Looking for the best places to visit in Bangladesh?
Bangladesh is the least touristy destination in the world according to World Bank. It is a beautiful country in South Asia bordering with India and Myanmar. Tourism is yet to develop in this country. For that reason, there is no tourism-related scam here, and people are generally surprised to see tourists, especially in the rural areas outside Dhaka. People welcome foreigners everywhere and try to help them in any way possible. Tourist sites are not overcrowded here yet. In fact, you’ll find very few tourists here during your visit. That is why it is the best time to travel to Bangladesh. Here you will find a list of 13 best places to visit in Bangladesh which you should not miss.
Best places to visit in Bangladesh
Creating a list of the best places in a country is always bound to raise some debate when you are making the list in a specific order. Being in the tourism industry for several years and visiting every corner of the country many times, this is what I think is the best places to visit in Bangladesh. Let me know in the comments if you agree or disagree with me, and have any suggestion for improvement of the list.
Deer in Sundarbans
1. Sundarbans Mangrove Forest
Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest on earth and a UNESCO world heritage site. Sundarbans is located in between two neighboring countries – Bangladesh and India. Majority of the forest is located in Bangladesh. It is home of the last remaining Bengal tigers in the world and much other wildlife. The environment of Sundarbans is tranquilizing and visiting this forest could be a once in a lifetime experience. That is why Sundarbans comes as number one on our list of the best places to visit in Bangladesh.
A tribal family at Chittagong Hill-Tracts area.
2. Chittagong Hill-Tracts
Chittagong Hill-Tracts area is a naturally beautiful place full of beautiful hills. It is home of many tribal groups of Bangladesh. This is the best place in Bangladesh for adventure travel. You can trek deep inside the hills for many days here if you can manage permission from the local authority. Also, you can meet different tribal groups in this region and see their lifestyle. The most beautiful river in Bangladesh called Sangu river is located in this area. A boat ride in Sangu during monsoon could be a great experience. Chittagong hill-tracts comes as number two on our list of the best places to visit in Bangladesh.
Tea plantations of Srimangal.
3. Srimangal
Srimangal is the tea capital of Bangladesh, located in the north-eastern part of the country. You’ll find lush green tea gardens anywhere you go here. This is one of the few places in the country where if you look around, you may not find any other people anywhere except you. A really nice and calm place. Cycling through the trails inside the tea plantations here could be one of the best things you can do in Bangladesh. Also worth visiting is the Lawachhara National Park, and trek to Hamham waterfalls. You can easily spend a few days here with nature. Srimangal comes as number three on our list of the best places to visit in Bangladesh.
Beautiful Kaptai Lake
4. Rangamati
Rangamti is a district of Chittagong Hill-Tracts area. The main reason to visit this place is the Kaptai Lake. It is a naturally beautiful man-made lake surrounded by beautiful hills. The best thing to do at Rangamati is enjoying a boat ride on the Kaptai Lake for the whole day. Rangamati is also home of many tribal groups. You can visit their handicraft market here to buy some fine quality handmade fabrics. There is a Buddhist monastery called Rajban Bihara which is also worth visiting. Rangamati comes as number four on our list of the best places to visit in Bangladesh.
Somapuri Mahabhihara in Paharpur.
5. Paharpur
In the north-western part of Bangladesh, there is a tiny little place called Paharpur, which holds the most impressive archeological site in Bangladesh called Somapuri Mahabhihara, a UNESCO world heritage site. It was the second largest Buddhist monastery south of Himalayas on the 8th century. On its prime time, monks from all over the world used to come here for higher education. It was one of the best Buddhist monasteries in the world at that time. Paharpur comes as number five on our list of the best places to visit in Bangladesh.
St. Martin’s Island beach.
6. St. Martin’s Island
St. Martin’s Island is a beautiful coral island of Bay of Bengal in Bangladesh. For beach lovers, this is the best place to visit in Bangladesh. Local tourists go to visit this island mostly on a day trip. After they leave in the afternoon, it becomes really quiet. You can stay in any resort with a private beach, and relax on the island for a couple of days when becoming tired of traveling for several weeks in the whole country. St. Martin’s Island comes as number six on our list of the best places to visit in Bangladesh.
