Things to do in Chattogram
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Chattogram
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best weather, dry and cool, clear hill views and calm seas.
Shoulder months, waterfalls still flowing in October and heat building in March.
Monsoon, repeated flooding, landslide risk and daily outdoor plan failures.
Peak heat and humidity with pre monsoon storms and cyclone risk.
What's on
- Pohela Boishakh 14 April
Bengali New Year with dawn programmes, processions, fairs and panta bhat with hilsa.
- Jobbarer Boli Khela 25 April
Traditional wrestling championship at Laldighi Maidan with a vast Boishakhi fair.
- Eid al-Fitr variable, lunar calendar
Major festival, city empties over the holidays and many businesses close for days.
- Durga Puja September to October, five days
Decorated pandals across the city and immersion processions to the river and Patenga.
- Buddha Purnima May, full moon
Buddhist festival centred on the temples of Nandankanan with processions and lanterns.
Best things to do in Chattogram
Ethnological Museum
Bangladesh's only ethnological museum, essential context on Hill Tracts cultures before any excursion.
Chittagong War Cemetery
Immaculate Commonwealth war cemetery and the most peaceful, moving place in central Chattogram.
Zia Memorial Museum
Colonial Circuit House where President Ziaur Rahman was assassinated, now a museum in green grounds.
Shrine of Bayazid Bostami
Pilgrimage shrine whose pond holds rare Bostami turtles found almost nowhere else on earth.
Chandanpura Mosque
The city's most ornate and photographed mosque, best admired from the street outside prayer times.
Batali Hill
Highest hill in the city with a Liberation War flame and the best panoramic view over Chattogram.
CRB Park
Tree lined railway quarter that becomes the city's evening promenade of tea stalls and walkers.
Maritime Museum
Small naval museum on the port and river history that shaped Bangladesh, best paired with CRB.
Where to stay in Chattogram
GEC Circle - Khulshi - Panchlaish
first trip, best all-round base
Modern hub for restaurants, cafes and supermarkets in the city's most affluent, best kept streets.
Lalkhan Bazar - CRB - Kazir Dewri
sightseeing-led trip
Greenest central district, walking distance to CRB, the war cemetery and the Zia museum.
Agrabad Commercial Area
port and shipping business
Historic business district by the ethnological museum, but prone to monsoon flooding and quiet at night.
Foy's Lake
one-night escape, not a city base
Peaceful lake setting in the hills, too far and too quiet at night to base a city visit on.
Think twice about
- Station Road - Kotwali - Reazuddin Bazar perimeter
Relentless congestion, touting, broken flooded footpaths and the city's cheapest, noisiest rooms. Use the station, do not sleep there.
- Patenga and Airport Road strip
Fourteen kilometres from every sight and restaurant, dependent on one congested road with nothing walkable in the evening.
- Bahaddarhat - Muradpur junction strip
The city's worst traffic blackspot and a major flooding point, serving onward bus passengers rather than visitors.
Best restaurants in Chattogram
Mezzan Haile Aiyun
The essential mezban house for mezbani beef, kala bhuna and chonar dal at lunch.
Mejjainna Bari Restaurant
Cheaper, home style mezban alternative loved by locals for generous portions.
Sadia's Kitchen
Hugely used cheap kitchen for grills, shawarma, chap and khichuri at almost any hour.
Barcode Cafe
Modern group cafe restaurant for long air conditioned evenings, pasta, broast and drinks.
Tava Restaurant & Lounge
Calm Khulshi dining room for Hyderabadi biryani and Indian dishes on an occasion night.
The Pavillion
Polished CDA Avenue splurge for international cooking outside the big hotels.
Handi Restaurant
Reliable Mughlai handi dishes, kebabs and biryani for a long family meal near GEC.
KRAVE
New generation casual dining for grilled platters and reworked favourites, popular with young locals.
Outdoor things to do in Chattogram
Bhatiary Golf and Country Club
Beautiful 18 hole hill course with lakes, the best golf in the region and a calm escape.
Chandranath Temple
Steep dawn hike to a hilltop Shiva temple with views from forested hills to the sea.
Botanical Garden & Eco-Park, Sitakunda
Forested eco park with two major waterfalls that are spectacular in and after monsoon.
Guliakhali Sea Beach
Undeveloped green coastal meadow cut by tidal canals, the locals' favourite sunset beach.
Kaptai Lake
Vast hill lake best seen by boat, but only with a permit and a current security check.
Chittagong Ship Breaking Yard
Guided boat view of giant ships dismantled by hand, overwhelming and sobering in equal measure.
Fishery Ghat
Dawn fish auction and working river harbour, the port economy in its rawest form.
Best hotels in Chattogram
Radisson Blu Chattogram Bay View
The city's flagship hotel with pool, gym and several restaurants near CRB and the museums.
The Peninsula Chittagong
Long standing top business hotel on CDA Avenue with pool and the Laguna restaurant.
Well Park Residence Boutique Hotel & Suites
Sensible central mid range hotel on O R Nizam Road with a good buffet and helpful staff.
Meridian Hotel
Established mid range hotel right at GEC Circle, opening onto the restaurant strip.
Naba Inn Guest House
Best cheap stay in the city, basic rooms lifted by exceptionally helpful staff near GEC.
Hotel Agrabad
Grand old port business hotel with grounds and a pool, the clear first choice in Agrabad.
Foy's Lake Resort
Lake cottages for one quiet night waking to mist on the reservoir before day visitors arrive.
Is Chattogram expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | BDT 4,500 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | BDT 9,000 a person |
| Splurge | BDT 20,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Bhatiary Golf and Country Club: a few days ahead
- Kaptai Lake: weeks ahead
- Chittagong Ship Breaking Yard: weeks ahead
- Barcode Cafe: a few days ahead
- Tava Restaurant & Lounge: a few days ahead
- The Pavillion: a few days ahead
- Laguna Restaurant, The Peninsula Chittagong: a few days ahead
- Radisson Blu Chattogram Bay View: a few days ahead
- Book Bhatiary golf and ship breaking boat tours ahead, and Rangamati permits by weeks if you go.
- Book top hotels early over Eid, Pohela Boishakh and long holiday weekends.
- Reserve GEC restaurants for Thursday and Friday evenings and Friday lunch.
Is Chattogram safe?
- Do not swim at Patenga or Guliakhali, currents are strong and there are no lifeguards.
- Carry phone and wallet in front pockets in bazaar, station and festival crowds.
- Avoid processions and large gatherings and check local news on the day. Emergency number 999.
Chattogram travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Refuse any offer of cash entry into a ship breaking yard at the gate.
- Agree a total price and duration before any Patenga boat or horse ride.
- Do not buy Foy's Lake ride bundles if you only want entry and the boat.
Getting around Chattogram: public transport and more
- Hire a car with driver through your hotel for multi stop and out of town days.
- Use CNG auto rickshaws for cross town hops and agree the fare before you get in.
- Navigate by landmarks like GEC Mor and CRB, not street addresses.
Who Chattogram suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Chattogram your trip
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