Day trip to two palaces - a tale of mountain-top kings and a murdering queen! in Antananarivo

About

Today we offer you a day trip to two palaces. The Ambohimanga Rova is a half day-trip out of Antananarivo. It was the home of the first Malagasy king to unite the nation, King Andrianampoinimerina. It’s a fascinating story of murders and conquering and intrigue, the local guides are skilled at telling the story in many languages, and the scenery is very special. The palace was used as a holiday home by subsequent members of the royal family until the last queen was exiled by the French colonial power and some interesting artefacts remain. Return back to Tana for lunch at the Cafe du Musee, and after lunch visit to Palace number 2, the Rova Manjakamiadana… This palace was home to the royal family until exile. It was burned in a politically motivated arson attack in 1995 and is under renovation, nevertheless it is a fascinating story, in an amazing position, with incredible views around the city and rice fields as far as the eye can see.

What's Included

✓Bottled water
✓Lunch
✓All entries and obligatory local guide fees are included in your tour.

What's Not Included

✕Gratuities
✕We do not include snacks or personal purchases

Cancellation Policy

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

Location

Lot IVF 1C Ambodihady Route Digue, Antananarivo, 101, Madagascar

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Reviews

5.0

★★★★★

(3 reviews)

★★★★★

Brittany_A

Great experience! Very informative and educational! Great history and culture. Our guide, Didi, was accommodating and pleasant, he made sure we were safe and had anything we needed! It was an awesome day!

★★★★★

karensO8493WI

We were short on time for a Tana visit, and this itinerary was a perfect fit for an historical overview. We were picked up by our driver / guide, Didi, and started with Ambohimanga, the summer palace. One of us had been there before, and this guide, Noro, gave a similar description, but didn't speak English as clearly as a previous guide, Emma. Amazing perspective on the life of King Andrianampoinimerina. Next stop, after a challenging drive, which Didi handled well, was lunch at Café de la Musee at Musee de la Photo. Delicious! Included in our ticket price were 2 or 3 courses depending upon the chosen main dish and everything was very tasty with generous portions. The beetroot sorbet was a very pleasant surprise! We had high expectations for the photography museum and the photo quality was excellent. The experience would have been enhanced if we had been able to choose the English commentary for the slide shows. Last stop was the Queen's Palace. John, our guide, was very good. We appreciated the exterior tour around the site before entering the palace, and he did a good job explaining the lives and legacies of the kings, queens and prime minister. The day was a bit long for some of us (8 AM - 5 PM), but it was a great overview of what is unique about Madagascar. Along the way Didi helped by explaining about current events and living in Tana. Very good!