The best time to visit the Andaman Islands
When you should come depends on what you want from the trip. Diving with thirty-metre visibility, beaches without crowds, or cheaper flights. They are all different windows.
When you should visit the Andamans depends on what you want from the trip. Diving with thirty-metre visibility? Beaches without crowds? Cheaper flights from Chennai? They are all different windows, and we get this question every week from people planning their first trip. Here is the rough guide our team gives over WhatsApp.
The short version
Dry season runs November through April. That is when most travellers come. October is the smartest month most people miss. June through September is monsoon, which becomes a real consideration if your itinerary depends on ferries.
November to April (peak)
These six months are when the photographs you have seen on Instagram were taken. Sunny days. Calm seas. Dive visibility runs twenty to thirty metres. Resorts are full. Flights from the mainland are expensive.
December and January are the busiest. Christmas week is the absolute peak. Radhanagar Beach gets visibly crowded by 5pm for sunset. Dive operators on Havelock book out two weeks in advance, so do not wait until you arrive to plan your dive days.
If you have date flexibility, aim for mid-November or early March. You get the same weather as peak season without paying the Christmas tax. Resorts on Havelock that charge ₹18,000 a night between 22 December and 5 January will quote ₹9,000 on 28 November.
October, the sweet spot most people miss
The monsoon retreats by the second week of October. Dive operators are back online by the 15th. Resorts are still pricing for shoulder season, meaning twenty-five to thirty percent savings over December rates. Rain in October is usually afternoon-only and lasts about an hour.
One catch: Diwali week, which falls in late October or early November depending on the year, briefly spikes domestic tourist numbers. Avoid that specific seven-day window if crowds are not your thing.
Picks up the WhatsApp messages, drafts the custom itineraries, and writes most of the planning-stage guides. Solo-travelled the islands for six months before joining the team.
More guides by PriyaMore from the guide
Scuba diving in the Andamans: a beginner guide
The easiest place in India to learn to dive. Visibility runs twenty to thirty metres. Water is warm year-round. Here is what to know before you book.
Ferry, seaplane, or helicopter: getting from Port Blair to Havelock
The three ways to make the 60km crossing. In practice, ninety-five percent of travellers take the ferry. Here is when the other options make sense.
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