Dhaka is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, a megacity of roughly 10 million people in the city and more than 20 million in the metro area on the Buriganga River. It combines Mughal and colonial monuments, the crowded lanes of Old Dhaka, Louis Kahn's parliament building and some of South Asia's best biryani and street food.
Top day trips
Handpicked excursions within easy reach.
Sonargaon and Panam City
Sonargaon was the medieval capital of Bengal, and Panam Nagar is a lane of crumbling 19th-century merchant mansions. The Bangladesh Folk Art and Crafts Museum nearby displays regional handicrafts in a lakeside setting.
Highlights: Panam Nagar merchant houses (19th century) · Folk Art and Crafts Museum at Sonargaon · Goaldi Mosque (15th century) and Sonakanda fort ruins · Handicraft workshops and sweets at Mograpara
National Martyrs' Memorial, Savar
The 1982 National Martyrs' Memorial (Jatiya Smriti Soudho) commemorates those who died in Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War. Its seven triangular concrete panels rise 150 feet on a large landscaped site.
Highlights: Seven-panel memorial by architect Moinul Hossain · Landscaped grounds and mass graves · Nearby Rana Plaza memorial site and Savar Botanical Garden · Dhamrai village and its brass-crafts workshops
Bhawal National Park, Gazipur
Bhawal National Park is a sal-forest reserve north of Dhaka with walking paths, picnic clearings and small lakes. It offers a shaded break from the city.
Highlights: Sal forest trails and picnic areas · Bird life and monkeys · Sunrise and sunset walks · Nearby Bhawal Rajbari and Bangabandhu Safari Park
Mainamati and Shalban Vihara, Comilla
Mainamati and Shalban Vihara form a group of 7th-12th-century Buddhist monastic ruins on the Lalmai hills. The Mainamati Museum houses terracotta plaques and bronzes found there.
Highlights: Shalban Vihara: a Buddhist monastery with 115 cells · Kotila Mura stupa complex · Mainamati Museum and its bronze collection · Comilla khadi cloth and rasmalai sweets in town
Sixty Dome Mosque and Bagerhat
Bagerhat holds the 15th-century Mosque City of Khan Jahan Ali, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, dominated by the Sixty Dome Mosque. The round trip is heavy for one day; an overnight is better.
Highlights: Sixty Dome Mosque, the largest historic mosque in Bangladesh · Nine-Dome Mosque and Khan Jahan Ali's tomb · Ghora Dighi and Thakur Dighi ponds · Bagerhat's rural countryside on the edge of the Sundarbans
Sundarbans from Dhaka (multi-day)
The Sundarbans is the world's largest mangrove forest and a UNESCO site with Bengal tigers, spotted deer and river dolphins. It is not a day trip from Dhaka but an add-on for a 3-4 day itinerary.
Highlights: Tiger territory and mangrove creeks · Karamjal wildlife centre and Hiron Point · Dolphin spotting on the Passur River · Overnight boat stay
Trips by distance
How far you can go in a day.
Getting there
Transport options for day trips.
- Tours
- Local operators run organised day tours to Sonargaon and Savar for about BDT 3,000-6,000 (~$24.45-48.90) per person
- Private
- Car with driver about BDT 6,000-12,000 (~$48.90-97.80) per day; book through a hotel or Pathao Car
- Public
- Buses from Gabtoli (Savar, Khulna), Sayedabad (Sonargaon, Comilla) and Mohakhali (Gazipur); trains from Kamalapur
- Rental
- Self-drive is not recommended: heavy traffic and few parking spaces
Multi-day tours from Dhaka
If you have longer than a day, these are organised multi-day trips that start here.
Browse multi-day tours from DhakaWe may earn a commission from bookings made through this link.
Day trip tips
Make the most of your excursions.
Leave Dhaka before 07:30 on weekdays to beat the traffic and return before 16:00
Friday roads are lighter, but many buses and sites run on altered hours
Carry small BDT notes for rickshaws and site tickets; cards are rarely accepted
Book Kamalapur train seats early on the Rail Sheba app
Use Uber or Pathao for the first leg out of the city, then local CNGs at the destination
Sonargaon, Savar and Bhawal are the realistic same-day trips; Bagerhat and the Sundarbans need an overnight