4 Days in Madagascar: First-Timer Itinerary
Four days extends the indri loop south for a taste of the RN7: Tana, Andasibe’s indri, then a highland detour to Antsirabe before flying home. Want the RN7 done properly instead? Jump to 6 days ; need less time, the 3-day version drops Antsirabe entirely.
Book these before you go
- Tana hotel for arrival and departure nights: check rates on Booking.com
- Andasibe lodge at the park edge: check rates on Booking.com
- A guided Indri Trail circuit booked ahead: browse Andasibe lemur tours on GetYourGuide
| Day | Focus | Drive/transfer | Rough daily cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Tana arrival and orientation | Airport transfer only | 100,000-220,000 MGA |
| Day 2 | Drive to Andasibe, first circuit | RN2, paved, about 3 hours | 150,000-300,000 MGA |
| Day 3 | Dawn indri walk, drive back to Tana | RN2 return, about 3 hours | 130,000-260,000 MGA |
| Day 4 | Antsirabe day trip, depart | RN7, paved, about 3.5 hours each way | 120,000-250,000 MGA |
Day 1: Antananarivo
- Land at Ivato, transfer into the city
- Afternoon on the Rova hill and through Analakely market
- Early night ahead of tomorrow’s RN2 drive
Day 2: Andasibe-Mantadia, first circuit
- Drive the paved RN2 to Andasibe-Mantadia, about 3 hours
- Afternoon Indri Trail circuit with a mandatory MNP guide (45,000 MGA entrance plus a 25,000 MGA guide fee, confirm current pricing at parcs-madagascar.com )
- Overnight at a park-edge lodge, an optional night walk turns up nocturnal lemurs and chameleons
Day 3: Dawn walk, then back to Tana
- Dawn Indri Trail or full Mantadia circuit (40,000 MGA guide fee) when the indri’s call carries farthest
- Midday drive back to Tana on the RN2 (about 3 hours)
- Evening in Tana, an early night ahead of tomorrow’s RN7 push south
Day 4: Antsirabe and the road home
- Morning drive south on the paved RN7 to Antsirabe (about 3.5 hours), Madagascar’s coolest city at 1,500m elevation and the former French “thermes” spa town nicknamed the Vichy malgache
- Ride a pousse-pousse (rickshaw) through town, browse the zebu-horn and gemstone workshops, and see the 1922 Hotel des Thermes
- Afternoon drive back to Tana (about 3.5 hours) for an evening or next-morning flight out of Ivato
Is Antsirabe worth a whole extra day for a there-and-back drive?
Yes, if the RN7 itself interests you as much as the lemurs. It’s a 7-hour round trip for roughly 4-5 hours in town, a real cost, but it’s also your only taste of the RN7 corridor and its cooler highland character on a 4-day trip. Skip it and stay a second night in Andasibe instead if a slower pace matters more than variety.
Can I fly instead of driving to Antsirabe?
Not really. There’s no meaningful time saved, Antsirabe has no commercial airport and the RN7 drive itself is part of what you’re there to see, paved, scenic, and one of the easier stretches of highland road in the country.
Build slack into the Day 4 return drive rather than booking a tight evening flight, the RN7 is paved here but still Madagascar, and an unplanned stop costs you the flight, not just an hour.