How to Reach Andaman and Nicobar Islands

One must know how to reach Andaman and Nicobar Island to experience the slice of Maldives without going there. The sand here is sugar white, the beaches are shimmering blue, and the abundance of coral colonies beneath the seabed is rich and teems with marine life. Roughly, there are around 550+ clusters of islands, but not all of them are open for tourists and even for the locals.

But there are approximately 37 islands in Andaman and Nicobar that are inhabited by the human population.The most distinguishable feature? You can’t reach Andaman by train or road because there are no National Highways and Indian Railway Line as Andaman is an Indian archipelago in the Bay of Bengal.

But you can surely replace train travel or road journeys via ship on the sea route from nearby port cities. If you are wondering how to reach Andaman by ship, let’s go knee-deep into the only aspects of reaching Andaman and Nicobar Islands; from India and international destinations:

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Andaman By Flight

Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair is the only airport in Andaman with flights from major metro towns of India like Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Vizag. So if you are coming from the other cities that belong to the Tier 2 categories or international destinations, board the connecting flight from metro towns and reach here without any hassle.

One must not take stress regarding how to reach Andaman from Delhi because Delhi’s airport is well connected with the Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair. The aerial travel duration of Andaman by flight from Chennai and Kolkata is approximately 2 hours, while from Delhi and Mumbai, it is around 5 hours. Take a look at a few major Indian cities along with aerial distance and travel time:  

Andaman by Train

Andaman by Ship

Wondering how to reach Andaman and Nicobar Island by ship? Well, the Government cruise ships are scheduled from Kolkata, Chennai, Visakhapatnam (Vizag). Board the ship from the nearby port cities like mentioned above. The ship tours take place 3-4 times every month, which can change as well. Besides, the journey takes around 60-70 hours to touch down the Andaman and Nicobar Islands via sea.

The ship running back and forth from Chennai includes; MV Nicobar, MV Nancowry, MV Akbar, MV Harshavardhana, and MV Swaraj Dweep. The approximate ship journey to Andaman costs approximately INR 3,000 onwards per person to INR 11,000 onwards per person. As of now, no international ship service is scheduled in Andaman.

Main Sea Port: Haddo Wharf, Port Blair Ships available from Chennai, Kolkata, Visakhapatnam

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For International Tourists

International tourists need to get a Restricted Area Permit (RAP) to visit Andaman Nicobar Islands. It is easily available on arrival at Port Blair by flight or ship. A permit can be obtained from the Immigration authorities, Port Blair. The initial permit lasts for 30 days and it can be extended for another 15 days. A permit can also be obtained from Indian Mission Overseas and Foreigner’s Registration Offices at New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata.

Restricted Area Permit (RAP) is also easily available from the Immigration Authorities at the Airport of New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai. The regular permit covers the following places: South Andaman Island, Middle Andaman Island, Little Andaman Island (except tribal reserve), Neil Island, Havelock Island, Long Island, Diglipur, Baratang, North Passage, and islands in the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park (excluding islands – Boat Hobday, Twin, Tarmugli, Malay and Pluto). In addition, the permit covers day halts at South Cinque Island, Ross Island, Narcondam Island, Interview Island, Brother Island, Sister Island and Barren Island.