Flying to Antananarivo
Routes we sell to Antananarivo. Search your dates for live fares.
Johannesburg (JNB)
about 3 hours 30 minutes · Non-stop
Best time to fly
Weather, crowds and fares move together in Antananarivo. These are the trade-offs.
April to October
Dry season — the main window for travel, with the roads at their most passable.
September to November
Often the best combination: dry, warm, with lemur babies and good wildlife activity.
December to March
Wet season and cyclone risk. Many roads become impassable and some parks close.
Before you go
Malaria
A malaria area, particularly in coastal and lowland regions. Take medical advice on prophylaxis before travelling.
Slow travel
Roads are poor and distances deceptive. Domestic flights save days but are prone to schedule changes.
Language
Malagasy and French. English is limited outside tourism.
Cash
Ariary, and largely a cash economy outside the capital's hotels.
About Antananarivo
Antananarivo — Tana to almost everyone — is Madagascar's capital, built across a series of steep hills in the central highlands. It is chaotic, striking, and the entry point for one of the most biologically distinctive countries on earth.
Madagascar's appeal is its endemism: most of what lives here lives nowhere else, lemurs included. The national parks are spread out and travel between them is slow, so trips need planning.
Getting in from the airport
Ivato International (TNR) is about 15 km from the city centre, though traffic makes the drive slow. Arrange a transfer through your accommodation or tour operator — this is not a city to improvise arrival logistics in.
Entry requirements for South African passport holders
Madagascar has generally required a visa for tourism, commonly issued on arrival for short stays and also available electronically in advance. Confirm the current requirement, fees and permitted stay with the Madagascan embassy or your airline before you travel.
Entry rules change. Confirm the current requirements with the destination's embassy or consulate before you travel — this page is a guide, not an authority.
Flying to Antananarivo, answered
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