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Last Updated On: 12 Oct 2026
ā± 7 Min Read
Andaman Islands Travel Guide for Foreigners: Permits, Havelock & Best Beaches
N
Nand Singh Rathore
Travel & Tourism Expert specializing in India
Andaman Islands Travel Guide for Foreign Tourists: Everything You Need to Know
The Andaman Islands sit far out in the Bay of Bengal, closer to Myanmar and Thailand than to mainland India. They feel like a different country altogether, with powder-white beaches, turquoise water, coral reefs, thick tropical forest and a slow island rhythm. For international travellers who have spent two weeks among the forts and cities of the north, a few days here is the perfect way to end an India trip. The islands also come with their own rules on permits, ferries and protected areas, and their logistics are trickier than most beach destinations. This Andaman travel guide for foreigners covers the current permit rules, how to get there, the best islands and beaches, real costs for ferries, diving and hotels, and the safety points every visitor should know.
Andaman Permits for Foreigners and How to Get There
For many years, every foreign visitor needed a Restricted Area Permit to enter the Andaman Islands. That has changed. Under an exemption that the Government of India renews periodically, most foreign nationals no longer need a permit to visit around thirty of the main inhabited islands. These include the capital Port Blair, Havelock, Neil, Long Island, Baratang, Rangat, Mayabunder and Diglipur. On arrival, you simply show your passport with a valid Indian visa, and an e-Tourist visa is accepted. The authorities record your details, and every hotel you stay in must register you with the Foreigners Registration Office.
There are important exceptions. Citizens of Afghanistan, China and Pakistan, and foreign nationals of those origins, still need a permit approved in advance by the Ministry of Home Affairs, and they will be refused entry without it. Citizens of Myanmar need a permit to visit Mayabunder and Diglipur. The Nicobar Islands, further south, remain closed to foreign tourists. The tribal reserves in the Andamans, home to protected indigenous communities such as the Jarawa and Sentinelese, are strictly off-limits to everyone. Because these rules can change, your tour operator should confirm the latest position shortly before you travel.
You will notice that several places now carry official new names. Port Blair is officially Sri Vijaya Puram, Havelock Island is Swaraj Dweep, Neil Island is Shaheed Dweep, and Ross Island is Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep. Ferry tickets, airport signs and government websites often use the new names, while most hotels, travellers and guides still use the old ones. This guide uses the familiar names for clarity.
All international visitors reach the islands through Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair. Although it is called international, it handles only domestic flights. Direct flights run from Chennai and Kolkata in about two hours, and from Delhi and Bengaluru in about three hours, with more connections via Chennai. Return fares in peak season, from December to January, typically cost INR 12,000 to 25,000 in economy, and more for last-minute bookings. Morning flights are best, since they give you time to connect to an afternoon ferry to Havelock on the same day. A ship service from Chennai and Kolkata also exists, but it takes three days and is rarely practical for foreign travellers.From Port Blair, the outer islands are reached by private catamarans, including Makruzz, Nautika, Green Ocean and ITT Majestic. The crossing from Port Blair to Havelock takes about 1.5 to 2.5 hours, and Havelock to Neil about one hour. One-way fares for Port Blair to Havelock cost roughly INR 1,500 to 3,000 in standard classes and INR 3,500 to 5,000 in premium and royal classes with better seats and lounge access. Ferries sell out early in peak season, and sailings are cancelled in rough weather, so book well ahead and keep a buffer day before your flight home. Top Indian Holidays books flights, ferries and transfers as one connected itinerary, so a delayed flight does not mean a missed boat.
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Havelock Island: Radhanagar Beach, Elephant Beach and Diving
Havelock Island is the star of the Andamans and the island most visitors spend the longest on. It is about 115 square kilometres of forest, small villages, paddy fields and long, empty beaches, with a relaxed main road dotted with cafés, dive shops and resorts. A stay of three to four nights lets you enjoy it at an island pace rather than rushing from beach to beach.
Radhanagar Beach, also known as Beach Number Seven, is the reason many people come. It is regularly ranked among the best beaches in Asia. Its broad arc of soft white sand is backed by tall, old forest trees, and the gently shelving water turns from clear turquoise to deep blue further out. The beach faces west, so sunset here is a daily event, with locals and visitors gathering on the sand as the sky turns orange and pink. Lifeguards patrol the main swimming zone. Swim only within the flags, since currents can be strong further along the beach. Entry is free, and there are changing rooms and small snack stalls near the parking area.
Elephant Beach is the island's best spot for snorkelling and water sports. It has a shallow coral reef close to the shore, with parrotfish, clownfish, butterfly fish and sea cucumbers in clear water. You can reach it by speedboat from the Havelock jetty, which costs around INR 1,000 to 1,500 per person for a shared boat or INR 6,000 to 9,000 for a private boat. Alternatively, you can walk through the forest for about 45 minutes along a muddy trail. Snorkelling gear and a guide cost about INR 800 to 1,500, and sea walking, where you walk on the seabed wearing a helmet fed with air from above, costs around INR 3,500 to 5,000. In the late afternoon, the quieter Kalapathar Beach on the eastern coast is lovely for a walk among smooth black rocks and leaning trees.
Havelock is also one of the best places in India for scuba diving in the Andamans. Dive centres here are professionally run and follow international training standards. A beginner try-dive for non-certified swimmers, which includes a short pool or shallow-water session and one guided dive to around 12 metres, costs about INR 6,000 to 8,500. Certified divers pay about INR 6,000 to 8,000 per dive or less for packages. A full Open Water certification course, usually spread over three to four days, costs around INR 28,000 to 38,000. Well-known sites such as the Lighthouse, Johnny's Gorge, Dixon's Pinnacle and the Wall offer reefs, large schools of fish, turtles, rays and occasionally reef sharks. Visibility is best from December to April, often reaching 20 to 30 metres.
