Historical Tours & Trips in Madagascar

Camp along the banks of the Tsiribihina River and check out the UNESCO-listed Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, where you'll find ancient limestone pinnacles that formed over millions of years. Head to Berevo village in Belo Sur Tsiribihina to learn about the centuries-old Sakalava tribal culture. Walk through Antananarivo's colonial-era palaces and cathedral that tell the story of the island's royal past.

Travel through Madagascar's vanilla-growing regions along the historic Pangalanes Canal, stopping at traditional plantations between Mahanoro and Nosy Varika where local farmers show you how they cultivate this precious spice. In Antananarivo, the capital founded in the 17th century, you'll see colonial-era architecture and the old cathedral.

Travel from Antananarivo to the UNESCO Royal Hill of Ambohimanga, the sacred burial site of Merina kings dating to the 15th century. See Bara tombs carved into Isalo's Jurassic sandstone massif and visit traditional Tanàla forest dweller villages in Ranomafana to learn about ancestral customs. Stop in Ambatolampy to watch artisans craft aluminum cookware using century-old techniques, then browse zebu horn handicrafts in Antsirabe's historic workshops.

Head into Madagascar's UNESCO-listed Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, where limestone karst pinnacles shoot up hundreds of meters high, shaped by centuries of wind and rain. Spend three days on the Tsiribihina River by traditional boat, passing through gorges with vertical limestone walls and stopping at Begidro waterfalls for a swim.

At Ankarana National Park, a UNESCO site, you'll see the gray limestone tsingy formations that make this place so unique, then walk through Diego Suarez's colonial streets where French, Arab, and Malagasy influences mix together. Near Ranohira, traditional Bara villages offer insight into local customs around zebu cattle.

Start at the UNESCO-listed Royal Hill of Ambohimanga near Antananarivo, where Merina kings once ruled and governed their kingdom. Head to the Zafimaniry villages of Sakaivo and Antoetra to see UNESCO-recognized wood carving traditions, including mortise-tenon architecture and intricate geometric patterns that symbolize family bonds. Trek through Isalo National Park's Jurassic-era ruiniform massifs and take in the unique rock formations. Visit Anja Community Park and learn the legend of the 'three brothers' among the granite rocks. Stop by Father Pedro's AKAMASOA humanitarian village, a transformative center that's been supporting 38,000 residents since it was founded.

Visit UNESCO-listed Ambohimanga near Antananarivo, the sacred hilltop village where Merina monarchy ancestors shaped Madagascar's history through its colonial past. See ancient coral reef formations at Ankarana's Tsingy, weathered over 200 million years into sharp limestone needles found nowhere else on Earth. Trek through Amber Mountain National Park's primary rainforest to find Madagascar's highest waterfall, then cruise to the Emerald Sea past red rock formations.