Guide · START HERE · Updated 12 SEPTEMBER 2026
Rain should change your itinerary, not cancel the trip
Andaman can work in every season. Compare official monthly rainfall, realistic trip styles and the trade-offs to expect in wetter months.
SOURCES CITED INSIDE · CHECKED 12 SEPTEMBER 2026 · DRAWBACKS INCLUDED
My short answer: Andaman can be visited throughout the year. What changes is the kind of trip you should build. January and February are the easiest months for a tightly planned first visit. The wetter months from May to September suit a slower trip with fewer island changes, flexible outdoor plans and room for the weather to decide the day.
February is the driest month in the India Meteorological Department's 1991 to 2020 Port Blair normals, with 14.2 mm of rain and 0.9 rainy days. May to September each average more than 400 mm of rain. That difference is important, but it does not divide the year into good and bad holidays. It divides it into months when you can plan more tightly and months when you should promise yourself less.
Checked 12 September 2026 against the IMD Met Centre Port Blair climatological table. These are 1991 to 2020 averages for the Port Blair station, not a forecast and not an exact reading for Havelock or Neil.
Choose the trip style, not only the month
| Travel window | What the Port Blair normals show | My recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| January to February | 14.2 to 48.9 mm monthly rain; fewer than 3 rainy days | Plan the fuller route. This is the easiest fit for ferries, beaches and fixed outdoor days. |
| March to April | 32.7 to 78.0 mm rain; warmer, with April's normal maximum at 32.6°C | Keep the normal route. Start active days earlier and plan for tropical heat. |
| May to September | 407.2 to 505.2 mm rain; about 16 to 20 rainy days each month | Slow the trip down. Stay longer on fewer islands and decide sea activities closer to the day. |
| October to November | Rain falls from 300.9 mm in October to 221.8 mm in November | Use a transition plan. Keep a buffer and let current conditions shape the optional parts. |
| December | 111.4 mm rain and 4.9 rainy days | Plan a normal first trip. Keep the usual ferry and flight safeguards. |
Andaman weather by month
| Month | Normal rain | Rainy days | Normal min to max | Planning verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48.9 mm | 2.2 | 23.0 to 29.9°C | Full itinerary |
| February | 14.2 mm | 0.9 | 22.7 to 30.6°C | Full itinerary; widest weather margin |
| March | 32.7 mm | 1.8 | 23.4 to 31.7°C | Full itinerary; expect warmer days |
| April | 78.0 mm | 4.2 | 24.7 to 32.6°C | Normal route; plan around heat |
| May | 407.2 mm | 15.9 | 24.9 to 31.5°C | Fewer fixed sea plans |
| June | 484.2 mm | 18.7 | 24.6 to 30.0°C | Fewer islands; flexible days |
| July | 448.5 mm | 19.3 | 24.2 to 29.6°C | Fewer islands; flexible days |
| August | 460.2 mm | 19.1 | 24.2 to 29.5°C | Fewer islands; flexible days |
| September | 505.2 mm | 20.0 | 23.7 to 29.5°C | Slow route; strongest rain buffer |
| October | 300.9 mm | 14.9 | 23.8 to 30.2°C | Transition plan with a buffer |
| November | 221.8 mm | 10.4 | 24.3 to 30.5°C | Normal route with flexibility |
| December | 111.4 mm | 4.9 | 23.9 to 30.1°C | Normal first-trip itinerary |
How to read this: a rainy day is not necessarily a full washout, and a low monthly average does not guarantee a dry holiday. The table is useful for comparing the underlying seasonal risk, not predicting your exact dates.
The useful distinction is certainty, not good versus bad
The old version of this guide called November to February one equally strong window. The IMD record does not support that simplification. November's normal rainfall is 221.8 mm across 10.4 rainy days. February's is 14.2 mm across 0.9 rainy days. Both can support a trip, but they do not offer the same statistical margin.
The official Tourism Department promotes winter travel from October onwards and describes October to May as its broad visitor and water-sport window. That is useful as a tourism-season description. It should not replace the monthly climate data when you are deciding between October, January and May.
Checked 12 September 2026 against the Andaman and Nicobar Tourism winter-travel page. The climate comparison above uses the IMD table rather than promotional seasonal language.
