Bangladesh travel guide

Getting there

Most visitors fly into Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, with smaller international airports at Chittagong and Sylhet. Land borders with India, such as Benapole near Kolkata, are popular overland routes, and there are also train services from Kolkata.

Best time to visit: Nov–Feb – dry, cooler weather after the monsoon.

Tougher months: June to September – the monsoon brings heavy rain and flooding, though the countryside is lush; April and May are very hot with storms.

Weather by month in Dhaka

• 25°J
• 28°F
• 32°M●
• 33°A●
• 33°M●●
• 32°J●●●
• 31°J●●●
• 32°A●●●
• 32°S●●
• 31°O●
• 29°N
• 26°D

Average daytime highs in °C; dots show how rainy the month is (one dot dry, three dots wet).

Time zone: Asia/Dhaka. Compare with your local time.

Visas: in our passport dataset, 164 of 198 other passports can enter Bangladesh without arranging a visa first (visa-free or visa on arrival), 0 need an e-visa or electronic authorisation, and 34 need a visa in advance. Check your passport.

Background: Visa policy of Bangladesh (Wikipedia).

Official advisory: Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (U.S. Department of State, updated 2026-07-30). Read the advisory.

Source and more: Bangladesh travel facts on RoamSun

Stay

Most trips to Bangladesh are based around Old Dhaka, Sundarbans or Srimangal. Pick a base for your main interest, then add day trips rather than moving hotels every night.

Typical daily budget: about US$20–35 for a backpacker and US$50–100 mid-range, per person.

Source: RoamSun Bangladesh page · Browse hotel guides

Connect

Plug types: C, D, G, K. Voltage: 220 V. Check your own devices on the plug and currency checker.

Calling code: +880.

Mobile data: read the travel eSIM setup guide before you fly so the plan is installed and ready on landing.

Source: Advinne eSIM guide · RoamSun

Do

• Old Dhaka (Dhaka · heritage & markets): Lalbagh Fort, the pink Ahsan Manzil palace and chaotic bazaars make the old city an unforgettable sensory overload.
• Sundarbans (Southwest · mangrove forest): The world's largest mangrove forest and a UNESCO site, best explored on a slow boat trip from Khulna or Mongla.
• Srimangal (Sylhet division · tea country): The country's tea capital, with tea estates, Lawachara rainforest and gibbon-spotting walks.
• Cox's Bazar (Southeast coast · beach): Bangladesh's favourite seaside town, with a vast beach and seafood shacks.
• Bandarban (Chittagong Hill Tracts · hills): Green hills, viewpoints and Indigenous villages offer the country's best trekking.
• Bagerhat (Khulna division · historic mosques): A cluster of fifteenth-century mosques and tombs, led by the striking Sixty Dome Mosque.
• Paharpur (Northwest · Buddhist ruins): The vast terracotta-decorated remains of Somapura Mahavihara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Saint Martin's Island (Bay of Bengal · coral island): The country's only coral island, with palm-lined beaches and clear water in the dry season.

Things to do

• Ride a rickshaw in Old Dhaka. Weave through jammed lanes of spice markets, pink palaces and riverside ghats on a colourful cycle rickshaw.
• Cruise the Buriganga. Take a small wooden boat across Dhaka's busy river to watch ferries, cargo boats and daily life at Sadarghat.
• Search for tigers in the Sundarbans. Join a multi-day boat trip through the mangrove maze, spotting crocodiles, deer and kingfishers, with a rare chance of a tiger's tracks.
• Walk the tea gardens of Sylhet. Stroll through rolling emerald tea estates around Srimangal and sip the famous seven-layer tea.
• Stretch out on Cox's Bazar beach. Walk along an unbroken sandy shoreline that runs for well over a hundred kilometres.
• Visit the mosques of Bagerhat. Explore a UNESCO-listed medieval mosque city, including the many-domed Sixty Dome Mosque.
• Explore Paharpur's monastery. Climb around the huge brick ruins of one of the largest Buddhist monasteries south of the Himalayas.
• Trek the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Discover forested hills, waterfalls and Indigenous communities around Bandarban and Rangamati.

Source: full Bangladesh guide on RoamSun

Eat and drink

• Hilsa – the national fish, often cooked in mustard sauce
• Biryani – spiced rice with meat, a Dhaka favourite
• Bhorta – mashed vegetables or fish with mustard oil and chilli
• Mishti doi – sweet, set yogurt

Source: RoamSun Bangladesh guide

Money and safety

Currency: Bangladeshi taka (BDT). Currency and plug checker.

Tipping: Small tips appreciated; around 10% in nicer restaurants.

Emergency numbers: 999 all emergencies.

• The currency is the taka (BDT); bring cash and exchange or withdraw it in cities, as ATMs are scarce in rural areas.
• Cards are accepted only in upmarket hotels, restaurants and shops in big cities, so carry enough cash for daily spending.
• Check your government's latest travel advice before going, as political demonstrations and strikes (hartals) can occur and are best avoided.
• Traffic is the biggest everyday danger; take care crossing roads and choose reputable bus companies.

Source: RoamSun Bangladesh facts