Tour Overview
| Duration | 8 Days / 7 Nights |
|---|---|
| Country | Bangladesh — The Bengal Delta |
| Price From | $2,271 per person (twin share) |
| Tour Style | Cultural Explorer / River Safari |
| Data Source | Modhu Tours Bangladesh / TourRadar — 2026 |
Itinerary Highlights
Day 1: Arrive Dhaka — Chaos & Charm
Arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Your guide meets you for the drive into Dhaka, one of the world’s most densely populated and energetic cities. Afternoon orientation: a rickshaw ride through Old Dhaka’s impossibly narrow lanes — there are over 800,000 cycle rickshaws in the city, making it the rickshaw capital of the world (UNESCO Intangible Heritage). Visit Sadarghat, the sprawling river port where hundreds of wooden launches depart daily on the Buriganga River — a mesmerising spectacle of humanity in motion. Welcome dinner featuring traditional Bengali cuisine: kacchi biryani, hilsa fish curry, and mishti doi (sweet yogurt). Overnight at Dhaka hotel.
Day 2: Old Dhaka — 400 Years of History
Full-day deep dive into Old Dhaka. Visit Lalbagh Fort (1678), an unfinished Mughal palace complex with its beautiful mosque, Diwan-i-Aam (Hall of Audience), and the tomb of Pari Bibi. Explore Ahsan Manzil (Pink Palace, 1872), the former residence of Dhaka’s nawabs with its grand dome and riverside location overlooking the Buriganga. Walk through Shankhari Bazaar — the 300-year-old Hindu street where artisans craft exquisite conch shell bangles. Visit the Star Mosque (Tara Masjid) with its intricate blue star mosaic tiles. Lunch at a heritage restaurant in Old Dhaka. Afternoon: visit the Armenian Church (1781) and the Dhakeshwari Temple — Bangladesh’s national temple. Evening river cruise on the Buriganga at sunset. Overnight at Dhaka hotel.
Day 3: Sundarbans Mangrove — Into the Tiger’s Domain
Morning drive south to Khulna (5 hours), gateway to the Sundarbans — the world’s largest mangrove forest and a UNESCO World Heritage Site straddling Bangladesh and India. Transfer to your river boat, a converted wooden launch that will be your floating home for the next two days. Afternoon cruise deep into the Sundarbans’ labyrinth of tidal waterways, spotting Ganges river dolphins, spotted deer on the banks, and saltwater crocodiles sunning themselves on mudflats. The forest is home to the legendary Royal Bengal Tiger — one of the most elusive big cats on Earth, adapted to swimming between mangrove islands. Evening on deck under a blanket of stars, listening to the sounds of the jungle. Overnight on the boat.
Day 4: Sundarbans Deep Exploration
Dawn cruise through narrow creeks as the forest awakens. Morning guided walk on a forest trail (with armed forest guard) into the mangrove interior: observe fresh tiger pugmarks in the mud, the unique breathing roots (pneumatophores) of the mangrove trees, and extraordinary birdlife including kingfishers, eagles, and hornbills. Visit the Kotka wildlife observation tower for panoramic views over grasslands where deer herds graze. Afternoon visit to a traditional honey collector community — Sundarbans honey, harvested from wild beehives by brave collectors who venture into tiger territory, is among the world’s finest. Evening cruise to a different anchorage. Overnight on the boat.
Day 5: Return to Khulna & Bagerhat — Mosque City
Morning cruise out of the Sundarbans, returning to Khulna. Afternoon visit to the Mosque City of Bagerhat (UNESCO), a 15th-century Islamic urban center built by Khan Jahan Ali. Explore the Shait Gumbad Mosque (Sixty Dome Mosque, c.1459) — a masterpiece of medieval Bengali Islamic architecture with its 77 low domes, 60 stone pillars, and remarkable acoustics. Visit the tomb of Khan Jahan Ali and the unusual crocodile-filled pond beside the mausoleum. Evening drive to Jessore. Overnight at Jessore hotel.
Day 6: Ancient North Bengal — Paharpur & Mahasthangarh
Drive north to the ancient archaeological sites of North Bengal. Visit Somapura Mahavihara in Paharpur (UNESCO, 8th century) — the largest Buddhist monastery south of the Himalayas, a vast complex of 177 monastic cells surrounding a central temple, once a great center of Buddhist learning that attracted monks from as far as China and Tibet. Continue to Mahasthangarh (3rd century BCE), Bangladesh’s oldest archaeological site and the ancient capital of the Pundra Kingdom. Explore the massive fortification walls, the Govinda Bhita temple complex, and the local museum housing terracotta plaques and ancient coins. Overnight at Bogra hotel.
Day 7: Srimangal — Tea Country
Drive to Srimangal, Bangladesh’s tea capital in the Sylhet Division. Walk through the vast Lawachara National Park — a protected semi-evergreen forest home to the endangered hoolock gibbon (Bangladesh’s only ape). Visit a traditional tea estate to learn about tea processing and sample seven-layer tea — a Srimangal specialty where different densities of tea create distinct colored layers in a single glass. Visit a local Manipuri tribal village to learn about their unique weaving traditions. Afternoon drive back toward Dhaka. Farewell dinner. Overnight near Dhaka airport.
Day 8: Depart Dhaka
Morning transfer to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
Inclusions
- 7 nights (hotels + 2 nights boat cabin in Sundarbans)
- Daily breakfast + 6 lunches + 5 dinners
- Private air-conditioned vehicle throughout
- Private Sundarbans river boat (2 nights)
- English-speaking guide + Sundarbans forest guard
- Sundarbans permits and entry fees
- All UNESCO site entry fees
- Airport transfers
Why Bangladesh
- The Sundarbans — the world’s largest mangrove forest, home to the swimming Royal Bengal Tiger
- Paharpur’s Somapura Mahavihara — the largest Buddhist monastery south of the Himalayas
- Old Dhaka’s rickshaw culture — UNESCO Intangible Heritage with 800,000+ cycle rickshaws
- One of the world’s most overlooked travel destinations — authentic, warm, and undiscovered
- The friendliest people in South Asia with legendary Bengali hospitality
