Things To Do In Andaman: 50 Best Activities, Prices & Where To Do Them (2026)

*Water sports run year-round but are suspended during rough seas and the SW monsoon (June–Sept).

The four ways to see Andaman’s reef are not interchangeable. Match the activity to who is travelling rather than to price alone.

Beaches Worth A Full Day

Andaman’s beaches are the reason most itineraries exist. These are the ones worth building a day around, with what each is actually good for.

The islands’ colonial-prison history is the cultural counterweight to the beaches, and it is concentrated in and around Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair).

Cellular Jail & the Light and Sound Show.

The Cellular Jail National Memorial is the single most important historical site in Andaman. Day entry is about ₹30–50 per adult (camera ₹200). The evening Light & Sound Show — narrating the freedom fighters’ story — is a separate ₹300 per adult and ₹150 per child (5–12, free under 5), runs 45 minutes in Hindi and English, and seats fill fast in peak season, so book the same day. The jail is closed on Mondays and public holidays.

Ross Island (Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep).

A 15-minute boat ride from Sri Vijaya Puram, the former British administrative headquarters is now atmospheric ruins reclaimed by banyan roots and patrolled by spotted deer and peacocks. Ferries run ₹200+ return; pair it with North Bay on the same harbour cruise.

Viper Island & the Forest Museum.

Viper Island holds the older gallows and a colonial-era jail predating the Cellular Jail. The Samudrika Marine Museum and the Forest Museum in town are quick, cheap (₹2–50) stops if you have a half-day in Port Blair before a ferry.

Since 2018–2024 several islands have been officially renamed. Tickets, ferries and signboards now use the new names, so it helps to know both. Here is what each island is actually for.

Getting between them: private catamaran ferries — Makruzz, Nautika and Green Ocean — run Sri Vijaya Puram → Swaraj Dweep in about 1.5–2 hours for ₹1,100–1,800, and the government ferry covers the same route for ₹600–920 in 2–2.5 hours. Book the private ferries 1–3 weeks ahead in peak season (December–January), as they sell out.

Beyond the beaches and water sports, this is where Andaman rewards a longer trip.

Bioluminescence (free–₹3,500).

On no-moon nights, the plankton in the water around Havelock and Mayabunder glows when disturbed. Kayak operators run guided trips; you can sometimes see it free from a dark, calm shoreline. This is one of only a few places in India to see it reliably.

Baratang — limestone caves & mud volcano.

A full-day trip from Sri Vijaya Puram (start before dawn) crosses the Jarawa Tribal Reserve in a guarded vehicle convoy, then a boat through mangrove creeks to the limestone caves, plus a small mud volcano. Important: photographing or interacting with the Jarawa is illegal — keep windows up and cameras down through the reserve.

Barren Island — South Asia’s only active volcano.

About 140 km off Port Blair, Barren Island last erupted in recent years and can only be viewed from a boat or dive trip (no landing is permitted). Liveaboard dive operators run trips in the calm season, October–April.

Birding, treks & turtle nesting.

Chidiya Tapu, 25 km from town, is the sunset-and-birdwatching spot. The Mt. Harriet (Mount Manipur) to Madhuban forest trek is a 5–7 hour walk best done November–March. Between December and January, olive ridley and green turtles nest at Karmatang, Cuthbert Bay and Kalipur beaches — a free, ranger-guided evening experience.

Seasonal marine-park islands.

Jolly Buoy and Red Skin islands inside the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park have the clearest snorkelling water, but open only October–May (one is accessible at a time, on rotation) with no plastic allowed and no overnight stays. Cinque, Smith and Ross-&-Smith twin islands (Diglipur) are sandbar-linked day trips for the same crystal water with fewer people.

A few experiences sit between transport and sightseeing. The Makruzz, Nautika and Green Ocean catamarans are themselves comfortable, fast inter-island rides (₹1,100–1,800). Seaplane and tourist helicopter joyrides have appeared in older guides, but Pawan Hans seaplane service between the islands has been intermittent and is often suspended — treat it as ‘check current operations’ rather than a guaranteed booking, and confirm with the operator before planning around it.

Many Andaman lists still advertise swimming with Rajan, the ocean-swimming elephant once kept at Barefoot Resort on Havelock. Rajan died in 2016, and the activity no longer exists — if a vendor offers it, it is misleading. We are leaving this note in because accuracy matters more than a longer list: there is currently no genuine ‘swim with elephants’ experience in Andaman.

If you only have time for a few activities, start with the row that matches your group.

Andaman is a year-round destination, but the activity calendar shifts with the seas. October to May is the broad sweet spot; June to September is the SW monsoon, when many water sports pause during rough seas.

A practical order that avoids backtracking between islands. Adjust the days to your dates, but keep the sequence — it groups activities by island so you ferry once, not three times.

1. Day 1 — Arrive at Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair). Land at Veer Savarkar Airport, settle in, do Corbyn’s Cove watersports in the afternoon and the Cellular Jail Light & Sound Show in the evening (book the show on arrival).
2. Day 2 — Harbour cruise: Ross (Netaji Dweep) + North Bay. Spend the morning on the colonial ruins and the afternoon sea-walking or on the semi-submarine at North Bay before an early night.
3. Day 3 — Ferry to Swaraj Dweep (Havelock). Take a morning Makruzz/Nautika ferry (book 1–3 weeks ahead). Afternoon at Radhanagar Beach for the sunset.
4. Day 4 — Swaraj Dweep: scuba + Elephant Beach. Morning intro or certified dive; afternoon snorkelling at Elephant Beach. Add bioluminescence kayaking if it’s a no-moon night.
5. Day 5 — Day trip to Shaheed Dweep (Neil). Ferry across for Bharatpur shallow snorkel, the Natural Bridge at low tide and a Laxmanpur sunset, then return.
6. Day 6 — Choose your finale, then fly out. Either the full-day Baratang limestone-cave convoy (start pre-dawn) or a relaxed Chidiya Tapu birding morning before an afternoon flight home.
7. Pre-book the scarce things first. Lock flights (6–8 weeks out), then private ferries (1–3 weeks), then Havelock hotels, then activities last — operators on the island can slot you in same-day for most water sports.

By air is how almost everyone arrives: Veer Savarkar International Airport at Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair) is the only airport, with direct flights from Chennai (~2h15m), Kolkata (~2h10m), Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad and Vishakhapatnam; one-stop routes connect every other metro.

By sea, government passenger ships sail from Chennai, Kolkata and Vishakhapatnam to Port Blair in about 3–4 days — cheap and slow, for travellers with time.

Indian nationals no longer need a permit for the main islands; foreign nationals should check the current rules before travel.

• Carry cash — ATMs are scarce and patchy outside Sri Vijaya Puram, and most ferry/activity counters prefer cash.
• Pre-book ferries and the Cellular Jail show in peak season (Dec–Jan); they sell out.
• Mobile network is weak on Havelock and Neil and absent on remote islands — download maps and tickets offline.
• Respect the Jarawa Reserve on the Baratang route: no photos, no stopping, no interaction. It’s the law.
• Pack reef-safe sunscreen, water shoes and a dry bag; marine-park islands ban single-use plastic.

The best Andaman trips aren’t a race through all 50 of these — they pick four or five that match your group and group them by island so you ferry once, not three times. Start with the water sports on Swaraj Dweep, the heritage trail at Sri Vijaya Puram, and one big nature day, then fill in around them. When you’re ready to turn this list into a real itinerary with ferries and stays sorted, browse customisable Andaman tour packages or read the full Andaman travel guide for routes, costs and the latest on-ground details.