Discover Bangladesh: 28 Days tour with a local operator for an experience beyond the guide books

Tour Duration: 28 Days / 27 Nights
Location: Barisal, Sundarbans, Rajshahi, Srimangal, CHT, Cox’s Bazar
Tour Attractions: Best attractions of Bangladesh with offbeat paths
Best time to go: October – March
Tour Availability: September – May / Any day start except Friday & Tuesday
Next Scheduled Tour: Please Check Bellow

Price: Starting from $3,890 US*per pax

Book Tour

Holiday package to experience the best places and attractions in Bangladesh recommended by popular travel guides like BRADT and Lonely Planet, and beyond their recommendations! Focusing mostly on the people and culture of Bangladesh, this package takes you to explore more offbeat destinations outside the capabilities of the guide books. It ends with a couple of days of beach leisure before returning home. If you would like to discover the hidden gems of Bangladesh beyond the reach of regular tourists, this is the perfect package for you.

Starting with visiting Dhaka, you will experience life on the Ganges Delta in Barisal. From there, take the century-old Rocket Paddle Steamer, and spend three days inside Sundarbans Mangrove Forest, visiting the fantastic Mosque City of Bagerhat en route. Next few days you’ll explore the rich archaeological sites in Rajshahi and Rangpur division – beautiful Hindu temples, Jaminder palaces, Buddhist monasteries from ancient time, and historic mosques from the medieval period, before returning to Dhaka.

After that you’ll visit the tea region of Bangladesh – Srimangal and Sylhet to visit its numerous tea gardens, national parks, tribal villages, and enjoy a boat ride on beautiful rivers and canals. From there you go to the Chittagong Hill-Tracts area, home of many tribal groups of Bangladesh.

Starting with visiting the Ship Breaking Yards of Chittagong, you’ll have a pleasant boat ride at beautiful Kaptai Lake and Sangu River, explore the beautiful hills of Bandarban, and experience the lifestyle of its many tribal groups. Later relax for a couple of days on the beaches of Cox’s Bazar and discover some of its hidden gems before heading towards home.

Beach football in Cox’s Bazar

A boat station in Barisal

A bazaar in Barisal

Kantaji Temple in Dinajpur

Collecting stone in Jaflong

A tribal woman at Chittaging Hill-Tracts area. ©Photo: John Burton

Family at Barisal making rice from rice paddy. ©Photo: John Burton

Timber market in Barisal

Tour Highlights

Visit all 3 UNESCO world Heritage sites in Bangladesh.
Experience life and culture on Ganges Delta.
Visit floating markets, bazaars, schools, brick factories, and explore numerous rivers and canals by boat in Barisal.
Explore the largest mangrove forest on earth – Sundarbans, for full 3 day.
Journey on a century old paddle wheel steamer called Rocket.
Visit historical sites at Bagerhat, a UNESCO world heritage city from 15th century, including 60 Dome Mosque.
Experience the Silk industry in Rajshahi, where the finest quality silk products are produced.
Visit Sompur Mahabihara, a Buddhist monastery from 8th century, and another UNESCO World Heritage site.
Visit beautiful mosques of the rich historic city Gaur, the ancient capital of the whole Bengal from medieval period.
Visit beautiful temples, palaces, and historic mosques of Rajshahi and Rangpur.
Visit a Santal tribal village and experience their lifestyle.
Visit Kantaji Temple – the most beautiful temple in Bangladesh, every inches ornamented with terracotta plaques.
Spend three day at Srimangal, the tea capital of Bangladesh, in the middle of endless tea plantations.
Trek inside Lawachhara National Park and visit tribal villages.
Walk through the trails inside tea gardens.
Bird watching on Baikka Beal, a wetland and sanctuary for the migratory birds, paradise for the bird lovers.
Experience the stone collection activities in Jaflong, which is highly photogenic.
Full day tour of Old Dhaka including rickshaw ride on narrow streets and boat ride on Dhaka’s busy Buriganga river.
Experience simple life of farmers on the islands of Meghna and Jamuna river.
Ride 2 Bangladeshi train – a unique experience.
Visit Chittagong Ship Breaking Yard by a boat from the river and photograph the ship-breaking activities.
Visit beautiful hills and tribal villages in Chittagong Hill-Tracts area.
Boat ride on beautiful Kaptai Lake at Rangamati.
Experience the massive fishing industry of Cox’s Bazar by visiting it’s fishing port, fish market, fishing village, and dry fishing yards.
Leisure on the longest unbroken sandy beach in the world.

