Adventurous Things to Do in Andaman: The 2026 Guide

Suggested Read: Scuba diving in Andaman and Top restaurants in Andaman

Quick Snippet: The most adventurous things to do in Andaman are scuba diving off Havelock, sea walking at North Bay, bioluminescent night kayaking, trekking to Saddle Peak, and the day-long boat trip to Barren Island, India’s only active volcano. Most run between October and May, when the sea is calm and visibility underwater is at its best.

Sorted by who each one is for, the adventurous things to do in Andaman plan themselves. A few need only a signed waiver and an hour of instruction. Others want a certification, a settled stomach, or a whole day at the open sea. What follows splits every activity by skill level, prices each in 2026 rupees, and then does what no packing list bothers to: puts them in an order that respects the tides, the ferries and the one boat that only sails once a week.

Adventure activities in Andaman at a glance

Adventure activities in Andaman run from three main bases. Port Blair handles water sports and sea walking, Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) owns the diving and kayaking, and the far north and open sea hold the treks and the volcano trip. The table matches each activity to a skill level, a 2026 price and the months it runs.

Activity	Best spot	Typical 2026 price	Skill level	Months
Discover Scuba Dive	Havelock	Rs 3,500–4,500	Beginner	Oct–May
Sea walking	North Bay, Port Blair	Rs 3,000–4,500	Beginner	Oct–May
Snorkelling	Elephant Beach	Rs 1,000–2,000	Beginner	Oct–May
Jet ski / parasailing	Corbyn’s Cove, North Bay	Rs 500–4,000	Beginner	Oct–May
Glass-bottom boat	North Bay, Jolly Buoy	Rs 500–1,200	Beginner	Oct–May
Bioluminescent kayaking	Havelock	Rs 2,500–4,000	Beginner–intermediate	Dark nights, Nov–May
Certified / wreck diving	Havelock, Neil	Rs 4,000–8,000 / dive	Certified	Oct–May
Trekking (Saddle Peak)	Diglipur	Free – Rs 1,500 guide	Moderate	Nov–Apr
Game fishing	Havelock, Port Blair	Rs 6,000+ / half day	Intermediate	Oct–Apr
Barren Island volcano	From Havelock	~Rs 20,000–25,000 pp	Full-day trip	Oct–Mar

Prices are 2026 ranges from Andaman operators and move with fuel, season and operator. Figures flagged in the verification list at the end need a final check before you quote them to a customer.

Adventure activities in Andaman for beginners

Beginner adventure activities in Andaman need no licence, no experience, and usually under an hour of instruction. If you cannot swim, you still have four solid options here, and only one keeps you at the surface. Start with these while you find your feet.

1. Try your first scuba dive at Havelock

You do not need to swim and you do not need a licence. A Discover Scuba Dive at Havelock puts a certified instructor at your shoulder while you breathe underwater at 6 to 12 metres, usually off Nemo Reef. It runs beach briefing, then a shallow check, then about 30 to 40 minutes on the reef. Shops like DIVEIndia and Barefoot Scuba charge Rs 3,500 to 4,500 for a shore dive in 2026. Most take you from age 10 and ask about heart and ear conditions on a short medical form first. Book a morning slot when the water is calmest, and pick Havelock over North Bay because the reefs off Havelock are in better shape. It is the single best first adventure on the islands.

2. Walk on the seabed at North Bay

At North Bay you can walk the seabed without ever learning to dive. Sea walking lowers a weighted helmet over your head, feeds it air from a boat on the surface, and stands you on the sand at 3 to 7 metres. You walk, you never swim, which makes it the pick for non-swimmers who find a regulator frightening. It costs Rs 3,000 to 4,500 for 20 to 30 minutes down, and children from about 10 can do it. The reef here is tamer than a Havelock dive, so come for the strangeness of standing underwater, not for the marine life.

3. Snorkel Elephant Beach

Bring a mask and you are in. Elephant Beach on Havelock keeps living coral within wading distance of the sand, which is rarer here than it sounds. Boat trips throw in masks, snorkel and fins for Rs 1,000 to 2,000. Go early: morning light and flat water mean you see more before the day boats stir up the shallows. Whoever takes you out should tell you not to stand on the coral, because a lot of this reef has already been trampled.

4. Ride the water sports at Corbyn’s Cove

Corbyn’s Cove in Port Blair is the city’s water-sports strip, ten minutes from town. Jet skis go for Rs 500 to 1,200, parasailing for Rs 2,500 to 4,000, and a banana boat for a few hundred rupees a seat. None of it needs a skill or a briefing longer than a minute. Treat these as a way to burn your afternoon in Port Blair before the ferry to Havelock, not a reason to make the trip.

5. See the reef dry with a glass-bottom boat

Not everyone wants to get wet. A glass-bottom boat at North Bay or Jolly Buoy shows you the coral and fish through the hull for Rs 500 to 1,200, which suits small children, nervous non-swimmers and older travellers. Jolly Buoy, inside the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, has clearly better coral than North Bay, but it needs a forest permit and shuts in the monsoon, so sort that one ahead.

