How to reach Andaman

Andaman is one of the best places for travel in India. If you are someone who loves sun, sand and sea; Andaman can be one of your dream destinations. This place offers you not only the bliss of a beach but much more to it. You can experience only the active volcanoes of Asia, unique ecosystems of mangroves, a variety of marine life, unending forest covers, adventurous water sports, authentic tribal food and the list go on. If you are on a budget but want to experience luxury, Andaman is for you. Safe for solo travellers, pocket friendly and varying experiences; all these make Andaman a must-visit. So, if you are searching for how to reach Andaman then you are in a right place. You will get all the information about How to reach Andaman in different ways. Let’s start!

Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a Union Territory in India. In Andaman, only 38 Islands are inhabited but, only a few are permissible for Tourists to explore the beautiful Islands. The most popular Islands are Port Blair, Swaraj Dweep (Havelock Island), Shaheed Dweep (Neil Island), Middle Andaman (Baratang, Rangat and Mayabundar), North Andaman (Diglipur), Little Andaman and Barren Island. These are Islands that travellers can easily visit during their Andaman Tour. 

If you want to explore the Pristine Beaches, Thrilling Marine Life, Rich Coral Reef, Scenic beauty, Tourquise Water and dense mangrove forest and Lots of water spots activities then you must visit Andaman and Nicobar Islands at least once in your life!

Now, you are thinking about How to reach Andaman? Yes, we are here to help you out with all the possibilities way. The best and easiest way to reach Andaman Island is by Air. The airway is the best and most convenient way to reach Andaman compared to Seaway. Now we will discuss how you can reach Andaman from Mainland.

In Andaman, only one airport is available which is namely Veer Savarkar International Airport, Port Blair and the IATA code is IXZ. If you are planning to travel to Andaman by Flight then you have to book your flight from Kolkata (CCU) to Port Blair (IXZ). There are so many airlines that fly from Kolkata to Port Blair, Andaman like Air India, Indigo, Vistara, Spice Jet, GoAir and AirAsia etc. So you can easily travel from mainland Kolkata. Kolkata to Andaman distance by air is approximately 1290Km so, so It will take around 2hrs 15Minutes by direct flight to reach Port Blair, Andaman. 

Before booking the online ticket, see the prices on the different portals and go for the cheapest one. Fare the flights can start from 4500INR during the off-season period (April to June) and can go up to 25000INR during peak time (December and January) even for economy class. Business classes will have more. 

Direct flights are available from Chennai (MAA) which take around 2hrs 30 Minutes to reach Veer Savarkar International Airport, the only airport of Andaman which is named after freedom fighter Savarkar. Airlines like Indigo, Air India, Go first, Spicejet and Vistara are the main airlines to operate from Chennai(MAA) to Port Blair(IXZ). The price range can be as low as 5000 INR and can be as high as 25000 INR, depending upon the flight and time. The first flight from Chennai to Andaman starts at 4.40 AM by Indigo.

There are regular flights from Bangalore(BLR) to Port Blair(IXZ). Airlines like Indigo, Go First, Vistara, Air India etc.  GoAir operates a direct flight from Bangalore to Port Blair, Andaman. flights take 2 hours and 25 minutes to reach Andaman from Bangalore. The rest of the airlines are operating VIA Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad so, it will take more time to compare Direct Flight.

The price of the flight ticket can start from 7000 INR and can go to 40000 INR for economy classes and it depends on the off-Season, Season and High season also. Few portals offer massive discounts on Air Tickets for Series fare or early purchases fare. You need a proper plan and guidance from Andaman DMC for your Andaman Trip to make it a more memorable trip with pocket friendly Budget

There are more than 30 flights operating daily by Air India, Go First, Vistara, SpiceJet, and IndiGo from Delhi(DEL) to Port Blair(IXZ). Vistara is operating the direct flight in this sector which will take 5Hrs 10Minutes to reach Andaman. Most of the airlines are operating Connecting flights VIA Kolkata, VIA Chennai, VIA Vishakhapattayanam, VIA Hyderabad and VIA Mumbai and it will take 5 Hrs 30 Minutes to 15 Hrs to reach Port Blair. Although, the flight start from Delhi(DEL) for Port Blair(IXZ) from 04:45 am to 23:55 pm. The price range varies between 10000 INR to 45000 INR for economy classes.

There are both direct and connecting flights from Hyderabad(HYD) to Port Blair(IXZ). There are a total of 24 flights flying on this route, out of which 2 are direct and 22 are connecting. The first flight leaves at 2.45 AM and the last one is at 23.50 PM. IndiGo, Air India, Vistara, Alliance Air, and Air Asia are some of the preferred airlines while flying from Hyderabad to Port Blair. The fare of the flight tickets ranges between 8000 INR to 39000 INR depending upon the airline, the day you are booking and so many other factors. To get the cheapest tickets possible, you should book at least 90 days before your journey. It will save you a lot of money.

Mumbai(MUM) to Port Blair(IXZ) there is a total of 22 flights flying in this sector. Out of this, 21 connecting flights have layovers at airports VIA Chennai, VIA Bengaluru, VIA Hyderabad and VIA Kolkata. The only flight Indigo 6E – 5285 is a direct flight from Mumbai(MUM) to Port Blair(IXZ), which is departing from Mumbai(MUM) at 11:00 am and reaching at Port Blair at 14:25 pm so, it will take approximately 3Hrs and 25 Minutes. This is the best convenient flight in this sector.