Itinerary of Discover Bangladesh

Day-1: Arrival

A guide of us will meet you inside the airport upon arrival, and transfer you to your hotel.
Overnight at Dhaka (Hotel Civic Inn)

Day-2: Old Dhaka and Ferry

Check-out from hotel and start at 08.00 H. Visit key tourist attractions in New and Old Dhaka the whole day, including Dhakeshwari Temple, Lalbagh Fort, Khan Mohammad Mridha Mosque, Armenian Church, Star Mosque, Ahsan Manjil, and Sadarghat River Station.
Ride rickshaw on the narrow streets of Old Dhaka where cars can’t reach. Pass through interesting Bazaars.
Enjoy a short boat ride at river Buriganga in the evening on a wooden boat to feel the rhythm of the live and vibrant river and enjoy sunset.
Embark a traditional ferry at Sadarghat River Station at 18.00 H for an overnight journey to Barisal.
Overnight at Ferry (Sleeping Cabin)

Day-3: Experience life on Ganges Delta

Disembark at Barisal in the early morning around 5.30 am, and transfer to your hotel.
After check-in, and freshen up quickly, drive to a remote place in Barisal on a Tuk-Tuk (1 hour). Upon arrival, you’ll embark at our waiting motorized country boat, and start cruising immediately toward a floating market or other interesting place depending on the day of the week. These floating markets start around 7.00 am and finish at 8.30 am. That is the reason for us to start the day early in this tour.
Breakfast will be served on the boat bought from a local market. Being a very remote place where no decent restaurant is available, this will mainly be bread and some fruits.
You’ll cruise whole day in the rivers and small canals in Barisal and visit a floating market where they bring everything to sell by boat, which is full of activities and perfect for photography. Goods on these markets are mainly sold on wholesale from farmers to vendors.
We’ll buy some seasonal local fruits from a local market for lunch, e.g. jack-fruit, watermelon, lychee, mango, coconut, and continue cruising.
You’ll also visit bazaars on land, stop on villages and have tea while meeting its people and exchange culture with them, and visit a factory yard where they make fiber from coconut which is used as a raw material to make carpet and rope.
Return to our starting place around 3.00 pm, transfer to Barisal by tuk-tuk, and retire for the day. In the evening, we’ll take you to a decent restaurant at Barisal for dinner.
Overnight at Barisal (Hotel Arena)

Day-4: Experience life on Ganges Delta

Breakfast on a restaurant at Barisal at 7.00 am and transfer to a remote place in Barisal by Tuk-Tuk (1 hour). Embark our waiting boat upon arrival, and start cruising immediately.
Today we’ll take you some other places to visit through the narrow canals and rivers. You’ll float through the backyards of people’s house and see their lifestyle while they welcome you and greet you from the land, visit numerous guava gardens where 80% of Bangladesh’s guavas are grown, see a floating guava market, visit kids and teachers on a school where you can talk with them and exchange culture.
Locally bought fruits will be served for lunch on the boat as yesterday.
Continue cruising through the narrow canals and rivers. The next attraction for today will be visiting a timber market, which is the largest market of this type in the southern part of the country. You’ll see logs dumped beside the river spread in a few miles places, carried away on the river very slowly with the help of a boat, loading and unloading them manually with the help of tide. Also, we’ll take you ashore to visit numerous saw-mills where they saw the logs according to the needs of the customers without taking the least safety measure.
Return to our starting place around 3.00 pm, transfer to Barisal by Tuk-Tuk (1 hour).
Overnight at Barisal (Hotel Arena)

Day-5: Rocket, and UNESCO World Heritage City Bagerhat

Transfer to Barisal River Station and catch Rocket Paddle Steamer at 5.30 am.
Enjoy the riverine beauty of Bangladesh from Rocket Steamer in the morning. Disembark from Rocket at Hularhat around 09.00 am.
Drive towards Bagerhat (1 hr) 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 an 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, 9 Dome Mosque, Rono Bijoypur Mosque, and Singair Mosque. Also we’ll take you to visit the shrine of Khan Jahan Ali, the saint general from the Turkish origin who came to spread Islam in this region and founded this great city; and Kodla Moth – a very beautiful Hindu temple from 17th century. Drive to Khulna (1 hr).
Overnight at Khulna (Hotel City Inn)

