Bagerhat & Sundarbans Tour in Bangladesh

Tour Duration: 4 Days / 3 Nights
Location: Bagerhat, Mongla, and Khulna
Tour Attractions: 60 Dome Mosque, Sundarbans
Best time to go: October – March
Tour Available: Year round / Any day start
Next Scheduled Tour: Please Contact us

Price: Starting from $670 US*/per pax

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Fly to Jessore and visit the Mosque City of Bagerhat. Three-day excursion on a small group to Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest on earth. Fly back to Dhaka on the fourth day evening. The shortest possible tour to visit Sundarbans and Bagerhat from Dhaka. You can visit 2 UNESCO world heritage sites on this tour.

Start with taking the morning flight to Jessore, drive to Bagerhat and visit the 15th-century Muslim city Khalifatabad which is a UNESCO world heritage site, and head toward Khulna for the overnight stay. Transfer to Mongla the next morning and a full three days excursion to Sundarbans which is another UNESCO World Heritage Site, and home of Royal Bengal Tigers, monkeys, saltwater crocodiles, sweet water dolphins, and many species of birds. Drive to Jessore airport upon returning from the forest and take an evening flight back to Dhaka.

The best Sundarbans experience you can have in Bangladesh.

Bengal Tiger of Sundarbans

Mystic Sundarbans. Photo: Masba Mazumdar

Exploring a canal at Sundarbans

The shrine of Khan Jahan Ali, the founder of Bagerhat.

Common Kingfisher of Sundarbans

Sundarbans Mangrove Forest

Kodla Moth, a beautiful Hindu temple in Bagerhat

Highlights of Bagerhat & Sundarbans Tour

Explore the largest mangrove forest on earth – Sundarbans, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for full 3 days.
Visit historical sites at Bagerhat, another UNESCO World Heritage Site from the 15th-century, including the Sixty Dome Mosque.
Spend full 3 days deep inside the Sundarbans on a small houseboat, with a group of 6 participants (maximum), anchoring in different places each night.
Visit the wildlife sanctuaries inside the Sundarbans.
Explore creeks and canals inside the Sundarbans on a wooden rowing boat for the maximum chance of spotting wildlife in the early morning and evening.
Walk on a trail inside the forest accompanied with armed forest guards.
Enjoy the best and the cleanest beach in Bangladesh deep inside the forest, hardly meeting any other tourists.
Spot wildlife from an observation tower overlooking an open area where animals come to eat and drink.
Visit a fishing village to experience the life of the fishermen of the Sundarbans.
Visit a crocodile and turtle breeding center.
Visit a dolphin sanctuary for the endangered Ganges and Irrawaddy Dolphin, the last two remaining freshwater dolphin species in Asia.

Itinerary of Bagerhat & Sundarbans Tour

Day-1: Fly to Jessore, UNESCO World Heritage City Bagerhat

Pick-up from your hotel in Dhaka at 06.15 H. Transfer to the airport and fly to Jessore at 7.45 H. Arrive Jessore at 8.25 H.
Drive towards Bagerhat (3 hrs) in an air-conditioned car and visit the Mosque City of Bagerhat, a 15th-century Muslim city once called Khalifatabad, which is the present-day Bagerhat and is a UNESCO protected world heritage site.
You’ll visit most of the remaining mosques from the 15th-century city Khalifatabad the whole day, including the 60 Dome Mosque, 09 Dome Mosque, Rono Bijoypur Mosque, and Singair Mosque. Also, we’ll take you to visit the shrine of Khan Jahan Ali, the saint general of Turkish origin who came to spread Islam in this region and founded this great city; and Kodla Moth – a very beautiful Hindu temple from the 17th century. Drive to Khulna (1 hr).
Overnight at Khulna (Hotel City Inn)

