Marojejy Trip Cost 2026: Park Fees, Guides, Porters & Full Budget Breakdown

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Marojejy National Park, deep in Madagascar’s remote northeast between Sambava and Andapa, is one of the most rewarding — and most logistically demanding — treks on the island. This is rainforest mountain country, a UNESCO-listed wilderness, and the realm of the critically endangered silky sifaka, the “angel of the forest.” Reaching it, walking it and camping in it all cost money, and the way those costs stack up is quite different from a quick national-park day trip elsewhere in Madagascar. Here, the bulk of your budget goes to two things: the trek team (guide, porters, cook and camp fees) and simply getting yourself to Sambava in the first place.

This guide breaks down every line item in approximate 2026 euro ranges, with rough ariary equivalents, so you can plan a realistic budget. Treat every number here as an approximation — park fees, guide rates, flight prices and exchange rates all move, sometimes a lot, so confirm current MNP fees and operator prices before you commit. As a rough working figure, think of roughly ~5,000 ariary to the euro, but that rate fluctuates too. For the full picture of the park itself, read our Marojejy National Park pillar guide, and for where to base yourself before and after, see our Marojejy where-to-stay guide.

Park entry fees (Madagascar National Parks / MNP)

Every visitor to Marojejy pays a daily park-entry permit to Madagascar National Parks (MNP). Foreign visitors pay considerably more than Malagasy nationals, and crucially the permit is charged per day inside the park — so a multi-day trek means you pay for several days of permits, not a single entry. As an approximate 2026 guide, foreign-adult daily entry tends to land somewhere in the region of €10–€18 per person per day (roughly 50,000–90,000 ariary), but this is exactly the kind of figure that changes, so always verify the current MNP tariff.

For a typical 2-night, 3-day silky-sifaka trek you should budget for around three days of permits, which already comes to roughly €30–€55 per person just in entry fees. A longer summit attempt (the climb toward Marojejy Peak) can mean four or even five days inside the park, pushing entry fees toward €50–€90 per person. Children and students may qualify for reduced rates; ask when you book. Permits are normally arranged at the MNP office in Manantenina (the village at the trailhead) or organised in advance through your guide or operator — you cannot simply walk in unaccompanied.

Approximate, rates fluctuate — check current MNP fees before you travel.

Guide fees (compulsory)

You cannot trek Marojejy without an official MNP-registered guide — it is mandatory, not optional, and for good reason: the trail climbs through dense, steep, often slippery rainforest, and a knowledgeable guide is the difference between glimpsing a silky sifaka and walking straight past one. Guide fees are charged per day, and a multi-day trek naturally means several days of guiding.

As an approximate 2026 range, a Marojejy guide costs somewhere around €15–€30 per day (roughly 75,000–150,000 ariary) for the group — meaning if you are two or three trekkers, you share that daily cost. Over a 3-day trek that is roughly €45–€90 total for the guide, split among your group. A specialist English- or French-speaking guide, or a guide for a longer summit trek, may sit at the upper end. Guide fees are usually quoted separately from porters and the cook, so read any quote carefully to see exactly what is included. Again, these are approximate figures that fluctuate — confirm with MNP or your operator.

Porters & cook (essential for a camp trek)

Because Marojejy has no lodges inside the park — you sleep in basic camps (Mantella, Marojejia and Simpona) — a multi-day trek means carrying tents, food, water and gear up the mountain. Almost everyone hires porters, and most multi-day groups also hire a cook to prepare meals at camp. This is not a luxury; it is how the trek is realistically done, and it is also an important source of fair local income.

Porters and cooks are charged per person, per day. As an approximate 2026 guide, expect roughly €7–€15 per porter per day (roughly 35,000–75,000 ariary), and a similar range for the cook. How many porters you need depends on your group size, how many days you walk and how much gear you carry — a solo trekker on a 3-day trek might need one or two porters; a group of four heading for the summit might use four or more porters plus a cook.

To put numbers on it: a 3-day trek with two porters and one cook could add roughly €60–€120 to your bill across the trek. Fair pay matters — these are hard, steep days of carrying loads through rainforest, and the rates above are the floor, not a target to bargain below. Paying a fair daily rate (and tipping on top) is part of trekking Marojejy responsibly. All figures approximate and subject to change.

Camp & equipment

Inside the park you sleep at simple camps with basic shelter, and you’ll typically need a tent or shelter, a sleeping bag and a mat. Many trekkers bring their own; if you don’t, gear rental can usually be arranged through your guide or operator in Sambava or Andapa, though selection is limited and quality varies. As an approximate guide, tent and sleeping-gear rental for a multi-day trek might add somewhere in the region of €10–€40 per person in total, depending on what you need and where you rent it.

