Weather & seasons · December · as of July 2026
Andaman in December: the honest picture
December has the best weather of the year — calm seas, 22–28°C, the clearest water — and it is also the most expensive and most crowded month, by a distance. Hotels carry a surcharge from December 15 to January 15, flights run two to three times normal, and Port Blair took 118,192 arriving passengers in December 2025, its highest on record. If your dates cannot move, book early and enjoy it: the month deserves its reputation. If they can move, November or the first fortnight of December gives you near-identical weather for meaningfully less.
A December sea, photographed in December, from our own library. The month really does look like this — the part the postcards leave out is who else is standing on the sand.
The numbers for December
- Temperature
- 22–28°C
- The coolest month of the year here, and the most comfortable — night lows near 22°C, days near 28°C. The sea still holds 27–29°C.
- Rain
- Low
- The driest, clearest stretch of the year. This is the weather December is famous for, and the reputation is earned.
- Sea state
- Calm
- Crossings are at their most dependable. Snorkelling and diving visibility is at or near its best.
- Crowds
- Very high
- The busiest month by every measure we can see. Port Blair received 118,192 arriving passengers in December 2025 — the highest December on record, and 48% more than that October.
- Prices
- Highest of the year
- Peak rate card plus a hotel surcharge from December 15 to January 15, with flights priced to match.
Arrival figures from DGCA monthly domestic traffic statistics (2025), via the open India Aviation Traffic dataset. Ferry-leg counts are our own booking data, published in full on our ferry cancellations study.
What's open in December — and what bites
Everything is open — that is the point
December is the one month where nothing is weather-gated. Ferries run, Barren Island trips are on, Elephant Beach and the water sports operate, and the sea cooperates. If you want the full menu with the fewest asterisks, this is it.
Ferries sell out about a week ahead
The crossings run reliably; the problem is seats, not sea. Our ops team is specific about it: morning departures on the Port Blair – Havelock route go at least a week in advance, and Havelock – Neil is mostly sold out a week ahead too. December is our busiest month on the ferry desk by a wide margin — 5,386 legs booked in December 2025 against 2,199 that October. Walk-up seats are not a plan in this month, and if you want good seats rather than any seat, book earlier still.
The popular hotels go first
It is not hotels in general — it is the ones people actually want. Havelock and Neil rooms in the Christmas–New Year window go early and go expensive, and the rooms left late are usually the ones nobody wanted at that price.
The beaches are busy at golden hour
Radhanagar at sunset in late December is genuinely crowded. It is still beautiful; it is not the empty postcard. Mornings are the fix — the same beach at 8am is a different place.
What December costs
- 5N/6D land package
- ₹28,000+ budget · ₹45,000+ standard · ₹78,000+ luxury
- Per person on the peak (Oct–Feb) rate card — before the December surcharge is added on top.
- The surcharge window
- Dec 15 – Jan 15
- The standard window as of 2026 — but not universal. It is mainly the popular hotels; some move their dates and many smaller hotels do not charge it at all. Travelling December 1–14 avoids it either way.
- Flights
- 2–3× normal fares
- December–January flights run two to three times the usual fare. For Christmas and New Year travel, book by September.
- Ferry peak fee
- ₹100 per ticket
- Ferry operators surcharge in peak season too, not just hotels — Makruzz adds ₹100 per ticket, as of 2026. Small next to the hotel and flight numbers, but nobody mentions it.
The full price anatomy sits on our Andaman trip cost page, and the packages themselves are on our packages page.
Christmas and New Year week, honestly
The last fortnight of December is the most expensive, most booked-out stretch of the Andaman year. It sits inside the December 15 – January 15 surcharge window, flights are at their peak, ferry seats go early, and the beaches are at their fullest at sunset. None of that makes it a bad trip — the weather is superb and the atmosphere is genuinely festive. It makes it a trip you have to book early and pay properly for.
The move most people miss: December 1 to 14. Same month, same calm sea, same clear water — outside the surcharge window, with noticeably fewer people. If your leave can start a fortnight earlier, that is the single biggest saving available in this month, and we will say so on the phone rather than quietly book you into Christmas week.
