Wondering how to choose which places to visit in Bangladesh? Travel to Bangladesh is exciting and fascinating – and certainly it is for the most part, travel off the beaten track.
Geographically and culturally the country is diverse and different from top to bottom.
Which for travellers, is wonderful in its uniqueness.
We spent one month travelling in Bangladesh and we have seen a lot. There are destinations within Bangladesh in all directions of the country that we would love to explore or return too!
The country is well deserving of the time to take in all the great things to do and places to see.
To summarise the best places to visit in Bangladesh in one travel guide we have chosen 10 places to visit in Bangladesh – as well as Dhaka – and the three best things to do in each destination.
- Places to visit in Bangladesh
Dhaka
Sreemangal
Sylhet
Barisal
Khulna
Bagherat
Mongla
Sundarbans
Chittagong
Cox’s Bazar
Narsingdi - Transportation
- Accommodation
1. Dhaka – Places to visit in Bangladesh
Dhaka is the beating heart of Bangladesh.
It is as if the waterways of Bangladesh stem out from Dhaka like the veins taking life to the far reaches of the country…
And I’m not going to lie.
Dhaka is not for the faint hearted.
But it is incredible.
- Read more about things to do in Dhaka.
Things to do in Dhaka
Our Bangladesh itinerary saw us stop and stay four times in Dhaka.
So we used the bustling capital city as our base to explore different directions of the country…
- Old Dhaka: The heart of the city and what was once was the 17th century Mughal capital of Bengal.
- New Market: The place I recommend to purchase a Salwar Kameez/Panjabi to wear in Bangladesh.
- Lalbagh Fort: A beautiful and historic (unfinished) fort from the Mughal era.
- Ashan Manzil: Designated as a national museum and known as the Pink Palace this was once the residence of the Nawabs of Dhaka.
- Shadeed Minar: Martyr’s Monument built to honour those who lost their lives in 1952 during the Bengali Language Movement.
- Tara Masjid Mosque: Small but beautiful mosque renowned for the striking blue stars made of mosaic.
- Armenian Church: Built by the Armenian community that was present in Bangladesh in the 1700s.
2. Sreemangal – Places to visit in Bangladesh
Sreemangal is a small(er) town north of Dhaka that is easy to reach by train from the city. It is known as the tea capital of Bangladesh.
- Read more about things to do in Sreemangal.
Things to do in Sreemangal
The highlight of Sreemangal is definitely the renowned 7 and 8-layered tea.
Though we did love wandering the bazar and trying food at the London Restaurant!
- Seven-Layer Tea: A must-do in Sreemangal. Get a rickshaw to the nearby Adi Nilkantha Tea Cabin and meet Mr. Gour who invented this colourful layered style of tea.
- Pineapple Bazar: Depending on what time of year you visit, see the pineapple bazar in Sreemangal.
- London Restaurant: We determined this another icon of Sreemangal and enjoyed tandoori chicken, naan and salad at this busy restaurant.
3. Sylhet – Places to visit in Bangladesh
This city and the surrounding division – including Sreemangal – is famous for TEA.
Over 90% of Bangladesh’s tea is produced in Sylhet.
Sylhet city is 250km northeast of Dhaka and is the north-eastern division in Bangladesh.
Though interestingly when looking at it on a map it is almost entirely surrounded by India with border on the north, south and east of Sylhet division.
- Read more about things to do in Sylhet.
Things to do in Sylhet
- Malnicherra Tea Estate: This is what Sylhet is famous for. Hire a driver and head just out of the city to a tea esate.
- Ali Amjad’s Clock Tower: If you arrive by train you might catch a glimpse of this iconic clock as you cross the river from the station.
- Hazarat Shahjalal Mazar Sharif: A beautiful Sufi shrine attracting thousands of people from different parts of the country, irrespective of religion and caste, every day.
- Keane Bridge: Built in 1936 this bridge is called the gateway to Sylhet city.
4. Barisal – Places to visit in Bangladesh
Barisal is the quintessential riverine experience in Bangladesh. Albeit it is more of an off the beaten track destination within the country.
But isn’t most of travel in Bangladesh?
That is all part of its allure.
The region of Barisal is one of the major rice production centres of Bangladesh.
It is known for the production of Balam rice (and for its fish export – one of the main sights to see is the fish market).
The small city of Barisal is a busy port. You can catch ferries to and from Dhaka to Barisal.
It makes a good jumping point to start the journey further south to the Sundarbans region. So as far as places to visit in Bangladesh, Barisal is off the beaten track but a great part of your Bangladesh itinerary.
- Read more about things to do in Barisal.
Things to do in Barisal
Most of the things to do in Barisal are more about getting there and other river-based adventures.