There may also be small camp/shelter fees payable to MNP for using the campsites — a few euros per night — and you’ll want a head-torch, rain gear and sturdy boots, which you should bring from home rather than rely on renting locally. If you book an all-inclusive organised trek, tents, camp logistics and often gear are bundled into one price, which removes the guesswork. All figures approximate; confirm rental availability and camp fees with your operator in advance.

Getting to Sambava (the big-ticket item)

For most travellers, the single largest cost of a Marojejy trip is simply reaching Sambava, the regional gateway town on the northeast coast. The overland route from Antananarivo is extremely long, rough and slow — it can swallow several days each way — so the usual way is a domestic flight from Antananarivo (Tana) to Sambava. As an approximate 2026 range, a one-way domestic flight Tana–Sambava tends to fall somewhere around €120–€280 (roughly 600,000–1,400,000 ariary), meaning a return flight can easily be €240–€550 per person. Prices swing with season, demand and how far ahead you book, so treat this as approximate and book early. See our Madagascar domestic flights guide for how to find and book these flights.

From Sambava you still need to reach the trailhead. Marojejy’s entrance is near Manantenina, roughly between Sambava and Andapa, so you’ll arrange a transfer — a taxi-brousse (shared minibus), a private car, or a vehicle organised through your guide. A private car-and-driver transfer from Sambava toward Andapa and the park entrance might run roughly €20–€60 depending on the vehicle and whether it waits for you; a shared taxi-brousse seat is far cheaper but slower and less flexible. To keep the logistics simple, you can arrange a reliable car & driver via Carla for the transfers. All figures approximate and seasonal.

Accommodation before & after the trek

You’ll almost certainly spend at least one night in Sambava or Andapa before the trek (to organise permits and gear) and at least one after (to recover and catch your flight out). Hotels here are modest but perfectly comfortable. As an approximate guide, budget rooms run roughly €10–€25 per night (roughly 50,000–125,000 ariary), while mid-range hotels sit around €30–€70 per night, with a handful of nicer beach-side options in Sambava at the upper end. Two or three hotel nights across your trip is realistic.

For specific recommendations and how to choose between Sambava and Andapa as your base, read our Marojejy where-to-stay guide, and you can compare and book rooms through Madagascar stays on Agoda. Booking ahead is wise in this remote region, where good rooms are limited.

Food & water

On the trek itself, your cook prepares meals at camp from food bought in town, and the cost of that food is usually either folded into an organised package or paid as a modest per-day food budget. As an approximate guide, plan roughly €8–€15 per person per day for trek food if you’re buying and provisioning it yourself, less if you keep it simple. You’ll also need to carry plenty of water or a reliable purification method, as you’ll be refilling from streams; bring purification tablets or a filter rather than relying on buying bottled water on the mountain (there is none).

In Sambava and Andapa, eating is cheap: a simple local meal might be €2–€5, a restaurant dinner perhaps €5–€10. Stock up on snacks, electrolytes and any specific dietary items in town before you head to the trailhead, because there are no shops in the park. Figures approximate and variable.

Tips for guides & porters

Tipping is customary and expected in Madagascar for trekking guides, porters and cooks, and it’s a meaningful part of their income on a tough trek like Marojejy. While entirely at your discretion, a fair guideline is to budget roughly 10–15% on top of the trek team’s fees, or think in terms of a few euros per day for each person who worked hard for you. For a 3-day trek with a guide, two porters and a cook, that might mean setting aside somewhere around €20–€50 in total in tips, divided among the team according to their role and effort.

Bring tips in cash (ariary), in small enough denominations to divide fairly, and hand them out at the end of the trek. Generous, fair tipping is one of the most direct ways your visit benefits the local community around Marojejy.

Worked example: budget vs comfortable

Here are two realistic, line-by-line examples for one person — all figures approximate and subject to change, intended only to show how the costs stack up.

Example A — Budget 2-night / 3-day silky-sifaka trek

• Return domestic flight Tana–Sambava: ~€240
• Park entry permits (3 days): ~€40
• Guide (3 days, shared in a small group): ~€30 (your share)
• Porters & cook (3 days, shared): ~€40 (your share)
• Tent/gear rental: ~€15
• Transfers Sambava ↔ trailhead (shared taxi-brousse): ~€10
• 2 budget hotel nights (Sambava/Andapa): ~€30
• Food on trek + in town: ~€35
• Tips: ~€20
• Approximate total: ~€460 per person (of which the flight alone is ~€240)

Example B — Comfortable organised trek (longer, toward the summit)

• Return domestic flight Tana–Sambava: ~€400 (booked closer to travel / peak season)
• Park entry permits (4–5 days): ~€80
• Organised trek package (guide, porters, cook, camp logistics, gear): ~€350–€500
• Private car transfers Sambava ↔ park: ~€60
• 3 mid-range hotel nights: ~€150
• Restaurant meals in town: ~€40
• Tips: ~€50
• Approximate total: ~€1,130–€1,280 per person

The gap between the two comes down mostly to the flight price, whether you self-organise or buy an all-inclusive package, and how many days you spend inside the park. A guided trek on GetYourGuide bundles the trek logistics into one bookable price, while self-organising in Sambava is cheaper but takes more effort. All numbers approximate — verify current prices.

