The volcanoes in Andaman are not three tourist stops. Only Baratang, with its mud volcanoes and limestone caves, works as a day trip from Port Blair. Barren Island, India’s only active volcano, can be seen only from a boat. Narcondam is a closed wildlife sanctuary.
What are the volcanoes in Andaman?
Three names come up, and they are very different places. Barren Island is a live volcano that still erupts. Narcondam is a dormant cone far out to the northeast. Baratang is not a lava volcano at all, but a field of mud volcanoes paired with limestone caves. Only one of the three is a normal tourist visit, so it helps to know which is which before you plan anything.
| Site | Type | From Port Blair | Can you visit? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barren Island | Active volcano | ~138 km NE | View only, by boat |
| Narcondam | Dormant volcano | ~256 km NE | No, closed sanctuary |
| Baratang | Mud volcanoes, caves | ~100 km N | Yes, day trip |
Can you visit Barren Island, India’s only active volcano?
Barren Island is the only confirmed active volcano in the Indian subcontinent, a 353-metre cone sitting about 138 km northeast of Port Blair. You cannot land on it. The whole island is off limits, so the closest you get is the deck of a boat holding at a safe distance offshore.
Its record is not quiet. After first erupting in 1787 and a long sleep through the 1800s, it woke up in 1991 and has been restless ever since, with fresh eruptions through 1994, the mid-2000s, 2017, and a new active phase since 2022. Explosive activity was reported as recently as October 2025. On an active night, you may see a red glow or steam from the crater. On a calm stretch, just the dark, scarred slopes.
Two routes get you near it. A government cruise runs on a limited fortnightly schedule from Haddo Wharf, a round trip of roughly 24 hours, with cabin fares around 3,000 to 8,300 rupees per person plus meals, as of late 2025. The other route is a scuba liveaboard or a chartered dive boat, arranged with special permits. The water around Barren is a serious draw for divers, with dark volcanic sand and big pelagic life, but these trips are for certified divers, not casual day visitors.
What is the Baratang mud volcano, and how do you get there?
Baratang holds India’s only mud volcanoes, and they are not what the word suggests. There is no lava and no fire. You get low mounds of grey mud that bubble as natural gas escapes from below, usually ankle to knee high. Many visitors find them underwhelming on their own. The better half of the trip is the limestone caves nearby, reached by a speedboat ride through thick mangrove creeks and a short walk, where you see real stalactites and stalagmites.
Getting there is the hard part. Baratang is about 100 km north of Port Blair along the Andaman Trunk Road, and the road runs through the Jarawa Tribal Reserve. Private vehicles cannot drive it freely. They move in timed convoys from the Jirkatang checkpost, with batches at 6:00 am, 9:00 am, noon and 2:30 pm, as of 2026. Most day trips leave Port Blair around 3:30 to 4:00 am to make the first convoy, then cross by vehicle ferry near Nilambur. Budget 10 to 12 hours for the full day.
Inside the reserve the rules are strict and enforced by law. Do not stop, do not photograph, and do not interact with or hand anything to the Jarawa people you may pass. Permits for the route and the sites are usually arranged by your operator, with small forest and boat fees paid locally. The caves close to visitors once it gets dark, which is another reason for the early start. November to February is the most reliable window, since heavy monsoon rain can shut the road and the boat crossings.
Can tourists go to Narcondam Island?
No. Narcondam is a dormant volcano about 256 km northeast of Port Blair, and it is closed to tourism. The island is a notified wildlife sanctuary, protected for the Narcondam hornbill, a bird found nowhere else on earth and numbering only a few hundred. The only people who live there are a small police detachment. There is no tourist boat, no landing, and no day trip. For almost every traveller, Narcondam is a name on the map, not a destination.
Which Andaman volcano is worth your time?
For a first trip, Baratang is the only one you can realistically do, and it works best if you treat it as a cave and mangrove outing with a mud volcano thrown in, rather than a volcano trip. Go in knowing the mud pools are small, and the long drive becomes easier to accept. Barren Island is for two kinds of people: certified divers chasing its reefs, and volcano enthusiasts willing to give up a full day and night to the cruise just to see the cone from the water. Narcondam is not a choice at all, since you cannot go. If your Andaman plan is tight, Baratang is a long day, so weigh it against a straightforward beach day on Havelock before committing.
Frequently asked questions
Is Barren Island open to tourists?
Not for landing. The island is off limits, so you can only view the volcano from a boat holding offshore. Tourists reach that point either on the limited fortnightly government cruise from Port Blair or on a chartered dive liveaboard arranged with special permits. There is no option to step onto the island itself.
How do you reach Baratang from Port Blair?
By road along the Andaman Trunk Road, about 100 km north, crossing the Jarawa Tribal Reserve in a timed convoy and then a short vehicle ferry near Nilambur. Convoys leave the Jirkatang checkpost through the day, with the first around 6:00 am, so most trips depart Port Blair by 3:30 to 4:00 am.
Is the Baratang mud volcano worth visiting?
On its own, not really. The mud volcanoes are small bubbling mounds, not a dramatic crater, and many people find them flat. The trip earns its place through the limestone caves and the speedboat ride through the mangroves, which are genuinely good. Set your expectations for the caves, not the mud.
Can you see lava at Barren Island?
Rarely, and never up close. Barren erupts in bursts, so on an active night you might catch a red glow or steam from the crater, but often you see only the bare cone. Landing is banned, and the activity is unpredictable, so no trip can promise lava.
Is Narcondam Island open to visitors?
No. Narcondam is a protected wildlife sanctuary for the endemic Narcondam hornbill, with only a police post on the island and no tourism allowed. There are no public boats and no permission to land, so it stays off the itinerary for ordinary travellers.
What is the best time to visit Baratang?
November to February. The weather is drier and the sea calmer, which keeps the Andaman Trunk Road open and the boat crossings running. Avoid the peak monsoon months, roughly June to September, when heavy rain can close the road or cancel the creek boat rides at short notice.
Do you need a permit for these volcano sites?
For Baratang, yes. The trunk road route and the sites need permits, usually handled by your tour operator, plus small local fees. The Barren Island cruise and dive charters run on their own permits arranged by the operator. Narcondam needs no permit because it is simply closed to tourists.
To know more information about volcanoes in Andaman, check out andamantourism.org
