Planning a trip to Madagascar? Then you’ve probably come across Ranomafana National Park… it’s one of the country’s most famous wildlife spots and a must on any Madagascar itinerary. Picture this: lush rainforest, hot springs, misty mornings, and lemurs bouncing around their personal playground.

Visiting Ranomafana honestly feels like stepping into a live nature documentary. And if you’re wondering when to go, how to get there, what trails to hike or where to stay… well, you’re in the right place. This guide covers everything you need to know about travelling to Ranomafana National Park.

So, lace up your hiking boots and let’s dive into the wild side of Madagascar.

FYI: Some links in this post earn me a tiny commission. It’s basically a “thanks for the coffee” from you… and it keeps me on the road! At no extra cost to you.

Where is Ranomafana National Park?

Ranomafana is in Madagascar’s southeastern highlands, about 400km (approx 14 hrs drive) from Antananarivo or 2.5 hrs from Fianarantsoa. If you’re roadtripping the RN7, it’s easy to slot into between Antananarivo/Antsirabe and the southern highlights (Andringitra NP, Isalo NP, Toliara etc).

If you’re driving along the RN7, turn off at Ambohimaha and onto the RN45. Don’t follow GoogleMaps suggestion of the RN25, unless you’re looking for an adventure 😉

This is a common pitstop for most people on their way south. It helps break up the journey and allows you to see some endemic lemur species!

Getting there options

• • Self-drive either by yourself or with driver: Fastest + most comfortable.
  • Taxi-brousse (budget): Cheapest but crowded/slower.

Why go (and what you’ll actually see)

Ranomafana is a classic rainforest with mossy trees, waterfalls and a Madagascar special: wild lemurs. The park was created in 1991 after the discovery of the golden bamboo lemur. This lemur is endemic, shy, and the park’s celebrity resident. You can also (with some luck) spot the only wild greater bamboo lemur left in Ranomafana, Milne-Edwards’ sifakas, red-bellied and red-fronted brown lemurs, plus some frogs, chameleons and geckos. The animal gods might be on your side and you get a sighting of some of the small carnivorous mammals that roam the forest.

How many lemur species?

We’ve been told there are 12 species recorded in the park. If you’re targeting golden bamboo lemur specifically, Ranomafana is your best bet as its core population lives here.

When is the best time to visit Ranomafana National Park?

Dry season (May to October) is the most comfortable for hiking and you’ll probably have better weather all around. During the wet season, some of the roads may be a bit more challenging to pass, the trails slippery. But on the otherhand, you’re in a rainforest, so it can also rain during “dry season”. If you’re looking for reptiles, probably best to come in the wet season 🙂

How to visit Ranomafana National Park

Do I need a guide?

Yes, a local guide is mandatory. This can be arranged either at your lodge or at the park gates. Working with the guide is an animal spotter which is included in the price of the guide. Similar to safaris, guides work together to find the lemurs and point out any other plants, insects, mammals you will probably miss! The trails aren’t well marked either (but there are well worn paths), just no signage.

Night walks are outside the park boundaries (along the road) and run with local spotters.

Trails & hikes

There are several circuits ranging from easy to full-day treks. There are also two parts of the rainforest you might explore (primary or secondary).

Primary Forest = deeper and further into the forest.
Secondary Forest = used for the shorter hikes, more popular and crowded.

There are 3 circuits that are often offered by the guides. It is the nature forest, so while the “main” trails are paved/cleared, you might have to walk off trail to get to the lemurs. The terrain can be quite hilly and slippery in some parts.

• Easy – 2hrs. In the Secondary Forest, very popular circuit with lots of people.
• Medium – 4hrs. In the Secondary Forest, still quite popular but it is quieter in the late morning.
• Full Day – 6 to 8 hrs. In the Primary Forest. Quieter and a lot less people.

As mentioned, night walks along the park’s edge are also possible: you’ll often spot mouse lemurs, chameleons and other nocturnal critters.

