Agatti

Getting around Agatti the local way

Agatti is the only airstrip in Lakshadweep, so almost everyone flies in from Kochi, clears an entry permit, then leaves the island again by boat – resort speedboat to Bangaram and Thinnakara, government high-speed craft to Kavaratti and Kadmat, and in the monsoon a helicopter, because the fast boats stop running.

1. 01
   Lakshadweep entry permitpermit

   Applies before you board anything – the flight at Kochi, Bengaluru or Goa, or the ship at Willingdon Island

   Where

   Apply online at epermit.utl.gov.in under the Tourist category; up to six people per form. Most visitors let the resort or SPORTS file it with the stay booking. Permits are checked closely on arrival at Agatti airport.

   When

   One permit per trip; processed in about seven working days and valid 30 days

   Fare (2024)

   ₹300 Protected Area Permit per person, ₹50 application fee, plus ₹300 green tax collected on arrival at Agatti airport

   Takes

   Allow two to three weeks before travel

   Season

   Year-round. Permit windows are tied to your confirmed accommodation dates.

   Booking

   epermit.utl.gov.in, or through the resort or SPORTS

   Sources: epermit.utl.gov.in (2026-09) · holidify.com (2024-02) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence high

2. 02
   Agatti – Bangaram – Thinnakara resort speedboatspeedboat

   Agatti jetty to Bangaram, and on to Thinnakara

   Where

   Not a public service. The boat is arranged with the island stay and meets the Kochi flight; you take an auto from the airstrip to the jetty and the crew is waiting with your name. SPORTS runs the Bangaram and Thinnakara cottages, so the booking and the boat come from the same office.

   When

   On demand, timed to flight arrivals and departures – no published timetable

   Fare (2024)

   ₹5,200 per person quoted as the Agatti transfer fee on a Bangaram booking; other agents quote ₹3,500–5,000 return, so confirm before you fly

   Takes

   About 1 hour Agatti to Bangaram; Thinnakara is a short further hop

   Season

   Fair weather only. Boats are withdrawn in the southwest monsoon, roughly May to September, when the helicopter is the fallback.

   Booking

   With the stay, via samudram.utl.gov.in or the resort; phone +91 949 598 4001

   Sources: theroamingshoes.com (2024-12) · samudram.utl.gov.in (2025-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence medium

3. 03
   Government high-speed craft between the islandsboat

   Agatti to Kavaratti and Kadmat, and on round the group

   Where

   These are administration vessels, not tourist boats. Six fair-weather craft run the inter-island network – HSC Cheriyapani, Valiyapani and Parali carry 150, HSC Blue Marlin, Black Marlin and Skip Jack carry 50. Ask at the Port Office at Agatti jetty, or have the resort or SPORTS put you on a sailing; schedules change and are not posted online in advance.

   When

   Runs 15 September to 15 May only; sailings vary week to week

   Fare

   Not published online – ask at the Port Office

   Takes

   About 2.5 hours Agatti to Kavaratti

   Season

   Withdrawn during the monsoon; the official window is 15 September to 15 May

   Booking

   Port Office counters on the island, or through SPORTS or the resort

   Sources: lakshadweep.gov.in (2026-09) · theroamingshoes.com (2024-12) · confidence medium

4. 04
   Pawan Hans inter-island helicopterhelicopter

   Agatti to Kavaratti, Bangaram and other island helipads

   Where

   Three Dauphin N helicopters are leased by the administration and based at Kavaratti, where the hangar and refuelling are. Seats exist mainly for medical evacuation and administration; tourist seats are released through SPORTS or the resort, subject to availability. Helipads include Kavaratti, Kadmat, Bangaram, Minicoy, Andrott, Kalpeni, Amini, Kiltan, Chetlat, Bitra and Suheli.

   When

   Not a scheduled tourist service; flown as required and to connect flight passengers in the monsoon

   Fare

   US$150 return quoted for Agatti–Bangaram on Wikivoyage; the quote carries no date and no official tariff was found

   Takes

   Minutes rather than hours – it replaces a 2.5 hour boat to Kavaratti

   Season

   Most useful May to September, when the inter-island vessels are withdrawn and this may be the only way off Agatti by sea route

   Booking

   Through SPORTS or the resort; subject to helicopter availability

   Sources: lakshadweep.gov.in (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence medium

5. 05
   Mainland passenger ship, Kochi to Agattiboat

   Lakshadweep Wharf, Willingdon Island, Kochi to Agatti

   Where

   Board at the Lakshadweep Wharf near the FCI godown on Indira Gandhi Road, Willingdon Island, Kochi. Five all-weather ships work the mainland and inter-island runs – MV Kavaratti (700 berths), MV Corals and MV Lagoons (400 each), MV Arabian Sea and MV Lakshadweep Sea (250 each). Sailings are published a month or two at a time, not as a standing timetable.