But there are a couple of stunning, historic mosques from the post-Mughal era.
- Barisal Fish Market: Its famous for fish so if you don’t mind the smell – take a wander!
- Barisal Floating Market: This was a highlight for us! Board a boat and take a river trip to see the amazing floating fruit and vegetable market.
- Floating Timber Market: See the incredible sawmills set up on floating pontoons with boats too-ing and fro-ing delivering wood to be milled.
- Durga Sagar: Again, you can take a boat ride on this large pond, adorned with blooming lotus flowers.
- Karapur Mia Bari Masjid: This three-domed, post-Mughal Mosque is locally considered to be built during 18th century. It is stunning in colour and architecture!
We arrived on the early morning ferry from Dhaka and checked in to our hotel before taking a boat trip to see the floating market.
Gavin headed out in the afternoon to see the brightly coloured Karapur Mia Bari Masjid. Which on description I absolutely wish I had seen too!
5. Khulna – Places to visit in Bangladesh
The city of Khulna is in the west of Bangladesh.
It is essentially a gateway city to the Sundarbans and the small mosque-filled city of Bagerhat.
Once a prominent trading hub due to its proximity to rivers, the city has witnessed the rise and fall of empires.
It is often – and was historically – a jumping point for arriving and travelling to Kolkata in India.
Khulna also has the next largest railway station for direct trains to Dhaka.
So, you can take an overnight ferry south from Dhaka to Barisal and then take a train back from Khulna to Dhaka.
Things to do in Khulna
The city of Khulna itself has a few museums, parks and a mausoleum.
- Rupsha River: Take a boat ride on the Rupsha River, a distributary of the Ganges.
- Shiva Temple Complex: A historic Hindu temple near the city.
- Jamuna Bridge: With a length of 4.8 kilometres, it is the second longest bridge of Bangladesh.
7. Bagherat – Places to visit in Bangladesh
Bagherat is most famous for the historic Sixty Domed Mosque.
Though do note that the Sixty Dome Mosque – also known as the Shait-Gumbuz Masjid – is in Bagherat town itself, around 45 minutes from Khulna.
It is the largest mosque in Bangladesh from the Bengal Sultanate period (1352–1576).
This area of Bagherat has been deemed a UNESCO Heritage Site in Bangladesh.
Things to do in Bagherat
The main thing to see in Bagherat is the famous Sixty Domed Mosque.
- UNESCO 60-Domed Mosque: This is the largest mosque in Bangladesh remaining from the Sultanate period. It is a stunning piece of Islamic architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Bagerhat.
- Lunch In Bagherat: We found a great small lunch in one of the many villages in Bagherat.
- E-Tricycle Ride: Again, take a trike ride through the very flat and surrounding villages of Bagherat.
Note the Sixty Domed Mosque is easy to visit on a day trip from Khulna or on route to Barisal.
8. Mongla – Places to visit in Bangladesh
Mongla is a small river-port town and the last town before the Sundarbans.
Things to do in Mongla
The environment in Mongla itself is bleak. This part of the country has historically been ravaged by floods and the villages are stilted shanty towns clinging to the riverbanks.
But in lieu of taking a multi-day river cruise to the Sundarbans, Mongla is a good low-key option to take day trips instead.
- St Paul’s Catholic Church: This is a somewhat unique sight in majority Muslim Bangladesh. It is a newly built church with touches of Buddhist artwork and mosque architecture!
- Tomb of Khan Jahan Ali: This mausoleum is a notable historical and religious site housing the remains of the influential figure Khan Jahan Ali.
- Khan Jahan Ali’s Tank: The tank near the tomb is notable for the crocodiles that reside there, believed to be descendants of the two crocodiles Khan Jahan Ali was said to have ridden.
Another highlight of Mongla was the chance to see smaller villages within the district – and especially by 3-wheel electric rickshaw!
9. Sundarbans – Places to visit in Bangladesh
Sundarbans is the world’s largest mangrove forest that spans Bangladesh and the south of West Bengal in India.
It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in both India and Bangladesh.
The Sundarbans is the world’s largest contiguous mangrove forest, located in the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta in the Bay of Bengal, with a significant portion of that in Bangladesh.
It covers an area of approximately 10,000 square kilometres (3,860 square miles) making it an important biodiversity hotspot.
The unique ecosystem of the Sundarbans supports a large population of the Bengal Tiger which has adapted to an almost amphibious lifestyle.
But it is also home to a variety of animals, plants and bird species.
Unfortunately, we didn’t see any of the famed Bengal Tigers when we visited. Though I recommend the Sundarbans as a unique part of Bangladesh to experience.
