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Bangladesh is the most unexplored country in South Asia. You will not find a Bangladesh tour package as jam-packed and in-depth as this one, from the remote tribal villages of Bandarban to the rolling hills of Sreemangal tea country. We’ll then go wild weaving through the chaotic streets of Dhaka – one of the most densely populated cities on earth – in search of hidden beauties and colonial gems.
But this isn’t simply a trip about overwhelming experiences. We’ll take some time to learn about the ancient Hindu community of Dhaka. And if you stay for our add-on, you’ll enjoy time on our private charter cruise in the extremely remote Sundarbans Mangrove Forest – one of the world’s greatest ecosystems and habitat of the extremely rare and endangered Bengal Tiger.
Our Bangladesh group tour runs from 3-9 January 2025 (7 days/6 nights), with the option to extend for our Sundarbans add-on from 9-13 January 2025 (4 days/4 nights).
We have years of experience running tours for both groups and private clients with Fiery Hearts Tours. If Bangladesh sounds like your kind of adventure, head to the end of our Bangladesh itinerary to find out how to join us for the ultimate Bangladesh tour.
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Tribal villages and tea country: 3-9 January 2025 (7 days/6 nights)
Day 1: Chittagong
3 January 2025
On our first day we will be exploring Chittagong, including a visit to the extremely vibrant Chittagong Ship Breaking Yards. If we receive the permissions (up to the shipping folks on the day!), we will get you on a riverboat to witness the everyday ship breaking from the water.
En route, we will stop past the Commonwealth World War Cemetery to learn more about the unknown military history of this region.
In the afternoon, our adventure begins with a drive to Bandarban (about 3 hours).
Accommodation: Bandarban (3 stars)
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Day 2: Tribal life
4 January 2025
Today our adventure really begins. We’re deep in the tribal regions of Bangladesh.
You’ll start by visiting villages of different tribes with the goal of learning more about their lifestyle, rites of passage and religious experiences. You’ll be able to see how they handmake their clothes, and you’ll eve get the opportunity to buy them. Get ready to take everything you know about the world and turn it upside down. Welcome to Bangladesh.
In the afternoon, we will take a boat ride on the beautiful Sangu River – considered by many Bangladesh hands as the most naturally beautiful river in Bangladesh.
Accommodation: Bandarban (3 stars)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3: Tribal life and tea plantations
5 January 2025
After breakfast, we will visit the weekly tribal market, a unique market predominately run by women.
Next up, we will visit the Golden Temple, Nilachal and a few other popular tourist sites around Bandarban. Together with our local Bengali tour guide, you’ll learn all about this extremely unvisited part of the country.
In the afternoon we drive to Rangamati (about 2-3 hours). The next chapter of tour begins here: you’re now in tea country! We will have the chance to visit a tea factory and meet many of the plantation workers to hear about their daily routine and learn about tea production in Bangladesh.
Accommodation: Rangamati (2 stars) (the best in town!)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4: Tribal life and Buddhist temples
6 January 2025
After breakfast, we will visit a unique tribal bazaar in Rangamati before taking some time to enjoy Kaptai Lake with a calming boat ride.
For lunch today, you will experience a tribal restaurant in the heart of Kaptai Lake itself. It’s not every day you can say that!
After lunch, we will head toward a Buddhist temple and the palace of the Chakma king. We will visit a small tribal museum in Rangamati before beginning our journey back to Chittagong (3 hours).
Accommodation: Chittagong (4 stars)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5: Sreemangal tea country
7 January 2025
I know we said you were in tea country before, but today you’re really going to tea country.
After an early breakfast, we will take an early train from Chittagong to Sreemangal. Presuming the Bengali train gods are kind to us, we plan to arrive in Sreemangal around lunchtime – just in time for a local feast.
You’ll have a little bit of time to rest up (it is a vacation after all) before we head out to the most beautiful corner of Bengali tea country. You’ll walk through some trails of a beautiful tea plantation in the afternoon, learning about the different tea plants and climates.
We will also spend some time visiting a Garo village to learn about their lifestyle and rites of passage. The Garo are particularly famous for being the main contributors to the tea plantation workforce in Bangladesh.
Accommodation: Sreemangal (3 stars)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6: Lawachara National Park and 4×4 trips
8 January 2025
In the morning, we will head straight to the Lawachara National Park in search of the endangered Hollock Gibbons, for which this forest is famous.
After a few hours at the park (and some tasty lunch), we will visit another beautiful tea estate and hopefully catch the team working on the tea deposits.
Next up comes a scenic drive through the tea plantations to a remote village of the Khasi tribe in a vintage 4×4 vehicle. In case you can’t tell yet, every day in Bangladesh is a serious adventure. This village is so remote, people from here hardly ever go to even the nearest town!
After driving back toward Sreemangal, we will visit another remote village of the Tripura tribe on the way. The Tripura primarily work on growing lime and pineapple – so we’ll be able to pick up a sweet and tangy afternoon snack.
We will have an early dinner, where we will enjoy a unique Sreemangal tea ceremony including a taste of the famous 7 Layers Tea of Sreemangal. After dinner, we will take an early evening train to Dhaka, getting in by 11 pm.
Accommodation: Dhaka (4 stars)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7: Dhaka
9 January 2025
After breakfast we will check out from the hotel and start a full day, extremely intense city tour of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.
You’ll visit key attractions in New and Old Dhaka, including a picture stop outside of the National Assembly Building, Dhakeshwari Temple, Lalbagh Fort, Star Mosque, and Armenian Church.
A real highlight in Dhaka is walking along Hindu Street, the center of Hindu culture and community in Old Dhaka. Here, you’ll still find lots of jewelry shops, local musical instrument shops, Hindu bridal shops, kite shops, cookery shops, temples, rickshaws, and people. If you’re keen to bring back a unique souvenir from Bangladesh, you’ll have no trouble finding one here.
