How many days do the Andamans actually need?
Ferries, not flights, set the pace. A realistic breakdown of Havelock, Neil and Port Blair — and why five nights is the floor.
The ferry timetable is your itinerary
There are a handful of private fast ferries a day between Port Blair, Havelock and Neil, and they mostly run in the morning. That single fact shapes everything: an island change costs you a half-day, whether or not the crossing itself is only ninety minutes.
Book ferries before you fly. In season the morning sailings sell out days ahead, and the alternative is a slow government ferry on a schedule that does not care about your flight home.
Five nights is the practical minimum
A workable shape is one night Port Blair on arrival, three on Havelock, one on Neil, then back. That gives you two full days on Havelock — enough for Radhanagar, and either a dive or the Elephant Beach snorkel trip — and one slow day on Neil.
Anything under five nights and you are spending a third of the trip on boats. Seven nights is where it stops feeling rushed.
Diving is the reason to go
The Andamans have some of the best accessible diving in India, and Havelock is where it is centred. A PADI open water course takes three to four days, which is worth building the trip around rather than squeezing in.
If you are not certified, a discover-scuba dive gets you in the water the same morning. Visibility is generally best from December through March.
Season, permits and cash
The islands are open year-round but the sea between May and September is rough enough that ferries get cancelled and dive sites close. December to March is the reliable window; October and November are quieter and mostly fine.
Indian nationals need no permit for the main islands. Foreign nationals are issued one on arrival. Card acceptance on Havelock and Neil has improved but is still patchy — carry cash from Port Blair.
