Andaman Snorkeling Packages

Snorkelling in Andaman at a Glance

Best Places for Snorkelling in Andaman

Andaman has one honest short-list of snorkel reefs. Pick by how confident you are in the water and by which marine-park island is open the year you travel. The order below runs roughly easiest to most advanced.

Elephant Beach, Havelock (Swaraj Dweep)

This is where most first-timers snorkel, and for good reason. The water sits shallow, clear and calm over a reef that starts close to shore, so you are floating above coral within a few minutes. You reach it by a 15-minute speedboat from Havelock jetty or a short jungle trek. Sessions run 30 to 45 minutes and cost about Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 per person. Go here if it is your first snorkel of the trip.

North Bay Island, near Port Blair

North Bay is the arrival-day and departure-day reef. It is a 20-minute boat ride from the Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex, so you can fit it in before you even reach Havelock. The same island runs a full spread of water sports, which makes it the natural pick for families who want a bit of everything in one morning. Snorkel sessions are 20 to 30 minutes at roughly Rs 470 to Rs 1,500 per person depending on the operator and the package.

Neil Island (Bharatpur and Laxmanpur), Shaheed Dweep

Neil is the calm, low-key alternative to Havelock. Bharatpur beach has a gentle house reef you can wade into, which suits nervous beginners, children and anyone who wants an unhurried session away from the crowds. It is also the cheapest starting point, about Rs 400 to Rs 800 per person for 30 to 40 minutes. Neil pairs well with Havelock on the same ferry line.

Jolly Buoy and Red Skin Islands (Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park)

These two hold the best coral of any day trip, and they are protected. Only one of the pair is open in a given year while the other recovers, so check which is running before you plan the day. You take a boat from Wandoor jetty, carry a photo ID, and pick up a small Forest Department permit at the counter. Sessions run 30 to 40 minutes at about Rs 500 to Rs 800 per person, on top of the permit. Glass-bottom boats stay on the surface; snorkelling is the only way to get among the reef.

Two offbeat options round out the list. Kalipur Beach near Diglipur in North Andaman pairs a quiet reef with a turtle-nesting season, and Henry Lawrence Island in Ritchie's Archipelago is a remote, uncrowded reef best kept for confident snorkelers on an island-hopping trip. Both sit around Rs 500 to Rs 1,500 per person. For the full spot-by-spot detail, our Andaman travel guide covers timings, ferries and where to base yourself.

Cost of Snorkelling in Andaman: Price by Spot

A single guided snorkel runs from about Rs 400 to Rs 1,500 per person. Neil Island is the cheapest place to start; the marine-park boats to Jolly Buoy and Red Skin cost a little more once you add the permit and the longer ride. The table below is the quick reference buyers ask for.

*Indicative per-person operator rates for a single guided session. Confirm the exact price with your operator or your TravelTriangle agent at the time of booking. Marine-park sites also carry a small Forest Department permit.

Shore snorkelling vs boat snorkelling

The price mostly tracks how you reach the reef. Walk-in shore reefs are cheaper; boat sites cost more because you are paying for the ride as well as the guide and gear.

*Indicative rates. Marine-park boat sites also carry the Wandoor permit noted above.

Best Time for Snorkelling in Andaman

Snorkelling in Andaman is best from October to May, when the sea is calm and visibility runs up to about 40 metres. October to February is the clearest window and the safest bet if you are planning around one activity. March to May stays doable; it is hot on land but the water is still good. Avoid June to September. The monsoon churns up the sea, drops visibility, and boat trips to Elephant Beach and the marine-park islands are routinely suspended for safety.

Can Non-Swimmers and Kids Snorkel? Safety and Eligibility

Yes on both counts, and it is the question we field most. You do not need to know how to swim. You float face-down in a buoyant life jacket while a trained guide stays at your side and holds the group in the shallow zone. The minimum age is about 8 years, and children snorkel in the same jacket-and-guide setup. If you wear glasses, ask for a prescription mask in advance. The one honest caveat: if the sea is choppy on the day, guides will move you to a calmer reef or reschedule, so keep a buffer day in your plan for the marine-park boats.

Snorkelling vs Scuba Diving in Andaman: Which to Pick

Plenty of travellers do both. Snorkelling is the cheaper, no-training, stay-on-the-surface option that suits every age. A beginner scuba dive costs more and takes you underwater with an instructor, and it is worth it once if you want to see deeper coral and bigger marine life. If you are choosing one, snorkel at two or three spots; if the budget allows, add a single Discover Scuba session.

Want to combine them? Our Andaman water sports packages and scuba diving packages bundle snorkel and dive days at the same reefs.

Snorkelling Packages in Andaman

Booking a package instead of piecing the trip together yourself means your hotels, inter-island ferries, Port Blair transfers and snorkel sessions arrive as one confirmed plan, with the marine-park permits sorted for you. Every itinerary below is customisable: swap Neil for a Jolly Buoy day, add a scuba session, or stretch a night in Havelock. The table shows the typical snorkel-inclusive tiers; live prices and dates sit on the cards below.

*Rs 15,497 is a live starting fare (twin sharing). Other tier fares to be confirmed against the curated feed. Exact prices vary with season and availability.

Browse the full range of Andaman tour packages to compare durations and inclusions, and tell your agent which reefs you want in the plan.

What a snorkelling package includes

• Hotels in Port Blair, Havelock and Neil as per your tier

• All inter-island ferries and airport and jetty transfers

• Guided snorkel sessions with gear at your chosen spots

• Marine-park permits arranged for Jolly Buoy or Red Skin

• A dedicated agent and 24x7 on-trip support

Flights, personal expenses, and optional add-on activities are quoted separately so you see exactly what you are paying for.

Why Book Your Andaman Snorkelling Trip With TravelTriangle

TravelTriangle has planned trips for 40 Lac+ travellers, and our Andaman snorkel itineraries carry a 4.4 out of 5 rating across 5,485 verified reviews. The advantage of booking the reef days as part of a package is timing: a local team lines up the ferries, the Wandoor permit and the right operator so a choppy morning does not cost you your only snorkel day.

Session prices and permit rules on this page are checked by our Andaman desk against current operator rates and Forest Department marine-park norms.