Day-2: Sundarbans: Harbaria Eco Park & Kochikhali

Start at 6.00 H and drive to Mongla (1.5 hrs). Transfer to our waiting boat upon arrival, and head toward Sundarbans immediately. Breakfast will be served on the boat. You’ll be inside the forest within 15 minutes of starting the journey. Stop on a forest station on the way to complete formalities, and continue toward Kochikhali.
We’ll go through many small canals and rivers with our small boat where big boats cannot go because of their size and the canals being shallow. Taking you through these rewarding narrow canals is the main point of this private tour on a small boat, where is your best chance to spot a tiger and many wildlife.
Stop at Harbaria Eco Park and walk on its 30 mins trail for the first experience of Sundarbans. People on day tours at Sundarbans end up visiting up to this point, doing which we never recommend.
Before sunset, explore a small canal on a noiseless wooden row-boat in search of wildlife. They come to drink water in the evening and morning on the creeks and canals. You’ll seat on the boat quietly and float by in a breath-taking environment listening to many birds singing, and the calls of many animals. We’ll reach Kochikhali in the evening and stop for the night hold.
Stay overnight on the boat in a sleeping cabin, anchoring in the middle of the river in front of Kochikhali forest station.

Day-3: Sundarbans: Kochikhali & Kotka Wildlife Sanctuary

Today is going to be your busiest day at Sundarbans.
Ride a noiseless wooden row-boat on a canal in the morning in search of wildlife.
Back to the main boat, and have breakfast at 07.30 H. Start walking toward Jamtola beach, which is the quietest, nicest, and cleanest beach in Bangladesh. Enjoy the beach for an hour, and walk toward Jamtola tourist spot. The total trail will be about 10 km. Transfer to our waiting boat which already arrived here from Kochikhali through an inside canal.
Lunch on the boat and have an hour of rest.
Visit Kotka Wildlife Sanctuary, and if high tide, have a rewarding boat ride on a canal near the sanctuary.
Go to the observation-tower at Kotka before the sunset and seat quietly for half an hour. This is a feeding ground for animals. Lots of deer and other wild animals come here in the evening to eat grass and drink water. You never know what surprises can be waiting for you here!
After sunset, start the boat for our onward location to another suitable forest station for the night hold, based on the tide.
Stay overnight on the boat in a sleeping cabin, anchoring in the middle of the river in front of the forest station.

Day-4: Sundarbans: Fishing Village & Crocodile Breeding Center, Fly to Dhaka

Go for a boat ride on the noiseless wooden row-boat at 06.00 H and explore a canal near the forest station. Return to the main boat at 07.30 H and have breakfast. We’ll start our return journey toward Mongla from here through other small rivers and canals.
Visit a fishing village and Koromjal Crocodile Breeding Center on the way, reach Mongla in the late afternoon.
Drive toward Jessore (3 hrs), and fly to Dhaka on 19.10 H flight. Arrive Dhaka around 19.50 H, transfer to your hotel, say good bye!
End of the Tour

Price of Bagerhat & Sundarbans Tour

Group Size	Comfort Package
-	USD Per Person
2 Pax	$1,000
3 Pax	$830
4 Pax	$735
5 Pax	$670
Single Supplement	$15

Lunch at Sundarbans

On Rocket Paddle Steamer

Panaromic view from the house boat

Exploring creeks and canals of Sundarbans

Forest guard ar Sundarbans

Drawing on the beach at Sundarbans

Flying a kite on the beach at Sundarbans

At fishing village inside Sundarbans

Inclusions and Exclusions

Tour includes:

Pick-up and drop-off from North Dhaka area (Uttara, Nikunja, Gulshan, Banani, and Baridhara area only).
Dhaka-Jessore-Dhaka economy class flight tickets.
3 Nights accommodation in hotels and boat cabins as mentioned in the itinerary with complementary breakfast on twin sharing basis.
All meals, drinking water, tea, and coffee while on the boat at Sundarbans for three days on Day-2, 3, and 4.
All boat rides.
All site entrance tickets.
Air-conditioned car, driver, and English speaking guide.
5,500 BDT per person forest permission fee for Sundarbans.
All tips except our guide, driver, and boat crew.