Money tips — bring all your cash

This is the most important practical money point for Marojejy: there are no ATMs in the park, none at the trailhead, and limited, sometimes unreliable ATMs in Sambava. Andapa has even fewer banking options. You should withdraw the cash you need before you leave the larger towns — ideally in Antananarivo or as soon as you reliably can in Sambava — and carry enough ariary to cover permits, the trek team, tips, food and transfers, plus a buffer for the unexpected.

Most trek payments, tips and small-town expenses are cash only, in ariary. Card acceptance is rare to non-existent once you leave Sambava’s centre. Bring a mix of denominations so you can pay fairly and tip easily, and keep your cash secure and split across a couple of places. For a full rundown of withdrawing, carrying and changing money in Madagascar, read our Madagascar money & currency guide. Plan your cash carefully — running short here is genuinely awkward.

How to save — and how to do it comfortably

To save money: travel in a small group so the per-day guide, cook and transfer costs are shared; book your domestic flight as far ahead as possible; bring your own tent, sleeping bag and rain gear from home; stay in budget guesthouses in Andapa or Sambava; eat local meals in town; and self-organise permits and team at the MNP office rather than buying a packaged tour. A shorter 2-night trek to see the silky sifaka costs far less than a multi-day summit attempt while still delivering the headline wildlife.

To do it comfortably: book an all-inclusive organised trek so permits, the full team, camp gear and transfers are handled for you; choose mid-range hotels in Sambava before and after; allow an extra day’s buffer around your flight in case of delays; and add a day or two inside the park for a relaxed pace and a better chance at the summit. Either way, the silky sifaka — found almost nowhere else on Earth — is the payoff. For the wider park context see our Madagascar national parks & reserves guide, the silky-sifaka trek guide, and ready-to-book Marojejy tour packages.

Getting There & Travelling Well

Because almost everyone flies into Sambava to reach Marojejy, your trip hinges on a domestic flight — and domestic schedules in Madagascar can shift, with delays and the occasional cancellation. If your flight is delayed or cancelled, you may be entitled to compensation, so it’s worth a quick check with AirAdvisor to see whether you can claim.

Marojejy is remote, physically demanding and far from major medical facilities, which makes solid travel insurance essential rather than optional. SafetyWing Nomad Insurance is a practical, traveller-friendly option that covers trips like this, including medical cover while you’re out in the field. Given the steep terrain, the camps and the distance from hospitals, having proper cover in place before you set foot on the trail is one of the smartest few euros you’ll spend — sort your SafetyWing policy before you leave home.

Let Carla plan your Marojejy trek

Marojejy is one of Madagascar’s trickier trips to organise on your own — flights, permits, a reliable guide and team, transfers and hotels all have to line up across a remote region. Carla can take the logistics off your hands, from the Sambava flight to the trailhead transfer and the right guide. Contact Carla to plan your trek, or arrange a dependable car & driver via Carla for the Sambava transfers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is park entry for Marojejy?

Foreign-adult daily entry to Marojejy is approximately €10–€18 per person per day (roughly 50,000–90,000 ariary), charged per day inside the park, so a 3-day trek means around three days of permits (~€30–€55). These are approximate figures — MNP fees change, so check the current Madagascar National Parks tariff before you go.

Do I have to pay for porters?

You’re not strictly forced to, but for a multi-day camp trek you’ll almost certainly need them, since you must carry tents, food and gear up the mountain and there are no lodges inside the park. Porters cost roughly €7–€15 per porter per day, plus a cook at a similar rate. Fair pay matters — these are hard days of carrying loads through rainforest. All figures approximate.

What’s the total cost of a Marojejy trek?

Approximately, a budget 3-day silky-sifaka trek including the return flight to Sambava might total around €460 per person, while a comfortable, longer organised trek can reach €1,100–€1,300 per person. The trek portion alone (permits, guide, team, gear) is roughly €250–€600. The biggest single variable is the domestic flight. All figures approximate and subject to change.

Should I fly or drive to Sambava?

Fly. The overland route from Antananarivo is extremely long and rough and can take several days each way, so almost everyone takes a domestic flight Tana–Sambava (approximately €120–€280 one way). Book well ahead, as fares rise close to departure. See our domestic flights guide for booking tips.

How much cash should I bring?

Bring all the cash you’ll need before you reach the trailhead — there are no ATMs in the park and only limited, sometimes unreliable ATMs in Sambava. Carry enough ariary in cash to cover permits, the trek team, tips, food and transfers, plus a buffer. Most payments here are cash-only; cards are rarely accepted. See our money & currency guide for details.