Overview
Take a trip to Antananarivo on your Madagascar Vacation
When travelling on a Madagascar vacation, situated inland, about 145 km (90 mi) from Madagascar’s east coast Antananarivo, the country’s capital and its largest city. Unlike many other capitals found in southern Africa, Antananarivo was already considered a major city before colonialism reached Madagascar.
Antananarivo was founded in the early 1600s and earned the name “The City of the Thousand” from the number of soldiers that were assigned to guard it. The city was captured by the French in 1895 bringing it into France’s Madagascar protectorate. When Madagascar achieved independence in 1960, Antananarivo remained the capital city and began to grow at a rapid pace.
Today, Antananarivo serves as Madagascar’s administrative, communications and economic centre and is divided into three different levels that are linked by stairways. First, there is the Downtown area that features the Avenue de l’Indéndence, a broad shopping centre with a market at the upper end. Next is the “Plateau du Colbert” located in the middle of the cliffs, and finally, the old city in the upper town where palaces, cathedrals and many ancient noble families are found on a Madagascar vacation.
Antananarivo is a unique city offering equally unique architecture. It is not uncommon to see a blend of wooden houses and modern office buildings as well as structures built in a traditional French colonial style. The best way to experience this capital city is on foot allowing for opportunities to visit markets and to see the sights when travelling to Madagascar.
Antananarivo is a unique city offering equally unique architecture. It is not uncommon to see a blend of wooden houses and modern office buildings as well as structures built in a traditional French colonial style. The best way to experience this capital city is on foot allowing for opportunities to visit markets and to see the sights when travelling to Madagascar.
At a Glance
Languages
French, MalagasyCurrency
Malagasy Ariary (MGA)Trending Trips
Unforgettable Journeys.4 Trips Found
Showper page
9
4 Trips Found
Classic Madagascar: Rainforests & Rivers
AntananarivoExplore Madagascar’s lush eastern rainforests and striking southern spiny landscapes on a private-guided journey seeking lemurs, wildlife, and rich local culture.
10 days
From US$7,578/p.p.
Request a Quote
1000 Views of Madagascar
AntananarivoSmall group Madagascar journey through rainforests, canyons and coastal shores, spotting lemurs and chameleons while meeting local traditions along the way.
14 days
From US$5,250/p.p.
Request a Quote
Explore Madagascar, Mandrare & Masoala
AntananarivoEncounter Madagascar at its most magical on this private-guided journey of wildlife, riverside calm and rainforest wonder, woven with vibrant local culture.
12 days
From US$17,610/p.p.
Request a Quote
Madagascar Adventure: Forests, Wildlife & Coasts
AntananarivoExplore Madagascar’s wild northwest and lush east on this private-guided trip through tsingy forests, rainforests, and remote coasts teeming with rare wildlife.
12 days
From US$15,307/p.p.
Request a Quote
Don't see the
perfect trip idea?
Request a custom quote.
Turn your travel dreams into reality with Goway. Our customized vacations take travellers to all corners of the world.
Classic Madagascar: Rainforests & Rivers
AntananarivoExplore Madagascar’s lush eastern rainforests and striking southern spiny landscapes on a private-guided journey seeking lemurs, wildlife, and rich local culture.
10 days
From US$7,578/p.p.
Request a Quote
1000 Views of Madagascar
AntananarivoSmall group Madagascar journey through rainforests, canyons and coastal shores, spotting lemurs and chameleons while meeting local traditions along the way.
14 days
From US$5,250/p.p.
Request a Quote
Explore Madagascar, Mandrare & Masoala
AntananarivoEncounter Madagascar at its most magical on this private-guided journey of wildlife, riverside calm and rainforest wonder, woven with vibrant local culture.
12 days
From US$17,610/p.p.
Request a Quote
Madagascar Adventure: Forests, Wildlife & Coasts
AntananarivoExplore Madagascar’s wild northwest and lush east on this private-guided trip through tsingy forests, rainforests, and remote coasts teeming with rare wildlife.