Day-6: 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 sit on the boat quietly and float by on 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-7: 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, most beautiful, and the cleanest beach in Bangladesh. Enjoy the beach for an hour, and walk toward Jamtola tourist spot. The entire 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 watch-tower at Kotka before the sunset and sit 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-8: Sundarbans: Fishing Village & Crocodile Breeding Center

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, and drive to Khulna (1.5 hrs).
Go for an evening walk on some busy points of the city if you are interested.
Overnight at Khulna (Hotel City Inn)

Day-9: Khulna - Rajshahi by Train, Silk Factory

Transfer to Khulna Railway Station, and depart for Rajshahi at 06.30 H on 715 Kapotaksha Express. Arrive Rajshahi around 12.20 H, transfer to hotel.
After check-in, freshen up, and lunch, visit Varendra Research Museum, which is the oldest museum in the country rich in its collection of archaeological artifacts.
Visit a silk factory in Rajshahi afterward to learn about the whole production of famous Rajshahi Silk. Approximately 100,000 people are directly or indirectly employed in the silk industry in Rajshahi. We’ll also take you to visit a showroom of Silk products, from where you can buy some finest quality silk sari, salwar-kameez, panjabi, handkerchief, etc.
Overnight at Rajshahi (Hotel Nice).

Day-10: Ancient Bengal Capital Gauda

Drive to Sona Masjid (90 km, 3 hrs) and visit some of the remaining archaeological sights of Gauda, which was the ancient capital of greater Bengal in the medieval period with a rich history. This once rich city is located in Bangladesh-India border and split between two countries. You will visit it’s beautiful mosques, palace, and shrine on the Bangladesh side the whole day. Return to Rajshahi in the evening.
Overnight at Rajshahi (Hotel Nice)

Day-11: Bagha Mosque, Temples and Palaces of Puthia and Natore

After breakfast, drive to Bagha (42 km, 1.5 hrs) and visit Bagha Mosque. This magnificent mosque was built in 1523 A.D. by the Sultan of Bengal Nasiruddin Nasrat Shah. Ornamented with beautiful terracotta, Bagha Mosque is one of the most beautiful mosques in current day’s Bangladesh.
Drive to Puthia (21 km, 45 mins) and visit its beautiful temples and palaces. The largest number of historical temples of Bangladesh is located in Puthia most of which were built in the 19th century.
Drive to Natore (20 km,30 mins) and visit the palace of Rani Bhabani, which was built in the colonial period. The whole Rajshahi division and part of the current day West Bengal was once ruled from here, and the queen was called ‘the lady of half of the whole greater Bengal’.
Drive back to Rajshahi (43 km, 1 hr) in the evening.
Overnight at Rajshahi (Hotel Nice).

Day-12: Kusumba Mosque, Somapura Mahavihara, Tribal Village

After breakfast, drive to Kusumba (50 km, 1.5 hrs). Visit Kusumba Mosque, a beautiful stone-built mosque from the medieval period. This is one of the six remaining stone-built mosques from the Sultanate period in Bengal, which is very well preserved.
Drive to Paharpur (60 km, 1.5 hrs) and visit Somapura Mahavihara, a Buddhist monastery from the 8th century and a UNESCO world heritage site. This is the most impressive archaeological site in Bangladesh.
Drive to Bogra (70 km, 2 hrs). Visit a Santal tribal village en route to experience their lifestyle; also visit a local bazaar.
Overnight at Bogra (Hotel Naz Garden)

Day-13: Chars of Jamuna / Free Morning, and Tajhat Palace

After breakfast, drive to Sariakandi (42 km, 1 hr). Visit some chars (river islands) of river Jamuna and see how people live on those small islands struggling with natural disasters. If you need some free time, you can skip visiting this Char, as you will visit another Char at Day-20.
Drive to Rangpur (124 km, 4 hrs) and Visit Tajhat Palace, the most beautiful palace in Northern part of Bangladesh built in the colonial period. Also visit a nearby Hindu temple.
Overnight at Rangpur (Hotel North View / RDRS Guest House / Parjatan Hotel).