Does not include:

Pick-up and drop-off from South Dhaka area (Hotel 71, FARS Hotel, Asia Hotel & Resort, Ambrosia Guest House, White House Hotel, Hotel Sky City, Suktara Hotel, and the nearby area).
Any food or drinks other than mentioned above.
1,200 BDT fee for video camera in Sundarbans (if any).
Any personal item.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Sundarbans tour in a small group?

Because your best chance to spot wildlife on a Sundarbans tour is when you go on a tour with a very small group. This will increase your chance to spot wildlife many times.
All the traditional tour operators in Bangladesh run tours in Sundarbans on a 30-40 people group. Going on a Sundarbans tour with a big group like these, people end up seeing very little or no wildlife at all. We organize only small group tours of a maximum of 6 people to give you the best experience of Sundarbans for your time and money.

Why Sundarbans tour in Bangladesh instead of India?

60% of Sundarbans is in Bangladesh part which is more diverse with its wildlife, flora, and fauna.
You visit a wild forest in Bangladesh, not a national park. Everything you see in Bangladesh part of Sundarbans is wild.
You spend full three days inside the forest while doing the Sundarbans tour with us in Bangladesh. You can spend just 1 day inside the forest while doing a Sundarbans tour from India.
On a Sundarbans tour in India, you stay at a hut in a village outside the forest. In Bangladesh, you stay on our comfortable houseboat with a western-style toilet deep inside the forest anchoring in different places each day. There will be armed forest guards on board for security.
In India, you visit the forest with an engine boat starting from the village. In Bangladesh, we’ll take you to explore the creeks and canals deep inside the forest with a noiseless wooden row-boat. You float on the canals quietly in the tranquilizing environment and get the best chance to spot wildlife while they do not flee hearing the disturbing noise of the engine.
Sundarbans tour in Bangladesh with us offers more activities, e.g. walking deep inside the forest, spending time on a beautiful sandy beach at Bay of Bengal inside the forest while you hardly see any people, watching wildlife from an observation-tower in a dense raw forest, explore creeks and canals with noiseless row-boat to increase your chance to spot wildlife, visit wildlife sanctuaries, etc.

Why to start Sundarbans tour from Mongla instead of Khulna?

Because you reach the forest within 10 minutes of starting from Mongla. If you start from Khulna, half of your day is wasted just to reach the forest, and another half day to come back. All the traditional tour operators in Bangladesh run their tour from Khulna, while we run our tours from Mongla.

Why doing a day tour in Sundarbans is a complete NO?

Never do a day tour of Sundarbans! You might want to quickly sample Sundarbans to save time and money, but it will be a full waste of your time and money as you will end up visiting just an Eco Park and a zoo which will be very disappointing, no matter who you book with! It will be simply a bad taste of the forest. Either do a 3-day tour or save it for a future trip. There is nothing in between!

Is it possible to shorten this tour?

Yes, you can do the tour in 5 days by booking the Comfort package. In that case, after returning from the forest on day-5, we will directly transfer you to Jessore airport, from where you’ll fly to Dhaka on the 19.20 H flight and reach Dhaka airport at 20.00 H. This will not affect the itinerary or activities in Sundarbans. Price for the last night’s accommodation in Khulna will be deducted on that case.

Important Notes on Bagerhat & Sundarbans Tour

Availability

This tour is available to start on any day of the week outside our schedule – year-round.
Booking this tour at least 6 weeks in advance is advised.

Private & Group Tour Price

The price of the tour mentioned in the price chart above is the starting price for the group tours, assuming you want to join with other people on the tour and reduce your cost. The price for an exclusive private tour will be different than what is provided on the chart above.
We will try to include other people on the tour once you book a group tour. If we find anyone to join the tour later, the price will go down for you accordingly. We’ll take a maximum of 5 people on this tour including you.
We’ll not include anyone else on the tour in case of booking a private tour. Contact us for the price of a private tour if you do not want to join with anyone else on the tour.

