How To Reach Andaman And Nicobar By Air

There are daily flights from various cities such as Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai to Andaman’s capital Port Blair. The Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair has daily flights from these cities and airlines such as Air India, GoAir, IndiGo, Spicejet and Vistara serve the airport. As of now, there are no international flights operating from this airport yet but are expected to begin in 2020.
The airport which used to be known as Port Blair Airport is just 2 kilometres, south of the city. As it is the only primary airport here, it connects Andaman and Nicobar with the rest of the country.

How To Reach Andaman And Nicobar By Sea

The other way to reach Andaman and Nicobar islands is by ship. There are cargo ships to Port Blair from Chennai, Kolkata and Vishakapatnam which reach Port Blair’s Haddo Jetty. While boats might be a fun way to reach the islands, they are not very convenient or even comfortable as they can be quite time consuming. Also, weather and sea conditions are important factors in travel and they can add to the time taken to reach Port Blair. At Port Blair’s Phoenix Bay Jetty, you can buy your return ticket at the ferry booking office. 

An important thing to remember is that these ships will not offer the luxuries that you might find at in a cruise ship. These government operated cargo ships are meant for commercial use and are not ideally suited for passengers expecting a certain level of comfort or luxury. There are different levels of rooms available and even then, they might not match those you see on typical cruises. The ships are not known for their privacy and the rooms may not be up to the standards of those who expect even basic clean rooms. The only reason many opt for this way to reach Andaman is because it’s less expensive than flights but if you consider comfort as a priority, then it’s best if you avoid this. 

Commutation Within Andaman And Nicobar

By Air
Travelling between the islands by sea planes is not possible at the moment. However, there is an interisland helicopter service which is reserved for VIPs. You can apply at the Directorate of Civil Aviation office at the helipad one day in advance to use this service. However, this is not a much used service since there is a 5kg baggage limit and the ticket can be quite steep. 

By Ferry
Travelling between islands by ferry is the most popular way to travel. However, this can be quite chaotic as the service is slow and there are long queues for buying tickets. Government ferry tickets can be bought a couple of days before your actual journey, so this is recommended. If this is too troublesome for you, then you can ask your hotel or travel agent to book the ferry tickets also.
There are regular boat services from Port Blair to the other islands such as Swaraj, Neil Islands, Long Island, Mayabunder and Diglipur. There are also private ferry companies which are more expensive but their tickets are available a month in advance. The popular companies that run private ferry services are Makruzz and Green Ocean. 

By Bus
South, Middle and North Andaman group are connected by road and there are ferry crossings and bridges as well, which makes it possible travel by bus. Swaraj island (formerly known as Havelock) has a bus service and buses also run from Port Blair to various places such as Wandoor, Baratang, Chidiya Tapu, Mayabunder and Diglipur.

By Car
It is possible to hire a car with driver to take you from Port Blair to Diglipur but a round trip can be quite expensive, going easily above INR 10000. However, the drivers are knowledgeable about the best places to visit in Andaman Nicobar and will take you there without any hassle. The cars are also neat and clean and the entire experience is quite satisfactory.
There are also self-drive car rentals which will help you experience the Andamans in a rather unique way. However, do note that  mobile coverage in several key attractions in Port Blair tends to be quite spotty and you may get lost and not know how to reach out for help. Typical self-drive car rentals come with additional tax and fuel expenses. 

By Auto/TukTuk
There are autos or tuk tuks in but they are not very comfortable as the roads can be bumpy. They are a cheaper way of getting around instead of hiring cabs though. 

By Cabs/Taxis
Although there’s no Uber or Ola in Andaman, you can get taxis or cabs to take you from place to place. These are slightly more expensive than the autos.

By Motorcycle or Bicycles
You can hire motorcycles or bicycles from Port Blair to go around the island. These can be hired for a whole day and are quite economical. Motorcycles are around INR 500 per day while bicycles can be around INR 200 at the most. Do be careful on the roads though as they may not be the smooth roads you’re accustomed to, back in your own city.

