & tickets | 30,000 Ar | 80,000 Ar | 150,000 Ar |
| Local transport | 40,000 Ar | 150,000 Ar | 300,000 Ar |
| Total per person, per day | about 140,000 Ar | about 420,000 Ar | about 950,000 Ar |
Approximate 2026 prices in Malagasy ariary (Ar; very roughly 5,000 to the euro); local transport assumes a shared car with driver on mid-range and comfort budgets and does not include the domestic flight. Hotels add a small tourist tax per night.
Before you go
Common questions
Do I need a driver in Madagascar?
Almost certainly. Self-drive rental is rare, and roads are rough, unlit and full of people, carts and zebu. A driver-guide knows the routes, speaks Malagasy and French, handles police checkpoints and finds local guides. Agencies usually include fuel and the driver's food and room. Agree the route and inclusions in writing before paying a deposit.
Which lemurs will I see on this route?
In Andasibe, the indri and often diademed sifakas and brown lemurs; in Ranomafana, bamboo lemurs and others; at Anja and Isalo, ring-tailed lemurs, and sometimes Verreaux's sifakas in Isalo. Night walks show mouse lemurs. Sightings depend on luck and season, but good local guides know where groups feed. Never feed or touch lemurs.
Is Madagascar safe for travellers?
Most visits are trouble-free, but petty theft is common in Antananarivo and larger towns, and there have been robberies on some remote roads at night. Use reliable taxis, avoid walking after dark, keep phones out of sight in crowds and never drive at night. Check your government's travel advice for current warnings.
Do I need a visa and vaccinations?
Most visitors need a visa, which many nationalities can get online in advance or on arrival at Ivato, for a fee depending on the length of stay; check the official requirements before travel. Malaria is present in many areas, especially on the coasts, so ask a travel clinic about prevention. Yellow fever proof may be needed if you arrive from certain countries.
How this guide was made
Compiled by TonyPlan from official tourism, transport and attraction sources and on-the-ground travel knowledge. Prices are approximate for 2026 and change with season; anything we could not confirm is marked as approximate.
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