Day-14: Kantajew Temple, Fly to Dhaka

Start late at 10.00 am, drive to Dinajpur (72 km, 2 hrs) and visit Kantajew Temple, which is the most beautiful Hindu temple in Bangladesh. Every inches of the temple is decorated with beautiful terracotta plaques describing epic Hindu stories.
Also visit Nayabad Mosque built by the Muslim workers who came to build the temple.
Drive to Saidpur Airport (32 km, 1 hr), and fly to Dhaka at 17.10 H flight. Arrive Dhaka around 18.10 H, and transfer to hotel.
Overnight at Dhaka (Hotel Civic Inn)

Day-15: Srimangal: Tea Plantations, Pineapple & Lemon Gardens

Pick up from the hotel at 6.30 H, transfer to Airport Railway Station. Depart for Srimangal at 07.00 H on 709 Parabat Express. Arrive Srimangal around 11.00 H, transfer to the resort.
In the afternoon, walk through the trails inside tea gardens, visit some pineapple gardens and lemon orchards. Also show you the tea deposit activities on a tea garden before sunset (if available) when female workers gather to deposit their tea leaves which they collected during the whole day, which is photogenic.
Visit a colony of tea workers if time permits.
After dinner, we’ll take you to Nilkontho Tea cabin to taste the famous 7 layer tea of Srimangal.
Overnight at Srimangal (Nisorgo Eco Resort)

Day-16: Srimangal: Lawachara National Park, Free Afternoon

Early morning, go for a rewarding wildlife trekking through the Lawachara National Park. We’ll take the 3 hours trail for the maximum opportunity to see wildlife, especially the Hollock Gibbons for which this forest is famous for.
Afternoon and evening is free to do anything you like on your own.
Overnight at Srimangal (Nisorgo Eco Resort)

Day-17: Bird Watching, Drive to Sylhet

Early morning visit Baikka Beal, a wetland sanctuary for the migratory birds and paradise for the bird lovers.
Return to the resort late morning and check-out. Drive to Sylhet after lunch (2 hrs).
After check-in, freshen up, and lunch, we’ll give you a walking tour of Sylhet city. We’ll take you to visit the century-old Kin Bridge built on the colonial period which is one of the main entrance to the city, Surma river, and the shrine of Shah Jalal where you’ll see many interesting people.
Overnight at Sylhet (Noorjahan Grand Hotel)

Day-18: Picturesque Jaflong

Pick-up at 9.00 H from hotel, and a scenic drive toward Jaflong (58 km, 2 hrs). Here you’ll pass your time idly enjoying the beauty of Jaflong. You’ll get an opportunity to photograph the stone collection activities on the river where they collect stones manually and take into crushers, which is highly photogenic. We will take you to the river on a local boat to photograph the stone collecting activities.
Lunch on a decent restaurant run by Nazimgarh Resort overlooking the river.
Visit the village of Khashia tribe and see their lifestyle. You can visit their gardens and see how they grow betel leaves. Return to Sylhet in the evening.
Overnight at Sylhet (Noorjahan Grand Hotel)

Day-19: Boat ride at Lalakhal, Fly to Dhaka

Check-out from hotel and start at 8.00 H, drive to Sarighat (37 km, 1 hr). Upon arrival, transfer to the boat.
Enjoy boat ride on the blue-water canal Lalakhal. We’ll take you to the end of the canal close to Indian border and back, which will be about 2.5 hrs ride in total. We’ll use a motorized local wooden boat for the journey.
Back to Sylhet, have lunch, and transfer to airport.
Depart for Dhaka on 14.00 H flight. Arrive Dhaka Airport around 14.40 H, and transfer you to your hotel.
Overnight at Dhaka (Hotel Civic Inn)

Day-20: Old Capital Sonargaon

After breakfast, drive to Sonargon (37 km, 2 hrs), the old capital of the Bengal region.
Visit Folk-arts and Crafts Museum, medieval period Goaldi Mosque, a school fully made of bamboo for disadvantaged children of the neglected Hindu society, and abandoned merchant city Panam Nagar. Also you’ll visit a char (small river island) of river Meghna, to experience the traditional lifestyle of the farmers.
Overnight at Dhaka (Hotel Civic Inn)

