Madagascar holidays from France: plan your private trip

For a Madagascar holiday from France, count the departure and return travel days as well as the circuit itself. Choose one coherent region, leave time around domestic flights, and separate the land price from flights, extra nights and other expenses. A two-day Andasibe visit and an eleven-day South circuit solve very different travel plans.

Tongasoa is a Malagasy-owned operator based in Antananarivo. You can plan with us in French and choose from private itineraries, starting from two people. Your international flights are booked separately. The route, availability and final group price need written confirmation before you commit.

Count calendar days before choosing eleven days of touring

An eleven-day itinerary does not mean eleven days away from France. Our Classic South starts in Antananarivo on day 1 and reaches Tulear airport on day 11 for a separately priced flight back to the capital. Avoid treating that domestic arrival as a secure same-day connection to your international flight.

With sixteen calendar days available, a planning example is: days 1–2 for travel and arrival, with a night before the circuit; days 3–13 for the eleven-day route; day 14 as a full buffer day in Antananarivo; days 15–16 for the flight home and arrival in France. This assumes suitable flight times and three extra capital nights outside the circuit: before it, after the domestic flight and after the buffer day.

This is a working example, not a flight schedule or a guarantee against disruption. With only fourteen days door to door, ask about a shorter route. See our one-, two- and three-week itineraries.

Two days in Andasibe or eleven days towards the South?

Andasibe, two days / one night — from €320 per adult. This is a short excursion from Antananarivo: Peyrieras, a private reserve visit, an evening wildlife walk and a morning looking for wild indri in Analamazaotra. It suits an existing stay with room for a forest visit, rather than a complete holiday from France. Check arrival and onward flight times. It does not include Mantadia or guarantee sightings.

Classic South, eleven days / ten nights — from €1,730 per adult. Andasibe, Ranomafana, Anja, Isalo and Ifaty combine several landscapes, with hotel changes and substantial road travel. It suits travellers who want forests, walking and two nights at the coast, and have time for flight buffers. Lunches, dinners and the Tulear–Antananarivo flight are extra.

If the beaches around Nosy Be matter more than the RN7, compare the North and the South before combining distant regions.

A land price is not the complete holiday budget

Our starting prices are indicative amounts per adult, from two people, rather than the total for a couple. For two adults, start by multiplying the confirmed per-adult quote by two. Ask for a specific price for children, a solo traveller or a different group size; do not apply an adult rate automatically.

For the two routes above, the published inclusions cover a private vehicle, an English-speaking driver-guide, bed-and-breakfast accommodation, park entrance fees and local guides. The written itinerary settles the exact hotel choices and services.

Build a second list: international tickets, any domestic flight, extra hotels and transfers, lunches and dinners, drinks, personal spending, tips, entry formalities and appropriate insurance. Ask whether any proposed coastal activity costs extra. State whether your budget is per adult or for the whole party, and whether flights must fit inside it.

The Madagascar trip budget guide explains how to compare the same scope. Check payment currency and any bank charges in the written quote.

Compare flights from France using your actual dates

Air France presents Paris–Antananarivo flights. Air Austral describes a Paris-CDG–Antananarivo route via Réunion. These are airline research starting points, not a promise that a particular service operates on your date.

Compare the departure airport, stops, total journey time, baggage and ticket change conditions. From another French city, include the journey to the departure airport in your calendar. For a domestic connection, ask whether tickets are separate, how baggage works and what happens if a flight changes.

Send us the proposed flight times before buying tickets if the route depends on a domestic flight. We can discuss how airport transfers, the first night and the final buffer fit the itinerary. Airfares and schedules must be checked with the airline; no live fare is included here.

Choose by month and walking pace

Your available dates matter more than a general “best season”. July–August school holidays, autumn leave and Christmas require different route discussions. Check your own school calendar rather than assuming every French zone has identical dates. Our month-by-month guide helps narrow the options.

Rain can affect roads and forest footing; France Diplomatie highlights major rainy-season disruption between January and April. Explain your comfortable walking time, how you manage slopes, and whether long drives or frequent hotel changes are a concern. For a family, give the children’s ages and discuss room arrangements rather than asking only for an adult price.

Planning in French and the language of your guide

You can discuss your plans with Tongasoa in French. That is separate from the guiding language during the trip: the published inclusions of the Andasibe and Classic South itineraries specify an English-speaking driver-guide. If a French-speaking guide is essential, state this at the first enquiry and ask for availability, any supplement and the services concerned to be confirmed in writing.

Also explain whether you want help with the complete private itinerary or only a particular arrangement. Our services page outlines what you can discuss with the team.

Before paying, check one written scope

Compare the day-by-day route, room arrangements, hotels or agreed alternatives, included meals, transport, park visits and guiding language. Ask for the final party total, deposit, balance due date, payment method, cancellation terms and the arrangements if a domestic flight changes. Keep the itinerary, quote and conditions together.

The DGCCRF travel checklist provides useful questions about price, services and contract terms. Ask the seller which protections apply to your particular booking. Do not assume separately bought flights and land arrangements share the same conditions.

Formalities depend on your passport and exact stay

Living in France does not determine your entry requirements. For travellers holding a French passport, France Diplomatie states that the passport must remain valid for at least six months after arrival. Check the actual arrival and departure dates, including extra nights.

Consult the visa service of Madagascar’s embassy in France to confirm the procedure, permitted stay and fee for your circumstances. Requirements can change, so this guide does not fix a visa amount. Read the latest security advice and discuss health preparation and insurance with appropriate professionals.

Header image: still from Christian Mayor’s own footage, Tongasoa Mada Tours. Information checked on 17 October 2026; airline and official entry information may change.