7 Day Madagascar Highlights Tour

Three Coquerel's Sifakas pressed together along a single branch, watching the forest below

Destinations: Madagascar, Antananarivo, Andasibe-Mantadia, the Avenue of the Baobabs and Tsingy de Bemaraha

This 7-day Madagascar trip runs through Antananarivo, Andasibe, the Avenue of the Baobabs and the Tsingy de Bemaraha, linked so the travelling is done between the wildlife. The markets and craft stalls are good for a first or last day. Eleven lemur species live in the reserve’s tall eastern forest. Nearby the ‘lovers’ baobabs’ twist together in the dry forest.

Day By Day

Day 1 Arrival At Antananarivo

You set out from Antananarivo after breakfast and drive to Antananarivo, the country changing as the kilometres pass, reaching camp with time to settle in and take a first look before dark. A reserve nearby lets you see lemurs within an hour of the city. The markets and craft stalls are good for a first or last day. Most trips start and end here before flying home. You settle into camp as the light goes. The pace is easy and the sights are close together. Antananarivo, the hillside capital, is the arrival point and hub for every route.

Its old town climbs to the royal palace with views over rice paddies and tiled roofs. Nothing is promised in the wild, which is what makes a good sighting count. The country is quiet here, and on most outings you have it to yourselves. Your guide has the ground worked out, and knows where the day is likely to lead. The morning is cool and the animals are moving, so the first hours out are the busiest.

An Indri, the largest living lemur, clinging to a rain-soaked tree trunk in Andasibe — Andasibe holds the indri, the largest of the living lemurs.

Day 2 Transfer To Andasibe

A short morning exploring on foot and by road at first light in Antananarivo, then to the road for the move to Andasibe-Mantadia. The country changes on the way, and you reach Andasibe in the afternoon. You head out looking for lemurs on forest trails as the light softens, a first look at the new ground. Guided trails are gentle and the wildlife is close. Andasibe is the easiest rainforest from the capital and home to the indri, the largest living lemur. The forest is cool and green after the road. Night walks bring out chameleons, tree frogs and nocturnal mouse lemurs.

Eleven lemur species live in the reserve’s tall eastern forest. The indri’s eerie dawn call carries for over a kilometre through the forest. Your guide has the ground worked out, and knows where the day is likely to lead. The morning is cool and the animals are moving, so the first hours out are the busiest. You carry a packed breakfast and stay out while the going is good.

Day 3 Lemur Trails In Andasibe

A full day in Andasibe-Mantadia. You are looking for lemurs on forest trails, out early while the light is low and the country is at its best, with the guide working the ground slowly and time to stop for whatever the day turns up. Andasibe is the easiest rainforest from the capital and home to the indri, the largest living lemur. The indri’s eerie dawn call carries for over a kilometre through the forest. Night walks bring out chameleons, tree frogs and nocturnal mouse lemurs. A night walk adds chameleons and nocturnal lemurs. Eleven lemur species live in the reserve’s tall eastern forest.

Guided trails are gentle and the wildlife is close. The morning is cool and the animals are moving, so the first hours out are the busiest. You carry a packed breakfast and stay out while the going is good. Around midday the heat sits heavy, and you rest in the shade before heading out again as it cools. The guide reads the tracks and the birds, and there is no rush to be anywhere.

Day 4 Transfer To Avenue Of Baobabs

A short morning looking for lemurs on forest trails at first light in Andasibe, then to the road for the move to the Avenue of the Baobabs. The country changes on the way, and you reach the Avenue of the Baobabs in the afternoon. You head out exploring on foot and by road as the light softens, a first look at the new ground. At sunset the giant trunks throw long shadows and glow against the sky. It is the most photographed spot in Madagascar for good reason. There is time to slow down and take it in.

The west coast light in the late afternoon is the time to be there. The Avenue of the Baobabs lines a dirt road near Morondava with trees up to 800 years old. Nearby the ‘lovers’ baobabs’ twist together in the dry forest. You carry a packed breakfast and stay out while the going is good. Around midday the heat sits heavy, and you rest in the shade before heading out again as it cools.

A row of Baobab trees standing in black silhouette against a clear orange sunset sky in western Madagascar — Baobabs on the Morondava avenue drop into silhouette at sunset.

Day 5 Transfer To Tsingy De Bemaraha

A short morning exploring on foot and by road at first light in the Avenue of the Baobabs, then to the road for the move to Tsingy de Bemaraha. The country changes on the way, and you reach the Tsingy de Bemaraha in the afternoon. You head out on foot through the rock and forest as the light softens, a first look at the new ground. Lemurs and endemic birds live in the pockets of forest between the rock. Getting there crosses the Manambolo River by ferry through wild country. The light at the end of the day is the reward.