The night walk. Is it worth it?

Well, it depends. There’s 7 species of lemurs active in the day and 5 active at night. So if you want to try see the nocturnal lemurs or other nocturnal animals, then yes! Would definitely be worth it. But note, this happens along the main road near the park. There are animal spotters that look for the animals beforehand so your guide can bring you directly to the animals.

Heads-up: peak season can feel busy with lots of torches. But nonetheless, the critter sightings are great.

Steal our Ranomafana Plan:

Since I am missing an ACL and haven’t been doing my physio as regularly as I should’ve……… we opted to do the medium hike with an afternoon hike combo. This allowed us to have a bit of a (lunch) break between the two hikes and try find the Milne-Edwards’ sifakas (also known as the dancing lemur). You will meet at the main park entrance for the morning portion of the hike and the afternoon portion is about 5km from the main gate. We managed to find 5 different species of lemurs, unfortunately for us no sifakas. Seemed like they were a bit shy that day.

Day 1:
1400hrs: Arrive and check in to your accommodation
Optional 1700hrs: Go on a night walk. Alternatively, visit the hot spring!
Day 2:
0800hrs – 1200hrs: Explore the secondary Ranomafana National Park and find the golden bamboo lemur!
1200hrs – 1400hrs: Lunch break/Relax.
1400hrs – 1700hrs: Afternoon walk through the secondary forest to try spot the milne-edwards’ sifaka.

What it costs (what we paid as of August 2025)

These fees are correct as of August 2025. Obviously for the guide price, it may vary but this is what we paid (without negotiating, whoops?). Prices can obviously change but this is a rough outline.

Tip: Bring cash (Malagasy Ariary – MGA). There are no card facilities at the national park gates and most accommodations. I am unsure if there’s an ATM in the Ranomafana town but you’re better off at withdrawing cash in the main cities.

1 GBP = ~6 000 MGA
1 EUR = ~5 000 MGA
1 USD = ~4 400 MGA

• Park entry: 55 000 MGA per adult (foreigner)
• Community fee: 5 000 MGA (paid at a different booth).
• Guide fees – this would be shared by the group
  • Easy Hike (2hrs): ~90 000 MGA
  • Medium Hike (4hrs): 150 000 MGA
  • Full Day: Unsure, we didn’t ask, sorry!
  • Afternoon Hike (3hrs): 120 000 MGA
  • Night Walk (2hrs): 40 000 MGA per person.

How long to spend in Ranomafana?

2 nights is perfect for most travellers. Arrive the first night, it is afterall a long journey from Antsirabe. A full day to do your hikes (either a full day hike or combo hike like we did). There are also plenty of other activities to do in Ranomafana other than hiking and looking for lemurs! So you could spend more than 2 nights and find things to do.

Hot Springs

Ranomafana literally means hot water in Malagasy. So it’s no surprise that there are hotsprings in the village! There is a public pool for your to enjoy and it costs about 5 000 MGA for foreigners to visit. It is open from 0600 – 1700hrs and 1900-2100hrs daily except on Wednesday when the pool is closed for cleaning.

Check out this webpage for other activities in the surrounding areas around the national park.

Where to stay near Ranomafana

There are quite a few accommodation for various budgets – from the guesthouses to mid range hotels. Most visitors stay in Ranomafana village. There isn’t too many options that you can book online so I would suggest calling ahead of time or keeping your options open if you plan to rock up. We stayed at Setam Lodge and they had availability on the spot.

• Hotel Thermal
• Chez Gapard
• Chez Minerva (125 000 MGA) – bookable via booking.com
• Setam Lodge (175 000 MGA): Standard bungalow, ensuite with amazing views. Meals were not included in the price. Dinner was 35 000 MGA for a main and 65 000 MGA for 3-course dinner.

