The Sundarbans
Largest mangrove forest on Earth and a UNESCO World Heritage Site - home of the Royal Bengal Tiger.
📍 Location & access
🧭 Planning your trip
The best window for The Sundarbans is Dec – Feb. November to February is the easiest season for travel across Bangladesh generally - cool and dry - while the monsoon between June and September is when the haors, waterfalls and hills are at their most dramatic.
How to reach: Take a bus or train from Dhaka to Khulna or Mongla (about 6 hours), then join a registered tour operator’s launch cruise of 2–3 days into the forest via Forest Department checkpoints at Karamjal or Kotka.
Khulna is known for sundarbans gateway, Rupsha bridge, shrimp trade.
History
Named after the sundari trees that dominate the canopy, the forest was declared a Reserve Forest by the British in 1875 and its Bangladesh portion was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Honey collectors (mawalis) and fishermen have shared these tidal channels with the Royal Bengal Tiger for centuries.
✅ Tips for visiting
- Only enter with a Forest Department-registered operator - solo boats are not permitted this deep in the reserve.
- Pack binoculars; tiger sightings are rare, but deer, crocodiles and birdlife are abundant.
- Mosquito repellent and a hat are essential on the open-deck launches.
🧭 Nearby
- Karamjal wildlife and crocodile centre
- Kotka beach and watchtower
- Mongla Port
- Sixty Dome Mosque, Bagerhat
Sunrise and sunset at The Sundarbans today
Useful for planning the golden hour - 11:37 of daylight.
More places like this
Ratargul Swamp Forest
The only freshwater swamp forest of the country - paddle a boat between submerged tree trunks.
Forest SylhetLawachara National Park
A pocket of tropical rainforest inside the tea belt - home to Bangladesh’s only wild population of hoolock gibbons.
Forest MoulvibazarBhawal National Park
A sal forest just north of Dhaka, once the royal hunting ground of the Bhawal zamindars.
Forest GazipurFrequently asked questions about The Sundarbans
Where is The Sundarbans?
The Sundarbans is in Khulna district, Bangladesh, at 21.9497°N, 89.1833°E.
When is the best time to visit The Sundarbans?
The best season to visit The Sundarbans is Dec – Feb.
What is The Sundarbans known for?
Largest mangrove forest on Earth and a UNESCO World Heritage Site - home of the Royal Bengal Tiger.
How do I get to The Sundarbans?
Take a bus or train from Dhaka to Khulna or Mongla (about 6 hours), then join a registered tour operator’s launch cruise of 2–3 days into the forest via Forest Department checkpoints at Karamjal or Kotka.
How much does it cost to visit The Sundarbans?
Forest entry permit roughly ৳100 (locals) / ৳200–500 (foreigners); multi-day guided launch packages run ৳4,000–15,000 per person.