Baratang Island Trip Cost: Permit, Boat Fares & Tour Packages

Is There an Entry Fee for Baratang Island?

No. There is no gate ticket or entry fee for Baratang Island, visiting the island costs INR 0. Unlike Cellular Jail or Ross Island, Baratang is not a ticketed monument; it is a natural area you reach overland and by boat from Port Blair. What people mean when they ask about the "entry fee" is the real cost of the trip: the permit (free for Indians), the ferry, the speed-boat to the Limestone Caves, and the cab or tour that gets you there. Those costs are itemised below.

Baratang Island Cost Breakdown: At a Glance

This is every cost you are likely to pay on a Baratang day trip from Port Blair, in one place. Prices that move with the operator or season are marked to confirm at booking; the verified ones are stated plainly.

Costs marked to confirm vary by operator and season; the entry fee, permit rules, ferry and speed-boat figures are current for the 2026 season.

Permit & Documents Cost (Indians vs Foreigners)

The permit for Baratang costs nothing for Indian travellers. Indian nationals do not need a special permit, you only carry a government photo ID and register at the forest check-post at Jirkatang before the convoy. Because Baratang sits beyond the Jarawa Tribal Reserve, foreign nationals do need an Andaman entry permit, which is issued free at Port Blair; carry your passport along with it. There is no charge to enter the reserve itself, but you must travel through it inside the escorted convoy, where stopping, photography and any interaction with the Jarawa community are prohibited by law.

How Much Does a Baratang Day Tour from Port Blair Cost?

A Baratang day trip can cost anywhere from a few hundred rupees to several thousand per person, depending on how you travel. The trip runs about 10–12 hours door to door from Port Blair, so most visitors weigh cost against comfort and the very early (around 3:30–4:00 AM) start needed to catch the 6:00 AM convoy. Here is the cost ladder from cheapest to most comfortable.

Budget tiers

• Government bus (cheapest): ~INR 50–100 each way, state buses leave Port Blair around 5:30 AM and 11 AM; you still pay the ~INR 900 speed-boat at Nilambur. Best for solo budget travellers who don't mind a long, fixed-schedule day.
• Shared / seat-in-cab tour: typically INR 1,500–2,500 per person all-in (incl. transport, permits, boat). The best value for couples and small groups.
• Private cab round trip: INR 4,500–6,000 for the car (shared across passengers) plus ~INR 900/person for the speed-boat, flexible timing and door-to-door comfort for families.
• Full operator package: INR 3,000–3,500 per person.

What's Included vs Excluded in a Baratang Tour Price

Comparing a INR 1,000 tour with a INR 4,500 one only makes sense once you know what each covers. Most Baratang day-tour prices break down like this:

Always confirm whether the speed-boat ticket and the small attraction permits are inside the quoted price or paid separately on the day, that single line is what makes one quote look cheaper than another.

Cheapest Way to Visit Baratang

The lowest-cost way to see Baratang is the government bus from Port Blair (around INR 50–100 each way), paying only the ~INR 900 speed-boat and a small permit at the attractions, bringing a solo budget day to roughly INR 1,100–1,300 all in. A few ways to keep the cost down:

• Take the 5:30 AM government bus instead of a private cab if you are travelling solo or as a couple on a budget.
• Join a shared seat-in-cab day tour to split transfer costs rather than hiring a whole car.
• Carry enough cash, ATMs near Baratang are unreliable, and the boat and permits are cash-only.
• Travel between November and April, when calm seas mean the ferry and boats run on time and you don't lose a paid day to cancellations.

For most travellers the shared day tour wins on value. It costs only a little more than the bus once you add the speed-boat, and it spares you the risk of missing the 6:00 AM convoy.

Plan Your Baratang Trip

Baratang is almost always done as a day trip from Port Blair, so it slots neatly into a wider Andaman itinerary alongside Havelock and Neil. For the full logistics, convoy timings, how to reach, permits and what to see, read the Baratang Island travel, permit & timings guide, and check the exact Baratang convoy & cave timings before you set out. If you'd rather have the permit, ferry, boat and transfers arranged for you, browse Andaman tour packages that bundle Baratang into a customisable trip, or start from the Andaman tourism guide.