Andaman Islands · Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit the Andaman Islands is broadly October to May, the drier and calmer stretch when the seas are settled, ferries run reliably and the water is at its clearest for diving and snorkelling. The islands have a warm, humid tropical climate with only modest temperature swings across the year; the seasons here are defined far more by rain and sea state than by heat or cold. The figures below follow the general climate pattern described by the India Meteorological Department (IMD); treat them as typical averages, not a forecast for your dates.

Temperature is remarkably steady. Being surrounded by ocean and close to the equator, the Andamans stay warm year-round, with daytime temperatures typically in the high 20s to low 30s Celsius and nights only a little cooler — very roughly a 23–31°C band across the seasons. Humidity is consistently high. What changes dramatically through the year is not the heat but the rain and the roughness of the sea.

The dry season (roughly December to April) is the peak window and the most reliable time to visit. Rainfall is at its lowest, the sea is calmest, underwater visibility for diving is at its best, and ferries and boat trips run closest to schedule. This is high season — expect the busiest crowds and the highest prices around the Christmas–New Year holidays and again in the spring school-holiday period. If you want the classic Andaman experience of glassy water and dependable island-hopping, this is when to come.

The shoulder months (October–November and, at the tail, May) are a fair compromise. October sees the retreating monsoon ease off, greenery at its lushest, and prices softer than mid-winter, though occasional heavy showers and lingering swell are possible. Late April into May grows hotter and more humid as the pre-monsoon builds, but the sea is often still workable. These months reward flexible travellers willing to trade a little weather risk for fewer crowds.

The monsoon (roughly mid-May to September) is the season to approach with caution. The Andamans catch the southwest monsoon, and this stretch brings the heaviest and most sustained rain, rough seas, reduced underwater visibility, and frequent ferry and boat cancellations — the single biggest risk to a monsoon itinerary. Some water sports and outer-island trips pause altogether. The islands are green and dramatic and prices are low, but plans are fragile; if you travel now, keep the itinerary loose and expect disruption. A second, weaker rainy pulse comes with the northeast monsoon later in the year.

Cyclones and sea state. The Bay of Bengal is a cyclone-prone basin, and the risk is highest around the monsoon transitions — broadly the pre-monsoon (around April–May) and post-monsoon (around October–December) periods. Cyclonic weather can shut down ferries and flights at short notice. Whenever you travel, check the latest IMD forecasts and any local advisories before committing to boat trips, and build spare days into a plan that depends on multiple ferry legs.

The short version: aim for December to April for the most dependable conditions, use October–November or May as good-value shoulder options, and treat the June–September monsoon as workable only for flexible, weather-tolerant travellers.