Travel to Bangladesh: itineraries, season and tips

Off the classic circuits, Bangladesh rewards curious travellers: the teeming lanes of Old Dhaka, a multi-day cruise through the Sundarbans mangrove, the tea hills of Srimangal, the mosque city of Bagerhat and the Buddhist monastery of Paharpur, two UNESCO-listed treasures, with a welcome of rare warmth.

Why travel to Bangladesh?

Bangladesh brings together three World Heritage sites, including the largest mangrove on the globe, shared with India, on land crossed by the Ganges and the Brahmaputra. Rarely visited, it offers an authentic immersion in South Asia, ideally between November and February, outside the monsoon and the hottest months.

What to discover in Bangladesh?

Dhaka and Old Dhaka

One of the densest megacities in the world, Dhaka is best discovered in its old town, on the banks of the Buriganga River. Two days are enough for the Mughal Lalbagh Fort, Ahsan Manzil palace, the workshops of Shankhari Bazar and the bustle of Sadarghat river port, ideally explored by cycle rickshaw. Traffic is such that a 10 km ride can take over an hour: group visits by district and head out early in the morning. On Fridays, the day of prayer, traffic flows much more freely.

The Sundarbans and the southwest

Listed by UNESCO, the Sundarbans mangrove spreads on both sides of the border with India and shelters the Bengal tiger. It is explored on a two to four day cruise from Khulna or Mongla, with a forest permit and armed guard supplied by the operator. Since the Padma Bridge opened in 2022, Khulna is only four to five hours by road from Dhaka. Add half a day in Bagerhat, an hour from Khulna, for its fifteenth-century mosque city.

Sylhet and the tea hills

In the northeast, the Sylhet region gathers tea plantations, forests and rivers flowing down from the Indian hills. Srimangal, about five hours by train from Dhaka, is the base for walking or cycling through the tea gardens and spotting gibbons in Lawachara National Park. Further north, the Ratargul swamp forest is visited by boat from July to October, when it is flooded. Allow three days for the region, and avoid festival weekends, when trains are fully booked.

The Chittagong coast on the Bay of Bengal

Cox's Bazar, an hour by air or roughly nine hours by direct train from Dhaka since 2023, lines up a beach of about 120 km. The Marine Drive then follows the coast towards Teknaf. Access to Saint Martin's Island, the country's only coral reef, has been regulated since 2024 and limited to a few winter months. The Chittagong Hill Tracts, around Bandarban and Rangamati, require a permit for foreigners and are subject to heightened caution from the French foreign ministry: check before any plan. The Rohingya refugee camp area, towards Teknaf, is not a tourist destination.

North Bengal and its Buddhist sites

The northwest keeps the remains of Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms that predate Islam. The Paharpur monastery, founded in the eighth century and listed by UNESCO, lies six to seven hours by road from Dhaka, as does the ancient city of Mahasthangarh near Bogura. Further north, Kantaji Temple in Dinajpur is covered with terracotta plaques carved in the eighteenth century. Allow three to four days for this loop. To continue in the footsteps of the Buddha, Nepal is about an hour's flight from Dhaka.

Cities to visit in Bangladesh

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Bangladesh's must-sees

Eight places that show the richness of a country still largely unknown to travellers.

Lalbagh Fort

A Mughal fortress begun in 1678 and never completed, with a mosque, the tomb of Pari Bibi and gardens in the heart of Old Dhaka.

Ahsan Manzil

The pink palace of the Nawabs of Dhaka, facing the Buriganga, now a museum on the life of the Bengali aristocracy.

Sadarghat port

An endless ballet of water taxis, barges and overnight ferries to Barisal on the Buriganga, one of the liveliest scenes in the country.

Sixty Dome Mosque

The jewel of Bagerhat's mosque city, built in the fifteenth century; despite its name, it has more than seventy brick domes.

Somapura Mahavihara

A vast brick Buddhist monastery at Paharpur, long one of the main centres of Buddhist learning south of the Himalayas.

Cox's Bazar beach

An endless strip of sand facing the Bay of Bengal, very popular with Bangladeshi families in winter and at sunset.

Ratargul forest

A freshwater forest half submerged during the monsoon, explored by boat between the trunks near Sylhet.

Lawachara National Park

A semi-evergreen tropical forest near Srimangal, refuge of the hoolock gibbon, the country's only ape species.

Frequently asked questions about Bangladesh

What are the chances of seeing a tiger in the Sundarbans?
They are slim: the Bengal tiger is elusive and the mangrove very dense. Visitors mostly see tracks, spotted deer, saltwater crocodiles, macaques and many birds. Three-day cruises, which go deeper into the forest, slightly improve the odds.
How do you organise a Sundarbans cruise from Khulna?
Access is only possible with a licensed operator, who obtains the forest department permit and provides an armed guard. Departures are from Khulna or Mongla, preferably from November to February, and should be booked a few weeks ahead in high season.
Is Saint Martin's Island still open to tourists?
Since 2024, the authorities have limited visitor numbers to protect the reef: visits restricted to a few winter months, a daily cap on visitors and regulated overnight stays. The rules change from season to season, so check with Cox's Bazar operators before going.
What should you do if a hartal is called during your stay?
A hartal is a general strike, often with road blockades. Stay at your hotel or explore the surroundings on foot, avoid marches and postpone long-distance journeys. Trains sometimes run, but buses and highways are the most exposed.
Do you need a permit for Bandarban and Rangamati?
Yes, foreigners need authorisation to travel to the Chittagong Hill Tracts, usually obtained through a local agency. The region is subject to heightened caution from the French foreign ministry: read its latest advice before considering the trip.
When is Ratargul forest under water?
The forest is only flooded in the rainy season, roughly July to October: that is when you glide by boat between the trees. In winter, the water recedes and the landscape loses most of its appeal. Allow half a day from Sylhet.
How many days for a first trip to Bangladesh?
Two weeks let you combine Dhaka, a Sundarbans cruise, Srimangal and Cox's Bazar using domestic flights. With ten days, choose between the coast and North Bengal, as road journeys remain slow.
Can you combine Bangladesh and Bhutan?
Yes, flights link Dhaka to Paro, letting you pair the Bengal delta with the Himalayan valleys of Bhutan. Bhutan, however, charges a daily sustainable development fee and requires a regulated booking, to be arranged several weeks before departure.

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