Adventurous things to do in Andaman for thrill-seekers

The next set asks more of you: a certification, a settled stomach, or a full day at sea. At least one of them should be the spine of your trip.

1. Go deeper with certified and wreck diving

Once you are certified, the archipelago opens up. Havelock and Neil hold dozens of named dive sites, with steep drop-offs and wrecks a Discover dive never reaches, and a wreck dive runs Rs 4,000 to 8,000. If you are not certified yet, do your PADI or SSI Open Water course here: budget around Rs 25,000 and block three to five days, because you cannot rush it. The warm, shallow water off Havelock makes it one of the gentler places in the world to learn, and you finish cleared to dive to 18 metres anywhere.

2. Take the boat to Barren Island, India’s only active volcano

The biggest day out here runs 140 km northeast into the open sea. Barren Island is India’s only active volcano, and you reach it by chartered boat alone: no ferry, and no setting foot on the island itself. Shared trips cost roughly Rs 20,000 to 25,000 per person and usually leave on one fixed morning a week, often Saturday, from the Havelock jetty. Only a few operators run them, so confirm the day and the fare when you book, a few days ahead. The day runs about 12 hours with snorkelling and game fishing over some of the clearest water in the archipelago. The crossing is long and open, so take something for seasickness before you board.

3. Paddle a glowing sea on a bioluminescent kayak

This is the one to plan your dates around. Bioluminescent night kayaking at Havelock takes you through mangrove creeks where the water flashes blue-green every time the paddle breaks the surface. The glow comes from plankton and only shows on genuinely dark nights, so book for the nights near a new moon and skip the week of a full moon completely. It runs Rs 2,500 to 4,000 for about 90 minutes, and it is one of the strangest hours you will spend anywhere in India.

4. Trek to Saddle Peak or Chidiya Tapu

Head north to Diglipur for the real climb. Saddle Peak is the highest point in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands at 732 metres, an 8 km walk one way through rainforest to a view across the north islands, and it needs a forest permit and ideally a guide. Closer to Port Blair, Chidiya Tapu is a short sunset trek known for macaques and birds, and Mount Harriet, now Mount Manipur, is a gentler forest walk. None of these are technical. The humidity does the hard work for you.

5. Chase big fish off Havelock

Half a day off Havelock puts you onto yellowfin tuna, dorado, barracuda and, if you are lucky, marlin. Charters start around Rs 6,000 and climb with boat size, and most good operators release the big pelagics. October to April gives the flattest sea and the best runs. The crew rigs everything, so this is an adventure you can turn up to having never held a rod.

6. Surf the remote breaks at Little Andaman

Butler Bay on Little Andaman is the only surf worth the name in the archipelago, a long left that works best on the swell that builds through the shoulder months. Getting there is the cost of entry: a government ferry from Phoenix Bay in Port Blair, six to ten hours depending on the boat, with only three to five sailings a week and rarely a crowd on board. Do not count on renting a board. There is no surf shop and no school, so bring your own or borrow from the small local crew who ride here. That settles who it is for. If you already surf, you get an empty, honest wave. If you are still learning, get your pop-up sorted somewhere with instructors first, then come back for Butler Bay when you can already stand up.

How to order your adventures across a short trip

1. The mistake first-timers make is treating the Andamans as one beach with everything on tap. It is not. The islands are hours of sea apart, some trips only run on fixed days, and the conditions that make an activity good shift through the day and the month. Order matters as much as the list.

1. Front-load the water. The sea is calmest in the morning almost everywhere and roughens by afternoon, so put diving, sea walking and snorkelling in early slots and leave beaches and treks for later. If you are learning to dive, block your first three to five days for the course and finish it before any boat trip that includes diving.

1. Then build around the fixed points. The shared Barren Island boat sails one set morning a week, so anchor the week to whichever departure you can get. Bioluminescent kayaking needs a dark night, so check the moon before you lock a date. Marine-park sites like Jolly Buoy need a permit arranged ahead and close in the monsoon.

1. Respect the ferries and the air rules. Port Blair to Havelock is a 90-minute to two-hour crossing on a Makruzz or Green Ocean fast ferry, and in peak season they sell out, so a day that changes islands is mostly a travel day. One rule is non-negotiable: do not fly within 18 to 24 hours of your last dive, so keep your final dive a clear day before you fly out of Port Blair.

1. A realistic five-day shape looks like this. Day one, land in Port Blair and do North Bay sea walking or water sports. Day two, ferry to Havelock and take a Discover Scuba dive. Day three, snorkel Elephant Beach in the morning and kayak that night if the moon is dark. Day four, the Barren Island boat or a certified dive. Day five, an easy Chidiya Tapu trek near Port Blair before your flight. Keep one half-day spare, because weather cancels boats here without much warning, and a scrubbed Barren trip should not sink the whole plan.

