How To Reach Andaman From Mumbai

Short answer, three ways to do it:

• Fly Mumbai (BOM) to Port Blair (IXZ). The fastest and most popular option. There is no non-stop, so you connect once (usually at Chennai, Bengaluru or Kolkata) and land at Port Blair in about 5 hours from around INR 6,000.

• Train to an east-coast port, then ship. Take a train to Chennai, Kolkata or Visakhapatnam, then a government passenger ship to Port Blair. It is the cheapest route and the slowest, roughly 4 to 6 days door to door.

• Train or flight to the mainland coast, then fly. Fly Mumbai to Chennai or Kolkata, then continue by air to Port Blair. Handy if the direct one-stop fares are expensive on your dates.

The Andaman Islands lie roughly 2,286 km (about 1,421 miles) east of Mumbai, across the Bay of Bengal. Because that entire distance is open sea, there is no road or rail line that reaches the islands, and no ship sails from Mumbai directly. So every route to reach Andaman from Mumbai ends the same way: you arrive at Port Blair (now officially Sri Vijaya Puram) either by air or on a government ship boarded at an east-coast mainland port. Flying is what almost everyone actually does. The rest of this guide compares each mode on time, cost and comfort so you can pick the one that fits your dates and budget.

How far is Andaman from Mumbai? Mumbai to Port Blair is about 2,286 km (1,421 miles) in a straight line across the Bay of Bengal. By air, a one-stop flight covers it in roughly 5 hours of total travel. By sea, the mainland ship ports sit 1,200 to 1,360 km from Port Blair.

Costs are indicative and move with season and how far ahead you book. Confirm live fares before you commit.

By Air: The Fastest Way (About 5 Hours)

Taking a flight from Mumbai is the fastest and by far the most popular way to reach Andaman. There is no direct, non-stop flight from Mumbai to Port Blair. Every service routes through one stop, usually Chennai, Bengaluru or Kolkata, so the total journey runs about 5 hours when the layover is short, and up to 7 or 8 hours if you draw a longer connection. Book a morning departure: Port Blair airport handles most arrivals before early afternoon, and an early flight leaves you time to reach the jetty for an onward ferry to Havelock or Neil the same day.

Which airlines fly Mumbai to Port Blair?

You have a real choice of carriers on the one-stop routing. IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express, SpiceJet and Akasa Air all sell Mumbai to Port Blair tickets connecting through a mainland hub. IndiGo and Air India run the most frequencies, so they are usually the ones to check first for a same-day single-stop connection. Akasa Air is the newest entrant and can undercut on price on the right dates. Fares typically sit between INR 6,000 and INR 15,000 one-way, cheapest in the shoulder months and when you book three to six weeks ahead. Set a fare alert on your travel dates, because Port Blair is a limited-capacity route and prices climb fast in December and the April to May peak.

By Train and Ship: Via Chennai, Kolkata or Visakhapatnam

There is no train to the Andaman Islands. They sit in the Bay of Bengal with no rail link of any kind, so a "train from Mumbai to Andaman" always means the rail-plus-sea route. You take a train from Mumbai to an east-coast port city, then continue by government ship (or fly the last leg from that city). Rough rail times from Mumbai: Chennai around 24 hours, Kolkata 30 to 36 hours, and Visakhapatnam 17 to 20 hours. Sleeper fares to the railhead start from about INR 600. This route only makes sense if the sea voyage is part of the appeal or you are counting every rupee, because with the ship added on top you are looking at four to six days each way.

By Sea / Ship: The Government Passenger Ships

No ship sails from Mumbai to Andaman. To travel by sea you first reach one of three mainland ports, then board a government passenger ship run by the Directorate of Shipping Services (DSS). The ports and their distances to Port Blair are Chennai (1,362 km), Kolkata (1,297 km) and Visakhapatnam (1,216 km). The crossing takes three to four days depending on weather and the vessel, on ships such as the MV Swaraj Dweep, MV Nancowry and MV Campbell Bay. Ships dock at Haddo Wharf in Port Blair, a short drive from the town centre.

Fares are set by DSS and are far cheaper than flying. Bunk class runs roughly INR 2,500 to INR 4,300 one-way for non-islanders, with second-class cabin, first-class cabin and deluxe cabin costing progressively more. Sailings are not daily and seats sell out well in advance, so this is a plan-ahead option, not a turn-up-and-go one. Tickets are sold through the DSS booking counters and their online portal, not by airlines or travel agents.

Cheapest and Fastest Ways Compared

The cheapest way to reach Andaman from Mumbai is a train to Chennai, Kolkata or Visakhapatnam, then a bunk-class government ship to Port Blair. That can total under INR 4,000 one-way, but it also takes the longest, about four to six days each way.

The fastest and most reliable way is a one-stop flight, around 5 hours of travel from roughly INR 6,000. For almost every traveller the flight wins on the maths: the ship saves money but costs days of holiday at both ends.

Permits and Practical Info

Indian citizens need no permit and no passport to visit the main Andaman tourist areas. A valid government photo ID such as an Aadhaar card, PAN card, voter ID or driving licence is enough, and you may be asked for it at the airport, the ferry counters and hotel check-in, so carry one for every traveller. Foreign nationals no longer need a Restricted Area Permit for most of the popular islands, but a few zones (parts of the Nicobar group and tribal reserves) remain off-limits, so foreign visitors should confirm the current rule before booking. There is no time-zone change: the islands run on Indian Standard Time.

Once You Land: Getting Between the Islands

Reaching Port Blair is only the first leg. Most itineraries then hop across to Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil (Shaheed Dweep) by fast catamaran ferry. Private operators Makruzz, Green Ocean and Nautika run the air-conditioned services (Port Blair to Havelock takes about 1.5 to 2 hours), while the state government ferries are cheaper but slower and book out fast. Reserve the inter-island ferries a few days ahead in peak season. For the full island-hopping plan and things to do, see our Andaman travel guide.

Andaman Tour Packages From Mumbai

Prefer to have the flights, ferries, hotels and sightseeing handled for you? Every TravelTriangle package can start from Mumbai, and our Andaman tour packages from Mumbai bundle the Mumbai flight, airport and ferry transfers, and island stays into one customisable trip. Popular formats run 4 nights / 5 days to 6 nights / 7 days across Port Blair, Havelock and Neil. Compare more options on the Andaman tour packages page, or browse the Andaman honeymoon packages if you are travelling as a couple.