Howrah Bridge, Andaman: A Complete Guide To Neil Island’s Natural Rock Bridge

The quick facts a visitor actually needs before planning a Neil Island day. Prices are indicative per person and should be confirmed locally.

The Howrah Bridge in Andaman is a naturally formed rock arch on Neil Island, shaped over a long period by waves cutting through softer rock and exposed coral until an opening — an archway — was left standing. It is a coastal sea arch, the same family of formation you see at famous coastlines worldwide, and its surface is crusted with living coral, algae and shells. Bengali settlers on Neil Island nicknamed it the “Howrah Bridge” because its single span reminded them of the iconic cantilever bridge in Kolkata; in tourism listings you will also see it called the “Natural Bridge” or “natural rock formation.” All three names point to the same spot off Laxmanpur Beach No. 2.

Neil Island itself was officially renamed Shaheed Dweep in December 2018 (Havelock became Swaraj Dweep at the same time), so newer maps, ferry tickets and signboards may use Shaheed Dweep — the island, the beaches and the Howrah Bridge are unchanged. Neil is small and flat, known locally as the “vegetable bowl” of the Andamans for its farmland, which is why most visitors cover the Howrah Bridge, Laxmanpur, Bharatpur and Sitapur beaches comfortably in a single day. For the wider island, see our full  Neil Island travel guide.

No — and this is the most common confusion, so it is worth clearing up. Kolkata’s Howrah Bridge (officially Rabindra Setu) is a man-made steel cantilever bridge over the Hooghly River, opened in 1943, carrying road traffic between Howrah and Kolkata. The Howrah Bridge in Andaman is a natural rock arch on a beach on Neil Island — there is no river, no traffic and no engineering; it was carved by the sea. They share only a name, borrowed because the shapes look alike. If you searched “Howrah Bridge” expecting Kolkata, the Andaman one is a completely different, much smaller coastal landmark you visit on foot at low tide.

The Howrah Bridge is a tide-dependent attraction, and getting the timing right is the difference between a memorable visit and a wasted auto ride. At high tide the sea covers the reef flat, the walking path is submerged and the arch is mostly hidden by water. At low tide the sea retreats, the rocky path opens up, and you can walk out across the exposed reef to stand near or under the arch — which is also when the tide pools fill with marine life. Plan your trip around the day’s low-tide window, not around a clock.

There is no posted timing because the tide shifts by roughly 40–50 minutes each day. Check a tide chart for Neil Island / Port Blair the night before (any tide-prediction app or website covering the Andaman & Nicobar Islands works), and aim to arrive about an hour before the predicted low. The table below is what to expect at each tide state.

Low tide vs high tide at the Howrah Bridge

One safety note our writers learned the hard way. Don’t linger out on the reef as the tide turns. The water comes back across a flat reef faster than it looks, and the corals are sharp. Walk out near low tide, give yourself plenty of margin, and head back well before the sea returns.

The Howrah Bridge sits at the far end of Laxmanpur Beach No. 2 on the north-western side of Neil Island, about 2 km from the Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) jetty. Reaching it is a two-stage trip: first cross from Port Blair to Neil Island by ferry, then cover the short distance from the jetty to Laxmanpur and walk the last stretch to the arch.

Step 1: Port Blair to Neil Island by ferry

All visits start from Port Blair. Private air-conditioned catamarans and government ferries run daily to Neil Island; many travellers reach Neil as a hop between Port Blair and Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) since all three sit on the same ferry routes. Book the private catamarans a few days ahead in peak season, as seats sell out. Indicative options:

For the full breakdown of getting to and around the islands, see our guide on 

how to reach Andaman, and the Neil Island how-to-reach page for current ferry timings.

Step 2: Neil jetty to Laxmanpur Beach No. 2

From the jetty the Howrah Bridge is about 2 km. The easiest way around small, flat Neil Island is a rented scooter (roughly ₹500–600 a day plus fuel); autos, cabs and bicycles are also available. Ride or drive to the Laxmanpur Beach No. 2 parking area, then walk the final 300–400 m — about 10–15 minutes — along a rocky path through coastal scrub and over coral beds to the arch. This last stretch is why closed, grippy footwear matters; flip-flops slip on wet coral.

