North or south Madagascar: which route suits your trip?
The RN7 and Isalo, or Diego Suarez and Nosy Be? Compare our 11- and 12-day private tours on the same basis: nights, arrivals, extra flights, walking and time by the sea.
Start with the experiences you would keep
Choose your priorities first, then check the calendar and the complete price. Both north and south offer forests, lemurs and the coast, but the journeys and the time spent in each landscape differ.
- Choose the south for a journey in stages: highlands, the forests of Andasibe and Ranomafana, ring-tailed lemurs at Anja, walking in Isalo and a finish at Ifaty. Our Classic South starts with an eastern detour before following the RN7 south.
- Choose the north to combine Diego’s bays, Montagne d’Ambre, Ankarana and several island days on Nosy Be. Compare the 11-day northern tour with the 12-day northern tour: they do not start in the same place.
These are adaptable starting itineraries without fixed departures. A change needs its own written programme and price.
Compare the three tours on length and price
- Classic South: 11 days and 10 nights. From €1,730 per adult, based on at least two people. A morning departure from Antananarivo; a finish at Tulear airport, with the flight to Antananarivo charged separately. Two nights each at Ranomafana, Ranohira and Ifaty.
- Northern Madagascar: Beaches, Tsingy and Wildlife, 11 days and 10 nights. From €1,790 per adult, depending on party size. Priced from Diego Suarez, finishing on Nosy Be. Four nights in Diego, two at Ankarana and four on Nosy Be. Access and departure flights need separate pricing.
- Northern Madagascar Adventure: 12 days and 11 nights. Indicative price per adult: On request. Arrival in Antananarivo and international departure are part of the twelve days. Three nights in Diego, two at Ankarana, four on Nosy Be and two in the capital. Domestic flights are excluded.
These are per-adult prices: compare a quote for your party, rather than two starting prices alone. Our budget guide separates the land tour from the complete holiday.
Count from landing to your flight home
Two eleven-day tours do not necessarily mean the same holiday length. For the south, arrive before the morning departure on day 1. Day 11 includes the transfer from Ifaty to Tulear airport; the ticket to Antananarivo is extra. Allow a night in the capital before the international flight and confirm the actual connections.
The eleven-day north assumes a flight to Diego on its first morning. Check the preceding international arrival, any Antananarivo night and the available connection. At the end, confirm whether you leave from Nosy Be or return through the capital.
The twelve-day north already counts the Antananarivo welcome on day 1, the Diego flight on day 2, the return to the capital on day 11 and a night before departure on day 12. That makes the calendar easier to read; it does not guarantee flight schedules. If you have fifteen holiday days, send the complete dates so we can check the buffers. See our itineraries by trip length and, for departures there, planning from France.
The south: more stages and changing landscapes
The first two days look for lemurs at Andasibe before returning to Antananarivo. The RN7 follows: Antsirabe, Ranomafana, Ambalavao and Anja, then Ranohira for Isalo. This route suits travellers who value changing scenery and cultural stops as much as beach time.
You change hotels frequently, despite the two-night stops at Ranomafana, Ranohira and Ifaty. For slower photography or less packing, ask for an extra night rather than another park. The RN7 guide explains the stages; the published itinerary sets out each overnight stop.
The north: bays, rock formations and four Nosy Be nights
Both northern routes combine Montagne d’Ambre, the Tsingy Rouge, Ankarana and Lokobe. They reach Nosy Be by road to Ankify and then boat. The eleven-day tour gives two days to the Three Bays; the twelve-day version gives one, then includes a Nosy Sakatia day during the island stay.
Four nights on Nosy Be do not mean four unplanned days at one hotel: excursions are part of the programme. Say whether rest, snorkelling or forest walks matter most. We can specify which days to keep or change, the boat journeys and their conditions. Our Nosy Be guide helps you choose activities.
Lemurs, walking and travelling with children
For indris at Analamazaotra and ring-tailed lemurs at Anja in the same tour, the south fits the published programme. The north looks for different lemurs at Montagne d’Ambre, Ankarana and Lokobe. Choose the sites that interest you; no wild-animal sighting is guaranteed.
Neither itinerary is only a beach holiday. The south includes a full walking day at Isalo; the north, a day at Ankarana. Madagascar National Parks lists several Ankarana circuits of different difficulty. Give your comfortable walking time, confidence on slopes and preferences about narrow passages and suspension bridges before selecting trails.
For a family trip, send each child’s age and the longest acceptable driving day. Extra nights in one place may suit you better than the standard itinerary. Our family guide helps you describe those choices.
Your travel month can change the recommendation
The published windows are a starting point: May to October for walking on the southern route; April to December for the northern tours. They guarantee neither good weather nor every trail’s accessibility. Forest can remain wet while the coast is dry, and wind matters around Diego and on boat days.
In either region, confirm roads and boat departures for your dates. France’s travel advice discourages national-road travel at night and Isalo canyon walks in the rainy season, particularly in the afternoon. An open park does not make every walk suitable. Our when-to-go guide explains the regional differences.
What the quote needs for a fair budget comparison
The tours include a private vehicle, English-speaking driver-guide, bed-and-breakfast accommodation, park entry and local guides. The final price depends on dates, party size and hotels. Lunches and dinners cost extra except where an included service is specified.
The northern tours list food and excursions on three Nosy Be days: ask which days, meals and boats are covered. Have every flight, transfer, arrival or return night, optional activity, drink and tip allowance identified. A lunch mentioned in the daily itinerary is not automatically an included meal.
Compare named hotels or agreed equivalents and the booking conditions before paying a deposit. Our tailored services let you request an adaptation, with separate pricing.
Can you combine north and south in two weeks?
The two eleven-day tours already add up to twenty-two days, before their connections. For two weeks, choose one region first. If a few stops in the other are essential, request a different itinerary with fewer visits: flights, driving days and complete cost need checking. We do not sell these tours added together as a fifteen-day package.
For a recommendation, give your arrival and departure dates, party size, per-adult budget with or without flights, priorities, walking pace and beach preferences. Include booked tickets, children’s ages and your required guiding language. That gives us a practical request to answer rather than a list of extra stops.
Final questions before choosing
Your written itinerary and quote confirm the services for your dates.
Does north or south include the Avenue of the Baobabs?
None of these three tours visits the Avenue of the Baobabs near Morondava. That is another region. If it is a priority, compare our 5-day western tour and count the journey to Morondava too. An extension needs its own calendar and quote.
Can I plan the trip and have a guide in French?
You can plan your stay in French with our team. These tours’ published inclusions specify an English-speaking driver-guide. If you want French-speaking accompaniment, say so in your first request and have availability, services and any supplement confirmed in writing before booking.
Does the south avoid domestic flights?
Classic South travels down by road but includes a planned flight from Tulear to Antananarivo at the end, with the ticket charged separately. Both northern tours also use flights. If you want to avoid them, request an adapted route; a road return takes time and must fit your complete holiday length.
Photos: iAko Randrianarivelo and Hannova Beats on Unsplash.
Ask us which region fits your trip
Send your dates, traveller count and priorities. We usually reply within 24 hours with a written itinerary and a confirmed price for the proposed route. There is no payment to enquire.