Day 1 — Arrival in Dhaka

Arrive in Bangladesh’s vibrant capital. Your guide greets you at the airport and drives you past neon-lit flyovers and a river of rickshaws. Settle into your hotel and rest. Tonight, Dhaka’s hum becomes the overture to your journey.

Day 2 — Old Dhaka Highlights & Rocket Steamer Overnight

Dive straight into Old Dhaka’s historic backstreets: Lalbagh Fort, the glittering Star Mosque, crowded spice bazaars and hidden courtyards. In the afternoon, step into Ahsan Manzil (Pink Palace) and glide across the Buriganga River by wooden boat. At sunset, board the legendary Rocket Steamer (heritage paddle vessel, when operating) or a comfortable modern launch. Glide south under a silver moon, the river a living highway of ferries, fishermen and floating villages.

Day 3 — Barisal Backwaters & Floating Markets

Wake to a world afloat. Farmers haggle boat-to-boat at Barisal’s floating guava and vegetable markets; coconut-fibre yards and riverside schools unfold along palm-lined canals. You’ll pause at village ghats and timber yards, then enjoy a simple boat lunch before an easy evening in Barisal, lulled by river breezes.

Day 4 — Bagerhat Mosque City → Mongla

Drive toward the UNESCO-listed Mosque City of Bagerhat, founded by saint-general Khan Jahan Ali—step inside the Sixty Dome Mosque, Nine-Dome Mosque, and Khan Jahan Ali’s shrine. Fields dotted with brick ruins whisper of a medieval city once rivalling Delhi. Continue to Mongla, gateway to the Sundarbans.

Day 5 — Sundarbans – Into the Mangroves

Board your private wooden houseboat and sail into the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest. Cruise beneath mangrove arches; walk the Harbaria eco-trail for fiddler crabs, mudskippers and macaques. Anchor at a remote canal for a star-lit barbecue dinner on deck.

Day 6 — Sundarbans – Dawn Creeks & Jamtola Beach

At first light, a skiff slips into silent creeks: kingfishers, herons, raptors — and with luck, a Masked Finfoot or otter. Walk through forest and sand to wild Jamtola Beach, where the Bay of Bengal rolls onto an empty shore—Scan Kotka’s grasslands for deer, boar and monkeys before another quiet night aboard.

Day 7 — Sundarbans – Dolphins & Ranger Posts

Watch Ganges and Irrawaddy dolphins surfing at the bow as you retrace wider channels. Stop at ranger posts for short walks and final birding opportunities before returning to Mongla/Khulna. Overnight in Khulna.

Day 8 — Train to Rajshahi & Puthia Temples

Ride an intercity train north to Rajshahi, Bengal’s silk capital. Visit handloom workshops (time-permitting) and explore the terracotta splendour of Puthia’s temples, their walls alive with sculpted deities reflected in lotus ponds. Sunset paints the Padma River crimson.

Day 9 — Kusumba Mosque → Paharpur (UNESCO) → Rangpur

Morning at the rare black-stone Kusumba Mosque, then on to Somapura Mahavihara at Paharpur (UNESCO) — one of Asia’s largest Buddhist monasteries, its red-brick geometry stretching to the horizon. Continue to Rangpur for the night.

Day 10 — Kantajew Temple & Tajhat Palace → Bogra

Visit the colonial-era Tajhat Palace, then marvel at Kantajew Temple, a terracotta masterpiece whose thousands of panels depict gods, dancers and elephants. It’s Bengal’s crown of brick storytelling. Continue to Bogra for an overnight stay.

Day 11 — Mahasthangarh Citadel → Jamuna River Char → Dhaka

Walk the ramparts of Mahasthangarh, a citadel dating back to the 3rd century BCE. Afterwards, cross by wooden boat to a Jamuna River char (sandbar island) and meet resilient farming families who coax harvests from land that can vanish overnight. In the late afternoon, return to Dhaka by road or short internal flight.

Day 12 — Sonargaon & Panam Nagar + Jamdani Weaving

Step into Bengal’s golden age at Sonargaon, once a medieval capital. Wander the atmospheric mansions of Panam City, admire the 15th-century Goaldi Mosque, and explore folk-art treasures at Sardar Bari Palace. End the day in a Jamdani weaving village, where artisans handcraft fine muslin saris — a UNESCO-recognised Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Day 13 — Drive to Srimangal → Tea Gardens & 7-Layer Tea

Head east to Srimangal, the Tea Capital of Bangladesh. Walk through rolling tea gardens, pineapple and citrus groves, and watch golden light graze the estates. At dusk, sip the iconic seven-layer tea, each band a different flavour stacked in a glass.

Day 14 — Lawachara Rainforest Trek → Drive to Dhaka

At dawn, trek in Lawachara National Park as hoolock gibbons call from the canopy and colourful birds flicker through the shade. If time allows, stop at Baikka Beel wetlands for late-afternoon birdlife before driving back to Dhaka.

Day 15 — Flight to Chittagong → Rangamati & Kaptai Lake

Fly to Chittagong and then drive into the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Drift across Kaptai Lake by shampan boat to island pagodas and women-run craft stalls, with forested hills mirrored in the still water. Overnight in Rangamati.

Day 16 — Bandarban Golden Temple & Sunset at Nilachal

Drive deeper into the hills to Bandarban. Visit the glittering Buddhist Golden Temple, then watch the sun set from Nilachal viewpoint as layers of blue hills roll toward the Myanmar border.

Day 17 — Bandarban Tribal Villages & Sangu River Boat

Walk through Marma and Mro villages, where bamboo houses cling to ridges and back-strap looms clatter with hand-woven cloth. In the afternoon, float down the rocky Sangu River, Bangladesh’s only hill river, as kingfishers flash ahead of your boat and village life unfolds on the banks.

Day 18 — Tribal Market → Cox’s Bazar Beach

Morning tribal market is alive with colour — vegetables, textiles, betel nuts and chatter. By afternoon, roll down to Cox’s Bazar, the world’s longest natural sandy beach, for barefoot evenings and warm sea air.

Day 19 — Fish Landing Port → Flight to Dhaka

At dawn, visit Cox’s Bazar Sea Fish Landing Port, where trawlers unload shimmering catches and gulls wheel overhead. It’s organised chaos — perfect for photography. Later, fly back to Dhaka for a final night or direct connection.

Day 20 — Departure

After breakfast, transfer to the airport. As your plane lifts off, the rivers and rice fields fade below — but the silence of the Sundarbans and the warmth of its people travel home with you.