Reach Andaman from Different Indian Cities:

How To Reach Andaman from Chennai

By flight or air: The air distance from Chennai to Andaman is 1352 kms. In Chennai, you have the Chennai International Airport that connects Andaman via flight to the Veer Savarkar International Airport. You have SpiceJet, Go Air, Indigo and Air India flights. The travel time is approximately 2 hours 20 minutes between these two cities.

By Ship or water: The water distance from Chennai to Andaman is 1462 kms. It takes approximately 60 hours or two and a half days or 2.5 days to reach Andaman from Chennai by sea route or ship. The names of the ships traversing between the destinations of Andaman and Chennai are M. V. Nicobar, M.V. Nancowry, M.V. Akbar, M.V. Harshavardhana and M.V. Swaraj Dweep.

How To Reach Andaman from Mumbai

By flight or air: The air distance from Mumbai to Andaman is 2269 kms. In Mumbai, you have Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport that connects Andaman via flight to the Veer Savarkar International Airport. A direct flight will take around 5 hours 20 minutes to reach Port Blair. You have SpiceJet, Go Air, Indigo, Vistara and Air India flights. The travel time is approximately 13 to 17 hours between these two cities with a stopover in between.

By Ship or water: The water distance from Mumbai to Andaman can be covered by taking a flight, train or a road journey to reach to Chennai and then board from Chennai to Port Blair. Flights are quite regular and frequent. There is a flight from Mumbai to Port Blair every three hours.

How To Reach Andaman from Delhi

By flight or air: The air distance from Delhi to Andaman is 2468 kms. In Delhi, you have the Indira Gandhi International Airport that connects Andaman via flight to the Veer Savarkar International Airport. There are regular flights of Air India connecting the two major cities. You have Jet Lite, IndiGo, Alliance Air, Vistara Airlines, and SpiceJet, Go Air and Air India flights. The travel time is approximately 2 hours 20 minutes between these two cities. There are non-stop connecting flights that take around 3 to 4 hours to reach.

By Ship or water: The travelling time to Andamans is 2.5 days to 3 days on an average by sea or ship form Indian mainland to Andaman and Nicobar Islands, depending on the ship. The time will vary a bit based on the weather conditions. The ships connect Andaman from Chennai, Kolkata or Vizag and sail on particular days of a week. Ship can be booked after schedules are checked from the website published by Andaman Nicobar Administration. There are very good and regular flights connecting Delhi with these major cities in case someone wants to taste the adventure of sailing to Andaman by sea.

How To Reach Andaman from Kolkata

By flight or air: The air distance from Andaman to Kolkata is around 1300 km. The Andaman and Nicobar islands are easily accessible via flights. Tour packages mostly include flights from Andaman to Kolkata. The Veer Savarkar airport in Port Blair is connected to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport of Kolkata through multiple daily flights, especially during the peak season of the year to visit Andaman. SpiceJet, GO FIRST, IndiGo, Vistara have regular flights from Kolkata to Andaman with a travel time ranging from 2 hours to 2.5 hours approximately.

By Ship or water: The water distance from Andaman to Kolkata is 1255 km approximately and calls for a scheduled travel by ship of around 66 hours of sailing. Out of the three possible water routes from mainland India to Andaman and Nicobar, the travel from Kolkata is the longest of the three. Various companies operate from Chennai, Visakhapatnam, and Kolkata to Port Blair. The travel by sea or ship from Kolkata to Andaman is absolutely memorable. The cruise prices generally given on the websites are for non-islanders. The ships are equipped to carry hundreds of passengers. Tourists who have a desire for adventure and a voyage on sea can plan to take a passenger ship to Port Blair the capital city of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The ships leave from the Kolkata harbour or port several times a week and reach Andaman in 2-3 days, that means around 65-80 hours of travel by ship. However, it is recommended that travellers with sea sickness must avoid the travel.

