Places to visit in Andaman

The best places to visit in Andaman fall into four easy clusters: Port Blair and its day-trip islands, Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) for the headline beaches and diving, Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) for a slower pace, and Baratang, North Andaman and the outer islands for caves, the chain's highest peak and offbeat trips. This guide groups the islands' top sightseeing spots the way you actually travel them, island by island, with the entry fee, timings, how to reach and how long to spend at each, then turns the map into ready 4 to 7 day itineraries you can book. It is built to help you choose and plan, not just scroll.

Andaman and Nicobar sit far out in the Bay of Bengal, a short flight or a long voyage from India's east coast, and feel a world apart from the mainland. Sightseeing here is beaches, far-flung islands and forested interiors, reached by flights into Port Blair and inter-island ferries. Use the at-a-glance section first to fix your dates and route, then settle into the island you are basing yourself on.

Best time to visit. Andaman is a year-round destination, but the best window is October to May, the dry season that covers winter and the cooler summer months, with calm seas, reliable ferries and the best conditions for sightseeing, beaches and water sports. The southwest monsoon, roughly June to September, brings rough seas that can suspend boats to Jolly Buoy, Barren Island and the outer islands, though the forests are at their greenest and rates are lowest.

How to reach. Fly into Veer Savarkar International Airport, Port Blair. Direct flights connect Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. From Port Blair you island-hop by government and private ferries, about 1.5 to 2 hours to Havelock and around 1 to 1.5 hours on to Neil. Book inter-island ferries in advance in peak season. Passenger ships also sail from Chennai, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam, but take 3 to 4 days each way.

How many days. Plan 4 to 7 nights to do the islands justice. Four to five nights covers Port Blair plus Havelock; five to six adds Neil; six to seven lets you add Baratang or a North Andaman leg. Anything under four nights ends up rushed once you account for ferry timings.

Andaman at a Glance

Quick-plan table. Figures are indicative; confirm current ferry timings and fares before you travel.

Port Blair and Its Day-Trip Islands

Port Blair, the capital, is where almost every Andaman trip begins: it has the airport, the main jetties and enough history and day-trip islands to fill your first one to two days before you sail onward. These are the must-see sights in and around the capital.

Cellular Jail National Memorial

Entry INR 30 (camera extra), Light & Sound show ticket separate. Timings Tue to Sun about 9 AM to 5 PM (closed Mon), evening show after dark. How to reach central Port Blair, about 10 min from the bus stand. Time needed 1.5 to 2 hrs plus the evening show.

First opened in 1906, the Cellular Jail, the "Kala Pani", is the most important historical site in the islands, built by the British to hold Indian freedom fighters in solitary cells. Walk the surviving wings and the central tower, then return after dark for the Light & Sound show that narrates its history. Pair it with the nearby Anthropological and Samudrika Naval Marine museums. For full visiting details, see our Cellular Jail guide.

Ross Island (Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep)

Entry about INR 30 plus ferry fare. Timings open daytime, ferries through the day (closed certain days). How to reach ferry 20 to 30 min from Aberdeen Jetty or the Water Sports Complex. Time needed 2 to 3 hrs, combine with North Bay.

Once the British administrative headquarters, Ross Island is now a photogenic ruin: colonial-era buildings reclaimed by giant fig roots, with free-roaming deer and peacocks and a small light-and-sound show. It is a short hop from Port Blair and pairs naturally with North Bay on a single half-day boat circuit.

North Bay Island

Entry free, activities charged separately. Timings daytime, weather-dependent. How to reach speedboat from Port Blair, often with Ross Island. Time needed half a day.

North Bay is Port Blair's water-sports and coral island: the place for snorkelling, sea walking, glass-bottom boat rides and scuba try-dives without leaving the capital. The reef sits close to shore, so it suits first-timers and families short on time.

Corbyn's Cove Beach

Entry free. Timings open all day. How to reach about 7 km, 15 min from Port Blair town. Time needed 1 to 2 hrs.

The closest beach to the capital, Corbyn's Cove is a coconut-fringed curve good for an easy evening or a quick jet-ski and speed-boat session. It is the simplest beach to fit around arrival or departure day.

Chidiya Tapu (Sunset Point and Munda Pahad)

Entry free (the Biological Park charges entry). Timings best in late afternoon for sunset. How to reach about 25 km, 40 min south of Port Blair. Time needed 2 to 3 hrs.

Known as "Bird Island," Chidiya Tapu is the best sunset and birdwatching spot near Port Blair, with a short forest trail up to the Munda Pahad viewpoint and a biological park nearby. Finish before dark and stay clear of the creeks, where saltwater crocodiles live. Read more in our Chidiya Tapu guide.

Mount Harriet National Park (Mount Manipur)

Entry national-park entry fee. Timings daytime. How to reach across the harbour from Port Blair (ferry plus road). Time needed half a day.

