From €2,410 pp | 16 days
The RN7 is Madagascar’s most iconic route, taking you on an adventurous journey from Antananarivo down to Tuléar. Along the way, you’ll experience various beautiful landscapes and national parks.
This Madagascar self-drive itinerary includes an airport transfer, one-way car rental from Antananarivo to Tuléar, and handpicked accommodations. Scroll down for a detailed day-by-day itinerary, complete with realistic driving times and route directions.
Prices are per person, based on 2 people sharing a Class A vehicle and travelling off-season. You can choose your accommodation preferences below.
Peak season: July – November.
We recommend booking several months in advance.
Prefer a private guided road trip? Travel with a driver-guide! This is an option you can select in the online booking form.
Book your self-drive tour with mid-range or semi-luxury accommodations – or adjust it entirely to your liking.
On our 13 days trip from Tana to Tuléar we saw so much of the beautiful island of Madagascar! Stunning landscapes, and extraordinary and unique flora and fauna. Our excellent driver Mika explained us a lot about the customs and way of live of the people and took us safely to our final destination on the beach of Mangily.
We hired a car with a driver (Toky) for our honeymoon and drove from Tana to Toliara. The entire service was excellent, including the communication prior to booking. The drive itself was fantastic, and having a knowledgeable local guide as our driver was incredibly helpful—he was both informative and fun!
All my questions were diligently answered prior to the trip. We picked up the car (without a driver) in Antananarivo and returned it in Tulear. I can really recommend to self-drive in Madagascar if you enjoy driving on mostly decent but sometimes difficult terrain.
The RN7 is a paved road and generally easy to drive, but be aware that maintenance is poor. Expect washed-out sections and plenty of potholes, which reduce the distance you cover in a day.
Travel time
For the RN7 one-way tour, we recommend a 16-day itinerary with 11 days of car rental, averaging 2 nights per stop. On travel days, plan for 4–8 hours of driving, not including breaks for lunch, photos, or sightseeing. Is time not on your side? Then consider skipping Andasibe to shorten your self-drive tour by 2 days.
Your car drop-off will be in Tulear. Do you have more than 16 days to spare? Then consider wrapping up your trip with a three-night beach stay in St. Augustin. The beaches there are more beautiful than those in Tulear, but the drive to the airport is longer. This option extends your trip to 17 days.
If you’d rather end your road trip with tropical beach days in populare Nosy Be, a two-night stay in Tulear is a good choice. Read all about it in our Nosy Be Travel Guide.
The RN7 is possible to travel all year round. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
Peak season runs from July to October, when our cars and popular hotels are booked months in advance. To avoid disappointment, book your tour well in advance (at least 6 months).
Rainy season in Madagascar starts in January and usually ends in March. As the north and east coasts are generally most affected by rains and cyclones, travelling along the RN7 offers no issues.
Coldest time of year in Madagascar is June and July. Winter daytime temperatures are still very pleasant and even warm along the coast, but at night, temperatures drop to 5-10C in the highlands (Antananarivo, Andasibe, Antsirabe).
For more info, you can check our blog on weather conditions, accessibility, and tourist seasons here.
Accommodation in Madagascar is affordable and full of character. We work with small-scale, eco-friendly lodges that offer good value and a warm welcome. Our team knows Madagascar well – we’ve worked and travelled here for years, so we make sure you’ll stay in places we genuinely recommend.
Many lodges are locally owned, designed with Malagasy touches like handcrafted wooden furniture and local art. It’s not about big hotel chains, but about charm, authenticity, and family-style hospitality. That’s what makes staying in Madagascar so special — and often at a fraction of the price you’d pay in places like Mauritius or the Seychelles.
Curious? Click the orange arrow to preview some of the lodges you’ll stay in.
Our RN7 one-way trip can be booked in two price categories, balancing price, charm and comfort:
Exploring Madagascar independently is an incredible adventure. But planning a road trip here can also feel challenging, especially if it’s your first time. So where to start?
On this page, we share practical information to help you prepare. You’ll find 11 key topics with tips and frequently asked questions about self-driving and independent travel in Madagascar. They’re designed to help you start your road trip well prepared and confident.