Day-21: Dhaka - Chittagong on Flight, Ship Breaking Yard

Transfer to airport, and fly to Chittagong at 7.15 H. Arrive Chittagong around 8.10 H.
Drive to Chittagong Ship Breaking Yard (30 mins). Visit ship breaking activities with a boat from the river for a couple of hours. This is a graveyard of the giant commercial scrap vessels brought from all over the world, which are converted to pieces of steel here. You’ll also visit shops of scrap materials coming from those ships, which is a good place to collect souvenirs.
Drive to Chittagong city and check into the hotel. Visit Commonwealth World War – II Cemetery en route.
Overnight at Chittagong (Hotel Grand Park)

Day-22: Chittagong - Rangamati, Kaptai Lake

Start at 6.15 H and visit Chittagong Fishing Port, which is the main harbor for all the seagoing fishing vessels of Chittagong and the largest fish market in that area. A place full of activities and very photogenic.
Return to the hotel for breakfast, and drive to Rangamati (102 km, 3.5 Hrs).
After check-in, freshen up, and lunch, enjoy boat ride at Kaptai Lake rest of the day. Visit a Buddhist temple before sunset. Visit some tribal handicraft markets in the evening.
Overnight at Rangamati (Parjatan Hotel)

Day-23: Rangamati - Bandarban

After breakfast, visit a tribal morning market at Rangamati.
Drive to Bandarban (82 km, 3.5 Hrs). Visit a small tribal museum en route.
Visit Golden Temple, Nilachal, and other popular tourist sites in Bandarban rest of the day. To reach Golden Temple, you need to climb a 60m / 200ft hill through paved stairs.
Overnight at Bandarban (Hillside Resort)

Day-24: Bandarban: Tribal Villages and Sangu River

Visit villages of different tribes in the morning to see their lifestyle. You’ll be able to see how they hand-make their clothes, and also will be able to buy some if you like from small outlets directly run by the tribal people, which will be big support for them.
Boat ride at beautiful Sangu river in the evening, which is the most naturally beautiful river in Bangladesh.
Overnight at Bandarban (Hillside Resort)

Day-25: Drive to Cox's Bazar, Fishing Village & Yards

Drive to Cox’s Bazar (121 km, 3 hrs) after breakfast. People come to Cox’s Bazar for its beaches, but it’s actual treasures lie somewhere else, which is its massive fishing industry. Next two days, we will give you an overview of the whole fishing industry of Cox’s Bazar.
Upon arrival, we’ll take you to visit a fishing village and experience the lifestyle of the fishing community of Cox’s Bazar. About 30,000 families are directly involved with the fishing industry in Cox’s Bazar.
Also visit the endless dry fishing yards where they make and sell dry fishes in large scale and supply all over the country. These yards have been built on 200 acres of land. Around 2,000 traders have invested here, and several hundred have set up more than 50 wholesale shops.
Return to the hotel in late afternoon and check-in. Leisure on the longest unbroken sandy beach in the world rest of the day.
Overnight at Cox’s Bazar (Long Beach Hotel)

Day-26: Cox's Bazar: Fishing Activities and Rohingya Camps

Visit the fishing port of Cox’s Bazar in the late morning, which is the main harbor for all the seagoing fishing vessels of this region. An exclusive place full of activities and very photogenic.
After lunch, visit the Rohingya camps in Teknaf (1.5 hrs drive) and experience how they live fleeing from Myanmar and taking shelter in Bangladesh.
Return to the hotel in the evening. Your guide will say you goodbye from here.
Overnight at Cox’s Bazar (Long Beach Hotel)

Day-27: Cox's Bazar - Dhaka on Flight

Morning is free to enjoy the beaches of Cox’s Bazar on your own.
Transfer to the airport, and fly to Dhaka on 11.30 H flight. Arrive Dhaka around 12.35 H, transfer to the hotel.
Overnight at Dhaka (Hotel Civic Inn)

Day-28: Departure

Transfer to airport in the morning according to your flight, say good bye.
End of the tour.

