Spreading across rugged mountain ridges and the Chengi river valley, Khagrachhari is home to the Chakma, Marma, and Tripura peoples alongside Bengali communities. Travelers head here for limestone stream caves and tumbling falls, as well as the morning markets selling wild hill herbs and woven textiles. The district town also serves as the main overland staging point for convoys continuing north to the high ridges of Sajek.
- From Dhaka
- About 270 km, 7.5 hours by road
- Best time
- October to March
- A day costs
- About ৳1,300 to ৳5,300 per person
What Khagrachhari is famous for
- Pachon পাজন
- Hilly bamboo shoot বাঁশ কোড়ল
- Tripura waist-loom cloth রিনাই ও রিশা
- Hilly pineapple পাহাড়ি আনারস
How Khagrachhari got its name
The town is said to take its name from the local reed known as khagrachhari or khagra, which once grew in thick clusters along the banks of the Chengi river.
Places to visit in Khagrachhari
Photo: ANKAN GHOSH DASTIDER, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Alutila Cave আলুটিলা গুহা
A mysterious 100-metre dark rock tunnel carved naturally into the hill, with ankle-deep spring water running along the stone floor.
- Best time
- October to March
- Give it
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Complex entry ৳10; bamboo torch roughly ৳15–20; CNG from town about ৳150–200 each way
Photo: ANKAN GHOSH DASTIDER, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Risang Waterfall রিছাং ঝর্ণা
A multi-tiered hill waterfall cascading over a smooth sloping rock face, set in green forested terrain near Matiranga.
- Best time
- July to November
- Give it
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Entry roughly ৳10; CNG auto-rickshaw from town about ৳200–250 each way
Photo: ANKAN GHOSH DASTIDER, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Horticulture Heritage Park হর্টিকালচার হেরিটেজ পার্ক
A 22-acre botanical recreation park in town featuring an arched hanging bridge, artificial lake, and hill walking trails.
- Best time
- October to March
- Give it
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Entry ticket roughly ৳30; town auto-rickshaw about ৳30–50
Unseen Khagrachhari: the lesser-known places
Quieter spots most visitors miss. Go with a local driver or ask us to arrange one.
Hatimatha Ridge হাতিমাথা
A dramatic cliff-top ridge reached by an open 300-foot iron staircase down a sheer precipice in Perachhara.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free access; CNG to Perachhara about ৳150 each way; hiring a local village guide roughly ৳300–400
How to get to Khagrachhari
- Direct non-AC and AC overnight coaches like Shanti Paribahan, Shyamoli, and Hanif depart from Sayedabad, Arambagh, and Gabtoli in Dhaka, arriving at Khagrachhari town in 7 to 8 hours.
Where to stay in Khagrachhari
Rooms run from about ৳800 a night for a simple hotel, around ৳2,000 mid-range and ৳4,500 or more for the most comfortable. Prices are approximate.
- Parjatan Motel Khagrachhari, near Chengi Bridge
- Hotel Gairing, Pankhaiya Para
- Hotel Green Star, Court Road
- Hotels around Pankhaiya Para in Khagrachhari town
What to eat in Khagrachhari
Dine at indigenous restaurants in Pankhaiya Para for traditional tribal cuisine: try bash korol (tender bamboo shoots with chicken), sidol bhorta, and fried river fish. Roadside stalls sell ripe honey pineapples and seasonal mountain bananas.