Madagascar in 3 Days on a Budget (With Daily Costs)
Three Days: A Free Tana Morning, Then the Indri
Three days spreads the same Andasibe park fees over a calmer trip and adds a genuinely free morning in the capital first. Tana, then Andasibe’s indri, then back to Tana to fly out, no other region fits honestly in this window. Need it tighter, drop to 2 days ; have a fourth day to spend, the 4-day version adds a taxi-brousse run to Antsirabe.
Book these before you go:
- A budget guesthouse in Tana for the arrival night.
- A lodge at the Andasibe park edge for one night.
- A guided Indri Trail circuit on GetYourGuide , worth booking a few days ahead in the July-September peak.
- Confirm current entrance and guide fees at parcs-madagascar.com before you land, figures move and conflict across older sources.
| Day | Focus | Transport | Rough daily cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Tana arrival, free market walk | Airport transfer only | 60,000-110,000 MGA |
| Day 2 | Taxi-brousse or car to Andasibe, first circuit | RN2, about 3 hours | 140,000-240,000 MGA |
| Day 3 | Dawn circuit, transfer back, depart | RN2 return, about 3 hours | 110,000-190,000 MGA |
Day 1: Antananarivo, for Free
Land at Ivato, transfer into the city, and spend the afternoon on what costs nothing: the Rova hill viewpoint over the capital and a wander through Analakely Market for a first taste of Malagasy street food and handicraft prices. Change money at a bank or ATM in town rather than at the airport counter, the rate is usually better. Early night, the RN2 push starts tomorrow.
Day 2: Andasibe-Mantadia, First Circuit
The RN2 to Andasibe is paved and about 3 hours; a taxi-brousse covers it for a fraction of a hired car, though it leaves on its own schedule rather than yours. Afternoon Indri Trail circuit with a mandatory MNP guide, roughly 45,000 MGA entrance plus a 25,000 MGA guide fee, confirm current pricing at parcs-madagascar.com . Overnight at a budget lodge right at the park edge; skip the optional night walk (another 20,000-25,000 MGA) if the daytime circuit already covers your budget for the day.
Day 3: Dawn Circuit, Then Back to Tana
Out at first light for a second circuit, either a repeat Indri Trail pass or the pricier full Mantadia loop (40,000 MGA guide fee) if the extra ground is worth it to you. Midday transfer back to Tana on the RN2, then an evening or next-morning flight out of Ivato.
Is the taxi-brousse to Andasibe actually reliable?
Reasonably, on this specific route, since it’s one of the more heavily traveled RN2 runs out of Tana. Tickets are sold in person only, cash, at the gare routière, no online booking, so arrive at the station with time to spare rather than assuming a seat is guaranteed.
Is 3 days enough to see more than just Andasibe?
No, and it shouldn’t try to be. Three days covers Tana plus the Andasibe indri detour properly, nothing on the RN7, no baobabs, no Nosy Be. If the lemurs are the whole point of this trip, three days delivers the highlight without rushing it.
Buy your Tana-to-Andasibe taxi-brousse ticket the afternoon before if you can; showing up at the gare routière at dawn on travel day risks a full first departure. Broader planning basics, visas included, are at madagascar-tourisme.com .