What to pack (the real-world list)

• Footwear: Trail shoes with grip; trails get slick. This Salomon pair are my ride or dies. Gaiters can be handy if the trail turns muddy.
• Rain gear: Lightweight jacket
• Backpack: I’ve recently been loving my Matador Freerain 22. It’s packable 😉
• Layers: It’s humid by day, cool at night
• Camera: I personally use a Sony A7II paired with a Tamron 150 – 500mm DI III VC VXD
• Headlamp + spare batteries: Essential for night walks. This one from Black Diamond shines like the sun!
• Cash (MGA): For everything fees, tips, snacks.
• Insect repellent & malaria precautions: This region has malaria risk year-round; speak to your travel clinic

Lemur Spotting Adventures

Lemur spotting is undoubtedly one of the highlights when visiting Ranomafana. These charismatic creatures can be seen swinging through the trees or lounging in the canopy.

Mornings and evenings are the best times for sightings as lemurs are most active then. So go early for your chance to see the golden bamboo lemurs! We just caught them as they were making their way to go for a nap.

Tips on seeing lemurs:

• • Move quietly and slowly to avoid startling them
  • Bring binoculars or a telephoto lens for a closer view
  • Remember, they are wild animals so give them the space they deserve

A Note on Wildlife Ethics in Ranomafana

I wouldn’t feel right recommending Ranomafana National Park without also sharing the less glamorous side of our experience.

While the park is incredible and the wildlife encounters are unforgettable, we did notice some practices that raised red flags. To attract lemurs for better photo opportunities, some guides would break branches or make loud noises to grab their attention. And when we spotted a striped civet (small fossa), the guides were actually feeding it biscuits so that it would come closer to people.

Another thing to be aware of is group size. Since some lemur species are solitary, whenever one is spotted, there will be multiple groups of visitors (often 20–30 people) quickly gather around the same animal. Because lemurs are usually perched high in the trees, it hopefully didn’t feel as overwhelming for them but the crowding can still impact the natural experience for both wildlife and travellers.

Responsible Travel Tip

If you visit Ranomafana (or any wildlife area):

• • Keep a respectful distance and avoid asking guides to get you closer.
  • Don’t encourage feeding or baiting of animals.
  • Be mindful of group sizes. We had a private guide to try minimize any potential crowding. Take your time and avoid crowding if an animal is already being observed.
  • Support guides and tour operators who focus on conservation.
  • Remember: the best encounters happen when animals behave naturally.

Budgetting Your Trip

Okay, so after all this, where are we left, financially? Here is a complete breakdown of what we spent in Ranomafana National Park as a party of two. We could’ve obviously saved and done things more cost effective but this is what a mid range budget looks like:

Transportation: we rented a car from RoadTripAfrica, although you could do this with public transport. I will leave this out of this tally.
Accommodation: 350 000 MGA (175 000 MGA for two nights)
Food: 200 000 MGA (dinners both nights, lunch and some drinks)
Park Entrance: 120 000 MGA
Guided walk: 270 000 MGA (morning and afternoon walk)
TOTAL: 940 000 MGA. $50 / €45 / £40 per person per day.

FAQs about visiting Ranomafana

Is Ranomafana or Andasibe better for lemurs?
It is hard to say as they both have species endemic to each park! Ranomafana is home to the golden bamboo lemurs and nocturnal road walks.

Can I visit without a guide?
Not inside the park, a local guide is required. Night walks are outside along the road with spotters.

How long is the drive from Tana?
It took use 13-14hrs over two days to drive. The roads aren’t in the best shape (as of August 2025). We did an overnight spot in Antsirabe and stayed at Souimanga Hotel which has a great garden to table restaurant.

Will I definitely see the golden bamboo lemur?
I can never guarantee any wildlife sightings… after all, it is wild! But this is the place with the best odds. Go early!!! They are more active between 0700 – 0900hrs!

Are night walks crowded?
In peak season, yes… you’ll see lots of torches. Wildlife is still fantastic (I’ve been told!).

Are there hot springs inside the park?
Not inside but the Ranomafana village has public hot springs where you can soak.