Things to do in Sundarbans
The main things to do in Sundarbans are to travel by boat (again) up through the mangrove forests for the chance to see tigers, wild animals, and birds.
- Hiron Point: This is one of the protected sanctuary islands you can go ashore and walk through the trails to a watchtower above the mangrove forest.
- Tinkona Island: A small island sanctuary destination within the Sundarbans.
- Dublachor Sea Beach: This is last large riverport village at the edge of the Sundarbans. It is amazing to see the huge barges coming in and out of the Bay of Bengal.
We went ashore at Hiron Point – also known as Nilkamol – and went for a wander around. There are a few vendors selling popcorn (for people) and deer food (to feed the deer).
Note that the facilities on the island are pretty basic. (Read: very basic).
But overall, we rated the experience of visiting the Sundarbans as one of the best things to do in Barisal and Bangladesh!
It is a unique – and certainly off the beaten track – travel experience.
10. Chittagong – Places to visit in Bangladesh
Chittagong is a large port city on the south-eastern coast of Bangladesh and is second-largest city in the country.
It is another very busy city and like Dhaka, the streets are filled with masses of cycle and auto-rickshaws.
Things to do in Chittagong
There isn’t much in the way of tourists sights to see.
But Chittagong is a useful gateway to the Hill Tracts area or south to Cox’s Bazar.
- Shishu Amusement Park: Located in the heart of the city this is a small (and old) amusement park for children with around 15 simple rides.
- Saderghat: Similarly to Dhaka it’s easy to get a cheap wooden boat across the river and beautiful to see at sunset.
- Chittagong Ship Breaking Yards: Not easy to do – after child labour was exposed at the yards – rather it’s easier to see the ship yards from a distance by boat.
- Sub Zero Ice Cream Sundaes: Not technically a sight of Chittagong but one we have to share. Sub Zero is near opposite Shishu Park and does a great Oreo sundae…
11. Cox’s Bazar – Places to visit in Bangladesh
Cox’s Bazar is the home of the longest natural sea beach in the world.
Things to do in Cox’s Bazar
It is a beautiful spot to see in the late afternoon golden hour as the sun sets over the Bay of Bengal.
- Cox’s Bazar Beach: Join the crowds and marvel at the beautiful sunset (and eat some candy floss) on the longest beach in the world.
- Himchori Waterfall: A shallow but beautiful waterfall located in the National Park not far from main beach in Cox’s Bazar.
- Inani Beach: Part of Cox’s Bazar beach, Inani has unique black and coral stones cover the shore line during the rainy and summer seasons.
- Star Kabab: We’ve added this as a must-eat in Cox’s Bazar… Highly recommend for a tasty (and friendly) dinner.
12. Narsingdi – Places to visit in Bangladesh
It’s hard to decide, but for us the opportunity to stay in and be part of a small village in rural Bangladesh is perhaps the most memorable week of our trip.
The cities are bustling and the towns have a lot going on.
But seeing day to day life in a rural village is the kind of travel you can’t imagine until you get there.
Things to do in Ekduaria Village, Narsingdi – Bangladesh
I have dedicated an entire blog to sharing our experience in Ekduaria Village. It was truly incredible, emotional and by far one of the most memorable experiences to date in our travels.
But for now here are some of the highlights…
- Milk a cow: Meet the local farmers and collect milk for breakfast (walk back through the village with your tin of fresh, warm milk).
- Harvest Vegetables: Collect pumpkins, squash and okra from the farm.
- Drink Tea With Locals: At the market chai stand or in people’s homes (this is Bangladeshi hospitality).
- Wander The Village: And talk to people along the way. Don’t worry about the language barrier; there’s much to talk about even without words.
- Watch A Football Game: The local high school field is the place to be for an energetic inter-village match.
- Cook In A Mud-Kitchen: Learn how to make paratha, curry, and rice-pancakes. Have a go!
- Offer To Help: Go and help the farmers with some of their daily chores. They will laugh – but you will love it!
Transportation in Bangladesh
Transport and travel in Bangladesh can be as tricky as you make it.
There is road travel (taxis, buses, vans), train travel (express trains and a new metro), river travel (the most traditional means of travel in Bangladesh) and rickshaws (pedal, electric and auto).
The prices for travel by most means are negotiable. But don’t try and over complicate things haggling for a best price (especially over a few cents).
You will draw a crowd regardless but even more so if you’re trying to negotiate with a driver.
So don’t be afraid to walk away.
They know how much it should cost and you don’t need to be ripped off just because you’re a foreigner.
- Read our complete guide to travel in Bangladesh.
Getting around by auto rickshaw (CNG)
Bangladesh has electric and CNG auto rickshaws that are easy to flag down and take for short to medium distances in the cities and towns.
