Dates are flexible. This day-by-day plan is provisional until you choose exact travel dates.
Arrive at Veer Savarkar International Airport by about 2:15 PM and allow 45–60 minutes for baggage, regrouping, and meeting your pre-booked taxi. The transfer to your accommodation is usually around 20–40 minutes, depending on its location and traffic. After check-in, keep the afternoon light rather than trying to rush directly to a boat excursion.
Although Ross Island is included in the overall plan, it is not realistically feasible on this arrival day. The boat trip requires reaching the jetty before the relevant sailing, and afternoon departures are not dependable enough to plan around after a 2:15 PM landing, baggage collection, and hotel transfer. Do not book a non-refundable Ross Island ticket for this afternoon. If a boat operator confirms a late sailing and you are willing to skip the beach and accept a tight schedule, it could be reconsidered, but the practical choice is to keep Ross Island as an optional replacement only if a later itinerary day has a confirmed suitable sailing.
Around 4:30 PM, visit Corbyn’s Cove Beach, roughly 15–25 minutes by taxi or auto-rickshaw from central accommodation. Spend about an hour by the shore and at the nearby snack stalls; swimming depends on sea conditions and local restrictions. Allow enough time to leave by around 6:00 PM and reach Cellular Jail for security checks and seating.
Attend the evening light-and-sound show at Cellular Jail, subject to the published session and language availability. Advance tickets are advisable in mid-December, and the group should arrive 20–30 minutes early rather than relying on walk-in entry. Afterward, take a short taxi ride to SeaShell Port Blair for dinner, budgeting approximately ₹700–₹1,500 per person. Keep the evening relaxed, since Day 2 requires an early ferry or activity start for Havelock.
Take a pre-booked morning passenger ferry from Phoenix Bay ferry terminal to Swaraj Dweep. The sailing generally takes about 1.5–2.5 hours, but allow roughly 3–4 hours door-to-door for the transfer to the terminal, check-in, security, waiting and disembarkation. Reach the terminal 45–60 minutes before departure; ferry times and availability should be confirmed when you book, especially during the busy December period. A one-way ticket commonly costs around ₹1,300–₹2,500 per person depending on the operator and seating class.
On arrival at Swaraj Dweep, collect your luggage and arrange a pre-booked taxi, auto-rickshaw or hotel transfer to the accommodation. Allow about 30–60 minutes for the jetty exit, vehicle allocation and the drive, depending on where you are staying. Check in, have lunch nearby—approximately ₹350–₹800 per person for a simple meal—and keep the first part of the afternoon unhurried.
Do not schedule early-morning scuba diving on this day: you are arriving from Port Blair, so the morning is taken up by the ferry and arrival process. If scuba diving is important, reserve it for the following day and confirm the reporting time, medical declaration, equipment fitting and sea-condition requirements with the dive centre in advance. Do not try to add a rushed dive after the ferry journey.
After lunch and a short rest, travel by hotel-arranged taxi or auto-rickshaw to Radhanagar Beach. The drive is usually around 30–45 minutes each way, depending on your accommodation. Spend approximately three hours walking, relaxing and swimming only in areas currently permitted by lifeguards. Carry drinking water, sun protection and a dry bag, and arrange the return vehicle before leaving because transport is less convenient later in the day.
Return towards your accommodation and, if convenient, stop at the Swaraj Dweep market area for a relaxed dinner and a little browsing. Budget roughly ₹300–₹700 per person for a simple meal, with resort restaurants usually costing more. Keep the evening light after the ferry journey.
Before bed, confirm the next day’s scuba or snorkelling reporting point and separately check the pre-booked return ferry for the planned Neil Island day excursion. A same-day trip to Neil Island requires an early outbound ferry and a confirmed return sailing; do not rely on buying either ticket at the last minute.
Use today for the one planned day excursion from Swaraj Dweep to Shaheed Dweep, returning to Havelock the same day. Choose the earliest available ferry and reach Swaraj Dweep Jetty 45–60 minutes before departure. The crossing usually takes around 1–1.5 hours, but schedules and timings depend on the operator and sea conditions; book the return ticket in advance rather than relying on a same-day seat.
