Andaman in October 2026: Weather, Places & Things to Do

Andaman weather in October 2026 stays warm and humid, with daytime highs of 29 to 31 degrees C and nights of 24 to 26 degrees C. Expect around 270 mm of rain over roughly 14 wet days, heavier early in the month and easing by late October. Humidity runs near 77 percent, the sea sits at about 28 to 29 degrees C, and water clarity improves week by week.

October is a transition month in the Andamans. It marks the end of the southwest monsoon, which runs roughly June to September, and the start of the long dry season that lasts through to May. Temperatures barely move across the year here, so October feels much like any other month on the thermometer. What changes is the rain and the sea. The archipelago is closer to the equator than most of India, so evenings stay mild and you will never reach for a warm layer.

October at a glance

The single most useful thing to understand about the month is the arc inside it, because no other page splits it this cleanly. The first week or ten days still carries the tail of the monsoon. You get choppier seas, patchy underwater visibility from run-off, and a wet-day chance near 70 percent. Some of those showers are brief, some are proper downpours. From about the middle of the month the pattern flips. Swell drops, the run-off clears, the wet-day odds fall toward 46 percent, and the reefs open up. If diving or snorkelling is the main reason for your trip, treat the last two weeks of October as your target and keep one buffer day for weather. If you mostly want empty beaches and the lowest rates, the first half rewards you, as long as you can shrug off a shower.

Yes. October is a good time to visit Andaman and a smart-value one. It opens the dry season with warm 29 to 31 degrees C days, calming seas and thinner crowds than the December peak. The trade-off is early-month showers and slightly variable diving in week one, so late-October dates give you the clearest water and the best conditions.

For anyone deciding between months, October lands in a genuine sweet spot. The weather has turned but the December to January crush has not arrived, so you get the shoulder-season combination of decent conditions, room to move and softer prices. It is not flawless. Early October can still surprise you with a heavy shower, and the sea takes a couple of weeks to fully settle. Weighed against a peak-season trip that costs more and books out earlier, most travellers who plan around the back half of the month come away feeling they timed it well.

October versus peak season versus monsoon

For the full month-by-month picture, see our best time to visit Andaman guide, or compare with Andaman in September and Andaman in December.

October is when the Andaman Sea comes back to life for water activities. Through the monsoon, swell and run-off cut visibility and shut down a lot of operations. As the system withdraws, the water settles and the reefs clear, which is why so many dive shops treat October as the reopening of their season. The improvement is gradual rather than instant, so the later your dates, the more dependable your day on the water.

Scuba diving

Dive operators around Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) ramp back up as visibility improves. Early October can be hit or miss, with the odd day called off for weather. By late October it is dependable, and the marine life is active as the season opens. Beginners can do a Discover Scuba dive with no certification, usually around Rs 3,500, and be back on the beach by lunch. Certified divers get the clearer water on the outer sites.

Snorkelling and sea walking

Elephant Beach and North Bay Island are the easy wins, with shallow coral close to shore and short boat access. Clarity climbs through the month, so a mid-to-late October snorkel is far better value than a first-week one. Sea walking, where you walk the seabed in a weighted helmet, suits non-swimmers and runs at North Bay.

Glass-bottom boats, kayaking and cruises

For a dry-hair option, glass-bottom boats at North Bay let non-swimmers see the reef on a short ride from Port Blair. Calmer late-October water also makes for steadier kayaking and parasailing. The Makruzz and other private ferries run the Port Blair to Havelock to Neil routes, and you should pre-book these, especially around weekends.

For a deeper breakdown of operators, prices and spots, read our full guide to water sports in Andaman.

With the rains easing and the crowds still thin, October is an ideal month to cover the headline islands and Port Blair’s history without the peak-season queues.

Radhanagar Beach (Beach No. 7), Havelock

Radhanagar is on Havelock’s west coast, about a 25-minute drive (12 km) from the jetty. It is the wide, pale-sand curve most people picture when they think Andaman, and Time named it the best beach in Asia back in 2004. Swimming conditions get better as October dries out, and because the beach faces due west, this is where everyone gathers for the sunset. Aim to be there by 4 pm.

Elephant Beach, Havelock

Reached by a short boat ride or a forest walk from Havelock jetty, Elephant Beach is the islands’ easiest snorkelling spot, with shallow coral close to the shore. October’s clearing water makes a half-day here excellent value, and it is a gentle place to try snorkelling for the first time.

North Bay Island

A short boat ride from Port Blair, North Bay packs snorkelling, sea walking, glass-bottom boats and beginner scuba into one spot. It is the natural choice for your first day, when you have just landed and want the water without a long transfer.