Chhoto Sona Masjid (Small Golden Mosque) in Gaur.
7. Gaur
Gaur is a ruined city from ancient and medieval period, located in the India-Bangladesh border. The city was on its prime time during the 12th to the 14th century. It became the capital of the whole Bengal region. It was a very rich and wealthy city in the medieval period, which was finally abandoned because of cholera. Some of the beautiful mosques of Gaur are still remaining hidden behind the mango orchards. Archaeological department of Bangladesh has done some amazing restoration work to some of these mosques. This is an amazing place to visit for the history lovers. Gaur comes as number seven on our list of the best places to visit in Bangladesh.
Collecting sand from the river bed in Jaflong.
8. Sylhet
Sylhet is a naturally beautiful place in the north-eastern part of Bangladesh, close to the Meghalaya state of India. It has many beautiful places to visit. Green-water canal Lalakhal, stone collecting area Jaflong, Ratargul swamp forest, and many of it’s tea gardens are the attractions to visit Sylhet. You can also meet some different tribal people in Sylhet, especially in Jaflong. Here you can meet the Khasia tribal people who grow betel leaves in the forest. Sylhet comes as number eight on our list of the best places to visit in Bangladesh.
Floating market at Barisal.
9. Barisal
Barisal is a unique place located in the heart of Ganges Delta. Life in Barisal is fully based on the river. The main attraction to visit Barisal is to experience the unique life and culture of the people of this region. You can visit it’s many floating markets, bazaars, schools, and villages to experience the unique culture of Barisal. Monsoon is the best place to visit this region when it’s numerous rivers and canals become full of water and nature become very green. Also, it is time for the floating guava markets, which are very photogenic. Barisal comes as number nine on our list of the best places to visit in Bangladesh.
Gobinda Temple in Puthia.
10. Puthia
Puthia is a small village in Rajshahi full of beautiful Hindu temples. The largest number of historical temples in Bangladesh are found in Puthia, some of which are very well maintained. These temples are unique in design. Some of them are ornamented with beautiful terracotta plaques describing epic Hindu stories. This is a must visiting place if you visit Bangladesh. Puthia comes as number ten on our list of the best places to visit in Bangladesh.
Sixty Dome Mosque at Bagerhat
11. Mosque City Bagerhat
Bagerhat is a city founded in the 15th century by a Turkish general, which was formerly known as Khalifatabad. It is full of beautiful historic mosques, among which 60 Dome Mosque is the most famous. This whole city is recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site. The historic city, listed by Forbes as one of the 15 lost cities of the world, has more than 50 Islamic monuments which have been found after removing the vegetation that had obscured them from view for many centuries. Bagerhat comes as number eleven on our list of the best places to visit in Bangladesh.
A private beach at Cox’s Bazar.
12. Cox’s Bazar
Cox’s Bazar is the longest unbroken sandy beach in the world, 125 km in length. It is the most popular tourist spot among the locals in Bangladesh. Perfect place to relax at the end of a long trip. To avoid the crowd, stay on a resort with their own private beach. The Wholesale Fish Market in Cox’s Bazar would be an interesting place to visit while you are here. Cox’s Bazar comes as number twelve on our list of the best places to visit in Bangladesh.
Abandoned city Panam Nagar in Sonargaon.
13. Sonargaon
Sonargaon was the old capital of Bengal in the medieval period. It was a mint capital beside Gaur. Although gone is the heritage of the old capital, there still are some interesting thing to spend a day in Sonargaon. The main attraction to visit Sonargaon would be the abandoned merchant city, Panam Nagar. Built on the colonial period, this was a city of wealthy Hindu merchants to fled to India during riots after the partition in the subcontinent. They intended to return someday, which never happened. Nowadays, this is a fully abandoned city of 52 houses built on a single street.