How To Reach Andaman from Hyderabad

By flight or air: The air distance from Hyderabad to Andaman is 1648 kms. There is no direct road transport mode connectivity between Hyderabad and Port Blair. The cheapest way to reach Andaman from Hyderabad is to take a train to Wadi, then change for a train to Yelahanka Jn. After that the sea needs to crossed by flight to reach Veer Savarkar International Airport and this break journey takes 24 hours approximately. Flights from Kempegowda International Airport to Veer Savarkar International Airport and take around 7 hours 20 minutes which is the fastest way to reach Andaman from Hyderabad. There are regular flights from Hyderabad via Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai and Vishakhapatnam. Some flights take longer to reach from Hyderabad to Andaman with multiple stops at Husur, Wadi, Anantapur and Hindupur.

By Ship or water: There is no direct transport by road or sea between Hyderabad and Port Blair. Direct travel by sea or by ship from Hyderabad to Andaman is not possible because there are no scheduled ships from Hyderabad to Andaman. Ships connect the Indian subcontinent to Andaman and Nicobar islands only from the major port cities of Chennai, Kolkata and Vizag. There are very good and regular flights connecting Hyderabad with Chennai, Kolkata and Vizag. The travelling time to Andamans from the mainland is 2.5 days to 3 days on an average by sea or ship depending on the ship and the weather. The time will vary a bit based on the weather conditions. The ships connecting Andaman from Chennai, Kolkata or Vizag are scheduled on particular days of a week. Ships for Andaman can be booked after schedules, time of journey, ship facilities and prices are checked from the website published by Andaman and Nicobar Administration.

How To Reach Andaman from Ahmedabad

By flight or air: The air distance from Ahmedabad to Andaman is 1648 kms. There is no direct transport by road between Ahmedabad and Port Blair. The cheapest way to reach from Ahmedabad to Port Blair is train to Santragachi Jn, then flight to Veer Savarkar International Airport with a journey time 55 hours 45 minutes. The fastest way to reach Port Blair from Ahmedabad is to catch a flight to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, then a flight straight to Veer Savarkar International Airport of Andaman and takes 6 hours 55 minutes. The recommended way to reach from Ahmedabad to Port Blair is take a flight to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport of Kolkata, then connecting flight from Kolkata to Veer Savarkar International Airport of Port Blair and takes around 6 hours 55 minutes.

By Ship or water: The water distance from Ahmedabad to Andaman is 2469 kms. The travelling time to Andamans is 2.5 days to 3 days on an average by sea or ship depending on the ship. The time will vary a bit based on the weather conditions. The ships connect Andaman from Chennai, Kolkata or Vizag and sail on particular days of a week. Ship can be booked after schedules are checked from the website published by Andaman and Nicobar Administration. There are very good and regular flights connecting Ahmedabad with these major cities of Chennai, Kolkata or Vizag.

How To Reach Andaman from Bangalore

By flight or air: The air distance from Bangalore to Andaman is 1639 kms. You can travel to Andaman Island from Bangalore via direct flights. Usually the morning flights by IndiGo are non-stop. A journey via flight from Bangalore to Port Blair will take approximately 2 hours 35 minutes. There is no road connectivity directly from Bangalore to Port Blair. One can board New Tinsukia Express from Bangalore to reach Chennai. But from Chennai one needs to catch a flight from Port Blair. To travel from Hyderabad to Chennai, there are various other train options such as Lalbagh Express and KSR Bengaluru.

By Ship or water: Direct travel by sea or by ship from Bangalore to Andaman is not possible. Ships connect the Indian subcontinent to Andaman and Nicobar islands only from Chennai, Kolkata and Vizag. There are very good and regular flights connecting Bangalore with Chennai, Kolkata and Vizag. The travelling time to Andamans from the mainland is 2.5 days to 3 days on an average by sea or ship depending on the ship. The time will vary a bit based on the weather conditions. The ships connect Andaman from Chennai, Kolkata or Vizag and sail on particular days of a week. Ships for Andaman can be booked after schedules are checked from the website published by Andaman and Nicobar Administration.