Cellular Jail and Ross Island, Port Blair

The Cellular Jail National Memorial preserves the colonial-era prison at the heart of India’s freedom struggle, and its evening Light and Sound show is worth booking ahead. Pair it with Ross Island (Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep), the former British administrative headquarters, now atmospheric ruins reclaimed by forest and roamed by deer. You reach it by ferry from Aberdeen Jetty.

Chidiya Tapu and Mount Harriet National Park

Chidiya Tapu, or Bird Island, sits at the southern tip of South Andaman and delivers birdwatching and one of the area’s best sunsets. Mount Harriet National Park, officially Mount Manipur National Park since 2021, offers forest trails and high viewpoints over the islands. October’s post-monsoon greenery shows both at their best.

If wildlife and forest trails are your thing, our guide to the national parks in Andaman covers what is open and when.

A couple of things happen in October that you cannot see in the peak winter months, and they are easy to fold into a trip.

Durga Puja in Port Blair

The islands have a large Bengali community, and Durga Puja is the biggest event on their October calendar. In 2026 the main days run from 16 to 21 October, with the celebration centred on Port Blair. Neighbourhoods such as Junglighat, Marine Hill and MES Haddo put up pandals, string the streets with lights and flowers, and open the evenings to food stalls that anyone can wander. If your dates overlap the second half of the month, an evening of pandal-hopping is a genuine local experience that most beach-focused itineraries miss.

Turtle nesting begins at Cuthbert Bay

Toward the end of October the first sea turtles start coming ashore to nest at Cuthbert Bay beach in Middle Andaman, the opening of a season that runs deep into the winter. It is a quiet, low-key thing rather than a mass spectacle this early, and sightings are never guaranteed, but for wildlife-minded travellers it is the sort of October-specific detail worth building a Middle Andaman detour around.

• Island-hop the main trio: Port Blair, Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil (Shaheed Dweep), the classic loop, with calmer late-October ferry crossings.
• Snorkel or sea-walk at Elephant Beach and North Bay as the visibility climbs through the month.
• Dive off Havelock, a Discover Scuba dive for newcomers or fun dives for certified divers in the clearing water.
• See the Cellular Jail Light and Sound show for the freedom-struggle history, and pair it with the ruins on Ross Island.
• Catch the sunset while birdwatching at Chidiya Tapu on the southern tip of South Andaman.
• Join an evening of Durga Puja pandal-hopping in Port Blair if your trip falls between 16 and 21 October.
• Take a glass-bottom boat at North Bay for a dry-option look at the reef if you would rather not get in the water.

Getting there

Almost everyone flies into Port Blair. The city was renamed Sri Vijaya Puram on 13 September 2024, though the airport keeps its name, Veer Savarkar International Airport (IXZ). Direct and connecting flights run from Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai among other metros. Passenger ships sail from Chennai, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam, but they take roughly 60 to 70 hours, so flying is the practical choice for almost every traveller. Indian nationals need only a government photo ID for the main islands. No passport is required.

What to pack

• Light cottons and quick-dry fabrics for warm, humid days around 29 to 31 degrees C.
• A compact rain jacket or a travel umbrella for the early-October showers.
• Reef-safe sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses for the strong sun between showers.
• Swimwear, a rash guard and water shoes for snorkelling and rocky entries.
• Insect repellent for the evenings and forest trails, plus a dry bag for boat days.
• A power bank and offline maps, since island network coverage can be patchy.

1. Pick your week. Late October gives you the clearest water and the best water sports. Early October gives you the lowest crowds and rates if you can tolerate a shower.
2. Book flights into Veer Savarkar International Airport (IXZ), Port Blair. Shoulder-season fares undercut the December to January peak. Booking four to six weeks ahead balances price and availability.
3. Map a 6 to 7 day route. A week is the comfortable minimum. A typical split is about 2 nights in Port Blair, 3 in Havelock and 1 to 2 in Neil.
4. Reserve inter-island ferries early. Pre-book the Makruzz and other private ferries for the Port Blair to Havelock to Neil legs, especially around weekends.
5. Schedule water sports for the back half. Visibility improves as October goes on, so place scuba and snorkelling on your later days and keep one weather buffer.
6. Carry ID and pre-book the key experiences. Indian nationals need a photo ID only. Lock in the Cellular Jail Light and Sound show and any dive slots in advance.

delivers the clearest water and the most reliable water sports, while the first half offers the lowest crowds and rates. Either way you catch the start of the dry season at shoulder-season prices, which is one of the best risk-adjusted windows the islands offer. When you have your week picked, you can browse and customise Andaman tour packages or read the wider Andaman tourism guide to shape the rest of the trip.