A Day Tour of Antananarivo

General Information

Trip duration

Trip highlights

• Analakely visit
• Craft markets
• Ambohimanga Rova Palace
• Rova Manjakamiadana Royal Palace

Day 1

A day tour of Antananarivo

ANTANANARIVO CITY TOUR (Departure: 8 AM | Return: 5 PM). We pick you up at your hotel, then begin our tour of the lower town. We head to Analakely, which literally means "the little blue forest", where you can walk along Independence Avenue, the heart of Tana. We then head to Ambohimanga, located 17 km north of the city center; the drive usually takes about an hour due to traffic. The Rova of Ambohimanga, or "blue hill", is listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. The sacred hills of Imerina number around a dozen and were once the residences of King Andrianampoinimerina's twelve wives, for strategic reasons tied to the Merina kingdom. Some became places of worship known as "fanasinana", their summit crowned by a "Doany" painted in royal red and white. The first king reigned from 1730; Andriambelomasina, grandfather of Andrianampoinimerina, ascended the throne in 1787. The Rova is surrounded by 7 gates closed off by an enormous disc-shaped stone 4.5 m in diameter, weighing 10 tons, with massive surrounding walls topped with pointed stakes built during the reign of Ranavalona I. After lunch on site, we head to the part of town where you'll find the Lisy Boutic craft market. We end our fascinating journey with a viewpoint over the Rova Manjakamiadana, or Queen's Palace. After the visit, we drop you back at your hotel.

Types of hotels

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  Anjary Hotel

  Antananarivo

  Anjary Hotel is located right in the middle of the city of Antananarivo.

  + more info

  Anjary Hotel is located right in the middle of the city of Antananarivo.