A map of 28 days Discover Bangladesh Tour with Nijhoom Tours to visit the best sights and attractions in Bangladesh beyond the capabilities of the guide books

A map of 28 days Discover Bangladesh Tour with Nijhoom Tours to visit the best sights and attractions beyond the capabilities of the guide books

Price of Discover Bangladesh

Group Size	Tour Price
-	USD Per Person
2 Pax	$4,940
3 Pax	$4,375
4 Pax	$3,890
Single Supplement	$500

$150 Early-Booking Discount for the first 2 travelers to join any scheduled tour 6 months in advance.

$300 Off-Season Discount for everyone to book anytime from April to September.

Inclusions and Exclusions

Tour includes:

All airport transfers in Dhaka, Saidpur, Sylhet, Chittagong, and Cox’s Bazar.
27 Night accommodation in hotels and boat cabins as mentioned in the itinerary with complementary breakfast on twin sharing basis.
Lunch with locally purchased fruits on the boat at Barisal on Day-3 and Day-4.
All meals, drinking water, tea, and coffee while on the boat at Sundarbans for three day on Day-6, 7, and 8.
1st class cabin on the passenger ferry to Barisal on twin sharing basis.
Sylhet-Dhaka, Saidpur-Dhaka, Dhaka-Chittagong, and Cox’s Bazar-Dhaka flight tickets.
All train and 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:

Any food or drinks other than mentioned above.
1,200 BDT fee for video camera in Sundarbans (if any).
Extra activities mentioned on Day-25 & Day-27.
Any personal item.

Important Notes on Discover Bangladesh

Availability

This tour is available to start on any Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday outside the 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 tour and reduce your cost. 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 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 book this 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.

Airport Pick-up

On Day-1 upon arriving at Dhaka airport, after finishing with the immigration and collecting luggage when you come outside using the Green Channel Exit, you’ll find hotel staff and visitors waiting. Look for your guide there. He will be waiting there with a sign in your name, or with a placard with Nijhoom Tours logo.
Sometimes the authority restricts visitors inside the airport temporarily. On that case, the guide will be waiting outside on Terminal-2 (come using Exit-2).
For the domestic flights, our guide/driver will be waiting at the domestic terminal exit.

Hotels & Resorts

Hotels used on this tour are tourist standard hotels of mostly 2* and 3* standard, with standard facilities for the foreigners, e.g. clean room, air-conditioning, hot water, western-style toilet, and complimentary breakfast. Only Naz Garden Hotel in Bogra is 4* and Long Beach Hotel in Cox’ Bazar is 5*.
Govt. run Parjatan Hotels have all the standard facilities, but the hotels are poorly maintained. These are the best hotels in those areas, so we are sticking with them until better hotels develop there.
Cottages at Nisorgo Eco Resort in Srimangal are very basic without air-conditioning. They have fans in the rooms. They also have 2 rooms on the brick cottages with air-conditioning. Let us know in advance if you want to stay at one of these rooms. We’ll book them for you if available. You can also book Grand Sultan Tea Resort at Srimangal on your own, which is 5* and close from Nisorgo. We’ll deduct the price for Nisorgo on that case. You need to confirm this with us in the time of booking.
Cottages at Hillside Resort in Bandarban are also very basic, and they are located in a hilly area. You need to climb up some stairs to reach these rooms. Most of the cottages here have air-conditioning. There is no alternative hotel here to book though.
Bangladesh is full of mosquito. You may find some in your hotels too. 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 on 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 the foreigners. If there is an issue with your room on any of the hotels, simply let them know while you are there. They will try their best to resolve the issue.
You can book your hotels in Dhaka online to more upscale ones if you like. In that case, you need to arrange the transfers to and from the airport and railway station with your hotel. We’ll deduct the price for Civic Inn in that case from the tour price. Please confirm during the time of booking, if you opt-in for this option.
Nijhoom Tours reserves the rights to change any hotel listed in the itinerary to a similar standard one if the actual hotel is not available to book.

Hotel Check-in & Check-out Times

On Day-1, the check-in time at Civic Inn is 14.00 H. If you have an early morning flight, we can arrange an early check-in for an additional half-day charge depending on availability.
We have set-aside Day-1 of the itinerary as an ‘arrival day.’ For this reason and because tour participants are likely to be arriving at different times, and often from different countries, guided sightseeing or other activities are not included. If you are arriving early or before the start date of the tour and would like to organize some extra arrangements on a private basis, please contact us.
Check-out time on the last day at Civic Inn is 12.00 H. If you have a late flight, we can arrange late check-out for an additional half-day charge within 18.00 H, based on availability.

Barisal

Itinerary for Barisal is a general outline and not fixed. The activities will vary depending on season and day of the week.
The places we’ll explore in Barisal is very remote, and there will be no decent restaurant there. We’ll arrange breakfast and lunch on our boat with bread, egg, jam, tea/coffee, and locally purchased seasonal fruits. You’ll find decent restaurants for dinner upon returning at Barisal city in the evening.

Rocket Paddle Steamer

Rocket journey is not guaranteed. Chances of riding a Rocket are very slim as they no longer are being able to maintain their schedule for occasionally being down because of the engine and other issues. We do not encourage anyone to book this tour for the Rocket journey as the main interest.
We’ll use traditional ferries up to Barisal most of the time instead of the Rocket, and drive to Bagerhat from there. If Rocket is running and we can manage the tickets for them, it will be a bonus.
1st class tickets of Rocket depends on availability. You might have to travel in the 2nd class if the 1st class is not available. The only difference between the 1st and 2nd class on the Rocket is, 2nd class is located on the backside, and have no air-conditioning. Other facilities are the same. Passengers of the 2nd class can use all the facilities of 1st class, e.g., dining area, toilets, and the sitting area on the front side.
On Monday and Thursday, a traditional ferry comes in service instead of the paddle steamers. If you book for these days, you have to travel on the traditional ferry instead of a paddlewheel steamer.
Even on the first-class cabins of Rocket, sometimes air-conditioning might be broken. We will try to move you in a cabin with working air-conditioning if available. If that is not possible, Nijhoom Tours will not have any responsibility regarding this, as this boat is not owned by us.
There is no shower on the Rocket paddle steamers.

Traveling on Trains

First class train tickets depending on availability. Sometimes they mysteriously disappear even before coming to the counter. We will try our best to get first-class for you. But if that is not possible, second class tickets will be provided, which is without air-conditioning. Killing the guide or blaming Nijhoom Tours taking all of your money and not providing first-class tickets will not resolve the issue.
In case of traveling on the 2nd class of train, you’ll have a reserved seat.
While traveling from Khulna to Rajshahi and Dhaka to Srimangal on the train, it will be very early for your hotel to provide breakfast that morning. We’ll buy breakfast for you on the train, which is a package of slices of bread and jam, a piece of fried chicken, couple of pieces of cutlet, a bottle of water, and tea.
It is common for the trains in Bangladesh to be 1-2 hours late. But no matter when they arrive, our drivers will always be waiting for you at the station to take you to your hotel.

Traveling on Car and Tuk-Tuk

We use a 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 judgment. It could be delayed or earlier depending on traffic and road conditions.
While traveling on the hilly areas at Chittagong Hill-Tracts region, we sometimes need to turn off the air-conditioning temporarily to minimize the load on the car engine. Be patient with this.
Local transportation for Barisal, Srimangal, Chittagong Hill-Tracts area, and Cox’s Bazar will be by Tuk-Tuk. Trips in Srimangal and Chittagong Hill-Tracts area are a short distance. Trips in Barisal would be one hour each, two trips a day.

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 eight people in 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 mobile phone signal of GrameenPhone on the first half of day-6. 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-7, the land is flat, and we will not go through 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 3 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.

Rohingya Camp Visit

A special permit is required for visiting the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar, which is not possible to arrange in advance. Visitors need to be present in the office of the authority in Cox’s Bazar physically to take the permit on the day of the visit. On day-25, we’ll go directly to the office in Cox’s Bazar and take the permit. If for any unexpected reason they refuse to provide the permit, we’ll refund you the money you paid for visiting the Rohingya camps.

Single Supplement

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

Visa on Arrival

Citizens of EU, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Russia, Japan, Singapore, and some other Asian countries can get Visa on Arrival in Bangladesh, which is a pretty straight-forward process. Although there is a rule to take a visa beforehand if you have a Bangladesh mission on the country where you are coming from, this rule is completely overlooked. They never check where you are coming from. They only check if you are a national of a country which is eligible for VOA, and directly issue the visa.
Unless there is a long Queue for VOA, it will take just 10 minutes of your time to get VOA. The fee for most of the countries is $51 US. You’ll not require any previous application or anything else to get the visa. We will provide you a reservation confirmation letter for the hotel in Dhaka and a letter of invitation before your arrival. Present these on the immigration along with our trip document. They will be happy enough to provide you a VOA of maximum 30 days.
Once you’ve collected your visa, DO NOT GO BACK TO THE QUE AGAIN, rather proceed to the exit directly.
Check here for more information on visa on arrival for Bangladesh.

Foreign Exchange

ATM Availability: Although Bangladesh has many ATMs, some of these do not accept foreign cards – your guide can give advice on which ATM’s to use but we do not advise relying on ATM’s alone for money.
Credit and Debit Card Acceptance: Cards are generally only accepted in the more expensive shops and restaurants.
Local Currency: Taka.
Recommended Currency for Exchange: US Dollar.
Where to Exchange: There are a number of exchange houses in larger towns and cities. You can also exchange at Dhaka airport upon arrival, who provide good rates.

Eating and Drinking

All the breakfasts, 5 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 on a decent local restaurant will cost about $2-$5 US.
Options for vegetarian food on the local restaurants are minimal. You need to go to a more expensive Western restaurant to find good vegetarian food.
Options for food on the trains are minimal. Vegetarian food is non-existent. Bring your own food for the train if you are vegetarian.
Vegetarian food will not be an issue on our boat at Sundarbans.
Tea and soft drinks are very cheap. Mineral water is widely available.
While traveling in the Rajshahi region, there will be no decent restaurants for lunch on the way. Buy some dry food the previous day to bring with you for lunch.
Bangladesh is a secular Muslim country, and while the people are very liberal and friendly, alcohol is not widely available. There are only a couple of hotels on the trip which has 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.
The easiest way to get alcohol in Bangladesh is purchasing from the duty-free shop at the airport. You are allowed to buy 2 bottles per person from there.
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 a certain extent man, 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 a toilet, ask your guide. He will arrange a nearby toilet for you in someone’s house or in a public place.

Electric Supply & Plugs

Generally electrical supply is 230V/50 Hz and plugs have two round prongs. Many places also have the English 3 pin sockets. Our advice is travel with an adapter and to check the voltage locally.

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.

Buying Local SIM Card

ONLY place to buy local SIM card for the foreigners would be at the arrival lounge inside the airport (International Arrivals) where you’ll meet your guide. You’ll find booths of all the mobile phone operators there. From them, you can buy a SIM card with talk time and data. Grameen Phone has the widest network coverage in the country. If you need a local SIM card, remember to buy from there during your arrival. It will not be possible to buy a local SIM card afterward.

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 a third world country with poor infrastructure. Nothing works here perfectly and as planned. Organizing such a long tour in Bangladesh may result in 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 protect you and assist you in every way possible. In case of any issue with anything, simply let him know instead of trying to kill him. He will do his best in association with the whole Nijhoom team to resolve the issue.
Bangladesh is not for every regular tourist. Do enough research about Bangladesh, the tour, hotels on tour, and everything else possible before booking this tour, so that you do not have unrealistic expectations and end up disappointed after the tour.

Departures and Availability

Departure Dates	Total Places	Available Places	Booking Status
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Reviews of Discover Bangladesh

It’s a shame that more people haven’t discovered Bangladesh

- Ila Roudebush, Sparks, NV, USA

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The people in Bangladesh were invariably cheerful and welcoming

- Richard Fairer, Worthing, United Kingdom

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We found Bangladesh remarkable and an example for other countries

- Juergen Richter, San Diego, CA, USA

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Bangladesh was the most beautiful country I have ever visited

- Eliane Thweatt, Houston, TX, USA

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Bangladesh exceeded every one of my expectations and dreams

- Lesley Molyneux, Norwich, United Kingdom

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The people in Bangladesh were exceptionally friendly

- Guenther Eichhorn, Arizona, USA

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Truly the best trip we have ever done all over the world

- Gary LeClair, Springfield, OR, USA

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