At about 365 metres, Mount Harriet, officially renamed Mount Manipur, is one of the highest points in South Andaman, with rainforest trails, birdlife and the harbour view that once appeared on the back of the INR 20 note. It suits travellers who want a forest-and-viewpoint half day from the capital.

Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park (Wandoor) and Jolly Buoy

Entry forest entry plus boat ticket, permit at Wandoor. Timings daytime, closed in the monsoon. How to reach about 29 km, 1 hr to Wandoor jetty, then boat. Time needed most of a day.

At Wandoor, the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park protects some of the islands' finest coral. Glass-bottom and ferry boats run out to Jolly Buoy (a strict no-plastic eco zone) or Red Skin Island, which alternate by season, for clear-water snorkelling over live coral. Boats do not run in rough monsoon seas, so this is a dry-season trip.

Viper Island

Entry boat fare. Timings daytime, access can be restricted, check locally. How to reach short boat ride from Port Blair. Time needed 1 to 2 hrs.

Viper Island carries the islands' grim pre-Cellular-Jail history: the old gallows and prison ruins sit among mangroves a short boat ride from the capital. It is usually visited as a brief add-on; confirm current access before planning, as opening can vary.

Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep)

Havelock, officially Swaraj Dweep, is the heart of an Andaman trip and the islands' best base for beaches, snorkelling and scuba diving. Many of the best things to do in Andaman cluster here. It is about a 1.5 to 2 hour ferry from Port Blair, and most travellers give it two to three nights. These are its headline sights.

Radhanagar Beach (Beach No. 7)

Entry free. Timings daytime, sunset is the highlight, no swimming after dark. How to reach about 12 km from Havelock jetty by auto or taxi. Time needed 2 to 3 hrs.

Radhanagar is the beach Andaman is famous for: a long arc of white sand and turquoise water that was named Asia's best beach by TIME magazine in 2004. It is at its finest at sunset. Lifeguards mark safe swimming zones; heed crocodile-safety signage at the nearby creek and avoid the water after dusk. See our Radhanagar Beach guide.

Elephant Beach

Entry free, activities charged. Timings daytime, closed in rough seas. How to reach speed boat 20 to 30 min, or a 2 km forest trek. Time needed half a day.

Elephant Beach is Havelock's snorkelling and water-sports hub, with a shallow house reef close to shore. You reach it by a short speed-boat ride or on foot via a roughly two-kilometre forest trail, muddy after rain, so wear proper shoes. It is the best spot on the island for first-time snorkellers and sea walks.

Kalapathar Beach

Entry free. Timings daytime. How to reach about 10 km from Havelock jetty. Time needed 1 hr.

Named for the black rocks along its shore, Kalapathar is a calm beach backed by forest. It is a good stop on the drive across the island, best in the soft morning light and far quieter than Radhanagar.

Bioluminescent Night Kayaking

One after-dark experience is worth planning your dates around. On moonless nights, guided kayak trips near Havelock's mangroves paddle through water that glows blue and green when you disturb it, lit by bioluminescent plankton. The trips run mainly in the new-moon windows from about November to April, sell out quickly, and are best booked a day ahead through a licensed operator. Neil Island runs similar outings when conditions allow.

Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep)

Neil Island, officially Shaheed Dweep, is the slow, green counterpoint to Havelock: a small island of paddy patches and quiet beaches about an hour's ferry on from Havelock, easy to cover in a day or an overnight. Its beaches are numbered the local way and each has its moment.

Bharatpur, Laxmanpur, Sitapur and the Natural Bridge

Entry free. Timings Sitapur for sunrise, Laxmanpur for sunset, Natural Bridge at low tide. How to reach a local auto covers all four. Time needed half to a full day.

Bharatpur Beach is Neil's water-sports beach, with a coral patch and glass-bottom boats near the jetty. Laxmanpur is the long sunset beach; Sitapur catches the sunrise. The island's signature sight is the Natural Bridge (locally the "Howrah Bridge"), a natural coral-rock arch you can only walk out to at low tide, so check the tide chart before you go.

Baratang, North Andaman and the Outer Islands

Beyond the Port Blair, Havelock and Neil triangle, the islands open up to caves, the chain's highest peak, an active volcano and genuinely offbeat trips. These need more time and planning. Add them only if you have six nights or more.

Baratang Island: Limestone Caves and Mud Volcanoes

Entry boat plus guide charges. Timings early-morning convoy departures only. How to reach about 100 km, 3 hrs north of Port Blair via the Andaman Trunk Road. Time needed a full day from Port Blair.

Baratang is the islands' most unusual day trip: a chamber of natural limestone caves reached by a boat ride through mangrove creeks and a short boardwalk, plus a set of bubbling mud volcanoes. The Andaman Trunk Road to it runs in a timed vehicle convoy through the Jarawa Tribal Reserve, where stopping, photography and any interaction are prohibited by law, so the day starts before dawn. Read our Baratang Island guide.