Best time for adventure activities in Andaman

The best months for adventure activities in Andaman are December to April, when the sea is calm and underwater visibility is at its clearest. The shoulder weeks of late October, November and May trade the odd rained-off afternoon for thinner crowds and lower prices, which is the smart traveller’s window. June to September is monsoon: rough seas, and most water sports and boat trips suspended.

Season	Months	Sea and weather	Best for
Peak dry	Dec–Feb	Calm, dry, busy	Everything; book well ahead
Best visibility	Jan–Apr	Clearest water	Diving, Barren Island, snorkelling
Shoulder	Oct–Nov, May	Warm, occasional rain	Fewer crowds, better value
Monsoon	Jun–Sep	Rough seas, closures	Limited; many water sports suspended

Permits you need for Andaman adventures

Indian nationals do not need a permit to enter the Andaman Islands, but several adventure sites sit inside protected zones with their own entry permits. Marine-park spots like Jolly Buoy and Red Skin need a forest-department permit, usually arranged through your operator or at the jetty. The Barren Island trip needs clearances from the Fisheries department, Marine Police and Coast Guard, which the tour operator handles. Foreign nationals should confirm current entry-registration rules before travel, as the Restricted Area Permit requirement has changed in recent years. Carry a photo ID for every boat trip, because it does get checked.

Related subtopics

• Swaraj Dweep and Shaheed Dweep: the official names for Havelock and Neil since 2018, printed on ferry tickets and signboards.
• Makruzz and Green Ocean: the main private fast ferries linking Port Blair, Havelock and Neil, and the quick way between dive bases.
• Phoenix Bay Jetty: Port Blair’s government ferry terminal and the departure point for Little Andaman and outer-island sailings.
• Radhanagar Beach: Havelock’s headline beach, a short ride from the dive shops and the natural rest-day between dives.
• Elephant Beach: Havelock’s main snorkelling and water-sports beach, reached by a 20-minute boat or a 40-minute jungle walk.
• Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park: the protected reef zone around Jolly Buoy and Red Skin, entered only on a forest permit.
• PADI and SSI: the two dive-certification agencies most Havelock centres teach; both are recognised worldwide.
• Cellular Jail: Port Blair’s colonial-era prison and evening sound-and-light show, the usual non-adventure evening.
• Little Andaman: the far-south island for surfers and waterfall treks, six to ten hours by ferry from Port Blair.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a non-swimmer do adventure activities in Andaman?

Yes. Non-swimmers can do a Discover Scuba Dive with an instructor, sea walking in a weighted helmet at North Bay, a glass-bottom boat ride, and surface sports like parasailing. Only free snorkelling and certified diving really need swimming confidence, so most of the island stays open to you.

How much do adventure activities in Andaman cost?

Budget roughly Rs 1,000 to 2,000 for snorkelling, Rs 3,500 to 4,500 for a beginner scuba dive, Rs 3,000 to 4,500 for sea walking, and Rs 20,000 to 25,000 per person for the Barren Island volcano boat. These are 2026 ranges and move with season, fuel and operator.

Can I fly the same day I scuba dive in Andaman?

No. Do not fly within 18 to 24 hours of your last scuba dive, because cabin pressure raises the risk of decompression sickness. Plan your final dive for at least a full day before your flight from Port Blair, and keep snorkelling or a glass-bottom boat for that last day instead.

When is the best time for adventure activities in Andaman?

December to April is the prime window: calm sea, clear water, and the best visibility for diving and the Barren Island trip. Late October, November and May are quieter and cheaper with warm water and the odd shower. Avoid June to September, when the monsoon suspends most water sports.

How many days do I need for an adventure trip to Andaman?

Five to six days is the realistic minimum. That covers a night in Port Blair, three to four days on Havelock for diving, kayaking and snorkelling, and a buffer day for a Barren Island boat or weather. Add three to five days if you want a diving certification on top.

Do I need a permit for adventure activities in Andaman?

Indian nationals need no permit to enter the islands, but marine-park sites like Jolly Buoy need a forest permit and the Barren Island trip needs clearances your operator arranges. Foreign nationals should check current registration rules before travel. Carry a photo ID, because it is checked on boat trips.

Do you book the Barren Island volcano trip in advance?

Yes, book it a few days ahead. Only a handful of operators run the Barren Island boat, it usually sails one fixed morning a week from Havelock, and seats are limited. Fix your date first and plan the rest of the week around it, because walk-up spots on the day are rare.

Where to start

If you do one thing here, make it about shore scuba diving in Havelock. It’s cheap, no experience needed, and the reef does the rest. Build the week outward from the trips that run on fixed days. Lock the Barren Island boat and a dark-night kayak first, drop dives and sea walking into the calm mornings, and keep a spare half-day for the weather. Come between December and April for the flattest sea, or the shoulder weeks if you would rather trade a little chop for smaller crowds. For more information, connect with our Andaman experts at info@andamantourism.org

---