Port Blair to Neil Island Ferry: Distance, Cost and How to Reach (2026)

Quick Overview: Neil Island (officially Shaheed Dweep) sits about 37 km from Port Blair by sea, roughly a 90-to-120-minute crossing. As of 2026 there is no reliable direct private ferry. Your two real options are the once-daily government ferry booked on the STARS portal, or a private ferry routed via Havelock.

Suggested Read: Places to visit in Andaman and Best time to Visit Andaman

The Port Blair to Neil Island leg is the fiddliest hop in the Andamans right now. Private catamaran companies like Makruzz, Nautika, Green Ocean and ITT Majestic pour their morning sailings into the busier Port Blair to Havelock corridor. Direct private service to Neil comes and goes. So you are choosing between a cheap government boat that is hard to book, and a longer, pricier route through Havelock that you can lock in months ahead. We will walk you through both, with current fares, timings and the trade-offs we give our own guests.

Is there a direct Port Blair to Neil Island ferry, or not?

Yes, but only one you can count on: the government ferry. It runs the direct Port Blair to Neil Island route, usually once a day, operated by the Directorate of Shipping Services. Private operators are a different story. Makruzz launched a direct Port Blair to Neil sailing in September 2025, ran it for a few months, then quietly pulled it in early 2026 because the numbers did not add up against the Havelock route. Other private operators have never run it directly.

Private direct service has been switching on and off, so treat it as a bonus, not a plan. If a private morning sailing to Neil shows up when you search your dates, book it. If it does not, use one of the two dependable routes below.

One quirk worth knowing. The reverse direction, Neil Island to Port Blair, is fully served daily by all four private operators. Boats overnight at Neil or Havelock and run back to Port Blair direct in the morning. So getting off Neil is easy. Getting onto it from Port Blair is the part that needs planning.

How far is Neil Island from Port Blair, and how long does the crossing take?

The Port Blair to Neil Island distance is roughly 37 km across open Bay of Bengal water. There is no road, no bridge, no land route, so ignore any driving distance Google Maps tries to show you. A vessel may weave slightly around smaller islands, which is why you will see figures quoted anywhere from about 36 km up to the low 40s.

Crossing time is 90 to 120 minutes on the government ferry. If you route via Havelock, the ferry time alone is longer once you add the two legs and the wait between them. More on that below.

What does the Port Blair to Neil Island ferry cost in 2026?

The short answer: The government ferry is by far the cheapest at around Rs 725 all in, while the via-Havelock private route runs roughly Rs 2,400 to Rs 2,700 per person. A private charter boat is a different universe of price. Here is how it breaks down.

Route	How it works	Cost per person	Total time
Government ferry (direct)	One boat, direct to Neil	~Rs 725 (Rs 675 + Rs 50 PSF)	90 to 120 min
Via Havelock (private)	PB to Havelock, then Havelock to Neil	~Rs 2,400 to Rs 2,700	4 to 6 hours with layover
Private charter boat	Hire a whole boat	Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,000+ per boat	90 to 150 min

Fares as of August 2026 and rounded. PSF is the Rs 50 Port Security Fee, charged per departure, so the via-Havelock route pays it twice. Private operators may add a fuel surcharge of roughly Rs 300 to Rs 325 per leg. Always confirm the live fare when you book.

For a solo traveller or a couple watching the budget, that Rs 725 versus Rs 2,600 gap is the whole decision. For a family that wants certainty and no 6 am scramble on a booking portal, the via-Havelock route usually earns its extra cost.

How do you book the government ferry to Neil Island?

You book it online through the DSS e-ticketing portal, run by the Directorate of Shipping Services at dss.andaman.gov.in. Locals still call it the STARS portal, and it is the only official channel. The catch is timing: the tourist quota opens exactly 2 days before sailing, at 9:00 AM IST, and in peak season those seats can vanish in five to fifteen minutes. Government ferries are built for local residents first, and the tourist allocation is small.

Step by step so you actually land a seat

●    A week ahead: Register on the STARS portal. First-time verification can take a day or two, so do not leave it to the last minute.

●   Confirm sailing exists: The government ferry does not run every single day. Check the published schedule for your date.

●    Two days before, be ready early: Log in by 8:55 AM IST. Do not assume you can sign in at 8:59 and click at 9:00.

●    At 9:00 AM sharp: The tourist quota is released. Refresh, select the Port Blair to Neil sailing, enter passenger details and pay within about five minutes.

