The old name of the capital city lends its name to this destination, which is concentrated in the center of the island. The city and its surroundings offer a range of activities and excursions, from half day to longer.

Manga (or blue) is the colour that represents beauty to the Malagasy people, and the capital area Analamanga (the blue forest) will certainly showcase the beauty of the highlands.

Whatever the reason for your stay in the capital city, the following attractions are among the must-sees when exploring this vibrant area:

This tour allows you to discover different aspects of the town, its different quarters and learn about the daily life of the people. Discover the city’s most popular quarters (marketplaces, lakes, flower markets, upper town, middle town and downtown), the main streets and shopping at the capital city’s most beautiful souvenir shops – The Lisy boutique, the Cenam souvenir shop or the La Digue handicrafts market.

This guided tour will start in the middle of the town and will be done on foot. This visit will be an opportunity for you to learn all about the history of the Madagascar and the capital city, learning the story of different old buildings and sites that were built during the royal and colonial periods.

Not to be missed the visit of the Rovan’i Madagasikara and the Photography Museum

The tour lasts around 2.5 hours maximum.

An imposing structure that crowns the city’s highest hill, the Queen’s palace was gutted in a fire in 1995. It is almost all reconstructed and a visit can be done within the main palace that allows you to go throught the history of the Merina Monarch and the culture of this tribe that occupy the center of the island.

Every week-end interesting shows are played by a group going through the history of the Merinoa Monarchy.

Tsimbazaza is a symbiosis of a zoo and a botanical garden. Here you can get acquainted with numerous species of lemurs, giant turtles, birds and reptiles who live in Madagascar.

Set in glorious tropical gardens dominated by giant palms and peaceful ponds, Tsimbazaza Zoological and Botanical Garden offers you an opportunity to discover astounding specimens of Malagasy fauna and flora that no longer can be found in their natural habitat. Get up close to view the antics of the variety of lemurs, observe the interesting insects, reptiles and captivating colourful chameleon species, discover unique vegetation at its special southern botanical garden and learn about the way of life of different local tribes, their custom and beliefs.

Note: some of the animals are in kept in captivity.

Located beside Antananarivo’s industrial area, the lake is a vital refuge and nesting site for threatened endemic bird species such as the Madagascar pond heron, Meller’s duck and Madagascar little grebe. The site is classified RAMSAR (International Convention on Wetlands), a treaty highlighting the importance and fragility of wetlands and of protecting key sites.

Visit a commercial crocodile farm, located about 3km from the airport, that breeds crocodiles and sells their meat and skin. There is also a zoo where you can see the reptilian giants in all their basking glory, along with lemurs, chameleons and even the rare fossa (striped civet).

The displays on crocodiles are highly informative and its restaurant offers an opportunity to taste crocodile meat.

A private reserve located at 21km west of the capital on the RN1, this park is a good place to visit if you haven’t had the chance to see lemurs elsewhere, or if you need one final lemur fix before you go! The lemurs are free-ranging (except for the nocturnal species and those new arrivals acclimatising to their new habitat) and are used to human interaction, so you’ll see them up close. Several species can be encountered here including crowned and coquerel sifaka, ring-tail lemurs, black-and-white ruffed lemurs, mongoose lemur, eastern grey bamboo lemur and the common brown lemur.

Located 21km north of the capital city on the RN3, this was the original capital of the Merina royal family. Even after the seat of government was shifted to Antananarivo for political reasons, Ambohimanga remained a sacred site and was off-limits to foreigners for many years. The entire hill was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001 for being ‘the most significant symbol of the cultural identity of the people of Madagascar’.

Two main building can be visited here: the old palace of the King Andrianampoinimerina and the summer house of the Queens, both offereing an insight into the amazing history of the monarchy and the beliefs and customs of the Merina tribe.

This 20km² artificial lake is located at about 60km east of the capital city and was built in 1931. This is a good place for fishing, sailing and picnicking, and is a popular weekend retreat for Antananarivo residents. The hotels on the lakeside all offer boating, waterskiing, pedaloes, fishing and more. The lake also holds a special place in history as being the site where Madagascar’s industrial revolution started and is linked to the history of Frenchman Jean Laborde who established the first Malagasy industry for Queen Ranavalona I during his stay in Madagascar.