How to Reach Andaman from Chennai

Chennai to Port Blair (the Andaman capital) is about 1,370 km by air, a nonstop flight of roughly 2 hours 15 minutes on IndiGo, Air India Express or Akasa Air. There is no road or rail to the islands: Chennai is one of only three ports (with Kolkata and Visakhapatnam) from which ships sail to Port Blair. For almost every traveller, the 2h15m nonstop flight is the way to go.

By flight: which airlines fly Chennai to Port Blair

Flying is the fastest and most popular way to reach Andaman from Chennai. IndiGo, Air India Express and Akasa Air operate the Chennai (MAA) → Port Blair (IXZ) route, with several nonstop departures a day. A nonstop takes about 2 hours 15 minutes; one-stop fares (usually via Bengaluru or Kolkata) take longer and are occasionally cheaper. You leave Chennai in the morning and are on the islands by lunch. Port Blair's airport is Veer Savarkar International (IXZ).

Indicative one-way flight fares (Chennai → Port Blair):

By ship: the Chennai to Port Blair sea route

Chennai is one of only three ports, with Kolkata and Visakhapatnam, that run government passenger ships to Port Blair, so the sea route is genuinely a Chennai option. The Directorate of Shipping Services (DSS), A&N Administration operates the vessels MV Nicobar, MV Nancowry, MV Swaraj Dweep, MV Akbar and MV Harshvardhana on the ~1,462 km (790 nm) crossing. Sailings are infrequent, so the ship suits travellers with time and a tight budget, not anyone on a fixed schedule. Tickets are sold by DSS (not by airlines or OTAs); book well ahead as berths sell out.

Chennai → Port Blair ship fare by class (non-islander, indicative):

For live DSS fare bands and the current sailing schedule, see TravelTriangle's detailed Chennai to Andaman ship ticket prices guide.

Can you reach Andaman from Chennai by train or road?

No. The Andaman Islands sit in the Bay of Bengal, about 1,200 km off the mainland, and have no rail link and no road connection of any kind. You cannot take a train or drive from Chennai to Andaman; the only ways across are by air (a ~2h15m nonstop flight) or by the government ship from Chennai Port (~2.5–3 days). Any "Chennai to Andaman train" search ends at Chennai's coast; the journey continues by air or sea from there.

Flight or ship: which is better from Chennai?

For almost everyone, fly. A nonstop flight turns a 2.5–3-day sea crossing into ~2h15m, and a one-stop flight booked early often costs little more than a mid-tier ship cabin. Choose the ship only if you have several spare days each way, want the Bay-of-Bengal voyage itself, and can work around the ~3–4 sailings a month. For a one-week Andaman trip from Chennai, the ship eats most of your holiday in transit; the flight is the practical choice.

Do you need a permit to visit Andaman from Chennai?

Indian citizens do not need any permit to visit the main islands: Port Blair, Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil (Shaheed Dweep). Just carry a valid government photo ID for the flight or ship boarding. Foreign nationals no longer need a Restricted Area Permit (RAP) for most tourist islands but must register on arrival; some islands (tribal areas and most of the Nicobar group) stay closed to all tourists. Nothing needs to be arranged before you leave Chennai. Formalities, where they apply, are handled on arrival in Port Blair.

Once you've picked your route, the simplest way to do Chennai → Andaman is to let one itinerary bundle the flights, transfers, hotels and island ferries so you book a single trip instead of five separate legs. Browse our Andaman tour packages from Chennai for flight-inclusive options.