●    Save the e-ticket immediately: Download the PDF the moment it is issued. The portal can struggle to re-issue tickets.

On the day, reach the jetty 60 to 75 minutes before departure. Government ferries close boarding well ahead of the sailing. Carry your printed e-ticket and the original photo ID that matches your booking. Government ferry tickets are non-refundable, so if you miss the boat, the money is gone. A common insurance move: hold a private via-Havelock booking as backup, and cancel it if your STARS seat comes through.

Should you route via Havelock instead?

For most travellers who plan more than two days ahead, yes. The via-Havelock route is the one you can actually book with confidence. You take a private ferry from Port Blair to Havelock, then a second private ferry from Havelock to Neil. Two tickets, one connection, and seats bookable up to around 60 days in advance.

How the connection works in practice

The Port Blair to Havelock leg takes about 90 minutes, with most departures clustered between 6:30 AM and 9:30 AM. The Havelock to Neil leg takes 45 to 75 minutes depending on the operator. The important thing: you cannot reliably chain the earliest boats back to back. Boarding gates at Havelock close 15 minutes before sailing, and you need time to collect luggage and walk to the connecting counter.

A realistic day looks like this: catch a 6:30 AM ferry from Port Blair, reach Havelock around 8:00 AM, then take a late-morning or early-afternoon boat to Neil, arriving around midday. Total elapsed time is roughly six hours. The upside is that the Havelock layover is not wasted time if you grab breakfast near the jetty or fit in a quick beach stop.

Leg	Time	Typical private fare
Port Blair to Havelock	~90 min	Rs 1,100 to Rs 1,300
Havelock to Neil Island	45 to 75 min	Rs 1,350 to Rs 1,450
Combined (with PSF x2)	~4 to 6 hrs incl. layover	~Rs 2,450 to Rs 2,700

One practical tip. If you book both legs as a single linked transaction rather than on two separate operator sites, a weather or technical cancellation gets you unified rebooking support instead of two separate refund fights.

What about a private charter boat?

It exists, and for most people it is overkill. A private charter from Port Blair to Neil costs roughly Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,000 for the boat, regardless of how many seats you fill. It only makes sense for a group of eight or more, where the per-head cost drops to something reasonable, or for a special occasion where direct private transit genuinely matters. There is no standard booking portal; you arrange it through a local operator or your hotel, usually with a day or two of lead time and full payment upfront.

Where do the ferries leave from and arrive?

In Port Blair, the government ferry departs from Phoenix Bay Jetty, while private catamarans use Haddo Wharf nearby, on the northern side of town close to Foreshore Road. The two are a short auto-rickshaw ride from Aberdeen Bazaar and the main hotel areas. At the other end, all ferries dock at Bharatpur Jetty on Neil Island, right beside Neil Kendra, the island’s main market. From Bharatpur it is a few minutes by auto or e-rickshaw to most Neil guesthouses and to Laxmanpur and Sitapur beaches.

Double check your departure jetty on your ticket. Turning up at Haddo when your boat leaves from Phoenix Bay, or the reverse, has caught out plenty of travellers.

What is the best time to make the Port Blair to Neil Island crossing?

The tourist season runs October to May, and that is when ferries are most frequent and the sea is calmest. Our honest pick is November to February: clear water, gentle swells and the most reliable schedules, though it is also the busiest window, which is exactly when the government tourist quota disappears fastest.

March to May is still good and a touch quieter, but hot. The monsoon months, roughly June to September, are the ones to plan around carefully. Seas get rough, and ferry sailings, especially the smaller government boat, are more likely to be delayed or cancelled at short notice. If you travel in the monsoon, keep your Neil days flexible and do not book a same-day onward flight out of Port Blair right after a Neil crossing.

Permits and what to carry

Indian nationals do not need a permit for Neil Island; just carry an original government photo ID such as Aadhaar, passport or voter ID that matches your ferry ticket. Foreign nationals no longer need a Restricted Area Permit for Neil Island as of 2026; a valid passport and Indian visa are enough. Nationals of Pakistan, China and Afghanistan still need prior approval, so check your own case before you travel.

What our team on the ground actually tells travellers about the Neil gap

One thing trips almost everyone up, and it is the reasoning we give guests before they book anything. The Port Blair to Neil problem is not a distance problem. Neil is closer to Port Blair than Havelock is. It is a scheduling and economics problem, and once you see that, the fix is obvious.