Accommodation on Havelock ranges from simple beach huts to some of the finest resorts in India. Taj Exotica Resort and Spa, set behind Radhanagar Beach in its own forest, offers villas from around INR 40,000 to 80,000 per night. Jalakara, a stylish boutique hideaway in the hills, costs about INR 25,000 to 45,000. Barefoot at Havelock, an eco-resort with wooden cottages near Radhanagar, costs around INR 15,000 to 30,000, and SeaShell Havelock on the eastern coast costs about INR 12,000 to 22,000. Most good resorts include breakfast and can arrange diving, island tours and transfers. ATMs on Havelock are few and sometimes empty, so carry enough cash, although larger resorts accept cards.
Neil Island, Port Blair and Day Trips
Smaller and quieter than Havelock, Neil Island is about one hour away by ferry. It is a flat island of farms, banana groves and coconut palms that can be covered by bicycle or scooter in a few hours. A stay of one or two nights is ideal. Laxmanpur Beach offers wide sunset views and, at low tide, the island's famous natural rock bridge, a coral arch formed by the sea and best seen with a local guide who can show you the marine life in the rock pools around it. Bharatpur Beach, next to the jetty, has calm shallow water that is good for swimming, snorkelling and glass-bottom boat rides, at about INR 500 to 1,000 per person. Sitapur Beach, at the far end of the island, is the place for sunrise. Neil's resorts are simpler than Havelock's, with Silver Sand Beach Resort costing about INR 8,000 to 15,000 per night and good mid-range options available.
Most travellers spend at least one night in Port Blair, usually at the start or end of the trip. The most important site is the Cellular Jail, a national memorial built by the British as a colonial prison for Indian freedom fighters. Its three remaining wings of tiny solitary cells radiate from a central watchtower, a design meant to prevent any communication between prisoners. The museum tells the stories of the men held there, and the evening light and sound show in English and Hindi, at about INR 300 per person, recreates the prison's history. The jail is generally open in the morning and afternoon with a short lunch break. Entry costs about INR 30 to 50, with extra charges for cameras. Check the timings for holidays before you go.
A short boat ride from Port Blair takes you to Ross Island, once the British administrative headquarters of the islands. Today it is a hauntingly beautiful ruin of churches, officers' houses, a bakery and a ballroom, slowly being claimed by the roots of huge trees, with spotted deer and peacocks wandering freely. The island is generally closed on Wednesdays. A combined boat ticket to Ross Island and the nearby North Bay Island, where you can snorkel, ride a glass-bottom boat or try sea walking among corals, costs about INR 1,500 to 3,000 per person, plus activity charges.
Jolly Buoy and Red Skin Islands, inside the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park at Wandoor, have some of the clearest water and best coral in the Andamans. They are usually open from about November to May and closed on Mondays. Daily visitor numbers are limited, plastic is banned, and permits are issued the day before, so your operator should arrange this in advance. For sunset in Port Blair, the cliffs and beach at Chidiya Tapu, about 25 kilometres south of the city, are the classic choice.A popular full-day trip from Port Blair goes north to Baratang Island to see its limestone caves, reached by speedboat through mangrove creeks, along with a small mud volcano. The road passes through the Jarawa tribal reserve, where vehicles travel in police-escorted convoys at set times. It is strictly illegal to stop, photograph, film, feed or interact with the Jarawa people, and offenders face arrest. Many responsible travellers choose to skip Baratang for ethical reasons, and Top Indian Holidays respects either choice.
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Best Time to Visit, Costs, Hotels and Safety Tips
The best time to visit the Andaman Islands is from mid-October to mid-May. December to March offers the most reliable weather, with sunny days of 26 to 31°C, calm seas and the best diving visibility. December and January are also the busiest and most expensive months, when flights, ferries and top resorts sell out weeks in advance. April and May are hotter and more humid, but the sea is often very calm and clear. The southwest monsoon, from about late May to September, brings heavy rain, rough seas, frequent ferry cancellations and the closure of some marine parks. October to early November can bring rain from the northeast monsoon and occasional cyclones in the Bay of Bengal.
For a realistic Andaman trip cost, a five-to-six-night private Andaman holiday at the higher end costs about USD 1,800 to 4,000 per person on twin sharing. That covers luxury or premium resorts on Havelock and Neil, a night in Port Blair, premium ferries, private transfers, sightseeing with a guide and some water activities. A stay at the Taj Exotica for most nights pushes the cost to the top of that range. Return flights from mainland India are usually extra and depend on the season.
Safety is generally good, but the islands have specific risks. Saltwater crocodiles live in the mangrove creeks and occasionally appear near some beaches. Swim only at designated, guarded beaches, observe all warning signs, and never swim near river mouths, mangroves or after dark. Strong currents can develop on open beaches, especially outside the dry season. Coral cuts infect easily, so wear reef shoes and clean any scrape at once. Use reef-safe sunscreen, since the sun is intense and coral is fragile. Never touch, stand on or break coral, and never collect shells or coral, as removing them is a criminal offence and checked at the airport.
Practical points help too. Mobile signal and internet are slow and patchy, especially on Havelock and Neil, so download maps and offline content before you go. Carry cash for small purchases and ferry snacks, since ATMs are unreliable outside Port Blair. Single-use plastics are banned in many places, so bring a reusable water bottle. Drones are prohibited across most of the islands without special clearance. Dress modestly away from the beach, as island communities are conservative.
Many Top Indian Holidays guests add the Andamans at the end of a Golden Triangle or South India tour, flying from Delhi or Chennai for four to six nights of beach time before heading home.
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