12 days
From US$15,307/p.p.
Request a Quote
Don't see the
perfect trip idea?
Request a custom quote.
Turn your travel dreams into reality with Goway. Our customized vacations take travellers to all corners of the world.
What do the experts say?
You should try a Zen meditation session. Imagine slipping into a silk kimono for the day—carefully tied by an expert dresser, every fold precise, every colour chosen to suit the season. It’s a ritual that feels as personal as it is timeless.
What do I love about Japan? In a word - EVERYTHING. The incredible contrast that Japan offers - new/innovative vs old/traditional, the warm and welcoming people, the incredible rich culture, the culinary wonders awaiting around every corner, the cleanliness, efficiency and safety. It's one of the best places to visit in Asia in my opinion.
Pub Street in Siem Reap, Cambodia, is a local favourite with very inexpensive drinks. It's also a great place to try the local delicacy, BBQ frog.
I love how laidback and relaxed Laos is compared to other countries in Southeast Asia. It's like the best of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand all rolled into one, and then sent back in time 20 to 30 years.
The Festes Majors are summer festivals held in the villages of Andorra. Each festival is unique to the village, with its own distinct style.
antananarivo vacation packages
View of the Presidential Palace makes for a gre...
Panoramic view of Antananarivo
Most Popular Time to Travel
Know when to go.
Place
Conditions
Daily max temperatureMonthly rainfall
AntananarivoMostly Sunny
29°C / 85°F
4mm / 0.1"
Weather data is based on monthly averages.Popularity rating
-
Travel Stories
Get Inspired About Your Trip to Madagascar
Unlock more by subscribing to our newsletter.
With our newsletter, you’ll get access to regular communications that inspire you and help you explore the world your way.Exclusive Savings
Insider Benefits
Trending Stories
ExcellentBased on 5,263 ReviewsI began planning my Italy vacation with Avery more than a year before we traveled, and I want to start by giving her the recognition she deserves. Avery did an exceptional job planning this trip. From the beginning, I had a very clear vision of what I wanted to experience in Italy, and she listened carefully and captured it. The destinations, hotels, tours, transportation and overall flow of the trip were thoughtfully planned. Aside from three specific issues that I will address, everything came together extremely well.
One of the things I appreciated most was the attention to logistics. The hotels were conveniently located, our tour meeting points were generally close to our accommodations, and the routing between cities made sense. Those details may seem small during the planning process, but once you are actually traveling through multiple cities, they make an enormous difference. I especially appreciated the meet and greet services and arranged transfers because they removed much of the stress that comes with arriving somewhere unfamiliar. I did not have to constantly worry about where to go, how to get there or who I was supposed to meet. I was able to enjoy my vacation instead of managing the logistics of my vacation.
The people Avery arranged for us to work with in Italy were also excellent overall. Our drivers, guides and local representatives were professional, pleasant and easy to communicate with. We stayed at five hotels, and with the exception of Dharma Luxury Hotel in Rome, the other four were excellent. I loved them and would not change those selections. From a travel planning perspective, I would give Avery more than five stars. She listened, understood what I wanted and created the Italy experience I had envisioned. I would absolutely work with her again and recommend her to others.
There were, however, three specific issues during the trip that I believe deserve attention. These involved the third-party operator used for our Siena, San Gimignano and Chianti tour, our experience at Dharma Luxury Hotel in Rome, and the response from Goway’s emergency travel support. I want to separate these concerns from my experience with Avery because I do not believe they reflect the quality of the work she did planning our vacation.
My recommendations are therefore directed toward strengthening the third-party services surrounding the travel experience. I recommend that Goway review the operator used for the Siena, San Gimignano and Chianti tour, reconsider Dharma Luxury Hotel based on the maintenance and customer service issues I experienced and conduct a formal review of its emergency support provider, including whether the response to my request complied with the provider’s contractual service levels.
