Travel / Explore India / Islands / Andaman & Nicobar Islands
The Travel Edit · Islands
The Andamans, lately.
Turquoise water, mangrove forests, coral reefs and a prison with a long history.
Sri Vijaya Puram, the Cellular Jail, Swaraj Dweep (Havelock), Shaheed Dweep (Neil) and Baratang.
Salt, sand
and reef ♡
Beaches,
reefs and
ferries.
Best time to visitNovember–April
Ideal forBeaches, snorkelling, history
How many days5–7 days
Getting aroundFerries and taxis
Travel styleIsland time
In this guide Top Places Itineraries Plan Your Trip Things to Do Food Travel Tips
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a chain of hundreds of islands in the Bay of Bengal, closer to Myanmar than to mainland India. Visitors go mainly to the Andamans; the Nicobar Islands are largely closed to tourists.
The capital, Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair), has the Cellular Jail, a colonial-era prison now a national memorial. Most travellers then take ferries to Swaraj Dweep (Havelock) and Shaheed Dweep (Neil) for beaches and reefs.
First edition · Practical details last checked 7 November 2026
At a glance
Ideal length · 5–7 days for Sri Vijaya Puram, Havelock and Neil
Gateways · Veer Savarkar International Airport, Sri Vijaya Puram
Best time · November–April for calm seas
Know before · Indian citizens need no permit for the main islands; tribal reserves are off-limits
On this page: Places · Culture & food · Plan your trip · Itineraries · Before you go · Stories · Sources
Where to go
Places in Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Sri Vijaya Puram
- The Cellular Jail National Memorial and its evening light-and-sound show.
- Ross Island (Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep), the old British headquarters.
- Corbyn’s Cove and the Anthropological Museum.
Swaraj Dweep (Havelock)
- Radhanagar Beach, one of the best-known beaches in India.
- Elephant Beach for snorkelling.
- Diving with licensed operators.
Shaheed Dweep (Neil)
- A smaller, quieter island with cycling and beaches.
- The natural rock formation at Laxmanpur.
Baratang and beyond
- Limestone caves and mangrove creeks at Baratang.
- Diglipur and Ross and Smith islands in the north.
Culture & food
Food
- Fresh seafood, especially fish, crab and prawns.
- Bengali, Tamil and other mainland cooking, reflecting the settlers.
- Coconut water everywhere.
History and people
- The islands are home to indigenous peoples such as the Great Andamanese, Onge, Jarawa and Sentinelese, whose lands are protected.
- Settlers from Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and elsewhere.
Never try to visit or photograph indigenous communities; tribal reserves are protected by law. Respect reef etiquette: do not touch or stand on coral.
Plan your trip
How many days?
- Four days: Sri Vijaya Puram and Havelock.
- Six days: add Neil.
- Eight days: add Baratang or the north.
When to go
- November–April has the calmest seas.
- May–September brings the monsoon; ferries and water sports may be suspended.
Getting there
- Air: flights from Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi and other cities to Sri Vijaya Puram.
- Sea: passenger ships from Chennai, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam take several days.
Getting around
- Government and private ferries link the main islands; book ahead in peak season.
- Taxis and scooters on the islands.
Sample itineraries
Starting points, not fixed packages. Adjust for weather, road conditions, permits and current advisories.
Six days: Sri Vijaya Puram, Havelock and Neil
Starting point: Sri Vijaya Puram · Style: beaches and history
- Day 1 · Cellular Jail and the evening show.
- Day 2 · Ross Island, then ferry to Havelock.
- Days 3–4 · Radhanagar and Elephant Beach.
- Day 5 · Ferry to Neil.
- Day 6 · Ferry back to Sri Vijaya Puram.
Limitations · Ferry schedules depend on the weather and season.
Before you go
Last checked 7 November 2026. This is a summary, not a safety assurance. Rules change; confirm with the official source before you travel.
- Indian citizens do not need a permit for Sri Vijaya Puram, Havelock or Neil. Foreign nationals’ rules have been eased: 29 islands are excluded from the Restricted Area Permit, and 11 others are open for day visits until 31 December 2027 (Andaman & Nicobar Tourism: Restricted Area Permit).
- Citizens of Afghanistan, China and Pakistan need prior approval through e-FRRO (Bureau of Immigration) (Andaman & Nicobar Tourism: Restricted Area Permit).
- Tribal reserves, including the Jarawa reserve, are protected; do not stop, interact or take photographs.
- Swim only where advised, and follow lifeguard and operator safety instructions.
From the journal & traveller stories
We haven’t yet published a firsthand travel story from Andaman & Nicobar Islands. If you have travelled here, we would like to hear from you.
Travelled here? Lifelately publishes reader stories with the writer’s approval and full credit. Share your travel story →
Official resources
Sources & last checked
Time-sensitive details were checked on 7 November 2026:
- Restricted Area Permit rules · Andaman & Nicobar Tourism: Restricted Area Permit
Background on places, history, culture and food is drawn from general reference sources. Spotted something out of date? Let us know.
Photography (stock images, not the author’s own): Nabil Naidu / Pexels (Andaman beach), used under the Pexels License; Vyacheslav Argenberg (Havelock) via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
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