Antananarivo

A highland capital built on twelve hills, where the Queen's Palace, the Royal Hill of Ambohimanga and the jacaranda trees around Lake Anosy bear witness to the history of the Merina Kingdom.

Antananarivo ("Tana" for short) is the capital of Madagascar, set on the Central Highlands at about 1,280–1,480 m above sea level, and spreads across twelve hills. The Upper Town holds the Royal Palace, the Prime Minister's Palace and old churches, while the Lower Town centers on Independence Avenue and Analakely Market; Lake Anosy to the west is the city's landmark. This was the old capital of the Merina Kingdom, and the Rova palace hill and the UNESCO-listed Royal Hill of Ambohimanga are must-see historic sights. Climate: April to November is the cool dry season, and mornings and evenings from June to August can drop below 10℃; in October–November jacaranda trees bloom across the city; December to March is the rainy season, with frequent afternoon thunderstorms. Getting there: Ivato International Airport is about 15 km north of the city, 30–60 minutes by taxi, with frequent traffic jams. Many sights are on hills, so a chartered car or taxi is recommended, while the old Upper Town is good for walking. Suggested stay: 1–2 days; Tana is often a stopover on the way to places such as Andasibe and Morondava. Note: security is average, so avoid walking after dark and keep valuables out of sight; change money (ariary) at banks or official exchange offices.

Top sights

• Rova of Antananarivo – The royal palace complex of the Merina kingdom stands on the highest hill in the capital. It was restored after a fire in 1995, and it is t…
• Royal Hill of Ambohimanga – The sacred royal city and royal burial site of the Merina kingdom, with a wooden palace and ancient gates. It is Madagascar's only cultural…
• Lemurs' Park – A lemur conservation park about 22 km west of the capital, where you can get close to nine species of lemur roaming freely.
• Andafiavaratra Palace – A pink prime minister's residence on the slope below the royal palace, now a museum displaying royal treasures rescued from the 1995 fire.
• Analakely Market – A large open-air market in the lower town of the city center, with colonial-era kiosk stalls and fruit, vegetable and fish stalls crowding…
• Lake Anosy – A heart-shaped artificial lake in the city center, with a World War I memorial on an island in the middle. When the jacaranda trees bloom…
• Tsimbazaza Zoo – Madagascar's national botanical and zoological park, displaying lemurs, fossas, crocodiles and the skeletons of the extinct elephant bird.
• La Digue Craft Market – The capital's largest craft market, where wood carvings, raffia weaving, gemstones and vanilla are concentrated. Ideal for souvenir shoppin…
• Avenue de l'Indépendance – A colonial-era tree-lined avenue linking Soarano Station and Analakely, flanked by arcaded shops and the city hall.
• Andohalo Cathedral – The Catholic cathedral in the Upper Town's old quarter, with a twin-towered stone facade, on the route to the Royal Palace.
• Faravohitra Church – A stone church commemorating Protestant martyrs, on a hillside that offers good views over the Lower Town and Analakely.
• Ambatonakanga Church – Madagascar's first stone church, beside an English missionaries' cemetery, marking the starting point of Protestant mission work on the isl…
• Ambohipotsy Church – A martyrs' memorial church at the southern tip of the Royal Hill, where you can look out over both the Queen's Palace and Lake Anosy from t…
• Soarano Station – A colonial-era railway station built in the 1910s at the north end of Independence Avenue. Restored, it is now a city landmark with restaur…
• Museum of Art and Archaeology – A university museum in the Isoraka district, displaying funerary wood carvings, musical instruments and archaeological finds from Madagasca…
• Croc Farm – A crocodile farm and small zoo near Ivato Airport, also home to lemurs, chameleons and Malagasy mongooses.
• Lake Mantasoa – A man-made lake in pine forest about 60 km east of the capital, where weekend visitors can go boating and horseback riding, and see 19th-ce…
• Rova of Ilafy – A wooden royal palace of the Merina kings on a hilltop northeast of the capital, now a small ethnographic museum and one of the twelve sacr…
• Antsahadinta – A Merina sacred hill about 15 km southwest of the capital, with stone city gates, royal tombs and a small museum, and very few visitors.
• Lake Itasy & Ampefy – A volcanic lake district about 80 km west of the capital. The town of Ampefy serves as a base for visiting the geysers and Lili Falls, maki…

Where to eat

• La Varangue – A French restaurant in a colonial-era mansion in the Upper Town, famous for its homemade foie gras and zebu tenderloin…
• Sakamanga – A popular restaurant inside the hotel of the same name in the Isoraka district, serving both French and local dishes, w…
• Grand Café de la Gare – A French bistro set in the left wing of the historic Soarano Railway Station, attracting diners with its retro decor an…
• Le Jardin de Vaniala – An open-air garden restaurant in the Antsakaviro district, specializing in budget-friendly traditional Malagasy dishes…

Itineraries

• RN7: Highland Rainforest to Southwest Coast – Travel south along Route Nationale 7, connecting highland towns, rainforest lemurs, sandstone canyons, and the Ifaty co…
• Grand Madagascar: River, Tsingy & RN7 Loop – Descend the Tsiribihina River to the Tsingy, cross the highlands along the RN7, and end in the eastern rainforests to h…
• Eastern Rainforest, Canal & Île Sainte-Marie – Enter the east coast from Andasibe, cruise the Pangalanes Canal, and cross the sea to Île Sainte-Marie.
• Andasibe Rainforest Lemur Short Tour – Spend two nights heading east from the capital to hear the Indri at dawn, spot chameleons at night, and trek deep into…
• Lemur Rainforest & Mauritius Island Getaway – See lemurs in Tana and Andasibe in the first half, then fly to Mauritius for a beach holiday, splitting the trip betwee…