Andaman Islands · How to Reach

The single most important practical fact about the Andaman Islands is that there is no railway and no road connection to the mainland — none is possible, because the archipelago sits about 1,200 kilometres out in the Bay of Bengal. You reach the islands in only two ways: by air, or by passenger ship. Once there, you move between islands by ferry. This shapes the entire trip, so plan the long-haul leg first.

By air (the standard way). Almost every visitor flies into Veer Savarkar International Airport (IXZ) at Port Blair, the archipelago's only significant airport for scheduled passenger flights. It has direct domestic connections with major mainland hubs — Chennai and Kolkata are the classic gateways, with services also linking Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and other cities, most routed via a mainland connection. The airport sits close to Port Blair town, a short taxi ride from the main hotels and jetties. Because the Andamans are a domestic destination, there is no international immigration for tourists here; flights operate as domestic sectors. Live routes, timings and fares shift constantly with season and demand, so check current flights rather than relying on a fixed schedule.

By ship (the slow, old-school way). Passenger ships run between the mainland and Port Blair from three ports — Chennai, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam — operated as government sailings. The voyage takes roughly three to four days each way across open sea, with sailings only a few times a month and berths in tiers from bunk-class dormitories to cabins. It is cheap, atmospheric and genuinely adventurous, but it is not for the time-pressed or the seasickness-prone, and schedules are irregular and subject to weather. Book well ahead through the shipping directorate's booking channels, and treat the sailing date as approximate.

There is no train. Because the islands are separated from the mainland by open ocean, no railway serves the Andamans, and there is no "nearest railway station" in any useful sense. If you are planning a rail-and-road journey, your route ends at a mainland port or airport city — most commonly Chennai, Kolkata or Visakhapatnam — from where you continue by air or sea. Build the crossing to Port Blair as a separate leg.

Getting between the islands. Almost all inter-island travel is by boat. The main tourist triangle — Port Blair ↔ Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) ↔ Neil (Shaheed Dweep) — is served by two kinds of ferry: government ferries run by the shipping directorate (cheaper, more numerous, but slower and quick to sell out to locals), and private high-speed catamaran services (faster, air-conditioned, pricier, bookable online in advance). The Port Blair–Havelock hop takes roughly 1.5 to 2 hours by fast catamaran; Havelock–Neil is shorter. Private ferry seats for peak season sell out days ahead, so book the inter-island legs before you arrive. Baratang and other northern islands are reached overland by the Andaman Trunk Road plus vehicle-ferry crossings (see day trips). Sea conditions, not the timetable, are the final authority: sailings are routinely cancelled or delayed in rough weather, so never schedule a same-day ferry-to-flight connection.

Getting around Port Blair and the islands. In Port Blair, auto-rickshaws, taxis and app-based cabs cover the town; agreeing a fare before you set off avoids friction. On Havelock and Neil, the usual way to explore is a rented scooter or bicycle, an auto-rickshaw, or a booked cab, as the islands are small and roads are limited. Public buses exist but run infrequently.