Early-Booking & Off-Season Discounts

Early-Booking discount is available for the first two travelers to join any scheduled tour six months in advance. Discount will not be applicable for any tour ourtside the schedule.
Use code “EARLY BOOKING” on the booking form to get the early booking discount.
Off-Season discount is available for everyone to join any scheduled tour anytime during April to September.
Use code “OFF SEASON” on the booking form to get the off season discount.
None of the discounts will be available for booking a private tour.

Hotels & Resorts

The hotel used on this tour is a tourist standard hotel of 3* standard, with standard facilities for the foreigners e.g. clean room, air-conditioning, hot water, western-style toilet, and complimentary breakfast.
Bangladesh is full of mosquitoes. You may find some in your hotel too. The hotels will normally spray aerosol in your room to keep them away. But if they don’t, give a call to the reception instead of spending a sleepless night. They will come and spray as many times as you need. You can also bring a mosquito spray or buy one upon arrival at the beginning of your trip, which will cost less than $5 US and will cover your whole trip.
Hotels in Bangladesh try to provide their best possible service to foreigners. If there is an issue with your room at any of the hotels, simply let them know while you are there. They will try their best to resolve the issue.
Nijhoom Tours reserves the right to change any hotel listed in the itinerary to a similar standard one if the actual hotel is not available to book.

Traveling on Car

We use car only while it is not possible to avoid, e.g. no train, boat, or flight. Roads in Bangladesh are broken and with heavy traffic. Be patient while traveling on car.
Distance mentioned in the itinerary is taken from Google Maps.
Travel time mentioned in the itinerary is our best judgement. It could be delayed or earlier depending on traffic and road conditions.

Sundarbans

Itinerary of Sundarbans Tour is just a general outline, and not fixed. It could be changed depending on the season, moon phase, tide, daylight hours, and fog. But we’ll try to include all the activities mentioned in the itinerary as much as possible.
The boat for Sundarbans is a very basic boat without air-conditioning, electricity, and running hot water (we will supply them on bucket). It has accommodation facilities for 8 people in the max and one western-style toilet. But we have a larger boat too to arrange a tour for bigger groups.
The cabins in the boat at Sundarbans are lit by small lights running on battery. We’ll run the generator in the evening for a couple of hours every day to charge your devices.
You’ll get the mobile-phone signal of GrameenPhone on the first half of day-03. In Kotka, a new mobile phone tower of Teletalk opened recently, so you’ll get full network coverage of the only Teletalk in Kotka with 2G internet facilities which are very slow. No other SIM card will work inside other parts of the forest.
For trekking in the forest on day-4, the land is flat and we will not go through a very dense forest, so it will be easy for most of the people, as long as you can walk about 10 km. The trail is dry, not muddy. Bring covered shoes which are suitable for trekking and can protect you from small grass and trees with spikes.
If you do not want to walk, you can remain on the boat which will be still enjoyable, as it will go from Kochikhali to Kotka through small canals, which will be a ride of about 03 hours.
No binocular will be provided at Sundarbans. Bring your own.

Seeing a tiger in Sundarbans

Although we’ve seen tigers in Sundarbans a few times on our tours, chances of seeing a tiger in Sundarbans are very slim, because there are only about one hundred tigers in the Bangladesh part of the forest (one tiger in about 60 sq km) and they are nocturnal animals who hardly come outside from their den during day time.
Being a mangrove swamp, there is no way to track tigers in Sundarbans. We’ll go through the narrow canals during our journey to the forest with our small vessel, and also will take you to the creeks and canals inside the forest early morning on a noiseless rowboat, which will maximize your chance of seeing a tiger. Other than that, there is nothing much the guide can do to show you a tiger there.
The main attraction of the forest is not seeing a tiger, rather enjoying its tranquility outside the human settlements. Please read the experiences of the previous travelers with us to understand what you can expect in Sundarbans. If seeing a tiger is your main purpose, please do not book this tour, because you’ll be disappointed at the end.