What a wetter-season trip should look like
May to September can still be a worthwhile Andaman trip, but it should not be a checklist holiday. Every month in this block averages more than 400 mm of rain at Port Blair and roughly 16 to 20 rainy days. September has the highest normal rainfall at 505.2 mm.
The practical response is to spend longer on fewer islands, keep outdoor plans movable and avoid making every day depend on a boat or water activity. A rainy day count does not mean continuous rain from morning to night. It does mean that a tightly sequenced route has more chances to change.
The Directorate of Shipping Services states that all its sailings are subject to prevailing weather conditions or technical reasons. Private ferries and activity operators make their own operational decisions. Build the possibility of a changed sailing into the holiday rather than treating it as proof that the season is not visitable.
Checked 12 September 2026 on the Directorate of Shipping Services passenger portal. Check the current voyage status and IMD warnings close to travel.
Is October a good time to visit?
Yes. Treat October as a transition-season trip rather than pretending it has January's weather. The long-period normal is 300.9 mm of rain across 14.9 rainy days. That is a large improvement on September, but it is still nearly three times December's normal rainfall.
If October is your available month, reduce the number of island changes, keep a spare block in Port Blair and avoid placing an essential island-to-city ferry immediately before the flight home. The calendar saying October does not remove the need to check current warnings.
Is May a good time to visit?
Yes, if you plan May as the start of the wetter season. Port Blair's normal rainfall rises from 78.0 mm in April to 407.2 mm in May, and rainy days rise from 4.2 to 15.9. Keep fewer prepaid sea activities, stay longer on each island and allow recovery time before the flight home. May is not an inferior version of an April itinerary. It needs a different itinerary.
What about December crowds and the cheapest month?
The climate data cannot tell you how crowded an island will be, and I could not find a current authoritative monthly occupancy series for the three-island tourist route. December has a good weather profile, but this guide will not turn anecdotal crowd reports into a fact.
Wetter months are often described as lean season, but there is no defensible official dataset showing one universally cheapest month across flights, ferries and hotels. Compare live totals for the same itinerary and cancellation terms. If your dates are cheaper, use the saving to buy flexibility rather than adding more fixed commitments. The Andaman trip-cost guide helps compare like with like.
Best month for different trips
First visit with Havelock and Neil
January and February make a three-island route easiest to plan. In wetter months, the same traveller can still come, but Port Blair plus one island is a more resilient shape than forcing Port Blair, Havelock and Neil into a short calendar.
Family trip with children
January and February offer the simplest weather margin. A wetter-season family trip can still work when the itinerary has fewer transfers and no pressure to complete every outdoor activity. Also check ferry boarding, room setup, beach safety and the child's tolerance for a moving boat. The family guide covers those trade-offs.
Scuba, snorkelling or sea walking
Do not choose a month from climate alone. Medical screening, operator permission, site conditions and same-day safety decisions still apply. January to March has the driest Port Blair profile, but no monthly average guarantees an activity. Compare the water-activities guide before paying.
Heat-sensitive traveller
January has the lowest normal daytime maximum in the dry-season group at 29.9°C. April has the highest normal maximum in the annual table at 32.6°C. These figures do not include how humidity or direct sun will feel to you.
How I would plan around the month
- Choose the route before the month. A Port Blair stay has fewer sea dependencies than a three-island circuit. Start with the 5, 6 and 7-day itinerary.
- Match the route to the season. Use January or February for the fullest fixed itinerary. In wetter months, stay longer on fewer islands.
- Add a flight buffer in wetter months. Return to Port Blair before the final night when a missed connection would carry a serious cost.
- Check current conditions, not only climate. Use the IMD Port Blair forecast and warnings close to departure.
- Recheck every sea movement. Use the current DSS voyage enquiry for government sailings and the operating service's own notice for any other ferry or activity.
Sources checked
- India Meteorological Department, Climatological Tables 1991 to 2020, Port Blair station table
- IMD Met Centre Port Blair, for current forecasts and warnings
- Andaman and Nicobar Tourism winter-travel guidance
- Directorate of Shipping Services passenger portal, for the weather-dependency notice and voyage checks
Last checked: 12 September 2026. The rainfall and temperature figures are long-period Port Blair normals, not a forecast. Check IMD warnings and current ferry notices for your actual dates.