Why the route is awkward in the first place

Ferry operators chase the Havelock demand. Havelock, now Swaraj Dweep, pulls the bigger share of Andaman tourists, so operators load their prime morning slots onto that corridor. Neil gets served mostly as a second leg off Havelock, or through the government boat. That is why the network looks lopsided: easy to leave Neil, awkward to reach it directly. When Makruzz tried a dedicated direct sailing in late 2025, it could not fill the boat against those Havelock economics, and it lapsed. Nothing about the sea changed; the timetable just follows the money.

The four rules to plan every Neil trip around

●     Sequence Neil, do not detour to it. Slot Neil between Port Blair and Havelock on your route rather than as an out-and-back trip. A pattern that works beautifully: one night in Port Blair, ferry across for two nights on Neil, hop the short leg to Havelock, then take the easy direct private ferry back to Port Blair for your flight. You ride the network’s natural direction instead of fighting it.

●   Skip the day-trip idea. The direct government boat is cheap but a gamble on availability, and the via-Havelock route eats most of a day each way. Neil deserves an overnight, not a rushed there-and-back.

●   Plan for the harder route, treat the cheap seat as a bonus. The STARS booking window is a real skill. Being logged in at 8:55 and clicking at 9:00 two days out is the difference between Rs 725 and Rs 2,600. If your dates are fixed and fall in December or January, assume you will not win that lottery: budget the via-Havelock route from the start, and if the government seat comes through, enjoy the savings.

●   Leave a full day of slack before any flight. Sea conditions shift fast and the smaller government vessel feels it first. We never let a guest book a Neil crossing on the same day as a connecting flight out of Port Blair. A delayed ferry is a minor annoyance with a buffer, and a trip-ending problem without one.

Get those four right and everything else on Neil falls into place: the coral at Bharatpur, the sunset at Laxmanpur, the natural rock bridge at low tide.

Planning your Andaman trip with andamantourism.org

Sequencing islands, catching the STARS window and holding a backup ferry are exactly the kind of details that are hard to manage from the mainland. We are a local, Andaman-based operator working out of Port Blair, and our team watches these ferry schedules and quota windows every single day. We know which sailings are running this season, which operator dropped its fuel surcharge, when the government boat is likely to be pulled for weather, and how to slot Neil into a route so you are never fighting the timetable.

At andamantourism.org we book the ferries, line up the transfers at both jetties, and match your Neil nights to hotels we actually deal with rather than names off a listing site. That on-ground relationship is the difference between a smooth crossing and a stressful one, and it is knowledge a mainland travel desk simply does not have. If you want the Neil leg handled properly as part of a full Andaman itinerary, that is what we do.

Port Blair to Neil Island ferry FAQ

Is there a direct ferry from Port Blair to Neil Island?

Yes, the government ferry runs direct, usually once a day, for about Rs 725 with a 90 to 120 minute crossing. Reliable direct private service is not running as of 2026, so most travellers route via Havelock instead.

What is the cheapest way to get from Port Blair to Neil Island?

The government ferry at around Rs 725 all in. The trade-off is that its tourist quota is small and opens only two days before sailing on the STARS portal, selling out fast in peak season.

How much is the Port Blair to Neil Island ferry?

Government ferry: about Rs 675 plus Rs 50 PSF, so roughly Rs 725. Via-Havelock private route: about Rs 2,400 to Rs 2,700 per person including PSF charged twice and any fuel surcharge. Private charter: Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,000 for the whole boat.

How long does the Port Blair to Neil Island ferry take?

The direct government ferry takes 90 to 120 minutes. Via Havelock, the ferry time is longer once you add both legs plus a one to three hour layover at Havelock, so budget four to six hours door to door.

How far is Neil Island from Port Blair?

About 37 km by sea across the Bay of Bengal. There is no road route, so the only way across is by ferry.

Can I book the government ferry to Neil Island online?

Yes, only through the DSS e-ticketing portal (dss.andaman.gov.in), still known as STARS. Register a day or two ahead, then book when the tourist quota opens at 9:00 AM IST exactly two days before sailing.

Should I go via Havelock or take the government ferry?

If your dates are more than two days out and you want certainty, go via Havelock. If you are on a tight budget, flexible, and can win the STARS booking window, the direct government ferry saves you around Rs 2,000 per person.