Best Time to Visit Antananarivo

The wet summer: December to March

Antananarivo sits high up in the central highlands, so the heat never gets harsh. The rain does. January is the wettest month by a long way, with rain on almost every day. Expect heavy afternoon downpours, steep streets turning to mud and clouds that hide the sun for days. Roads out of the city can get slow and rough, and this is also cyclone season on the island, so flights and trips to the coast can be disrupted.

If you're staying in town, it still works. Museums and cafés in the old Haute-Ville (the hilltop upper town) are good rainy-day stops. Just don't plan a lot of hiking or long drives.

The dry, cool winter: May to September

This is the time to come. Skies clear, the air feels fresher, and you get seven or eight hours of sun most days. August and September both rate Excellent, and September edges ahead with the least rain of the year and the lowest humidity of the cool months.

Evenings are cold, though. Lows reach about 10°C in July and August, and many guesthouses have no heating. You'll want a proper jumper for nights around Lake Anosy and the Haute-Ville. Days are pleasant for walking up to the Rova (the old royal palace compound) and for day trips to Ambohimanga, the royal hill and a UNESCO site.

This is also high season. Flights and good hotels fill up, especially around July and August, when many visitors pair the capital with the national parks. Travelling with kids? European school holidays fall in this window.

The shoulder months: April, October and November

April and October are Fair, and they can be good value. In April the rains are fading and the hills are still green. October is warmer, with highs of 25°C, but showers begin to return. By November it's wetter again, with rain on most days, though often in short bursts.

If you hate crowds but want decent weather, try late April, May or early October. Prices and visitor numbers are usually lower than in the peak months.

Events worth planning around

Independence Day on 26 June brings parades and concerts, and the city gets lively. It lands in the dry season, so the weather is on your side. Another big local tradition is famadihana, the "turning of the bones" ceremony, when families rewrap their ancestors in fresh cloth. It mostly happens in the cooler, drier months, roughly from June to September. Join only if you're invited, and ask your host how to behave.