The Tsingy is a UNESCO forest of razor-sharp limestone pinnacles you cross on bridges and ladders. Harnessed walks climb through the stone maze to viewpoints over the spires. It is Madagascar’s most dramatic and adventurous site. Around midday the heat sits heavy, and you rest in the shade before heading out again as it cools. The guide reads the tracks and the birds, and there is no rush to be anywhere.

Day 6 Walking Tsingy De Bemaraha

A full day in Tsingy de Bemaraha. You are on foot through the rock and forest, out early while the light is low and the country is at its best, with the guide working the ground slowly and time to stop for whatever the day turns up. Getting there crosses the Manambolo River by ferry through wild country. It is Madagascar’s most dramatic and adventurous site. The Tsingy is a UNESCO forest of razor-sharp limestone pinnacles you cross on bridges and ladders. The walking is the point, and the views earn it. Harnessed walks climb through the stone maze to viewpoints over the spires.

Lemurs and endemic birds live in the pockets of forest between the rock. The guide reads the tracks and the birds, and there is no rush to be anywhere. Late in the afternoon the light turns gold and the game comes back to the open ground. With a drink in hand you watch the day close over the bush. Back at camp, dinner is served under a sky thick with stars.

Day 7 Departure

A final morning on foot through the rock and forest before you leave, the best window of the trip for anything still on your list. You make the most of the early light, then you drive back toward Antananarivo. Lemurs and endemic birds live in the pockets of forest between the rock. Getting there crosses the Manambolo River by ferry through wild country. This 7-day trip links Antananarivo, Andasibe, the Avenue of the Baobabs and the Tsingy de Bemaraha, with the travelling done between the wildlife so your days stay on the ground that matters. It is Madagascar’s most dramatic and adventurous site.

The Tsingy is a UNESCO forest of razor-sharp limestone pinnacles you cross on bridges and ladders. Harnessed walks climb through the stone maze to viewpoints over the spires. Back at camp, dinner is served under a sky thick with stars. Each time out turns up something new, and the pace is yours to set. You stop for coffee where the view is good and let the morning warm up.

A wide panorama of the Tsingy, a forest of razor-sharp grey limestone pinnacles in western Madagascar — Harnessed walks cross the Tsingy on bridges and ladders.

What’s Included

All internal flights and road transfers on the route
Full-board accommodation on safari as shown
Game drives and the activities named in the day plan
Park entry fees for the days shown
Airport and airstrip transfers, drinking water in the vehicle

What’s Not Included

International flights and any visa
Travel insurance
Drinks, tips for guides and staff
Activities not listed and items of a personal nature

Why Pick This Madagascar Safari?

This trip earns its place because the stops are nothing alike, and seeing them together makes each one land harder. A reserve nearby lets you see lemurs within an hour of the city. The markets and craft stalls are good for a first or last day. Getting there crosses the Manambolo River by ferry through wild country. Linking Antananarivo, Andasibe, the Avenue of the Baobabs and the Tsingy de Bemaraha in one route means you cover more of Madagascar than a single park allows, and the travelling between them is short. On 7 days you get range without the trip feeling rushed, the set-piece wildlife, the quieter corners, and the change of country from one stop to the next. For a traveller who wants variety over a single famous name, this is a strong, well-balanced way to see the region, and it works whether it is a first trip or a return.

Is a 7 Day Madagascar Safari a Good First Safari?

7 days across Antananarivo, Andasibe, the Avenue of the Baobabs and the Tsingy de Bemaraha is a well-judged length, though it is a read of each stop rather than a deep stay. You get a full day or more at the main parks, enough to see the headline wildlife and still catch the quieter moments. It suits travellers who value breadth and do not mind moving every couple of days. What this length cannot do is exhaust any one park, the biggest of them could fill a week on their own, so the remote corners stay for another trip. If a single place is your priority, spend the nights there instead. And if you have longer, the route takes an easy add-on, whether that is more time with the wildlife or a stretch on the coast to finish. As it stands, this 7-day trip is balanced and full.

What Is the Estimated Cost of This Madagascar Safari?

What you pay turns mostly on the camps and the season. In Madagascar, park fees are small but a local guide is required at each reserve. As a rough guide, most trips of this length run from around USD 1,250 to 2,800 per person sharing, higher in the peak dry months and cheaper in the green season. Camp and lodge level is the big lever, from simple tented camps to the smarter river and bush camps, and a shared vehicle between four brings the per-person cost down. Tell an operator your dates, group size and the standard you want and it can be quoted to the figure.