The capital district takes in the Mughal and Nawabi quarters of Old Dhaka, Louis Kahn's parliament and, beyond the city, the river towns of Savar, Dhamrai and Nawabganj. Most visitors spend their time in the old city by the Buriganga, but a day out to the west or south-west shows a slower, older side of the district.
- From Dhaka
- You are in it
- Best time
- November to February
- A day costs
- About ৳1,700 to ৳12,000 per person
- Nearest airport
- Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (DAC)
What Dhaka is famous for
- Kacchi biryani কাচ্চি বিরিয়ানি
- Bakarkhani বাকরখানি
- Dhakai muslin ঢাকাই মসলিন
- Mirpur katan sari মিরপুরের কাতান শাড়ি
- Rickshaw art রিকশাচিত্র
How Dhaka got its name
The name is usually traced to Dhakeshwari, the 'hidden goddess' whose temple still stands in the old city. Another story says Islam Khan had dhak drums beaten to mark out his new Mughal capital in 1610.
Places to visit in Dhaka
Photo: Farha Fawzia Atashi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Lalbagh Fort লালবাগ কেল্লা
An unfinished Mughal fort of 1678 in the old city, with a mosque, a governor's hall and the tomb of Pari Bibi set among lawns.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Entry roughly ৳20–30 for Bangladeshis, more for foreign visitors; rickshaw from Azimpur about ৳50
Photo: Mahbub Hossain Shaheed (mahosha), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Ahsan Manzil আহসান মঞ্জিল
The pink, domed palace of the Nawabs of Dhaka on the Buriganga riverfront, now a museum of the family's rooms and portraits.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Entry roughly ৳20–40 for Bangladeshis, more for foreign visitors; a boat across the river about ৳20–50 a person
Photo: Saiful Aopu & Nahid Sultan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons National Parliament House জাতীয় সংসদ ভবন
Louis Kahn's concrete-and-marble parliament, wrapped by a lake on a campus of about 200 acres, is one of the great buildings of its century.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- About an hour
- Cost
- Free to view from outside; rickshaw from Farmgate about ৳30–50
Photo: Azim Khan Ronnie, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons National Martyrs' Memorial জাতীয় স্মৃতিসৌধ
Seven pairs of concrete triangles rising to a single peak at Savar, in memory of those who died in the 1971 Liberation War.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Entry free; bus from Gabtoli about ৳50 each way
Unseen Dhaka: the lesser-known places
Quieter spots most visitors miss. Go with a local driver or ask us to arrange one.
Photo: Dip Loho, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Dhamrai old town ধামরাই
A small trading town known for its wooden Jagannath chariot and for families who still cast brass and bell metal by the lost-wax method.
- Best time
- June–July for the Rath Yatra, or November to February
- Give it
- Half a day
- Cost
- No entry fees; bus from Gabtoli under ৳100 each way; rickshaw in town about ৳30–50
Photo: Asivechowdhury, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Kalakopa zamindar houses কলাকোপার জমিদার বাড়ি
A cluster of 19th-century merchant and zamindar mansions on the Ichamati river in Nawabganj, with the odd temple-house of Khelaram Data.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- Half a day
- Cost
- No entry fees; bus from Dhaka about ৳100 each way; rickshaw around the houses about ৳150–200
How to get to Dhaka
- Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport has domestic flights from Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Sylhet, Jashore, Rajshahi, Saidpur and Barishal, plus international links.
- Kamalapur is the main station, with intercity trains to Chattogram, Sylhet, Rajshahi, Khulna and the north; most northbound trains also stop at Airport station.
- Long-distance coaches arrive at Gabtoli (north and west), Sayedabad (south and east, including the Padma Bridge routes), Mohakhali (Mymensingh and the north-east) and Abdullahpur.
- Overnight launches from Barishal, Bhola, Patuakhali and other southern river ports dock at Sadarghat on the Buriganga, a short walk from Ahsan Manzil.
Where to stay in Dhaka
Rooms run from about ৳1,500 a night for a simple hotel, around ৳6,000 mid-range and ৳18,000 or more for the most comfortable. Prices are approximate.
- InterContinental Dhaka, Shahbag
- Pan Pacific Sonargaon, Karwan Bazar
- Mid-range hotels in Gulshan and Banani
- Budget hotels around Purana Paltan and Motijheel
What to eat in Dhaka
Old Dhaka is where people come to eat: kacchi and tehari around Nazira Bazar, bakarkhani from the ovens near Lalbagh, kebabs on Chankharpul and lassi on Johnson Road. In Ramadan the Chawkbazar iftar market is an outing in itself.