Overview
About Viper Island
Before there was a Cellular Jail there was Viper Island. From the 1860s this small hump of land in the harbour held the settlement's first proper prison, its flogging posts and its gallows, and prisoners were brought here to be punished and hanged. The Cellular Jail, built four decades later, made it redundant.
What remains is a short climb from the landing: the brick shell of the jail, a set of stone steps, and the gallows platform on the high ground, kept clear of the forest that has taken everything around it. There is no museum and very little signage. It is a quieter, bleaker place than the Cellular Jail, and for some visitors a more affecting one precisely because so little has been arranged for them.
The island also carries the name of the Viper, the ship that ran aground here in the 1860s, and a small cemetery from the settlement's early years lies near the shoreline.
One practical caution: access to Viper Island has been suspended by the Administration for stretches in recent years, and boats are not always running. Treat it as a bonus stop to check on locally rather than an itinerary anchor.
Why people come here
- Brick ruins of the penal settlement's original jail
- The gallows platform on the island's high ground
- Early settlement cemetery near the shore
- Harbour views back towards Port Blair and Ross Island
- A short, quiet stop with almost none of Ross Island's crowd
Things to do
What to do here
Walk up to the gallows
A short flight of steps from the landing leads to the gallows platform and the best of the harbour view.
The jail ruins
Brick walls and cell foundations in a forest clearing, with no restoration and very little interpretation.
Harbour photography
The island sits low in the harbour with clean sightlines back to Ross Island and the Port Blair waterfront.
Getting there
How to reach
Boat from Port Blair
Twenty to thirty minutes from Phoenix Bay or Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex when sailings are operating.
Combined trips
When open, it is sometimes added to a Ross Island harbour cruise rather than sold on its own.
Before you plan
Check current access with your operator or the tourism office — this island opens and closes to visitors more than any other.
Best time to visit · October to April, morning sailings
The harbour is calmest early. There is very little shade on the island, so a midday visit in the hot months is unpleasant.
Good to know
Travel tips
- Confirm the island is actually open before you build a day around it.
- Nothing is sold on the island. Carry water.
- The steps are uneven and slick after rain — proper shoes.
- Combine it with Ross Island rather than making a separate trip.
- As with the Cellular Jail, this is a site of executions. Treat it accordingly.
Gallery
Viper Island in pictures
Port Blair (South Andaman)
Combine it with
Tour packages
