Things to do in Dhaka
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Dhaka
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best weather. Dry, sunny and walkable, with festival density peaking, but the worst air pollution and fullest hotels.
Hot spring, with Pohela Boishakh on 14 April as the glorious prize date.
Worst months for most visitors. Oppressive heat and humidity with violent short storms.
Monsoon. Daily heavy rain, street flooding and dengue peak, suitable only for flexible photographers and devotees.
Connoisseur shoulder. Rains taper, heat breaks and post monsoon light arrives before winter crowds.
What's on
- Ekushey Book Fair all February
Month long book fair culminating in Amar Ekushey on 21 February.
- Amar Ekushey 21 February
International Mother Language Day, with dawn processions to the Shaheed Minar.
- Victory Day 16 December
National day marking victory in the Liberation War.
- Dhaka Lit Fest usually January
Major literary festival usually held in January.
- BPL cricket December to January
Bangladesh Premier League T20 season in the winter window.
- Biswa Ijtema usually January
Huge Muslim gathering at Tongi that locks down transport in the north for non participants.
- Pohela Boishakh 14 April
Bengali New Year, with dawn celebrations in Ramna and the Mangal Shobhajatra procession.
- Durga Puja September/October
Pandals at Dhakeshwari and across Old Dhaka, with immersion processions to the Buriganga.
Best things to do in Dhaka
Lalbagh Fort
Unfinished Mughal palace fort with the Tomb of Bibi Pari, a mosque, museum and rare quiet lawns.
Star Mosque
Small working mosque rebuilt with china and glass chip work covered in hundreds of blue stars.
Armenian Church of the Holy Resurrection
Church from 1781 that survives as the clearest trace of the Armenian merchant colony in Dhaka.
Shankhari Bazar
Narrow canyon lane of painted houses, temples and conch bangle makers working in Old Dhaka.
Ahsan Manzil
Pink riverfront palace of the Nawabs of Dhaka with period rooms explaining how the city was run.
Sadarghat Launch Terminal
Huge river port of launches and small ferries where delta Bangladesh becomes visible at once.
Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban
Louis Kahn parliament citadel rising from a lake, cut with circles and squares that channel light.
Liberation War Museum
Essential museum of Bengali nationalism and the 1971 Liberation War, with personal effects and documents.
Where to stay in Dhaka
Gulshan-2 / Banani
first trip, all-round base
Diplomatic north with the best hotels and restaurants, Gulshan Lake, parks and the shortest airport run.
Shahbagh / Ramna
short, sights-focused stay
Ramna Park at the door, museum and university a walk away, and materially closer to Old Dhaka.
Uttara
airport logistics and longer, budget-conscious stays
Planned and comparatively orderly on the Metro Rail, with cheaper stays and easiest airport access.
Dhanmondi
second visit, live-like-a-local stay
Leafy and cafe rich around its lake, but hotel stock is thin so most visitors eat and stroll here.
Motijheel
business that puts you there
Government and office Dhaka, busy by day and emptied at night, short on good hotels and evening life.
Think twice about
- Old Dhaka
Visit for a full day but do not sleep there as a first time visitor. Lanes are too narrow for cars, building stock is congested and fire burdened, and few hotels meet international standards.
- Airport strip, Nikunja and Khilkhet beyond the named hotels
Fine inside an international hotel, poor as a neighbourhood. Outside is a highway corridor with nothing walkable and a hotel car needed for every meal.
- Mirpur and the far fringes
No visitor infrastructure, traffic locked distances to Gulshan and Old Dhaka, few choosable hotels and nothing to walk to at night.
Best restaurants in Dhaka
Izumi
Fine dining Japanese benchmark with a garden courtyard, sashimi, shabu shabu and beef udon.
Holey Artisan Bakery
Beloved bakery cafe for croissants, sourdough, quiche, eggs Benedict, pasta and cakes.
Haji Biriyani
Legendary mutton biryani house since 1939, family run, fast, plain and the start of any crawl.
Sultan's Dine
Modern kacchi champion serving tender marinated mutton layered with basmati, potatoes and firni.
Kacchi Bhai
Big efficient chain for consistent, slightly sweeter kacchi with borhani served alongside.
Star Kabab
All day institution for kebabs, tehari, biryani and a famous paratha breakfast.
