Destinations · Baratang Island · last checked 10 October 2026
Baratang Island: limestone caves, mud volcanoes & the mangrove creek
Baratang, about 100 km north of Port Blair in Middle Andaman, is the islands' one proper expedition day: a timed convoy along the Andaman Trunk Road, a speed boat through mangrove tunnels, caves full of stalactites, and India's only known active mud volcanoes. It's a pre-dawn start and a long day — and for the right traveller it's the most memorable one of the trip. Here's exactly how it works — and where the ferry from Port Blair that was announced for this season stands.
Before you decide — the convoy rules
The road to Baratang crosses a tribal reserve. Vehicles travel only in escorted convoys at fixed times, photography anywhere in the reserve is strictly prohibited, and stopping or opening windows isn't allowed. Our Port Blair team described the gates on 5 October 2026: a day trip uses the 6 AM or the 9 AM gate. Go in at 6 and you come back in the 12:30 PM return convoy; go in at 9 and you come back at 3:30 PM, which is the last — after that there is no way back the same day. The official tourism portal gives approximate times that differ slightly: departures at about 6 AM, 9 AM, 12 PM and 3 PM, and return convoys at about 6:30 AM, 9:30 AM, 12:30 PM and 3 PM (read 10 October 2026). Timings change, so we confirm them when we book your trip; until then, be at the gate for the last return before 3 PM. All of this applies to the road only — a ferry that avoids the reserve has been announced, covered below.
Announced for 2026–27 · not running when we checked
A ferry from Port Blair that skips the convoy — check that it has started
Makruzz has announced a sailing to Baratang for the 2026–27 season — the first private ferry on the route. Its published season was to begin on 1 October 2026. On 5 October our Port Blair team told us it had not started, and that the operator expected to begin between 15 and 20 October. Before you plan around it, check that it is running on your date.
In the schedule our sister platform checked on 19 September 2026, MV Makruzz Pearl leaves Port Blair at 5:45 AM and reaches Baratang at 7:45 AM, and the ferry-only fare for 15 October came to ₹2,675 per adult (₹2,300 fare, ₹50 port fee, ₹325 fuel surcharge). Makruzz's own Baratang page describes a 6:00 AM departure, so expect the times to be settled only once it sails. Because the boat never touches the Andaman Trunk Road, there is no reserve crossing and no convoy; Makruzz told us by phone in July 2026 that its passengers need no reserve permit.
The catch — and it's a real one — is that the ferry doesn't come back. In the checked schedule the same vessel continues to Havelock at 12:00 PM, arriving 1:30 PM, and there is no sailing back to Port Blair. So the ferry suits one specific traveller: someone heading to Havelock anyway, who'd rather spend the morning in the limestone caves than on a highway. That leaves roughly four hours on Baratang. If you need to sleep in Port Blair that night, the road day trip is still the answer.
Whether seats are on sale for your date is on our sister booking platform's Port Blair to Baratang ferry page at BookYourFerry.com. If you want the ferry folded into a full itinerary — Baratang in the morning, Havelock by afternoon — tell us and we will check that it is sailing first.
The four things you go for
Limestone caves
Nature's artwork, millions of years in the making
Stalactite and stalagmite formations compressed out of sediment over geological time — genuinely otherworldly inside, and pleasantly cool. It's a 1.2 km walk from the jetty and 45–60 minutes in the caves, with some mild climbing; wear shoes with grip, as the floor gets slippery, and carry a torch. Photography is allowed here.
Mud volcanoes
The only known active mud volcanoes in India
Natural gas pushes mud and water to the surface in slow, bubbling pools and miniature cone formations — the mud is around body temperature, not hot, and the activity is linked to the region's tectonic movement. A short trek of about 200 metres off the road, 4 km from the jetty, on a wooden walkway with a mandatory guide.
The mangrove creek ride
A speed-boat run through green tunnels
The 20–25 minute boat leg to the caves is an attraction in itself: dense mangrove canopy closing into natural tunnels over calm water. Morning light is best, both for photographs and for spotting kingfishers, monitor lizards and — rarely — a saltwater crocodile. Life jackets are provided.
Parrot Island
Thousands of parakeets coming home at dusk
A small uninhabited island where huge flocks of parrots and parakeets come in to roost at dusk. It is an evening boat trip, so it falls after the last return convoy: it does not fit a day trip from Port Blair by road. We have not confirmed this season's boat times. If Parrot Island is the reason you are going, tell us first and we will say whether it can be done.
The day, hour by hour
A full-day road trip from Port Blair on the first gate — about 100 to 110 km each way by the tourism portal's figure. Only the gate and convoy times are fixed; the rest moves with the queue and the boats. (The announced ferry would be a different shape: land 7:45 AM, sail on to Havelock at noon.)
- About 3 AM
Leave your Port Blair hotel
For the 6 AM gate, as our Port Blair team put it on 5 October 2026. For the 9 AM gate, leave at 6:30 AM
- 6:00 AM
Convoy gate at Jirkatang
Escorted convoy drive — no stops, no photography anywhere along the reserve stretch
- Morning
Middle Strait
Vehicle ferry across the strait to the Baratang side
- Morning
Mangrove creek and limestone caves
Speed boat through the creek, then the walk to the caves
- Late morning
Mud volcanoes
Short drive and a walkway trek
- 12:30 PM
Return convoy
The return for those who came in at 6 AM. From the 9 AM gate the return is 3:30 PM, the last of the day
- Afternoon
Back in Port Blair
Hotel drop
We do not print a day-trip price. The ranges this page used to carry came from our old site and had no date; ask us and we will quote against your date and group. Guides are mandatory at the caves and volcanoes; permits are handled by the operator.
