Barren Island Trip Cost: Charter, Scuba Seat & Permit Fees

Barren Island Cost at a Glance

This is every cost you are likely to pay to visit Barren Island, in one place. The field quotes these figures differently from one operator to the next, so the verified items (entry, permit basics, GST, season) are stated plainly and the operator-driven prices are shown as current 2026 ranges to confirm at booking.

Costs marked to confirm move with the operator, fuel and season; the entry fee, permit rules, GST and dive-certification requirement are current for the 2026 season.

Private Charter Cost (Port Blair vs Havelock)

A private boat charter to Barren Island costs roughly INR 1.5 lakh plus 5% GST from Port Blair and about INR 1.4 lakh plus GST from Havelock, for the whole boat carrying up to six to eight people. Chartering means the vessel is yours for the day, you set the departure, the dive or snorkel stops around the caldera, and the return. The Havelock departure is a little cheaper mainly because the crossing is shorter; Port Blair is the more common, better-serviced start point. If your group is larger than the boat's capacity, expect an extra-guest charge of anywhere from INR 6,000 to INR 15,000 per head, the single figure that varies most between operators, so confirm it in writing before you pay a deposit. The 5% GST applies on top of the charter price.

Shared & Per-Seat Cost: Cost-Per-Head When You Group Up

If you don't want to pay for a whole boat, a shared or per-seat Barren Island trip costs about INR 20,000 to INR 30,000 per person plus GST. This is the route most travellers take: an operator fills the boat with individual bookings, so you only pay for your seat rather than the full INR 1.4–1.5 lakh charter. The maths is simple, split one private charter across seven or eight people and the cost-per-head lands around INR 20,000, which is why joining (or forming) a group is the cheapest way to reach Barren Island. Solo travellers and couples almost always save by taking a shared seat; only families and larger groups come out ahead chartering the whole vessel.

Scuba Diving Cost at Barren Island

A scuba trip to Barren Island costs around INR 22,000 per person for a three-dive day. It is a long, committing day, roughly twelve hours, with a start around 3 AM to reach the dive sites by morning, and it is open only to divers holding an ADVANCED open-water certification, because of the depth, currents and remoteness. The signature dive sites around the caldera are Purple Haze, Barren Garden and Manta Point, known for black volcanic sand, fast coral regrowth and large pelagics. If extra dives, gear or a snorkel set are not already bundled into your seat, add-ons run about INR 3,000 to INR 8,000 per person. There is no cost to enter the water itself, the price is entirely the boat, the dive operation and the certified guides.

Permit & Forest-Department Fees (Indian vs Foreigner)

Barren Island sits inside a protected zone, so every trip needs a Forest-Department permit arranged at Port Blair, almost always handled by your charter or dive operator. For Indian nationals the permit costs roughly INR 500 to INR 1,000; for foreign nationals it is about INR 2,500, and foreigners must also carry an Andaman entry permit along with their passport. The permit covers approaching and diving around the island; it does not buy a landing, because no one is allowed ashore. Operators reconcile these fees differently, so confirm whether the permit is inside your quoted price or billed separately before you travel.

Is There an Entry Fee for Barren Island?

No. There is no entry fee for Barren Island. It costs INR 0 to enter because you cannot enter at all. Landing on the island is prohibited. It is uninhabited, environmentally protected, and an active volcano, so all viewing and diving happens from the boat. What you actually pay for is the trip itself, the private charter or shared dive seat, the Forest-Department permit, and any add-ons. It is not a gate ticket. The live "entry fee = INR 0" figure is technically true but misleading on its own, and the numbers above are what a real Barren Island visit costs.

What's Included, Best Time to Go & How Costs Change by Season

Comparing a INR 20,000 seat with a INR 1.5-lakh charter only makes sense once you know what each price covers. Most Barren Island trip quotes break down like this:

Season is the other cost factor. The best, and effectively the only practical, time to visit Barren Island is November to February, when calm seas let the boats run on schedule. During the monsoon, trips are often cancelled, and a cancelled charter can mean losing a paid day, so most operators only run Barren trips in the calm-water window. Always confirm whether the dive seat, permit and GST are inside the quoted price or added on the day. That single line is what makes one quote look cheaper than another.

Barren Island is almost always done as a long boat or liveaboard day from Port Blair or Havelock, so it fits into a wider adventure itinerary. For the full picture of how to reach the island, the dive sites and the volcano story, read the Barren Island scuba, boat tour & permit guide, and for the science and history of the volcano see the Barren Island volcano explainer. When you're ready to price it up, browse Andaman adventure & scuba tour packages that can bundle a Barren Island charter into a customisable trip, or start from the Andaman tourism guide.