Who December suits
Anyone whose dates cannot move
School holidays, office shutdowns, family gathering in one window — if December is when you can travel, December is a genuinely lovely time to be here. Book early and the month rewards you.
First-timers who want zero weather risk
If this is your one Andaman trip and you want the calmest sea and clearest water with the fewest cancelled activities, December delivers that more reliably than any other month.
Less suited: anyone optimising price
You are paying the year's highest prices for weather that November and February deliver for less. If cost matters more than the exact dates, move.
Less suited: anyone who wants the islands quiet
This is the busiest month of the year. If your picture of the Andamans is an empty beach, late December will not match it — try September, October or November.
December questions, answered straight
Is December a good time to visit the Andaman Islands?
The weather is genuinely lovely — calm seas, 22–28°C, and the clearest water of the year. But December is the most expensive month on the islands: hotels apply peak-season surcharges from December 15 to January 15, and flights price accordingly, running two to three times normal fares. It is also the most crowded month by a distance. If your dates are fixed, December is a fine choice and you should book early. If they flex, September to November gives you near-identical weather for meaningfully less money.
What is the weather like in Andaman in December?
It is the most comfortable weather of the year. Night lows sit near 22°C and days near 28°C — the coolest month in a place with no cold season — with low rain, calm seas and excellent underwater visibility. The sea stays at 27–29°C, so swimming is warm regardless. This is the weather December is famous for, and unlike a lot of travel claims, the reputation is accurate.
How crowded is Andaman in December?
Very. It is the busiest month of the year by every measure we can see: Port Blair received 118,192 arriving passengers in December 2025, the highest December on record and about 48 percent more than that October. On our own ferry desk, December 2025 was our busiest month of the year at 5,386 booked legs, against 2,199 in October. In practice that means Radhanagar is genuinely crowded at sunset, the popular hotels go first, and ferries sell out roughly a week ahead — morning Port Blair – Havelock departures and the Havelock – Neil crossing especially. Mornings are the workaround for the beaches.
When should I book for a December trip to the Andamans?
Earlier than feels necessary. For Christmas and New Year travel, book flights by September — December–January fares run two to three times normal and the reasonable seats go first. For ferries our ops team gives a firm number: morning departures on the Port Blair – Havelock route sell out at least a week ahead, and Havelock – Neil is mostly gone a week out, so walk-up seats are not a workable plan in this month. The popular hotels follow the same pattern. If you are booking late, expect to pay for it or to compromise on the islands and rooms you wanted.
Is it worth paying December prices, or should I visit at another time?
Our honest answer, and it costs us bookings to say it: if your dates flex, November or early December beats late December. November gives you calm seas and clear weather before the surcharge window opens, and December 1–14 sits outside the surcharge entirely for weather that is essentially the same as Christmas week. It is worth knowing the surcharge is not universal either — it is mainly the popular hotels, and plenty of smaller places do not levy it at all, which is something we can work with when we quote. The people who should travel in late December are those whose dates genuinely cannot move — and for them the month really is excellent. We would rather tell you that than sell you the expensive fortnight.
Keep planning
- Best time to visit — how December compares with every other month.
- Andaman in October — the value month we usually suggest instead.
- Weather by month — the full table and the monsoon truth.
- Day-by-day itineraries — 3 to 7-night plans with buffers built in.
How this page stays true
Written by the Tropical Andamans team in Port Blair, as of July 2026. Temperature and sea figures mirror our weather guide; prices mirror our cost page; the surcharge window is the one hotels actually apply. Crowd claims are measured rather than asserted — arrival counts from DGCA's published monthly statistics, ferry volumes from our own booking data. The photograph is ours, taken in December. We re-check this page each year before the season, and we have left the December verdict as it stands on our best-time guide — overrated against November — because that is what we tell guests on the phone.
Planning December?
Send your dates. We will tell you what is still available, what the surcharge does to the number, and whether shifting a fortnight would save you real money.