We will end the day with a visit a shipyard and a boat ride on Dhaka’s busy river Buriganga before sunset.
And then comes the saddest part of our tour: an early dinner to bid farewell to those who aren’t joining us for the add-on.
Accommodation: Not included (unless you are continuing with the add-on)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Add-on in search of tigers in the Sundarbans: 9-13 January (4 days/4 nights)
For those continuing with this add-on, you will be transferred to the Dhaka ferry port for our 9 pm overnight journey to Barisal.
While this may simply be an overnight passenger ferry, we think this is a quintessential Bengali experience (and you’ll find out why in Bangladesh).
Day 8: Bagerhat
10 January 2025
After our arrival in Barisal, we will grab a quick breakfast and head to the largest Hindu cemetery in the world.
Our driver will be waiting to bring us to Bagerhat (about 1.5 hrs) where we will visit some significant mosques from the 15th-century Khalifatabad city, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Sixty Dome Mosque and Nine Dome Mosque.
This city is a treasure trove of heritage sites, including the shrine of Khan Jahan Ali (who brought Islam to Bengal). We will also take some time to visit the Kodla Moth, a 17th century Hindu temple, just outside of Bagerhat. This is not your ordinary Hindu temple, as it is hidden in a remote village. Getting here is part of the adventure itself!
From here, we will drive to Mongla to meet our boat (about 1.5 hours).
Accommodation: Either Mongla *** or onboard our boat.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Days 9, 10 & 11: Sundarbans Mangrove Forest
11-13 January 2025
In these few days, we will be embarking on a journey to one of the greatest highlights of Bangladesh, if not the entire world. One of the last remaining habitats of the endangered Bengal Tiger. Welcome to the Sundarbans.
Note on our Sundarbans boat: This will be a basic, yet clean and comfortable boat. There are no air-conditioners but you will have access to a generator to charge your electronics.
Our time in the Sundarbans includes numerous highlights:
- Small canal boat searches for wildlife including crocodiles, turtles, and rare river dolphins
- Spotting for the elusive and extremely rare Bengal Tigers (no promises sadly)
- Short walks to learn more about this unique ecosystem
- Fishing villages and floating markets
- Meeting the otter hunters of the Sundarbans who train otters to hunt fish for them
- Quiet days enjoying the best sunsets on earth aboard our privately chartered boat
In the afternoon of Day 11 (13 January 2025), we return to Mongla from where we will drive to Jessore Airport (about 3 hours). From here, we will take a short flight to Dhaka arriving back in the early evening.
After freshening up, we will have the final dinner of our tour – always the saddest part of any Fiery Hearts tour.
Accommodation: Dhaka (4 stars)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Before You Go: FAQs
Is Bangladesh worth visiting?
Absolutely. Bangladesh is one of the least explored countries in the world. It’s home to ancient civilizations, endangered Bengal tigers, one of the world’s largest mangrove forests, countless unique tribes and charming hilltop tea plantations.
Have a read through this itinerary and you’ll quickly see what I mean. You’ll want to make sure you visit Bangladesh before the secret gets out.
Where does the tour start and end?
Begins: Chittagong on 3 January
Ends: Dhaka on 9 January (main tour) or 13 January (add-on)
The below map includes the sites of our main tour (green) and the Sundarbans add-on (red).
How do I get to Bangladesh?
Most major Gulf and Asian airlines fly into both Chittagong (airport code: CGP) and Dhaka (airport code: DAC). If you’re unable to get directly into Chittagong, it is extremely easy to transfer to a domestic flight in Dhaka airport.
Do I need a visa for Bangladesh?
Many nationalities can obtain a visa on arrival for Bangladesh at both Chittagong and Dhaka Airports for approximately US$51.
The list of nationalities which can receive a visa on arrival includes: USA, EU passports, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UAE, Switzerland, China and Singapore.
Obtaining a visa on arrival at the airport is normally an easy and straightforward process.
Can this itinerary change?
Traveling in Bangladesh means that our plans are subject to change and may change last minute. While we will do our best to stick to this Bangladesh itinerary, we ask all our guests to please be aware that changes in official authorizations, weather, road conditions, or government regulations can result in our plans changing.
Our local tour guides will have backup plans prepared and, of course, we will do our best to ensure everything goes according to plan.
What’s included in the tour?
We aim to be as all-inclusive as possible.
As such, our tour includes:
- Twin accommodation according to the itinerary (except where listed)
- Meals as provided + bottled water throughout the day
- A/C transportation
- Site entrance fees
- Domestic flight, train and ferry tickets (as provided in itinerary)
- English-speaking local Bengali guide
- All permits for visiting tribal areas
- US$115 per person fee of the Sundarbans Forest permit (for add-on)
- 2 cans of beer per person, per day in the Sundarbans (for add-on)
- Visa assistance (if required)
The tour does not include the below:
- Any extra nights accommodation on either side of the program
- Airport transfer
- Single room supplement (available for a fee)
- Personal expenses, souvenirs, any activities out of program
- Soft drinks or alcohol
- Travel insurance
- Tips
- International flights
- Visa on arrival cost at airport (approximately US$51)
How do I apply?
Does this sound like the ideal Bangladesh itinerary for you? Are you free to travel from 3-13 January 2025?
Our small-group Fiery Hearts Tours aims to bring together daring travelers who are culturally curious and, most importantly, fun!
To find out prices and more details, send an email to dan@travelinsighter.com and set out your:
- Name
- Nationality
- Most adventurous vacation you’ve ever taken, and
- Why you want to visit Bangladesh
We can’t wait to see you in Bangladesh!
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