Single Supplement

Single supplement is applicable for the hotels only. You might not be provided separate cabins on the boat at Sundarbans, even if you pay for the single supplement, based on the availability.

Eating and Drinking

All the breakfasts, 3 lunches, and 2 dinners are included on the trip. You need to pay for the rest of the lunches and dinners during your trip. A meal at a decent local restaurant will cost about $2-$5 US.
Options for vegetarian food in the local restaurants are very limited. You need to go to a more expensive Western restaurant to find good vegetarian food.
Vegetarian food will not be an issue on our boat at Sundarbans.
Tea and soft drinks are very cheap. Mineral water is widely available.
Bangladesh is a secular Muslim country, and whilst the people are very liberal and friendly, alcohol is not widely available. There are only a couple of hotels on the trip which have a bar, and even at these establishments, you cannot usually drink in the restaurant. Local beer, when available, costs approx. $3 US for a 300ml can, and a measure of spirits is similarly priced. Wine is not available. It may sometimes be possible to purchase alcohol outside the hotels, but it is prohibited to consume in public places. There is a duty-free shop on arrival in Dhaka airport (before immigration) and you are permitted to buy two bottles of spirits per person.
In Dhaka, there are some wirehouses from where you can buy alcohol showing your foreign passport. But they only sell whole cartons of usually 24 bottles/cans.

Luggage on Tour

Your luggage should not exceed 20kgs (44lbs). One large suitcase/rucksack, and one small hand luggage/rucksack is acceptable.

Clothing & Toilet

You should bear in mind that Bangladesh tends to have a conservative attitude towards dress. Women, and also to certain extent men, will find that the way they dress will often determine the degree of respect they receive from both men and women.
Mosques, temples, churches, and synagogue are places of worship and visitors should be modestly dressed. Admission might be denied to men and women wearing short pants/skirts, sleeveless t-shirts/blouses. Bare shoulders and midriffs are not permitted and should be covered with shawls. You also need to remove shoes while entering one of these places.
It will not be appropriate in Bangladesh for women to hide behind bushes for a pee. Any time you need to use the toilet, ask your guide. He will arrange a nearby toilet for you in someone’s house or in a public place.

Wi-Fi & Mobile Internet

Wi-Fi internet is widely available in Bangladesh. You’ll find free Wi-Fi on most of the hotels on this tour. Upscale restaurants will also have free Wi-Fi.
Mobile phone operators have 3G coverage on most of the places in the country. 4G Service started in February 2018 and is supposed to be available in all the big cities shortly. Mobile internet speed is not satisfactory however on any of them.

Tipping / Bakshis

Tipping is common practice in Asia. In Bangladesh, most workers will expect a small tip, anything from 50 Taka upwards depending on the service provided. At the end of the tour, if your principal guide, together with the driver and the boat crew, has been helpful then you could think about tipping them. The amount can obviously be left to you.

Miscellaneous

Bangladesh is an underdeveloped country with poor infrastructure. Nothing works here perfectly and as planned. Organizing a tour in Bangladesh may bring some inconvenience occasionally. Be patient and flexible while traveling Bangladesh.
While traveling on a group, be co-operative and tolerant with the interests and difficulties of your co-travelers.
Your guide is not your enemy. He is with you to assist you and protect you in every way possible. In case of any issue with anything, simply let him know instead of trying to kill him. He will try his best to resolve the issue.
Bangladesh is not for every regular tourist. Do enough research about Bangladesh, the tour, hotels on the tour, and everything else possible before booking this tour, so that you do not have unrealistic expectations and end up disappointed after the tour.

Experiences of Sundarbans Tours with us

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