Andaman Islands winter guide — flights to Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair, IXZ), inter-island ferries and where to stay on Havelock and Neil

Published 11 November 2026 · IdeaMytrip Travel Guides

Why the Andamans are worth planning now

By November the monsoon has fully left the Andaman Islands, the sea settles and the water clears. Daytime temperatures sit around 29–30°C with nights near 24°C, which is why November to February is the most comfortable time for beaches, snorkelling and long ferry days.

It is also the busiest time. Christmas and New Year bring parties and events to Port Blair and Havelock, and local guides suggest booking hotels at least two months ahead and flights one to four months ahead for October–February travel. If you are thinking of a December or January trip, the good rooms are being taken now.

An Andaman holiday has more moving parts than most Indian beach trips: a flight, at least two ferries and two or three hotels on different islands. Get the order right and everything else falls into place.

The islands at a glance

Many places here now have new official names, so you will see both on tickets and signs. Port Blair was renamed Sri Vijaya Puram in September 2024, and in 2018 Havelock became Swaraj Dweep, Neil became Shaheed Dweep and Ross Island became Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep.

Flying in: Port Blair (IXZ)

Every Andaman trip starts at Veer Savarkar International Airport (IXZ), about 4 km south of the town centre — a 10–15 minute taxi ride. Its integrated terminal, with the sea-shell roof, opened in 2023 and has separate arrival and departure halls.

The busiest links are from Chennai (MAA) and Kolkata (CCU), both with several flights a day. Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad also have daily services, non-stop or one-stop, and Visakhapatnam is served seasonally. IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express and SpiceJet all fly here, and schedules shift with the season, so always check the current timetable when you search.

Port Blair works around daylight-only operations and tight slot windows. In practice, that means:

• Fly in early. A morning arrival gives you the chance to take an afternoon ferry the same day and save a night in Port Blair.
• Connect through Chennai or Kolkata if your city has no direct flight. Leave a comfortable gap if you are on two separate tickets.
• Don't book a tight return. Plan your last night in Port Blair rather than taking the morning ferry back from Havelock to catch a flight the same day.

Ferries: the part to book right after your flight

Private catamarans — Makruzz, Nautika and Green Ocean — and government ferries link Port Blair, Havelock and Neil. Private boats to Havelock leave from Haddo Wharf (Haddo Jetty) in northern Port Blair and take about 90 minutes; slower boats take up to around two and a half hours. Most private departures run in the morning and around midday.

A few rules make ferry days smooth:

• Report about an hour before sailing. Operators ask for this, and boarding closes well before departure.
• Carry the same photo ID you used to book. Names on ferry tickets generally cannot be corrected once booked.
• Book private ferries online in advance. Government ferry tickets on the Neil route are largely used by islanders, and private sailings in peak weeks do sell out.
• Leave two to three hours between your flight landing and your ferry departure.

Tip: Book in this order — flights first, then ferries for those exact dates, then hotels on each island to match the ferry times. Booking a Havelock resort before you know which ferry you can get is how travellers end up paying for a night they can't use.

Where to stay on each island

Port Blair: one or two practical nights

Treat Port Blair as your base for arrival, the Cellular Jail light-and-sound show and a half-day to Ross Island. Pick a hotel with an easy drive to both the airport and Haddo Wharf, so early ferry mornings and late flights stay stress-free.

Havelock (Swaraj Dweep): choose your beach

Havelock's areas still go by beach numbers, and where you stay shapes your trip:

• Near the jetty and market: walkable to cafés, dive shops and scooter rentals — livelier and usually better value.
• Govind Nagar (Beach No. 3) and Vijay Nagar (Beach No. 5): resort stretches with everything from family resorts to spa-focused properties.
• Radhanagar (Beach No. 7): forest-set luxury such as Taj Exotica and Barefoot Resort, steps from the island's most famous beach. Best for honeymoons and premium stays; it is a longer ride from the jetty.

Radhanagar is a no-plastic zone, and boats to Elephant Beach run in the morning from the jetty, so plan beach days around those timings.

Neil (Shaheed Dweep): small and slow

Neil covers just 13.7 sq km, and all ferries dock at the jetty on Bharatpur Beach. Stays cluster around Bharatpur, Sitapur and Laxmanpur, where the sunset is the evening's main event. Rent a cycle or scooter near the jetty, and note that the bazaar and public transport shut around 9 pm.

For corporate offsites and group trips

The Andamans suit incentive trips and leadership offsites, but group logistics need extra care:

• Collect everyone's names exactly as on their ID before booking flights and ferries — corrections are hard on both.
• Split large groups across two ferry sailings if one is close to full, and confirm hotel transfers from the jetty.
• Network is patchier than on the mainland. Share the itinerary offline and keep some cash for autos and beach shacks; cards and UPI work at larger places when the signal holds.
• Keep the last night in Port Blair so that a rough sea day never costs anyone their flight home.

Your Andaman checklist

• Book flights into IXZ with a morning arrival if you can.
• Book Port Blair–Havelock and Havelock–Neil ferries as soon as your flights are confirmed.
• Match hotel check-in dates to ferry arrivals on each island.
• Carry a valid photo ID; Indian citizens do not need a permit for the main tourist islands, though tribal reserves stay restricted.
• Check your fare's baggage allowance and pack soft bags — ferry luggage goes into a shared hold.
• Download offline maps and keep some cash for small vendors.
• Plan your final night in Port Blair before your flight home.