Overall, this was an incredible Italy vacation, and Avery deserves tremendous credit for making it happen. Planning an excellent vacation is important, and she accomplished that. At the same time, what happens when something does not go according to plan is also an important part of the travel experience. The three problems I encountered were specific and identifiable, and addressing those areas would make an already excellent travel planning experience significantly stronger.S MoolahKatie our travel agent planned a wonderful trip for us. Everything was taken care of and we didn’t have to worry about anything. I would highly recommend Go Way travel when planning a trip. 49ergirlI worked with Maria S. from Goway Travel to build a tailored trip to the Azores and mainland Portugal. Maria provided excellent, responsive and patient service, never pressured me into making decisions, offered multiple options for managing pricing, answered my many questions clearly and fully, and always met the timelines she would set to get back to me. Once I was on my trip, Maria checked in several times even though there was an operator on the ground at my destination; she even resolved a minor mix-up with one of my hotels and arranged for a special surprise on my birthday. I cannot speak highly enough of Maria's professionalism, follow-through, positivity, attention to detail and responsiveness. I highly recommend Goway and Maria for your travel plans, and will definitely use this company again for my future travels. Thank you so much for making my trip to Portugal so memorable, Maria! Michele B.Extremely delighted we took this trip to Bali with Goway. Ameet was fantastic. He helped me save on my flights and also guided me on the right hotel decisions. Extremely Charming and always a pleasure to chat to. We enjoyed the Komodo islands a lot thanks to our specialist who made the recommendation. Hid guidance on the places and restaurants was spot on and we and my gf enjoyed the trip so much. We will consider using Goway and Ameet for our Honeymoon as well.Garth CutosPrompt, professional service when booking our trip. Excellent suggestions to add to our experience. Shalini was very accommodating and went beyond our expectations to meet all of our requests. Loved the small group tour.OscarTouching base after our trip. As usual you did a great job helping plan and execute an amazing travel experience!! Everything was fantastic. Especially our hotel location. Since it's connected to the Victoria station it made getting around very easy. Thanks again for your help I'm sure we'll be booking our next trip soon...Leigh FerrisThe trip was planned perfectly, with the support of knowledgeable and dedicated local staff during any critical point of the trip.
The accommodations, transfers, transportation, guides' input and visits' setup met the highest standards and expectations.Nadia & Cristian We recently completed a trip to Crete, Greece - our third trip with GoWay - and I have run out of superlatives to laud their efforts. This was a self drive trip, and as has been our experience with GoWay, we were permitted to customize the standard offered itinerary to suit our personal preferences. Brooke, our agent on this trip, went the extra mile to make all the adjustments we requested, including providing for an English-speaking guide at the Phaistos archeological site. The hotels which Brooke booked on our behalf were truly excellent, and - again, per our wish - just outside of the urban chaos of Heraklion, Rethymno and Chania, but close enough to readily access the cities' benefits. Each hotel was a beachside sanctuary, and we spent several serene, idyllic days never leaving the hotel, and yet there was plenty of time for more distant and adventurous sight seeing.
I cannot overstate how happy we have been with our GoWay experiences - most notably in their willingness to listen to our preferences and make those manifest in the itinerary - and this most recent trip just confirms our already positive opinion of GoWay, and we will be certain to consider them again for our next travel adventure.Frank VenutiVenessa Lloyd at GoWay organized a trip to Africa for us- We just returned last week. It was very well organized and included everything we requested, and more. We did two safaris - one in Tanzania and one in South Africa. They were both excellent, with first class accommodations and guides. We absolutely would recommend GoWay and Vanessa to anyone. SandraOverall, the hotel and tours were amazing. We had issues with communicating with the driver. At times I was asked where, I was gone. The local company handled the situation and there were minor issues after. I would recommend a local English-speaking guide every day. My clients loved the trip. The area we stayed in had many restaurants and local markets nearby. I recommend the cooking class, flamenco dance show, wine tasting and taps tour, and the city tour. Jolynn Tizeno
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified