Dhaka: Top Attractions & City Travel Guide

  About Dhaka

Dhaka is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh — one of the most densely populated nations on Earth, a delta country of 170 million people crisscrossed by hundreds of rivers and waterways on the vast floodplains of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna. With a metropolitan population exceeding 21 million, Dhaka ranks among the ten largest cities in the world and is one of the fastest-growing megacities in Asia. It sits on the eastern bank of the Buriganga River in the centre of the country, and its origins stretch back over a thousand years — though its great period of prominence came under the Mughal Empire, when Dhaka served as the capital of Bengal Province and a major centre of the global muslin trade from the 17th century onwards. The extraordinary Lalbagh Fort, the Ahsan Manzil Pink Palace, and the atmospheric old Mughal quarter of Puran Dhaka (Old Dhaka) all survive from this period.

Modern Dhaka is a city of dramatic contrasts — ancient mosques and crumbling Mughal havelis stand alongside gleaming glass towers and garment factories that make Bangladesh the world's second-largest apparel exporter. The streets are a magnificent, chaotic spectacle: millions of hand-painted cycle rickshaws (Dhaka has more rickshaws than any other city on Earth), CNG auto-rickshaws, buses, and pedestrians fill every lane in a kaleidoscopic flow. The city's food scene is one of South Asia's most vibrant — Biryani culture here is legendary, the Mughal-influenced cooking of Old Dhaka is extraordinary, and the street food is among the best on the continent. For the adventurous traveller, Dhaka is an endlessly rewarding, overwhelming, and unforgettable city.

  Day 1 — Old Dhaka: Mughals, Markets & the River

1. 7:30 AM – Sadarghat at dawn — Start at the river terminal at first light — the early morning activity at Sadarghat, with steamers arriving and departing in the mist, is one of the great spectacles of South Asian city life. Take a short river boat ride for views of Old Dhaka from the water. Allow 1 hour.
2. 9:00 AM – Lalbagh Fort — Visit Dhaka's finest Mughal monument before the heat and crowds build. The Tomb of Bibi Pari and the fort's gardens are particularly beautiful in the morning light. A good local guide makes a significant difference here. Allow 1.5 hours.
3. 11:00 AM – Ahsan Manzil (Pink Palace) — Walk or take a rickshaw to the magnificent Pink Palace for a thorough visit to its Nawabi interiors and extraordinary period collection. The riverside gardens and the pink exterior are spectacular. Allow 1.5 hours.
4. 1:00 PM – Old Dhaka street food lunch — Lunch at one of the legendary biryani houses of Old Dhaka — Haji Biriyani or Nanna Biriyani on Nazimuddin Road are the most famous. A plate of Kacchi Biryani here is one of the great food experiences of South Asia. Allow 1 hour.
5. 2:30 PM – Star Mosque & Shakhari Bazar — Visit the extraordinary Star Mosque, then explore the narrow lane of Shakhari Bazar — Dhaka's ancient conch-shell workers' street, unchanged for centuries. Allow 1.5 hours.
6. 5:00 PM – Rickshaw ride at dusk — End the day with a rickshaw ride through the backstreets of Old Dhaka as the day cools — the painted rickshaws, the calls to prayer from a dozen mosques, and the evening street food stalls are the perfect Dhaka sunset experience.

  Day 2 — Modern Dhaka: Culture, Architecture & Markets

1. 9:00 AM – Bangladesh National Museum — Spend a morning at the National Museum in Shahbagh for a comprehensive overview of Bangladesh's history, Mughal art, and cultural heritage. Allow 2 hours. The museum café is a good breakfast stop.
2. 11:00 AM – Liberation War Museum — A deeply important and moving visit — the Liberation War Museum documents the 1971 genocide and independence struggle in detail. Essential for understanding Bangladesh. Allow 1.5 hours.
3. 1:00 PM – Lunch at Dhanmondi — Head to the Dhanmondi or Gulshan area for lunch at one of Dhaka's many excellent modern Bangladeshi restaurants — try kacchi biryani, hilsa fish curry (ilish), or shorshe ilish at a proper sit-down restaurant. Allow 1 hour.
4. 2:30 PM – Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban — Visit the exterior of Louis Kahn's extraordinary National Parliament Building — the reflecting pools, geometric concrete forms, and vast scale make it one of the most impressive architectural experiences in Asia. Allow 1 hour.
5. 4:00 PM – Ramna Park & Suhrawardy Udyan — Walk through Ramna Park and visit the Independence Square monument at Suhrawardy Udyan — a peaceful end to a full day. The park is lovely in the late afternoon.
6. 7:00 PM – Dinner & Gulshan evening — Dine at one of the Gulshan or Banani neighbourhood restaurants — Dhaka's most cosmopolitan dining district with excellent Bangladeshi, Indian, Lebanese, and international options. The evening street food scene in Gulshan is also worth exploring.

  Must-Try Bangladeshi Foods

• Kacchi Biryani — The crown jewel of Dhaka's food culture — raw marinated mutton layered with fragrant basmati rice, saffron, and whole spices, then slow-cooked in a sealed pot (dum) until the meat falls off the bone and the rice absorbs every flavour. The Kacchi Biryani of Old Dhaka's legendary restaurants (Haji Biriyani, Nanna Biriyani) is considered by many food lovers to be the finest biryani in the world. Non-negotiable.
• Ilish (Hilsa) Fish Curry — The national fish of Bangladesh and a Bengali cultural obsession — the oily, richly flavoured hilsa is cooked in dozens of ways: with mustard (shorshe ilish), in banana leaf (paturi), steamed, fried, or curried. Found in every Bangladeshi restaurant and home kitchen. The best hilsa comes from the Padma River during the monsoon migration season.
• Haleem — A slow-cooked stew of wheat, barley, lentils, and shredded beef or mutton, simmered for hours until it reaches a thick, porridge-like consistency and an extraordinary depth of spiced flavour. A Mughal-era dish that is now a Dhaka institution — particularly popular during Ramadan and as a street food in Old Dhaka.
• Pitha (Rice Cakes) — Traditional Bengali rice flour cakes made in dozens of varieties — steamed, fried, or filled with coconut, date palm jaggery, or sesame. Pitha is especially prominent in winter and during the Pohela Boishakh (Bengali New Year) festival. Street vendors selling warm pitha from clay pots are one of the great sensory pleasures of a Dhaka winter morning.
• Fuchka (Pani Puri) — Dhaka's most beloved street snack — hollow crispy semolina shells filled with spiced mashed chickpeas, potato, tamarind water, and fiery green chilli water. The fuchka of Dhaka is considered distinct from and superior to the pani puri of India by devoted Dhaka locals — the tamarind water recipe is a closely guarded secret at the city's best stalls.
• Mishti Doi & Roshogolla — The great Bengali sweet tradition — mishti doi is a thick, caramelised set yogurt of extraordinary richness, and roshogolla are soft white cheese dumplings soaked in light sugar syrup. Both are essential parts of any Dhaka meal. The sweet shops (mishti shops) of Old Dhaka are among the finest in Bengal.