Duration: Half day – 1 full day
Services that can be included:
– Private driver from Antananarivo along the RN4 to Andranovelona and Mahitsy
– Certified local guide for the temple visit and waterfall hike
– Guided visit of Xizu Temple: Grand Hall, Hall of the Celestial Kings, and temple grounds
– Hike to the Andrianambo waterfall (approx. 14 km circuit, 3 hours, easy-moderate)
– Optional: visit to the Benedictine monastery of Ambohimanjakarano near Mahitsy
– Optional: village walk through traditional Merina highland scenery
Price: €40 – €160 / person (from a half-day temple visit to a full-day tour combining temple, hike, waterfall, and monastery stop)
– Free cancellation 24 hours before
– Free consultation on WhatsApp
– Fully customizable services, duration, and itinerary
– Price depends on options, group size, and availability
Discover Xizu Temple and the Andrianambo waterfall on a day tour from Antananarivo
Combine two of the most unusual attractions near Antananarivo on this private half-day or full-day tour heading west along the RN4. Visit Xizu Temple, the only Buddhist temple in Madagascar, set on a hilltop at Andranovelona with sweeping views and traditional Chinese architecture. Then continue to Mahitsy for a scenic hike through highland grasslands and ridge trails to reach the Andrianambo waterfall — a rewarding and accessible walk requiring no specialist fitness.
Perfect for culture lovers, curious travellers, photographers, and anyone seeking something genuinely different from the standard Antananarivo circuit. Customize your tour freely: opt for the temple only, the hike only, or both combined with a stop at the Benedictine monastery nearby. Message our local booking managers on WhatsApp for a free consultation.
Xizu Temple and Andrianambo – Two Hidden Gems West of Antananarivo
Xizu Temple is Madagascar’s only Buddhist monastery, built from 2021 onward under the direction of Shi Wule, 45th-generation inheritor of the Linji Zen lineage. Inaugurated in May 2024, the complex sits on the hill of Tendrombohitrafaly in Andranovelona, approximately 50 km west of the capital. The temple faithfully reproduces traditional Chinese architecture in every detail, housing a Grand Hall, a Hall of the Celestial Kings, monks’ dormitories, a refectoire, a meditation building, and the Dawn Grand Theater used for Zen music performances. It is a rare and striking sight on the Malagasy highlands — and one of the newest landmark attractions near Antananarivo.
From Andranovelona the route continues northwest to Mahitsy, a small highland town on the RN4 known for its fertile agricultural landscape and traditional Merina villages. The hike to the Andrianambo waterfall begins here, following a ridge trail of approximately 14 km through open grasslands and natural highland scenery untouched by modern development. The waterfall is described as magnificent and particularly powerful during the rainy season. The circuit is accessible to any good walker without requiring technical hiking experience.
An optional stop at the Benedictine monastery of Ambohimanjakarano, founded in 1955 on the summit of Mount Ankazomby at 1,543 metres north of Mahitsy, rounds out a day that spans Buddhist, Catholic, and Malagasy highland culture in a single outing from the capital.
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