Note these are only useful for exploring the places to visit in Bangladesh once you actually get there!
For a short travel 2km distance it costs around 100-150 Tk (USD $1 – $2).
Just be sure to negotiate and confirm the price before you climb in.
Getting around by tricycle and cycle rickshaw
This is by far the most authentic mode of transport in Bangladesh.
It only costs a few taka for a short distance by cycle rickshaw.
Though it was not so easy for us as a family of four – we needed to get two!
We used the electric tricycle rickshaws to explore the surrounding areas of Mongla and Barisal.
Train travel in Bangladesh
Bangladesh is well known for train travel.
It’s likely you will have seen images of hundreds of people riding on the roof of trains…
We did see people on the rooftops. We heard big thumps as they leapt on the roof above us from one carriage to the next!
But the police are trying reduce the number of people riding on the top and fortunately we didn’t see quite as many as anticipated.
It’s relatively easy to book a train ticket at the main railway station in Dhaka.
The most challenging part of booking is battling the traffic in a taxi to get there.
If you don’t have hours to spare you can contact a guide like trip2bangladesh.com ahead of time to book the ticket for you.
We did this for our first train from Dhaka to Sylhet.
Boat travel in Bangladesh
Long-distance water travel in Bangladesh is one of the best experiences you can opt for in your trip.
There are huge river ferries – called launches – that ply the rivers. They are what we would call a ferry back home.
Though in Bangladesh, ferries are the term for short-distance river travel from one side of the river to the other.
Overnight launches depart from Dhaka in the evening and arrive in Barisal before sunrise.
Here are some of the class options and pricing for a one-way overnight launch in Bangladesh:
- VIP Cabin: 10,000 Tk
- 1st Class Cabin: (A/C, shared toilet): 2500 Tk
- Economy (seats, shared toilet): 800 Tk
- 3rd Class (floor space only): 280 Tk
Bus travel in Bangladesh
Bus travel is a cheap way to move between the cities and places to visit in Bangladesh.
There’s no need to pre-book far in advance as there are squillions hundreds of buses departing frequently in any given direction.
It was easy to purchase tickets the day before from a small travel agent in Cox’s Bazar for the 5 hour journey to Chittagong.
The intercity buses are air conditioned (generally) and in relatively modern and comfortable condition.
- Tip: Tickets for the AC bus from Cox’s Bazar to Chittagong cost 500 Tk each ($6 USD).
Accommodation and where to stay in Bangladesh
The cost of accommodation in Bangladesh came as a surprise to us.
There seemed to be a huge discrepancy between the luxury ‘5-Star’ type chain hotels and the usual mid-range-budget hotels.
Or sometimes the should be mid-range-budget hotels seemed to have 5-Star prices instead!
I’m not going to pretend we found budget accommodation and roughed our way around the country.
Because we didn’t.
So cost-wise, the accommodation in Bangladesh wasn’t what we expected.
These are the other places we stayed during our travel in Bangladesh:
- Dhaka: Hotel 71
- Dhaka: Hotel Tropical Daisy
- Barisal: Hotel Grand Park
- Mongla: Hotel Pashur
- Cox’s Bazar: Laguna Beach Hotel
- Chittagong: Well Park Residence Boutique Hotel
- Sreemangal: Green Leaf Guest House
- Sylhet: Hotel Mira Garden
- Dhaka: Hotel 71
- Narsingdi: Taabu Ekduaria Village Homestay
Do read the reviews on booking sites and use Google Maps to check out accommodation and locations before you book.
Read more about travel in Bangladesh and South Asia
- Train Travel in India: A Complete Guide.
- The Sacred River Ganges: Two Days In Varanasi.
- Crossing The Wagah Border From India To Pakistan.
- Pakistan Travel Guide.
- Money In India: Using ATM’s.
- How To Use A Squat Toilet.
- Packing List For Travel In India.
More about travel planning for Bangladesh and beyond
These are the companies we use and can recommend for planning and booking travel.
- Booking.com – The best all-around accommodation booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation. It is easy to filter and sort into price and availability with all the extras you are looking for personally.
- 12GoAsia – Book trains anywhere online.
- Skyscanner– This is by far our favourite flight search engine. They are able to search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites often miss. We book all our flights through Skyscanner.
- GetYourGuide– Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions offered all around the world. Everything from walking tours, to street-food tours, cooking classes, desert safari’s and more!
- SafetyWing – A global travel insurance that covers people from all over the world while outside their home country. You can buy it short or longterm; and even if you are out of the country.
- World Nomads – Travel insurance tailored for longterm travel and nomads (including those who have already left home). Make sure you have insurance before travel in Bangladesh!
