Plan your trip · best season, weather & crowds · last checked 12 October 2026
Best time and best season to visit Andaman, decided honestly
The short answer every site gives you — "October to May" — is true and nearly useless, because the right month depends on what you are optimising: weather, price, or crowds. This is the version we give our own guests, with the season-by-season picture and the month-by-month verdicts on one page.
The verdict, up front
- Best time: November to April. Calm seas and the driest weather of the year. The Port Blair airport gauge averages 26–28 dry days in every 30 from January to April, about 21 in December and about 16 in November.
- Our pick: November, or February and March. November has calm seas and comes before the usual hotel surcharge window, which opens on 15 December at many popular hotels; hotels set their own dates. February and March are the driest months, at about 28 dry days in 30, with arrivals close to an average month — December runs about 54 percent above one.
- December is dry, calm and the busiest month. About 21 dry days in 30, and the most arrivals of any month in DGCA data. Many popular hotels add a surcharge, usually from 15 December to 15 January, and in December, morning ferries from Port Blair to Havelock sell out at least a week ahead and Havelock to Neil is mostly sold out a week ahead, our Port Blair team said in July 2026. 1–14 December usually falls outside the surcharge window, but hotels set their own dates, so check yours.
- June to September is the rainy season. About 9–10 dry days in 30, with rough spells at sea that can delay ferries. It is also the quietest time: July runs about 39 percent below an average month. Go with flexible plans, or not at all if your dates cannot move.
Dry-day figures are historical averages at the Port Blair airport gauge, 2015–2024, and arrivals are DGCA figures for 2023–2025. Neither is a forecast for your dates.
The best season to visit Andaman
The best season to visit Andaman is November to April, when the sea is calm and the weather is at its driest: at the Port Blair airport gauge, January to April average 26–28 dry days in every 30, December about 21 and November about 16. October and May are shoulder months, and June to September is the rainy season. The peak tourist season runs from November to January — December is the busiest month in the DGCA arrivals data, with November and January next — and the off-season is the monsoon. These are historical averages, not a forecast for your dates.
| Season | Months | Dry days in 30 | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry season — the driest stretch | January–April | 26–28 | Calm; April the flattest |
| Early season | November–December | 16–21 | Calm |
| Shoulder months | October, May | 13–14 | Calming in October; rough spells in May |
| Rainy season (monsoon) | June–September | 9–10 | Rough spells |
Dry days are averages at the Port Blair airport gauge, 2015–2024 (NOAA GSOD); sea notes mirror our weather guide. Crowd levels in the month grid below follow DGCA arrivals at Port Blair, 2023–2025.
Every month, the one-line verdict
The quick read. For the full weather picture behind each line — rainfall patterns, the weather and return-night planning — see our weather by month guide.
January
23–29°C
Dry and calm — plan ahead for your preferred rooms
Sea: Calm · High
~26 dry days in 30
February
24–30°C
Excellent — clearest water
Sea: Calm · Medium
~28 dry days in 30
March
25–31°C
Very good, warming up
Sea: Calm · Medium
~28 dry days in 30
April
25–32°C
Good — hot afternoons
Sea: Flattest of the year · Low–medium
~26 dry days in 30
May
25–32°C
Fine if flexible — monsoon edges in
Sea: Rough spells · Low–medium
~14 dry days in 30
June
24–30°C
Doable with buffer days
Sea: Rough spells · Low–medium
~10 dry days in 30
July
24–30°C
Doable with buffer days
Sea: Rough spells · Low
~10 dry days in 30
August
24–30°C
Doable with buffer days
Sea: Rough spells · Low
~9 dry days in 30
September
24–30°C
Among the wettest weeks — flexible plans only
Sea: Improving · Low–medium
~9 dry days in 30
24–30°C
Shoulder month — showers still common, sea calming
Sea: Calming · Medium
~13 dry days in 30
November
25–30°C
Our pick — calm seas before the usual surcharge window (hotels set their own dates)
Sea: Calm · High
~16 dry days in 30
25–30°C
Dry, calm and the busiest month — the usual surcharge window opens on the 15th
Sea: Calm, not the flattest · Very high
~21 dry days in 30
The same beach in different conditions — photographed
Words undersell how differently the seasons behave, so here is the same beach — Kalapathar, on Havelock — across four dated frames from our photo library. This is what the table above actually looks like.
All four frames are from our own photo library. Three are dated by the day they were sent to us, which can be later than the day they were taken. The full photo story is on the Kalapathar seasons page.
Compare your dates on the same basis
Ask for the same route, rooms, travellers and inclusions on two date options. Availability and holiday requirements can change the total; a seasonal label alone is not a price quote. Check any mandatory meals or supplements in writing.
Build your trip budget →Best time, by the trip you are planning
Honeymoon
February and March are our pick for the driest months, with calm seas; or November, for calm seas before the usual surcharge window opens on 15 December (hotels set their own dates). A sea view or special dinner is a choice to specify, not an automatic inclusion.
Family
November and February–March: calm seas and fewer arrivals than December. If you are tied to the December school break, it is the busiest month: in December, morning ferries from Port Blair to Havelock sell out at least a week ahead and Havelock to Neil is mostly sold out a week ahead, our Port Blair team said in July 2026. Book those first.
