Where to go
The longest natural sea beach on Earth, the largest mangrove forest, a valley above the clouds, tea gardens that run to the horizon and three UNESCO World Heritage Sites - all inside a country smaller than the state of Illinois.
Showing 34 of 34 places.
Cox’s Bazar Sea Beach
The longest uninterrupted natural sea beach in the world, running about 120 km from Cox’s Bazar to Teknaf.
The Sundarbans
Largest mangrove forest on Earth and a UNESCO World Heritage Site - home of the Royal Bengal Tiger.
Sajek Valley
The "queen of hills" - clouds roll through the resort huts at dawn, 1,800 ft above sea level.
Sreemangal Tea Gardens
Tea capital of Bangladesh - endless green terraces, the seven-layer tea and Lawachara rainforest.
St. Martin's Island
The only coral island of Bangladesh, locally called Narikel Jinjira - coconut, coral and turquoise water.
Kuakata Sea Beach
The "daughter of the sea" - one of very few beaches where both sunrise and sunset fall over the water.
Ratargul Swamp Forest
The only freshwater swamp forest of the country - paddle a boat between submerged tree trunks.
Tanguar Haor
A Ramsar wetland of 100+ interconnected beels hosting tens of thousands of migratory birds each winter.
Somapura Mahavihara, Paharpur
UNESCO site - an 8th-century Buddhist monastery, once the largest south of the Himalayas.
Sixty Dome Mosque (Shat Gambuj)
UNESCO site built by Khan Jahan Ali in the 15th century - 60 pillars, 77 domes, unmatched brickwork.
Mahasthangarh
The oldest urban archaeological site of Bangladesh - the ancient city of Pundranagara, 3rd century BCE.
Lalbagh Fort
An unfinished 17th-century Mughal fort complex with the tomb of Pari Bibi at its heart.
Ahsan Manzil
The pink palace on the Buriganga - residence of the Nawabs of Dhaka, now a museum.
Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban
Louis Kahn’s National Parliament House - one of the largest and most admired legislative complexes in the world.
Kantajew Temple
An 18th-century terracotta Hindu temple covered with more than 15,000 sculpted plaques.
Nilgiri & Chimbuk
Resorts perched above the cloudline where the fog sits below your balcony at sunrise.
Nafakhum Waterfall
The largest waterfall by volume in Bangladesh, reached by boat and trek along the Sangu river.
Jaflong & Bichanakandi
Crystal streams full of rolling stones with the Meghalaya hills and waterfalls as a backdrop.
Kaptai Lake
The largest man-made lake of the country, dotted with islands, hanging bridges and hill villages.
Nijhum Dwip
A quiet island national park where herds of spotted deer roam the keora forest at dusk.
Panam City
The abandoned merchant street of Sonargaon - a lost city of colonial-era mansions.
Mahamaya & Foy’s Lake
Kayak between forested hills at Mahamaya and ride the theme park at Foy’s Lake.
Birishiri & Somesshwari
Blue-water china-clay lakes, white sand riverbeds and Garo hill culture.
National Martyrs’ Memorial, Savar
Jatiyo Smriti Soudho - seven soaring planes honouring the martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War.
Himchari National Park
Low hills tumbling straight into the Bay of Bengal - seasonal waterfalls and a lookout over the world’s longest beach.
Madhabkunda Waterfall
The tallest waterfall in the Sylhet region, crashing through the Patharia hills into a natural pool below.
Lawachara National Park
A pocket of tropical rainforest inside the tea belt - home to Bangladesh’s only wild population of hoolock gibbons.
Boga Lake (Bogakain)
A legendary crater-shaped lake at 2,400 feet, ringed by Bawm hill villages and reached only on foot.
Puthia Temple Complex
The largest cluster of Hindu temples in Bangladesh, raised by the Puthia zamindars over two centuries.
Shalbon Vihara
An 8th-century Buddhist monastery mound at the heart of the Mainamati ruins, excavated from the Lalmai hills.
Star Mosque (Tara Masjid)
A 19th-century Armanitola mosque encrusted with star-motif Japanese and English chinaware mosaic.
Curzon Hall
Dhaka University’s red-brick Indo-Saracenic showpiece, opened in 1904 and named for a viceroy who opposed it.
Ramsagar National Park
A vast 15th-century reservoir turned national park, ringed by forest and visited by migratory birds each winter.
Bhawal National Park
A sal forest just north of Dhaka, once the royal hunting ground of the Bhawal zamindars.
Practical notes for visitors
🛂 Getting in
Most nationalities need a visa. Visa on arrival is available at Dhaka and Chattogram airports for citizens of a set list of countries - check with a Bangladesh mission before you fly.
💵 Money
The Taka (৳) is the only currency accepted. Cards work in city hotels and malls; carry cash outside the big cities. Mobile wallets like bKash and Nagad are everywhere.
📅 Best time
November to February is cool, dry and the easiest for travel. The monsoon from June to September is when the haors, waterfalls and hills are at their most spectacular.
🗣️ Language
Bangla is spoken everywhere. English is widely understood in cities and by younger people. “Dhonnobad” (thank you) and “kemon achen?” (how are you?) go a long way.
🏔️ Hill Tracts permits
Parts of Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachhari need permission and a local guide. Check current rules with the district administration before planning a trek.
🆘 If something goes wrong
Dial 999 for any emergency, or the Tourist Police on 01320222222. Government information is on 333.