1. Check the tide. the night before, check a Neil Island / Port Blair tide chart and note the next day’s low-tide time.
2. Get to Neil. from Port Blair, take a morning catamaran or ferry to Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep).
3. Arrange transport. at the jetty, hire a scooter, auto or cab for the ~2 km to Laxmanpur Beach No. 2.
4. Time your arrival. plan to be at the Laxmanpur No. 2 car park about an hour before the predicted low tide.
5. Walk to the arch. follow the 300–400 m rocky trail from the parking area to the reef; wear closed, grippy shoes.
6. Explore at low tide. walk out across the exposed reef to the arch, explore the tide pools, and photograph the formation — keep an eye on the returning tide.
7. Leave safely + catch sunset. head back before the sea returns, and stay on at Laxmanpur for the west-facing sunset.

The arch is the headline, but Laxmanpur Beach No. 2 and the rest of Neil Island give you a full day around it.

• See and photograph the arch. walking out to the arch at low tide is the main event — the formation is most photogenic with the reef exposed and the light low.
• Explore the tide pools. the exposed reef is a natural aquarium at low tide: look for small reef fish, starfish, sea urchins, sea cucumbers and live coral. Look, don’t touch — standing on or handling coral kills it.
• Stay for sunset. Laxmanpur Beach No. 2 faces west and is one of the best sunset spots on Neil Island; many visitors time the Howrah Bridge for late afternoon so the walk and the sunset line up.
• Snorkel or dive nearby. the calm, shallow water around Neil is good for beginner snorkelling; intro snorkelling and scuba (no licence needed, depths around 10–12 m) are run mainly off Bharatpur Beach and on boats. Indicative intro-scuba cost is around ₹3,500–6,400 pp.
• Bioluminescent night kayaking. on a clear, moonless night between roughly November and February, operators run bioluminescent night kayaking near Neil where plankton lights up the paddle strokes — a separate booked activity, not part of the Howrah Bridge itself.

Neil Island is compact, so you can pair the Howrah Bridge with its other beaches in one day. Distances below are rough road distances from the Neil Island jetty.

If you have more islands on your trip, Neil pairs naturally with Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Port Blair on the standard ferry circuit — see how it fits into a wider plan in our Neil Island guide and the Andaman tourism hub.

The Howrah Bridge is best between November and February, when the weather is dry, the sea is calm and daytime temperatures sit around 20–30°C. The wider visiting season runs from October to May; the islands largely shut to leisure travel during the south-west monsoon (roughly June to September), when seas are rough and ferries are disrupted. Whichever month you choose, the daily tide window still decides your exact visiting time.

• Time it to the tide. the formation only reveals itself at low tide — nothing else on this list matters if you arrive at high tide.
• Wear grippy, closed footwear. the reef is sharp and slippery; closed shoes with grip beat sandals or flip-flops.
• Bring water and sun cover. there are no shops or toilets at the arch and little shade on the walk — carry water, sunscreen and a hat.
• Don’t touch the coral. standing on or touching coral damages a living reef; stay on the rock, take only photos.
• Carry cash. Neil has limited ATMs and patchy card acceptance — carry enough cash for scooter hire, ferries and snacks (BSNL and Airtel give the most reliable signal).
• No entry fee. entry is free and there is no ticket counter — you only pay for transport and any activities you book.

Most travellers see the Howrah Bridge as part of a half-day or full-day on Neil Island, slotted between Port Blair and Havelock on a 5–7 day Andaman itinerary. Because everything hinges on the tide and the ferry schedule, it is one of those stops that is far easier on a planned, customisable trip than booked piecemeal on the day.

The Howrah Bridge rewards travellers who get one thing right — the tide. Arrive at low tide with the right shoes and an hour to spare, and you get a natural rock arch, a reef full of marine life and one of Neil Island’s best sunsets in a single short walk. If you would rather have the ferries, the Neil Island day and the tide-friendly timing handled for you, TravelTriangle can build it into a fully customisable Andaman tour package so the Howrah Bridge lands on a low-tide afternoon, not a wasted one.

• Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) travel guide — the full island, all its beaches and how to plan a day there.
• How to reach Andaman — flights, ships and the inter-island ferry network explained.
• Andaman tourism hub — best time, itineraries, costs and everything else for the islands.
• Andaman tour packages — customisable trips that build Neil Island and the Howrah Bridge into the right tide window.