Itinerary
- Day 1
Arrival in Antananarivo
You'll arrive at Ivato International Airport where HT Agency Tours staff will greet you and handle customs procedures. They'll sort out money exchange and provide 2 SIM cards so you have data, national calls, and 5 minutes of international calling included. After that, you're transferred to your hotel in Antananarivo for check-in.
- Day 2
Marozevo - Andasibe
Following breakfast, you'll explore Antananarivo's key attractions starting with the Royal Hill of Ambohimanga UNESCO World Heritage Site, which offers great views across the city. From there, you'll drive down Independence Avenue and stop at Anosy Lake to see different island communities. Later you head to Marozevo's exotic animal breeding centre to see chameleons, lemurs, and geckos up close. The drive continues east through rainforest areas with stops at Andasibe-Perinet National Park.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Royal Hill of Ambohimanga (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- Drive through Independence Avenue
- Visit Anosy Lake
- Explore exotic animal breeding centre at Marozevo
- Scenic drive through Andasibe-Perinet National Park rainforest
Landmarks/POIs Royal Hill of Ambohimanga Anosy Lake Andasibe-Perinet National Park - Day 3
Vakona Reserve
You'll start early around 7:30 AM for a guided walk at Analamazaotra National Park, spending about 3 hours looking for Indri-Indri lemurs and Diademed Sifaka in their natural forest habitat. In the afternoon, you explore Andasibe village, check out the local market, then head to Lemurs Island for close encounters with lemurs and Vakona Reserve Zoo where you'll see crocodiles and native birds. Before heading back to the hotel, you'll do a 1.5-hour guided night walk starting around 6:30 PM.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Guided visit at Analamazaotra National Park (approximately 3 hours)
- Visit Andasibe village market
- Up close and personal experience with lemurs on private Lemurs Island
- Visit Vakona Reserve Zoo
- Guided night walk (1 hour and half)
Landmarks/POIs Analamazaotra National Park Vakona Reserve Zoo - Day 4
Andasibe to Antsirabe
You depart early for a full day of driving through spectacular eroded hills called 'lavaka' with terraced rice fields and traditional villages scattered throughout. The route includes visits to Donné Vy's metal workshop, a stop in Behenjy to see pâté de foie-gras production, and Ambatolampy for aluminum pot making. By evening you arrive in Antsirabe, a highland town featuring colonial streets, volcanic lakes, and colorful rickshaws, where you'll also visit local craftspeople working with precious and semi-precious stones and embroidery.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit metal workshop of Donné Vy
- Stop in Behenjy (pâté de foie-gras production town)
- Visit Ambatolampy (aluminum pot making)
- Explore Antsirabe town and craftspeople workshops (precious stones and embroidery)
Landmarks/POIs Antsirabe - Day 5
Antsirabe to Ambositra
You continue through highland regions with ornately-carved wooden houses dotting the landscape. The drive takes you through 'le col de tapia' tree areas and photogenic rice fields surrounded by pine and eucalyptus forests. By afternoon you reach Ambositra, Madagascar's arts and crafts center, where you'll visit Zafimaniry artisan workshops to see marquetry work in rosewood and ebony, plus watch weavers creating traditional 'landikely' and 'landibe' silks.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Zafimaniry artisan workshops in Ambositra
- View Zafimaniry weavers of 'landikely' and 'landibe' silks
Landmarks/POIs Ambositra - Day 6
Ambositra to Ranomafana
You'll search Ranomafana National Park's high-altitude rainforest with a local naturalist guide, looking for the rare Golden Bamboo Lemur and 11 other lemur species across this 40,000-hectare reserve. You'll also spot endemic chameleons, leaf-tailed geckos, mantella frogs, and various birds in the densely-forested hills with streams running through. In the afternoon, you visit the orchid arboretum near the village and a Tanala ethnic group settlement. An included night walk at the end helps you spot nocturnal wildlife like Rufous Mouse Lemurs.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Guided rainforest search at Ranomafana National Park for lemurs
- Visit orchid arboretum near the village
- Visit Tanala ethnic group village
- Included night walk to spot nocturnal wildlife
Landmarks/POIs Ranomafana National Park - Day 7
Ranomafana to Ranohira
You depart early and drive through Fianarantsoa toward the rural town of Ambalavao. There you visit one of the largest livestock markets (Wednesday mornings only), a local winery, and a workshop where artisans make hand-made Antemoro paper from tree bark. Next you explore a silk factory to learn traditional fabric dyeing using natural dyes. From there you head to Anja Community Reserve for a short walk to see ring-tailed lemurs, then continue to Ihosy. The route passes volcanic Andringitra peaks and through the legendary 'Porte du Sud' before crossing the Plateau de Horombe to reach Ranohira, your gateway to Isalo National Park.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Anbalavao livestock market (if Wednesday morning)
- Visit local winery in Ambalavao
- Visit Antemoro paper workshop (hand-made from tree bark)
- Visit silk factory and learn traditional fabric dyeing
- Short walk in Anja Community Reserve to see ring-tailed lemurs
Landmarks/POIs Ambalavao Anja Community Reserve Andringitra - Day 8
Isalo National Park
You'll explore Isalo National Park's desert plains, deep canyons, sandstone formations, grasslands, and palm-lined oases while searching for the 3 lemur species here: Red-fronted Brown Lemurs, Ring-tailed Lemurs, and Verreaux's Sifaka. You'll see endemic vegetation like Pachypodium rosulatum (called 'elephant's foot') and Aloe isaloensis. A picnic lunch happens in the park itself. In the evening, you stop at Isalo's famous window to watch the sunset before returning to your hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Picnic lunch in the park), Dinner
Included Activities
- Explore Isalo National Park with lemur spotting
- Picnic lunch in the park
- Stop at famous window of Isalo for sunset viewing
Landmarks/POIs Isalo National Park - Day 9
Ranohira to Ifaty
You drive south on paved RN7 through dry forests and spiny desert, passing Ilakaka, a sapphire mining boom town. Along the way you see ornate hillside Mahafaly Tombs and Antandroy Tombs (note that photography isn't allowed at these sacred sites). You'll experience the country's driest region dominated by cactus-like spiny forests and giant baobab trees. Later you reach coastal Tuléar, then continue to the fishing village of Ifaty with beaches on the Mozambican Channel. Before the day ends, you visit Reniala reserve for a 1-hour look at the spiny baobab forest.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Pass through Ilakaka sapphire mining town
- View Mahafaly and Antandroy Tombs (no photography)
- Drive through spiny desert and dry forests of the Deep South
- Visit Reniala reserve (spiny baobab forest) - 1 hour visit
Landmarks/POIs Ilakaka Tuléar Ifaty Reniala Reserve - Day 10
Departure from Ifaty to Antananarivo
You're transferred to Tuléar airport for your flight back to Antananarivo. When you arrive in Tana, you'll head to La Digue craft market for shopping and souvenirs (depending on your flight arrival time, there may be limited time for this). After that, you transfer directly to the international airport for your flight home.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Shopping at La Digue craft market (if time permits)
Landmarks/POIs La Digue Craft Market