   When

   A handful of sailings a month, varying by ship and island

   Fare (2026)

   ₹3,800 return in an air-conditioned seat per Wikivoyage, undated; agents list roughly ₹800–1,500 bunk, ₹1,500–3,000 second class seat and ₹4,000–8,000 first class cabin one way

   Takes

   14–18 hours to Agatti

   Season

   All-weather ships sail year-round, but sailings thin out and get rougher in the May–September monsoon

   Booking

   Administration ticket counters at Willingdon Island; announcements and online sales via lakshadweep.irctc.co.in

   Sources: lakshadweep.gov.in (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · lakshadweepvoyage.com (2026) · confidence medium

6. 06
   Agatti auto rickshawstuk tuk

   Airstrip to the village, the jetty and the guesthouses, end to end along the single island road

   Where

   Autos wait outside the small arrivals shed and at the jetty, and are the only motorised taxi on the island. There are no buses. Most guesthouses and resorts send one to meet the flight, often included in the room rate – agree the fare before you get in if you flag one down.

   When

   Turn up when the daily flights and the boats land; otherwise ask your host to call one

   Fare

   No fixed tariff found; short distances so fares are small, but negotiate first

   Takes

   10–15 minutes from one end of the island to the other

   Season

   Year-round

   Booking

   None, pay the driver

   Sources: kupi.com (2026-09) · kupi.com (2026-09) · confidence medium

7. 07
   Bicycle hire and walkingbicycle hire

   The one road the length of Agatti, lagoon side to reef side

   Where

   Guesthouses and the dive centre lend or rent bicycles; there is no hire shop as such, so ask where you are staying. The island is narrow and about 6 km long, so walking covers most of it.

   When

   Whenever a bike is free

   Fare

   No confirmed daily rate found; guide sites quote roughly ₹100–200 a day but none is sourced to an operator

   Takes

   An hour or so to ride the length of the island

   Season

   Year-round; wet and windy May to September

   Booking

   Ask at your accommodation

   Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · kupi.com (2026-09) · confidence low

8. 08
   SPORTS Lakshadweep packages and the Samudram ship cruisetour package

   Samudram sails from Kochi and calls at Kavaratti, Kalpeni and Minicoy; the island packages fly you to Agatti and boat you on

   Where

   SPORTS is the administration's own tour arm and the practical route in for most visitors, because it bundles the permit, the flight or ship, the boat transfer and the room. Book on samudram.utl.gov.in or phone +91 949 598 4001. Note the standing SPORTS notice that there is no government-approved resort on Agatti itself, so Agatti stays are private guesthouses.

   When

   Samudram is a five-day sailing run on set dates; island cottages are booked by the night

   Fare (2025)

   Samudram per adult: Diamond class ₹42,500, Gold class ₹33,500, with a 10% December surcharge. Bangaram AC cottage ₹18,000 a night, Kavaratti AC suite ₹11,000 a night.

   Takes

   Samudram 4 nights, 5 days

   Season

   Rates effective 1 October 2025; the island season runs roughly October to May

   Booking

   samudram.utl.gov.in

   Sources: samudram.utl.gov.in (2025-09) · lakshadweeptourism.com (2026-09) · confidence high

Not yet confirmed: No published fare or timetable for the inter-island high-speed craft (HSC Cheriyapani, Valiyapani, Parali, Blue Marlin, Black Marlin, Skip Jack). Ask the Port Office at Agatti jetty or the Department of Port, Shipping and Aviation.; Helicopter tariff for tourists is unconfirmed. The only figure found is an undated US$150 return on Wikivoyage; there is no public Pawan Hans fare sheet for the Lakshadweep lease.; Speedboat quotes for Agatti–Bangaram vary widely between agents – ₹3,500 to ₹5,200 per person – and it is unclear which are per person, which return, and which include Thinnakara. Confirm with SPORTS at +91 949 598 4001.; Agatti auto rickshaw and bicycle rates are not published anywhere reliable. Ask the guesthouse on arrival.; Mainland ship sailing dates are released in short blocks; no annual timetable exists. Watch lakshadweep.irctc.co.in for booking-open notices.; Whether a tourist can buy a seat on a routine inter-island vessel independently of a package could not be confirmed.; No source found on cargo boats, dinghies or fishing-boat hire between Agatti and the uninhabited islets, which locals clearly use..

The field note on Agatti reads this entry in full, one option at a time, with every source beside it.