Snorkelling & diving
The calm-sea months — roughly November to April, with February the standout for water clarity. Monsoon months still run dives on fair days, but visibility and boat comfort are a lottery.
Budget
The usual surcharge window at many popular hotels is 15 December to 15 January. November comes before it and 1–14 December usually does too, but hotels set their own dates, so check the property. The quietest months are the rainy season, June to September: fewer travellers, more weather risk. We cannot promise a lower quote in any month; ask for the same rooms on two date options.
These follow the historical averages above. They are not a forecast for your dates.
The timing questions, answered straight
What is the best time to visit Andaman?
November to April. The sea is calm and the weather is at its driest: the Port Blair airport gauge averages 26–28 dry days in every 30 from January to April, about 21 in December and about 16 in November. If you can choose freely, our pick is November — calm seas before the usual hotel surcharge window opens on 15 December, though hotels set their own dates — or February and March, the driest months. October and May are shoulder months with more showers, and June to September is the rainy season. These are historical averages, not a forecast for your dates.
Which is the best season to visit Andaman and Nicobar?
November to April. Those are the calm-sea, drier months: the Port Blair airport gauge averages 26–28 dry days in every 30 from January to April, about 21 in December and about 16 in November. October and May are shoulder months, and June to September is the rainy season, with rough spells at sea and about 9–10 dry days in 30. December is the busiest month, with November and January next. These are historical averages, not a forecast for your dates.
Which is the cheapest month to visit Andaman?
We cannot name one cheapest month from prices we would stand behind, but two things are clear. The usual surcharge window is 15 December to 15 January, when many popular hotels add a peak-season charge (our Port Blair team, July 2026; some hotels move the dates and some smaller ones do not charge it). And demand is lowest in the rainy season: in DGCA arrivals data July is the quietest month, about 39 percent below an average month across 2023–2025, against December at about 54 percent above. Fewer travellers does not guarantee a lower quote, and those months are the monsoon — ask for quotes for the same rooms on two date options.
Is December a good time — or overrated?
Good weather, and the busiest weeks of the year. The Port Blair airport gauge averages about 21 dry days in every 30 in December, against 16 in November and 13 in October, though January to April are drier still at 26–28. December has the most arrivals of any month in DGCA data, about 54 percent above an average month; many popular hotels add a surcharge, usually from 15 December to 15 January; and in December, morning ferries from Port Blair to Havelock sell out at least a week ahead and Havelock to Neil is mostly sold out a week ahead, our Port Blair team said in July 2026. If your dates can move, November comes before the usual surcharge window and is a little wetter; 1–14 December usually falls outside it too, but hotels set their own dates, so check yours. These are historical averages, not a forecast for your dates.
Can I visit Andaman during the monsoon or rainy season (June–September)?
Yes, if your plans can bend. June to September averages about 9–10 dry days in every 30 at the Port Blair airport gauge — a historical average, not a forecast — with rough spells at sea that can delay ferries or change boat activities. Elephant Beach stays open and water sports are limited rather than closed, our Port Blair team says (July 2026). It is also the quietest time of year. Leave time around transfers, and discuss an extra night if an onward connection matters: a final Port Blair overnight is not a guarantee against disruption.
What is the best month for a honeymoon in Andaman?
By the weather, February or March: about 28 dry days in every 30 and calm seas, with arrivals close to an average month. November is our other pick — calm seas before the usual surcharge window opens on 15 December (hotels set their own dates), though with more showers, at about 16 dry days in 30. December works if your dates are fixed; expect the busiest weeks of the year. These are historical averages, not a forecast for your dates. A sea-view room and a candlelight dinner are optional requests, included only when your written quote specifies them.
How far ahead should I book?
For December, earlier than feels necessary. Our Port Blair team told us in July 2026 that, in December, morning ferries from Port Blair to Havelock sell out at least a week ahead, that Havelock to Neil is mostly sold out a week ahead, and that the popular hotels go first; Diwali week is busy too. For the rest of the year we have no firm figure to give you: start when you know your dates. An enquiry or a seven-day quote does not hold a room or a seat.
Now plan the trip itself
- Weather by month — the deep data behind these verdicts.
- Day-by-day itineraries — 3 to 6-night examples with a final Port Blair overnight.
- What an Andaman trip costs — how a quote is built.
- Tour packages — honeymoon, family and other trip styles.
How this page stays true
Written by the Tropical Andamans team in Port Blair from the seasons we operate in. Dry days are averages at the Port Blair airport gauge for 2015–2024; crowd levels follow DGCA arrivals at Port Blair for 2023–2025; the usual surcharge window, the December ferry times and the monsoon notes are our Port Blair team's account of July 2026. The picks are our opinion, drawn from those figures. The month grid and season table were corrected against the gauge on 25 September 2026 and the season summary added on 4 October 2026; package inclusions and quote-comparison guidance were updated 19 September 2026. On 12 October 2026 we rewrote the verdicts and answers to say plainly what those figures show; an earlier revision had left them vague. Historical weather patterns are not forecasts, and a seasonal label is not a current hotel, flight or package quote.
Torn between two months?
Tell us your options and what matters most — weather, price or crowds — and we will give you the straight comparison for your dates, with a quote for each.
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