Lakshadweep from Calicut: ships, flights and the entry permit

Lakshadweep is the closest foreign-looking sea you can reach from Kozhikode without a passport — and the hardest trip in India to arrange casually, because the islands cap how many visitors they admit and every traveller needs a permit. We book Lakshadweep from our office in Eranhipalam and prepare the permit for the whole group.

First, the thing everyone asks: is there a ship from Kozhikode?

No. This is the most searched question about Lakshadweep from here and the answer is the opposite of what people expect. Passenger ships to the islands sail from Kochi, not from Kozhikode or Beypore, and the crossing takes roughly 14 to 18 hours. So a trip from Kozhikode begins with the journey to Kochi, whether you then fly or sail.

If someone offers you a ship from Beypore to Lakshadweep, ask them for the operator and the sailing schedule in writing before you pay anything.

The two ways in

• By air. Agatti has the islands’ only airstrip, and flights operate from Kochi. In 2024 IndiGo announced a Kozhikode–Kochi–Agatti routing, which would put you on one ticket from home — but air schedules to Agatti change often and the aircraft is small, so we confirm what is actually flying on your dates rather than quoting a route that was announced two years ago. From Agatti you continue to the other islands by boat.
• By ship. Passenger ships from Kochi, about 14 to 18 hours each way. Cheaper than flying and a real experience, but it costs you two days of the trip and the sea decides the schedule, not the timetable.

For most people from Kozhikode with a week or less, flying is the only version that works. For anyone with time, who is not prone to seasickness and who wants the cost down, the ship is worth considering — tell us which you are and we will plan around it.

Every Indian needs an entry permit

This is not a formality and it is where unplanned trips fail. Every visitor who is not a native of the islands needs an entry permit from the Lakshadweep administration, Indian citizens included, applied for on the official portal at epermit.utl.gov.in. Government and armed forces staff on duty and their families are exempt.

• Permit fee Rs 50 per person, plus a heritage fee of Rs 200 for adults or Rs 100 for ages 12 to 18. None of it is refundable.
• Apply at least 14 days before you travel, and earlier in the holiday season — background checks are done by the Lakshadweep Police.
• Since April 2026 a tourist permit no longer needs a local sponsor or a police clearance certificate.
• You must list every island on the itinerary, including ones you only pass through; transit stops are limited to 12 hours.
• Foreign nationals need a passport and an Indian tourist visa, and can visit only through the administration’s official tourism packages.

Book with us and we prepare and submit the permit application for your whole group — send us each traveller’s ID at least three weeks before travel. The full process, the document list and the fee schedule are in our Lakshadweep entry permit guide, which is written from the official portal and dated.

When to go, and when not to

October to May is the season, when the sea is calm. June to September is the monsoon and rough seas cancel boats and disrupt flights — and because inter-island transfers are all by boat, one bad sea day can remove an island from your itinerary altogether. That is the real reason to avoid the monsoon: not the rain, but the boats.

Do not plan a tight connection home on the day you leave the islands. Build in a night in Kochi. We plan every Lakshadweep trip this way, because a cancelled island transfer should not cost you a flight.

What a trip costs

Four parts: getting to and from Kochi, the flight or ship to the islands, the stay, and the permit and activity fees. The stay is what moves most — accommodation on the islands is limited in both quantity and choice, so the price depends heavily on how early you book rather than on how much you are willing to spend. Water sports, diving and snorkelling are usually charged separately.

Our Lakshadweep tour package from Kozhikode is priced on request, because island accommodation and the Agatti flights move too much for a printed figure to mean anything. Send us your dates and group size and we will price it for real.

Before you book

• Accommodation and permits are capped. Lakshadweep is not a destination you can arrange in a fortnight during the December holidays.
• Bring any medicines you need. Pharmacies and shops on the islands are few, and resupply depends on the boats.
• Expect very little shopping. The reason to go is the water, not the market.
• Carry cash. Card acceptance and connectivity are both limited.
• Carry a printed permit and your original ID. A permit on your phone is not a plan.

Questions we are often asked

How to go to Lakshadweep from Kozhikode?

Via Kochi, either way. There is no passenger ship from Kozhikode or Beypore. You travel to Kochi and then fly to Agatti, the islands’ only airstrip, or take a passenger ship, which takes roughly 14 to 18 hours. IndiGo announced a Kozhikode–Kochi–Agatti routing in 2024, but Agatti schedules change often, so ask us what is actually operating on your dates. Whichever way you go, you need an entry permit first.

Is there a ship from Beypore to Lakshadweep?

No. Passenger ships to Lakshadweep sail from Kochi. If anybody quotes you a sailing from Beypore, ask for the operator name and the published schedule before paying.

How much does a Lakshadweep trip cost per person?

It depends far more on availability than on your budget, because island accommodation is strictly limited — booking three months out and booking three weeks out are different prices for the same room. The four parts are travel to Kochi, the flight or ship, the stay, and the permit and activity fees. Tell us your dates and group size and we will give you a real figure in writing.

Do Indians need a permit for Lakshadweep?

Yes. Every visitor who is not a native of the islands needs an entry permit, including Indian citizens. Only government and armed forces staff on duty and their families are exempt. Apply at least 14 days ahead on the official portal, epermit.utl.gov.in — or let us do it for your group.

How much is the Lakshadweep permit fee?

Rs 50 per person for the permit, plus a heritage fee of Rs 200 for adults or Rs 100 for ages 12 to 18. None of it is refundable, and it does not cover flights, ships, stay or activities. These were the published fees when we last checked the official portal in September 2026.

When should I avoid Lakshadweep?

June to September, the monsoon. The problem is not the rain but the sea: inter-island transfers are all by boat, so rough water can cancel a transfer and remove an island from your trip. October to May is the season.

Can I visit Lakshadweep without a package?

You can, and for some travellers it is cheaper — but accommodation and permits are capped, so independent trips need to be arranged much further ahead than people expect, and a refused permit or a cancelled boat leaves you with no fallback. If your dates are fixed or you are travelling with children or elderly parents, a package is the safer version. We will tell you honestly which your trip is.

Is Lakshadweep better than the Maldives?

They are different trips. Lakshadweep needs no passport, costs less to reach from Kerala and is far less developed — fewer resorts, fewer restaurants, limited shopping and connectivity. The Maldives has the resorts and the choice, and the price to match. If you want the water without the expense, Lakshadweep wins; if you want a resort holiday, see our Maldives package.