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Dhaka

Dhaka is not a quiet, retiring place. The city, bursting with nearly 17 million people (most of whom often seem to be stuck in the same traffic jam as you), is a gloriously noisy and chaotic place, bubbling with energy.

It's a city that can sometimes threaten to overwhelm the casual visitor, but once you climb into the back of one of its myriad colourful cycle-rickshaws, Dhaka's charm starts to slowly reveal itself. Life flows from the boats on the Buriganga River to its unexpectedly green parks and university campuses. Mughal and British monuments speak of its history, its mosques and Hindu temples of its spiritual side, and the thriving arts and restaurant scenes – plus the rush to build new roads and a metro railway system – give a glimpse of the direction of future travel.

Dhaka isn't without challenges, but sooner or later you'll start to move to its rhythm and truly embrace this furiously beating heart of Bengali culture.

Explore Dhaka

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Dhaka.

  • River

    Sadarghat

    Running calmly through the centre of Old Dhaka, the Buriganga River is the muddy artery of Dhaka and the very lifeblood of both this city and the nation…

  • Street

    Shankharia Bazar

    Clouds of incense and a bursting paintbox of colours signal a welcome to so-called Hindu Street. Lined on either side with old houses, garlands of lurid…

  • Museum

    National Museum

    The excellent National Museum, sprawling over several floors, begins with the geological formation of Bangladesh, whisks you through a rundown of the…

  • Fort

    Lalbagh Fort

    The half-completed Lalbagh Fort and its well-tended gardens are an excuse to escape Old Dhaka’s hustle and bustle for an hour or so. The fort is…

  • Museum

    Liberation War Museum

    Housed in a beautiful whitewashed colonial-era building, this small museum chronicles the 1971 War of Independence, one of the 20th century’s more deadly…

  • Palace

    Ahsan Manzil

    Dating from 1872, the must-see Pink Palace was built on the site of an old French factory by Nawab Abdul Ghani, the city’s wealthiest zamindar (landowner)…

  • Architecture

    National Assembly Building

    In 1963 the Pakistanis commissioned Louis Kahn, a world-renowned American architect, to design a regional capitol for East Pakistan. Due to the liberation…

  • Temple

    Dhakeswari Temple

    Dhakeshwari Temple is the centre of the Hindu faith in Bangladesh. It is dedicated to Dhakeswari, the protector of Dhaka and an incarnation of the goddess…

  • Historic Building

    Dhaka University

    Dating from 1921, Dhaka University, or just DU, has some fine old buildings. The architectural masterpiece is the red-brick Curzon Hall, a highly…

  • Gardens

    Botanical Gardens

    The shady, tranquil botanical gardens, stretch over 40 hectares and contain over 1000 species of local and foreign plants, as well as lots of birdlife…

  • Notable Building

    Curzon Hall

    The quasi-Gothic red-brick Curzon Hall, erected in 1905 after the first partition of Bengal is Dhaka University's architectural masterpiece. It's a highly…

  • Gallery

    Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts

    Bangladesh's home of fine arts, this gallery was established in 200 by the Bengal Foundation, and holds regular exhibitions of art and photography as well…

  • Historic Building

    Bara Katra

    This dilapidated Mughal-era structure is one of the oldest buildings in Dhaka, although searching for it among the high-walled, pinched alleyways of this…

  • Church

    Armenian Church of the Holy Resurrection

    This small area is known as Armanitola, and is named after the Armenian colony that settled here in the late 17th century. The white- and lemon-painted…

  • Mosque

    Hussaini Dalan

    A block north of the central jail is Hussaini Dalan, looking more like a Hindu rajbari (landowner’s palace) than an Islamic building. It was built in 1642…

  • Mosque

    Khan Mohammed Mridha’s Mosque

    Erected in 1706, this Mughal structure is stylistically similar to Lalbagh Fort. It is built on a raised platform, up a flight of 25 steps. Three squat…

  • Mosque

    Star Mosque

    This unusual mosque, with its striking mosaic decoration, dates from the early 18th century, although it has been radically altered. It was originally…

  • Gardens

    Baldha Gardens

    At the eastern end of Tipu Sultan Rd, and a block south of Hatkhola Rd, the Baldha Gardens are a relaxing corner in busy Dhaka. The two walled enclosures,…

  • Mosque

    Baitul Mukarram Mosque

    West of Motijheel on Topkhana Rd, this enormous modern mosque is designed in the style of the holy Ka’aba of Mecca and is a hard-to-miss landmark. The…

  • Historic Building

    Old High Court

    The imposing old High Court, once the governor’s residence, is just north of Dhaka University’s main campus. It is the finest example in Dhaka of the…

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in Dhaka.

  • Activities