Other connecting flights can take up to 10 to 17 hours, so choose the flights accordingly if you have time constraints. Some of the widely preferred airlines are IndiGo, Vistara, AirIndia, SpiceJet etc. The first flight of this route leaves at 5.45 AM by GoFirst and the last one at 22.55 PM by Vistara airlines. The Price of the tickets can vary between 7500 INR to 35000 INR. So, if you are planning from Mumbai then you should book your flight at least 30-90 Days prior to arrival for the cheapest fare. 

There are many airlines operating from Pune(PNQ) to Port Blair(IXZ). 13 flights operate on this route and all are connecting ones having layovers at airports like Via Chennai, Via Bengaluru, Via Mumbai etc. IndiGo, Vistara, SpiceJet, and  Air India are the main airlines for this route. The first flight of this route leaves at 1.20 AM by SpiceJet and the last one at 23.00 PM by IndiGo. The price of the tickets ranges between 10000 INR to 40000 INR depending upon the flight, date of the booking and so many more.

The Ship or Cruise is the second and last way to reach Andaman. The seaway journey is a more hectic and time taking journey as compared to Airway.  This journey is also uncertain and unpredictable journey also as the most important thing is the irregular Schedule from Mainland and Ticket Booking. Either the schedule is not available or if the Schedule is available then it will be cancelled at the last moment due to lots of reasons like weather, Monsoon and Technical problems as all the Ships are more than 40-45years old cruise.

The seaway is not suggested for a Short Trip, Family Trip or Senior Citizen Tourist as it will take 60-65hrs one way to reach Andaman and Sea sickness is also a concern for this Journey.

Although, if you have a long vacation plan or Solo Traveller or an adventure lover then you can try this adventure journey. So, check the below available Ships which are departing from 3 Major Indian Mainland Ports

1. From Kolkata

2. From Chennai

3. From Visakhapatnam

The Shipping Corporation of India operates cargo and passengers ship from Kolkata to Andaman. A total of 3 ships are operating from Kolkata Port to Andaman namely, M. V. Nicobar, M.V. Nancowry, M.V. Swaraj Dweep, M.V. Campbell Bay and Coral Queen. The water distance from Kolkata to Port Blair, Andaman is around 1255 km. You can reach Port Blair in around 60 to 65 hours of sailing from Mainland Kolkata.

Tickets can be booked offline from Shipping Corporation’s office once the schedule is published. In every vessel, 4-5 categories of seats are available Bunk Class, 2nd Class Cabin, 1st Class Cabin Semi Deluxe and Deluxe.

The Shipping Corporation of India operates three passenger Ships or Cruises M. V. Nicobar, M.V. Nancowry, M.V. Swaraj Dweep, M.V. Campbell Bay and Coral Queen from Chennai to Port Blair.  You can get 1 to 2 ships per month. The Water distance from Chennai to Port Blair is 1462 km so, It takes around 60-65 Hrs to reach Andaman if you start from Chennai port. You can book your tickets in advance from STARS ticketing counters. The price of your ticket depends upon the ship and the class you are booking. It can start from as low as 3375 for a bunk class and can go up to 13K for deluxe tickets.

Tickets can be booked offline from Shipping Corporation’s office once the schedule is published. In every vessel, 4 categories of seats are available Bunk Class, 2nd Class Cabin, 1st Class Cabin Semi Deluxe and Deluxe.

If you want to reach Andaman by ship from Visakhapatnam,  you only have ships once a month. Also before deciding to go by ship, you should know that these do not provide any kind of entertainment etc. The journey time can be 60-62 Hrs. Now 5 ships are in operation between the mainland of India (Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Kolkata) and Port Blair. So from Visakhapatnam,  you have M. V. Nicobar, M.V. Nancowry, M.V. Swaraj Dweep, M.V. Campbell Bay and Coral Queen ships.  You can get the shipping schedule online from their website. Tickets and booking of cargo concerning all passenger vessels sailing from Visakhapatnam are done by an Agent of the Shipping Corporation of India(SCI).

The price of your ticket depends upon the ship and the class you are booking. It can start from as low as 3375 for a bunk class and can go up to 13K for deluxe tickets.

Tickets can be booked offline from Shipping Corporation’s office once the schedule is published. In every vessel, 4 categories of seats are available Bunk Class, 2nd Class Cabin, 1st Class Cabin Semi Deluxe and Deluxe.

If Oceans are your way of healing and rejuvenating, Andaman is for you. As we see above, there is n number of options by which you can land at Andaman from various cities in India. Going by ship is not a good choice if you have time constraints as it takes 60-65 Hrs.; but if you have time, you should go for it. This can offer you the experience of your life, sailing through the sea. There are plenty of options by air as well. You just need to be patient and careful about choosing the flight. Comparing different websites, booking in advance can help you get the best price. Andaman and Nicobar island is one of the travel gems of India. So if you are someone who loves to explore and experience nature, you can not afford to miss Andaman. Start planning for your next trip to Andaman and May you have the time of your life.