This is also why an early-morning scuba dive is not practical on your arrival day: you will be travelling to Havelock in the morning, checking in, and completing the dive operator’s briefing and equipment formalities. If scuba is important, arrange the session for the afternoon of Day 2 after reaching Havelock, subject to operator availability and sea conditions. Do not schedule scuba immediately before or after the Neil ferry excursion, since both diving and boat travel can be affected by safety restrictions and delays.
After arriving at Shaheed Dweep Jetty, take a local auto-rickshaw to Bharatpur Beach. Allow time for a relaxed beach visit and only add glass-bottom boating or snorkeling if an operator is available and the ferry schedule leaves a comfortable margin. A simple lunch near Bharatpur or the jetty will generally cost about ₹250–₹600 per person; keep cash with you because card and mobile-payment service can be unreliable.
Continue to Natural Bridge at Laxmanpur around low tide. Ask your accommodation or local driver for the day’s tide conditions before setting out, wear shoes with good grip, and avoid climbing on wet rocks. Afterward, spend a little time at Laxmanpur Beach, but leave early enough to reach the jetty at least 45 minutes before the confirmed return sailing.
Take the pre-booked afternoon or early-evening ferry back to Swaraj Dweep and return directly to your accommodation. Do not depend on the final sailing of the day if an earlier option is available, as weather, sea conditions, or operational changes can cause delays. Keep Day 4’s onward travel plans separate and confirm all ferry timings with the operators or your accommodation the evening before.
The round trip is feasible only if a suitable morning sailing and same-day return sailing are operating. If the schedules do not leave at least two to three hours between arrival and the return check-in requirement, skip the excursion rather than risking being stranded on Shaheed Dweep.
Keep the first part of the day open for the separately scheduled return from Havelock Island. Once you reach Port Blair, allow time to collect luggage, complete the transfer to your accommodation, and settle in; do not plan a tightly timed attraction immediately after the crossing because ferry delays and disembarkation can easily take 30–60 minutes. A pre-arranged private vehicle is sensible for four or five people with luggage, usually costing roughly ₹500–₹1,000 depending on the distance and vehicle size.
Have a simple lunch near the accommodation, generally around ₹250–₹600 per person, and rest for a couple of hours. This is now your Port Blair night before the afternoon departure on Day 5, so keep passports, ferry tickets, and luggage together and confirm the airport transfer time with the driver the evening before.
If you arrive with enough time and energy, visit Samudrika Naval Marine Museum in the late afternoon. Check the current visiting hours and entry arrangements before setting out, as schedules can change; allow extra time for local traffic and possible queues. If the crossing runs late, skip the museum rather than rushing and go directly for dinner.
For a quieter alternative, spend early evening at Jogger’s Park, which works well as a short walk and viewpoint stop. A local auto-rickshaw or taxi between central Port Blair and these sights is commonly about ₹150–₹400 per leg, depending on distance and negotiation. Finish with dinner near the accommodation, roughly ₹300–₹700 per person, and keep the evening free for packing rather than adding another island excursion.
Have breakfast at the hotel and check out without rushing. Since the group spent the previous night in Port Blair, there is no ferry connection to manage today; keep luggage together and confirm the pre-booked taxi the evening before. Leave enough time for traffic, hotel check-out, and any last-minute packing.
If the flight is not until later afternoon, you can spend a short, relaxed period around the Port Blair waterfront for a final coffee or early lunch. Keep this flexible rather than planning a sightseeing stop, since the departure time and airport check-in requirements will determine how long you can stay. A simple meal or drink will generally cost about ₹150–₹400 per person.
For an afternoon flight, leave the hotel around three hours before departure, allowing approximately 30–45 minutes by taxi to the airport terminal, depending on the hotel area and traffic. The taxi will commonly cost around ₹300–₹700 for a small group vehicle, with larger vehicles costing more; confirm the fare before leaving.
Reach the airport terminal at least two hours before the flight, or earlier if the group has checked baggage. Keep identification, tickets, and any ferry or hotel booking details accessible. As flight times and airline check-in rules vary, use the airline’s stated check-in cut-off rather than relying on a fixed timetable.
No packing list attached yet.