Madagascar travel guide

Getting there

Ivato International Airport in Antananarivo is the main gateway, with some international flights landing at Nosy Be. Flights connect via Paris, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Johannesburg, Réunion and Mauritius.

Best time to visit: Apr–Nov – the dry season, with cooler days and easier roads.

Tougher months: January-March – the cyclone season brings heavy rain and flooding, and some parks and roads become inaccessible.

Weather by month in Antananarivo

• 26°J●●●
• 26°F●●●
• 26°M●●
• 25°A●
• 23°M
• 21°J
• 20°J
• 21°A
• 24°S
• 26°O●
• 27°N●●
• 26°D●●●

Average daytime highs in °C; dots show how rainy the month is (one dot dry, three dots wet).

Time zone: Africa/Nairobi. Compare with your local time.

Visas: in our passport dataset, 196 of 198 other passports can enter Madagascar without arranging a visa first (visa-free or visa on arrival), 0 need an e-visa or electronic authorisation, and 2 need a visa in advance. Check your passport.

Background: Visa policy of Madagascar (Wikipedia).

Official advisory: Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (U.S. Department of State, updated 2025-12-05). Read the advisory.

Source and more: Madagascar travel facts on RoamSun

Stay

Most trips to Madagascar are based around Antananarivo, Andasibe-Mantadia National Park or Morondava & the Avenue of the Baobabs. Pick a base for your main interest, then add day trips rather than moving hotels every night.

Typical daily budget: about US$25–40 for a backpacker and US$70–130 mid-range, per person.

Source: RoamSun Madagascar page · Browse hotel guides

Connect

Plug types: C, D, E, J, K. Voltage: 220 V. Check your own devices on the plug and currency checker.

Calling code: +261.

Mobile data: read the travel eSIM setup guide before you fly so the plan is installed and ready on landing.

Source: Advinne eSIM guide · RoamSun

Do

• Antananarivo (Central highlands · capital): A hilly, bustling capital with the Rova queen's palace, markets and views over rice paddies.
• Andasibe-Mantadia National Park (East · rainforest & lemurs): The easiest rainforest park from the capital, home of the singing indri.
• Morondava & the Avenue of the Baobabs (West coast · baobabs): Iconic baobab landscapes and gateway to the Tsingy and Kirindy forest.
• Tsingy de Bemaraha (West · limestone forest): A UNESCO site of jagged karst pinnacles, accessible in the dry season.
• Isalo National Park (South · canyons): A dramatic sandstone massif with hikes, pools and ring-tailed lemurs.
• Ranomafana National Park (Southeast · rainforest): Lush mountain rainforest famed for the golden bamboo lemur.
• Nosy Be (Northwest · islands & beaches): Madagascar's main beach destination, with islets, reefs and ylang-ylang plantations.
• Île Sainte-Marie (East coast · island): A palm-fringed island with a pirate cemetery and seasonal whale watching.

Things to do

• Walk the Avenue of the Baobabs. Watch the sunset silhouette giant baobabs lining a dirt road near Morondava.
• Hear the indri in Andasibe. Listen to the eerie, whale-like calls of the largest living lemur in misty rainforest.
• Explore the Tsingy de Bemaraha. Cross rope bridges and ladders over a forest of razor-sharp limestone pinnacles.
• Hike Isalo National Park. Trek through sandstone canyons to natural swimming pools and palm-lined oases.
• Spot chameleons on a night walk. Search with a guide's torch for tiny chameleons, frogs and mouse lemurs.
• Whale-watch at Île Sainte-Marie. See humpback whales breaching off a pirate-history island between July and September.
• Snorkel around Nosy Be. Swim with turtles off nearby islets like Nosy Tanikely in clear northern waters.
• Ride the Fianarantsoa–East Coast railway. Take a slow, scenic train through rainforest and villages when it is running.

Source: full Madagascar guide on RoamSun

Eat and drink

• Romazava – beef and leafy greens stew, the national dish
• Ravitoto – pounded cassava leaves cooked with pork
• Mofo gasy – small rice-flour cakes sold at breakfast
• Zebu brochettes – grilled skewers of local cattle meat

Source: RoamSun Madagascar guide

Money and safety

Currency: Malagasy ariary (MGA). Currency and plug checker.

Tipping: Appreciated – around 10% in restaurants and tips for guides and drivers.

Emergency numbers: 117 police · 118 fire.

• The currency is the Malagasy ariary; euros are the easiest foreign currency to exchange.
• ATMs are found in larger towns, but cards are accepted only at bigger hotels – carry enough cash for rural areas.
• Petty theft is common in Antananarivo and towns – avoid walking at night and keep valuables hidden.
• Avoid road travel after dark because of poor roads and the risk of highway robbery in some regions.

Source: RoamSun Madagascar facts