8 Day Madagascar RN7 Tour

Three ring-tailed lemurs sitting side by side and staring directly at the camera

Destinations: Madagascar, Antananarivo, Andasibe-Mantadia, Ranomafana National Park and Isalo National Park

This 8-day Madagascar trip runs through Antananarivo, Andasibe, Ranomafana and Isalo, linked so the travelling is done between the wildlife. Its old town climbs to the royal palace with views over rice paddies and tiled roofs. The indri’s eerie dawn call carries for over a kilometre through the forest. It holds the golden bamboo lemur, found only here, among a dozen lemur species.

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. 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. A reserve nearby lets you see lemurs within an hour of the city. You settle into camp as the light goes. The pace is easy and the sights are close together. The markets and craft stalls are good for a first or last day.

Most trips start and end here before flying home. 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. Nothing is promised in the wild, which is what makes a good sighting count.

An Indri, the largest living lemur, clinging to a rain-soaked tree trunk in Andasibe — Andasibe comes first on the route, and the indri is the reason.

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. Night walks bring out chameleons, tree frogs and nocturnal mouse lemurs. Eleven lemur species live in the reserve’s tall eastern forest. The forest is cool and green after the road. 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. Guided trails are gentle and the wildlife is close. You stop for coffee where the view is good and let the morning warm up. 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.

Day 3 Transfer To Ranomafana

A short morning looking for lemurs on forest trails at first light in Andasibe, then to the road for the move to Ranomafana National Park. The country changes on the way, and you reach Ranomafana in the afternoon. You head out looking for lemurs on forest trails as the light softens, a first look at the new ground. Hot springs give the village its name below the forest. The trails are steep but the wildlife rewards the climb. A night walk adds chameleons and nocturnal lemurs. It holds the golden bamboo lemur, found only here, among a dozen lemur species.

Night walks along the road turn up chameleons and mouse lemurs. Ranomafana is mountain rainforest, steep and dripping, on the RN7 route south. 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.

Day 4 Lemur Trails In Ranomafana

A full day in Ranomafana National Park. 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. The trails are steep but the wildlife rewards the climb. Ranomafana is mountain rainforest, steep and dripping, on the RN7 route south. It holds the golden bamboo lemur, found only here, among a dozen lemur species. The guides find the wildlife you would walk straight past. Night walks along the road turn up chameleons and mouse lemurs.

Hot springs give the village its name below the forest. 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. You carry a packed breakfast and stay out while the going is good.

Day 5 Transfer To Isalo

A short morning looking for lemurs on forest trails at first light in Ranomafana, then to the road for the move to Isalo National Park. The country changes on the way, and you reach Isalo in the afternoon. You head out on foot through the rock and forest as the light softens, a first look at the new ground. Isalo is eroded sandstone country of canyons, palms and natural pools. Trails lead to green oases and swimming holes hidden in the rock. The light at the end of the day is the reward. The wide plateaus glow at sunset over the southern route.

It breaks the long RN7 road south with a day on foot. Ring-tailed lemurs and sifaka move along the canyon edges. 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.

A nocturnal lemur with enormous reflective eyes peering out from shady branches on a night walk — Mouse lemurs are found on the after-dark walks at Andasibe and Ranomafana.

Day 6 Walking Isalo

A full day in Isalo National Park. 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. Trails lead to green oases and swimming holes hidden in the rock. Ring-tailed lemurs and sifaka move along the canyon edges. The wide plateaus glow at sunset over the southern route. The walking is the point, and the views earn it. It breaks the long RN7 road south with a day on foot.

Isalo is eroded sandstone country of canyons, palms and natural pools. 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 7 Walking Isalo

A full day in Isalo National Park. 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. Ring-tailed lemurs and sifaka move along the canyon edges. The wide plateaus glow at sunset over the southern route. It breaks the long RN7 road south with a day on foot. You carry water and take the climbs slowly. Isalo is eroded sandstone country of canyons, palms and natural pools.

Trails lead to green oases and swimming holes hidden in the rock. 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. Late in the afternoon the light turns gold and the game comes back to the open ground.

Day 8 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. Isalo is eroded sandstone country of canyons, palms and natural pools. Trails lead to green oases and swimming holes hidden in the rock. This 8-day trip links Antananarivo, Andasibe, Ranomafana and Isalo, with the travelling done between the wildlife so your days stay on the ground that matters. Ring-tailed lemurs and sifaka move along the canyon edges. The wide plateaus glow at sunset over the southern route.

It breaks the long RN7 road south with a day on foot. 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.

Trekkers walking a dusty trail beneath the eroded sandstone cliffs of Isalo — The Isalo circuits climb through sandstone country at the end of the RN7 run.

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 Should You Take This Safari in Madagascar?

This trip earns its place because the stops are nothing alike, and seeing them together makes each one land harder. 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. Trails lead to green oases and swimming holes hidden in the rock. Linking Antananarivo, Andasibe, Ranomafana and Isalo in one route means you cover more of Madagascar than a single park allows, and the travelling between them is short. On 8 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 Eight Days Enough for a First Madagascar Safari?

8 days across Antananarivo, Andasibe, Ranomafana and Isalo 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 8-day trip is balanced and full.

What Does This Madagascar Safari Package Cost?

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 1,450 to 3,200 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.