Route: Port Blair - Havelock - Neil - Port Blair
Places covered: Port Blair, Cellular Jail, Ross Island, North Bay, Havelock, Radhanagar Beach, Elephant Beach, Neil Island
This is the Andamans in one loop, and the plan we suggest for most first-time visitors with a week. It begins and ends in Port Blair, so you never have to cross the same stretch of sea twice, and it spends the most time where it matters: Havelock for the big beaches and the reef, and Neil for calmer water.
Who it suits
Couples, families with older children and groups of friends. It works best from November to April. In October and May, we keep the route but add weather buffers. In the monsoon, we do not recommend it.
How the days flow
You arrive at Port Blair and visit the Cellular Jail and its light show on the first evening. The next day is for Ross Island and North Bay, which are short boat trips. On day three, you take a ferry to Havelock, with Radhanagar Beach at sunset. Day four brings Elephant Beach and snorkelling. Day five is a ferry to Neil, with Bharatpur Beach and a sunset at Laxmanpur. Day six returns you to Port Blair, and day seven is departure.
Why this route works
Each stop adds something different: history, beaches, coral and calm. The ferry hops are limited to three. Placing Port Blair at both ends gives you a buffer for weather and flights, which is the single most important feature of an island itinerary.
The honest part
- Ferries are weather-dependent, and sailings are sometimes cancelled. If that happens, we adjust the sequence and, where possible, rebook.
- Island resorts are simpler than mainland hotels. Eco-resorts may not have air-conditioning around the clock.
- Mobile coverage and internet are patchy outside Port Blair.
- Water activities, such as scuba, glass-bottom boats and sea walks, are optional and charged separately unless added to the quote.
- If you dive, you must not fly for 18 to 24 hours afterwards, so we do not schedule dives on your last full day.
What a typical day feels like
You wake early, because the sun is up by five, have a relaxed breakfast and set out around 8 or 9 for a boat, a beach or a sight. Lunch is a long pause in the heat, and afternoons are for rest. The best light and the best water are in the early morning and the late afternoon, and the plan follows that. Evenings are for dinner by the sea and an early night.
Customising
Add a night on Havelock, include a scuba day, add Baratang, extend to a Port Blair city day or swap Neil for a second Havelock night. Tell us what you would like and we will price it.