Saddle Peak and Diglipur (North Andaman)

Entry Forest Department permit plus fee. Timings daytime, dry season only. How to reach about 325 km from Port Blair (long road plus ferry). Time needed 1 to 2 nights in the north.

At about 732 metres, Saddle Peak is the highest point in the entire Andaman and Nicobar chain, reached on a demanding rainforest trek near Diglipur in the far north. The Diglipur region also has Ross & Smith Islands, a twin island joined by a sandbar at low tide, and Kalipur beach, where four species of sea turtle, including the giant leatherback, come ashore to nest between roughly December and February. Alfred Caves lies nearby. It is a long haul from Port Blair, so plan it as a one to two night extension, not a day trip.

Barren Island

Entry no landing permitted, viewed from the boat. Timings dry season, sea-dependent. How to reach a liveaboard dive boat or cruise from Port Blair. Time needed a day cruise or dive trip.

Barren Island is home to the only active volcano in South Asia. Landing is not allowed, so it is seen from the deck of a chartered boat or on a scuba liveaboard. The surrounding waters are among the islands' top advanced dive sites. It is a weather-dependent trip for divers and the genuinely curious.

Little Andaman, Long Island and the offbeat south

Entry ferry fares. Timings government ferries on a fixed schedule. How to reach Little Andaman is a 6 to 8 hr ferry to Hut Bay. Time needed a multi-day add-on.

For travellers with time, Little Andaman (Hut Bay) offers surfing, waterfalls and empty beaches a long ferry south of Port Blair, while Long Island near Rangat is a tiny, road-free escape. From Long Island a short boat runs to Merk Bay, a powder-white sandbar beach that ranks among the quietest swimming spots in the whole chain. The Nicobar group, including Campbell Bay on Great Nicobar, is the southernmost part of the territory and is largely closed to tourism: it requires special restricted-area permits and is not part of a standard Andaman trip.

Offbeat and Lesser-Known Andaman

Beyond the headline beaches, a handful of quieter spots reward travellers who have a spare day and do not mind rougher logistics. Merk Bay off Long Island is a near-empty white sandbar reached only by boat. Guitar Island and Avis Island are tiny, uninhabited day-trip beaches near Rangat and Mayabunder. Kalipur in the far north is one of the few beaches in India where sea turtles nest each winter, and the bubbling mud volcanoes at Baratang and Diglipur are rare geology you will not find on most itineraries. None of these are quick to reach, so treat them as add-ons to a six-night-plus trip rather than must-dos on a first visit.

Suggested Andaman Itineraries (4N5D, 5N6D, 6N7D)

Here is how the sights above fit together into a working trip. Each plan is a skeleton: ferry timings shift the order, and every itinerary can be customised to your dates and pace. For a quick, fixed-price version, a 3-day Andaman itinerary package covers the Port Blair essentials, and the full set of customisable plans sits in our Andaman tour packages.

4 Nights / 5 Days: Andaman Classic (Port Blair plus Havelock)

• Day 1: Arrive Port Blair, Cellular Jail in the afternoon, Light & Sound show in the evening.

• Day 2: Ross Island plus North Bay by boat; snorkelling or sea walk at North Bay.

• Day 3: Morning ferry to Havelock, sunset at Radhanagar Beach.

• Day 4: Elephant Beach for snorkelling, then Kalapathar Beach.

• Day 5: Ferry back to Port Blair, last-minute shopping, depart.

5 Nights / 6 Days: Add Neil Island

• Days 1 to 2: Port Blair as above, Cellular Jail, Ross and North Bay, Corbyn's Cove or Chidiya Tapu sunset.

• Days 3 to 4: Havelock, Radhanagar, Elephant Beach, Kalapathar.

• Day 5: Ferry to Neil, Natural Bridge at low tide, Laxmanpur sunset.

• Day 6: Bharatpur or Sitapur in the morning, ferry to Port Blair, depart.

6 Nights / 7 Days: Add Baratang or North Andaman

• Days 1 to 5: The 5N6D plan above, Port Blair, Havelock and Neil.

• Day 6: Full-day Baratang trip from Port Blair, limestone caves and mud volcanoes (pre-dawn convoy start). Alternatively, begin a North Andaman leg to Diglipur for Saddle Peak and Ross & Smith Islands.

• Day 7: Buffer day for ferries, a missed sight or pure beach time, then depart.

Plan and Book Your Andaman Trip

When you are ready to turn this map into a booked trip, TravelTriangle's Andaman tour packages bundle the flights, inter-island ferries, hotels, permits and sightseeing into one customisable itinerary through verified local agents, so the ferry timings, Baratang convoy and island transfers are arranged for you. Travelling as a couple or a family? Start from our Andaman honeymoon packages or family packages and adjust the islands, nights and budget to suit you. Every plan is shaped around your dates, backed by 40 Lac+ travellers since 2011.

Still planning? Browse the full Andaman travel guide for islands, ferries and best-time detail, see the best things to do in Andaman, or jump straight to customisable Andaman tour packages.