Fakruddin Biryani
Wedding caterer kacchi in the Nawabi dum tradition, with meat and potatoes ember cooked together.
Chawkbazar
Densest street food half kilometre in the city, best grazed late afternoon with a guide.
Best coffee in Dhaka
NORTH END Coffee Roasters
Dhaka born specialty roastery with the city best espresso in calm, laptop friendly rooms.
Outdoor things to do in Dhaka
Buriganga River
An hour by small rowboat among launches and cargo boats is the core active experience in Dhaka.
Hatirjheel
Longest continuous waterside walking in the centre, plus scheduled boat and water taxi rides.
Dhanmondi Lake
Shaded lake loop with rental rowing and pedal boats, pleasant for a morning run or walk.
Gulshan Lake Park
Small manicured lake park in the diplomatic quarter and the quietest green space nearby.
Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed Park
Manicured diplomatic quarter park that shows how affluent Dhaka uses its green space.
Panam Nagar
Single street of abandoned, ornately fronted merchant mansions left to picturesque decay.
Sonargaon Folk Arts & Crafts Museum
Folk arts and crafts museum at the heart of the Sonargaon day trip from Dhaka.
Bara Sardar Bari
Restored Sardar Bari mansion that anchors the historic buildings of old Sonargaon.
Best hotels in Dhaka
Renaissance Dhaka Gulshan
Modern international hotel on Gulshan Avenue with rooftop pool and the SEAR restaurant.
The Westin Dhaka
Long standing business and diplomatic default with big rooms, a strong gym and several restaurants.
Six Seasons Hotel
Smaller, calmer mid tier hotel near the lake with a rooftop restaurant and clear value.
Lakeshore Hotel & Apartments
Serviced apartment comfort for longer stays, with warm service and spacious, spotless rooms.
Hotel Sarina
Reliable Road 27 four star that repeat business and NGO travellers rebook for fair pricing.
Jatra Flagship
Simple, clean traveller minded guesthouse rooms, the honest budget tier in the diplomatic quarter.
InterContinental Dhaka
Renovated grande dame facing Ramna Park, the most prestigious address for a sights focused stay.
Pan Pacific Sonargaon
Older five star with large grounds and loyal business clientele, often discounted to mid tier value.
Is Dhaka expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | BDT 6,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | BDT 12,000 a person |
| Splurge | BDT 36,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban: weeks ahead
- Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium: weeks ahead
- Panam Nagar: a few days ahead
- Sonargaon Folk Arts & Crafts Museum: a few days ahead
- Bara Sardar Bari: a few days ahead
- Goaldi Mosque: a few days ahead
- Tomb of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah: a few days ahead
- Meghna River boat ride, Sonargaon: a few days ahead
- Book Gulshan and Banani mid range hotels ahead, as weekday NGO and conference traffic fills them.
- Cricket tickets, Parliament interiors, Sonargaon tours and first class launch cabins all need booking in advance.
- Ahsan Manzil closes Thursdays and Friday hours are afternoon only, and the weekend is Friday to Saturday.
Is Dhaka safe?
- Petty theft and bag snatching are concentrated at Sadarghat, New Market, terminals and festival crushes. Keep bags inside rickshaws, away from the road.
- Winter air pollution is routinely very unhealthy, dengue peaks in and after monsoon, and road traffic is a major risk. Emergency number 999.
- Check news each morning for protests and hartals, and route around demonstrations.
Dhaka travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Jamuna Future Park and Bashundhara City malls as sights, and the Banglar Taj Mahal replica on the Sonargaon road.
- Unlicensed guides and boatmen at Sadarghat and Lalbagh who attach themselves and set the price at the end.
- Dhaka Zoo for families, whose animal welfare reputation is poor, instead of Gazipur Safari Park.
Getting around Dhaka: public transport and more
- Cluster by district per day and leave for Old Dhaka by 7.30 to 8am, as traffic not distance sets every time.
- Metro Rail MRT-6 runs Uttara to Motijheel via Agargaon and Shahbagh, but does not reach Gulshan or Old Dhaka.
- Use Uber or Pathao ride hailing to remove fare negotiation, and agree rickshaw and CNG fares before moving.
- Avoid local city buses as a visitor, and allow 1 to 2 hours for the airport run at peak times.
Who Dhaka suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Dhaka your trip
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