Day 1 – Arrival in Dhaka

Welcome to Bangladesh! Your driver greets you at the airport and takes you through the vibrant chaos of the capital. Dhaka at night is a symphony of neon lights, rickshaw bells, and the aromas of sizzling street food. Settle into your hotel and rest before the adventure ahead.

Day 2 – Old Dhaka Pulse & Rocket Steamer

Dive into the heart of Old Dhaka: visit Lalbagh Fort, Star Mosque, and incense-filled Dhakeshwari Temple. Wander through Chawk Bazaar, where spice merchants, jewellers, and street food vendors spill onto the lanes. At sunset, board the legendary Rocket Steamer, a colonial-era paddle vessel, and drift south on the moonlit river. Sleep to the rhythm of the paddle wheels.

Day 3 – Barisal Backwaters

Awake to a floating world: boats instead of buses, jetties instead of streets. Depending on the season, explore floating guava or vegetable markets, where farmers haggle from boat to boat, piles of produce filling wooden canoes. Drift past rope-making yards, timber docks, and rustic villages. Share a simple boat lunch on the river before settling into Barisal for the night.

Day 4 – Bagerhat Mosque City → Mongla

Journey to the 15th-century Mosque City of Bagerhat (UNESCO). Marvel at the Sixty Dome Mosque, the Nine-Dome Mosque, and the shrine of Khan Jahan Ali. These brick masterpieces whisper tales of Bengal’s medieval glory. As golden light washes over the domes, continue to Mongla, gateway to the Sundarbans. Overnight in Mongla.

Day 5 – Sundarbans Expedition (Day 1)

Board your private houseboat and sail into the mangrove labyrinth. After permits and ranger formalities, stop at Harbaria eco-trail for your first forest walk — mudskippers hop between roots, crabs scuttle, and monkeys peer from branches. As the sun drops, anchor in a tranquil creek and enjoy dinner on deck beneath a sky of stars.

Day 6 – Sundarbans Expedition (Day 2)

Dawn brings mist and bird calls. Glide silently by rowboat along narrow canals, spotting kingfishers, herons, and perhaps an otter or two. Visit Kotka and Kochikhali for forest treks and a walk to Jamtola Beach, where the Bay of Bengal crashes on a wild, empty shore. As darkness falls, savour an evening barbecue and stargazing aboard.

Day 7 – Sundarbans Expedition (Day 3) → Khulna

Enjoy a final sunrise cruise through the creeks. Later, visit the Karamjal wildlife centre, where saltwater crocodiles lurk in breeding ponds, and a boardwalk introduces visitors to mangrove species. Slowly cruise back toward Mongla, the mangroves slipping away behind you, then transfer to Khulna for a restful evening.

Day 8 – Rajshahi & Puthia Temples

Drive north to Rajshahi, Bengal’s silk capital. In the afternoon, explore the Puthia temple complex, where terracotta shrines and palaces rise beside lotus ponds. The soaring Shiva and Govinda temples and the Panch Ani Palace make a spectacular golden-hour set. Watch the sunset over the Padma River before resting in Rajshahi.

Day 9 – Kusumba → Paharpur (UNESCO) → Bogra

Begin at Kusumba Mosque, a rare black-stone mosque with exquisite carved detail. Continue to Somapura Mahavihara (Paharpur, UNESCO), one of South Asia’s great Buddhist monasteries, its vast brick geometry dominating the landscape. Finish at Bogra, your base for the night.

Day 10 – Mahasthangarh → Dhaka

Visit Mahasthangarh, a 3rd-century BCE citadel overlooking the plains. Its ramparts, mounds and museum bring to life an era of kings, monks and traders. After exploring, drive back to Dhaka, arriving in the evening.

Day 11 – Srimangal Tea Country

Travel east to Srimangal, Bangladesh’s tea capital. Walk through emerald tea gardens and citrus orchards, pausing for photos and friendly chats. Sample the famous seven-layer tea, each band a different flavour stacked in a single glass. Evening village walks introduce you to local life and Manipuri settlements as you prepare for the festival.

Day 12 – Lawachara NP & Raas Rehearsals

Trek in Lawachara National Park, where hoolock gibbons call from the canopy and sunbeams stripe the forest floor. Later, visit Baikka Beel wetlands for gentle birdwatching and sunset over the water. In the evening, step into Manipuri villages, where rehearsals echo with drums, cymbals and devotional songs as the community prepares for tomorrow’s Raas.

Day 13 – Raas Festival (November 05, 2025)

The highlight of the journey. On Kartik Purnima full-moon night, the Manipuri community performs the Raas Leela — Krishna’s divine dance with Radha and the gopis. Under moonlight, dancers whirl in shimmering costumes, cymbals crash, drums thunder, and devotion fills the air. You stay all night, with breaks as needed, absorbing one of South Asia’s most intimate living traditions. Overnight in Srimangal (late check-in/late start next morning).

Day 14 – Free Morning → Shankarpasha Shahi Mosque → Dhaka

Enjoy a slow morning to rest after the all-night festival. Later, visit the 17th-century Shankarpasha Shahi Mosque, a little-known gem with rich history. By afternoon, drive back to Dhaka, arriving in the evening.

Day 15 – Sonargaon & Panam Nagar

Step into Bengal’s golden age at Sonargaon, the medieval capital. Explore the Goaldi Mosque (1519), the Folk Art & Crafts Museum at Sardar Bari, and the atmospheric mansions of Panam Nagar, an abandoned merchant quarter. Finish in a Jamdani weaving village, where artisans handloom saris recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. Overnight in Dhaka.

Day 16 – Departure

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for departure. As your plane rises above rivers and fields, you carry with you the rhythm of Bangladesh — and the glow of the Raas Festival night.