What the day actually looks like
All frames shot on the circuit by Mr. Giri, our tour planner — monsoon season, which is when the creek runs greenest. The cave interior itself is torch-dark and photographs poorly; that is what your eyes are for. No photography happens on the reserve-road convoy, ours included — the frames here start where the rules allow.
Do's & don'ts
Do
- Aim for the 6 AM gate — it returns at 12:30 PM and leaves the most slack
- Carry a valid photo ID; permits ride with the operator
- Ask us first if Parrot Island is why you are going — it does not fit the road day trip
- Wear proper walking shoes, not flip-flops — the caves are slippery
- Carry water, light snacks, cash, sunscreen and mosquito repellent
- Follow the guide in the caves and on the volcano walkway
Don't
- No photography anywhere in the tribal reserve — this is enforced
- Never stop the vehicle or open windows during the convoy
- No interaction of any kind with anyone along the reserve road — the convoy does not stop
- Don't touch the cave formations — oils from skin stop their growth
- Don't plan it in heavy rain — the creek ride and caves both suffer
- Don't cut the last return convoy fine — after it there is no way back that day
“We visited baratang,lime stone cave and mangroves it was a wonderful trip”
— abhilash, Dec 2017, 5★ Google review
Best time to go
October to April is the reliable window — clear roads, calm creek water and good visibility in the caves. May and September are workable shoulder months: greener, quieter, cheaper, with the odd shower. Roughly June to August the day gets genuinely difficult — heavy rain hurts the road, the boats and the cave access — and we'll usually talk you out of it rather than sell it.
Whatever the month, go on a weekday if you can, and front-load the day: the caves and volcanoes are at their best in the cooler morning hours. For the month-by-month picture, see our Andaman weather guide .
Baratang questions we get asked
Is there a ferry to Baratang Island?
One has been announced, but it was not running when we last checked. Makruzz published a Port Blair to Baratang sailing for the 2026–27 season, due to start on 1 October 2026; on 5 October 2026 our Port Blair team said it had not started, and that the operator expected to begin between 15 and 20 October. In the schedule our sister platform checked on 19 September 2026 it leaves Port Blair at 5:45 AM, reaches Baratang at 7:45 AM and continues to Havelock at noon, with no sailing back to Port Blair. Check that it is running on your date; when seats are on sale they are on our sister platform, BookYourFerry.com.
Do I need a permit to visit Baratang?
Not one you arrange yourself. On the road route, the convoy and reserve formalities are handled by the operator — you carry original photo ID, which the tourism portal says is mandatory at the check post. For the announced ferry, Makruzz told us by phone in July 2026 that its passengers need no reserve permit, since the sea route does not enter the tribal reserve.
Is Baratang Island safe to visit?
Yes — the convoy system exists precisely to keep the journey through the reserve forest orderly and monitored. Travel with an authorised operator, follow the convoy rules and the guides' instructions, and it's a smooth, safe day.
What does a Baratang day trip cost?
We do not print a price for the road day trip: the ranges this page used to carry came from our old site and had no date. Tell us your date and group size and we will quote it. For the announced ferry, the ferry-only fare our sister platform checked for 15 October 2026 was ₹2,675 per adult.
Can we stay overnight in Baratang?
It is usually done as a day trip — the tourism portal describes it as one — by road from Port Blair, or, once it runs, by the announced morning ferry with the onward sailing to Havelock. A full day covers the caves, the volcanoes and the creek.
Are cameras allowed in Baratang?
At the attractions, yes — the caves, mud volcanoes, mangrove creek and Parrot Island are all fine to photograph. In the tribal reserve during the convoy, photography is strictly prohibited and the rule is enforced. Ask your guide whenever unsure.
Can elderly people manage the limestone caves?
The caves need a 1.2 km walk plus some scrambling inside, which can be hard with mobility issues. The mud volcanoes (short walkway) and the mangrove boat ride are much more accessible — the day can be shaped around what's comfortable.
Is food available in Baratang?
Basic local restaurants operate near the jetty and in Baratang town — simple Indian food, perfectly decent. Options are limited, so we carry snacks and water, and most tour packages include a lunch arrangement.
How this page stays true
Re-checked 10 October 2026. The convoy gates and hotel departure times are our Port Blair team's account of 5 October 2026; the approximate convoy times beside them are from the A&N tourism portal, read on 10 October. The ferry's status is the same team's account of 5 October; its schedule and fare example are what our sister platform checked against the operator on 19 September 2026, and the permit position is what Makruzz told us by phone in July 2026. We removed the day-trip price ranges and the Parrot Island boat time, which came from our old site and had no date. The photographs are Mr. Giri's, taken only where the reserve rules allow. The reserve-forest rules are not ours; they're enforced, and we follow them without exception.
Want the expedition day?
Tell us your dates and we'll say honestly whether Baratang fits your trip — and if it does, we handle the convoy timing, permits, boats and the pre-dawn start.