Discover Dhaka through its striking contrasts: the destination combines historic buildings and museums with forest areas and wetlands. Its cultural side ranges from an unfinished 17th-century Mughal fort to collections spanning from prehistory to the present day. There are also natural sites offering different boating activities. So a simple question can help guide your choices: would you like to focus on architecture and history, or are you more drawn to landscapes that can be explored by river, by lake or by boat? The examples give these interests specific names.

Forest and Water

The forest area of Sreepur in Gazipur is home to a variety of trees, shrubs, climbing plants and other flora, as well as different species of animals and birds. The area is a major tourist attraction. Bhawal Forest Area has a lake that visitors can circle by boat. Check current local conditions before making plans. Boat trips on the Turag in Gazipur are possible year-round; check river conditions and the operator in advance for this trip. Arial Beel offers a different type of landscape: this wetland in Srinagar Upazila, Munshiganj District, covers 136 square kilometres and can be explored by boat. The differences can help you choose a nature experience: on the Turag, it is a river trip; in Bhawal Forest Area, it is a circuit of a lake; and at Arial Beel, it is an exploration of a vast wetland.

Buildings and Eras

Lalbagh Fort, also known as Fort Aurangabad, is an unfinished 17th-century Mughal fort complex in the southwest of Dhaka. Atia Mosque, in Delduar Upazila, Tangail District, also dates to the 17th century, but is a mosque rather than a fort complex; terracotta work can be seen on its eastern and northern exterior walls. Ahsan Manzil represents a different historical role: it was the official residential palace and seat of the Nawab of Dhaka and is designated as a national museum. Baliati Zamindar Bari is located in the village of Baliati in Saturia Upazila, Manikganj District. It is considered one of the finest examples in Bangladesh of a 19th-century monument in the Renaissance Colonial style.

Sonargaon and Its Museums

Sonargaon's architecture spans the Sultanate, Mughal and colonial periods. Panam City is an archaeological site in Sonargaon Upazila, Narayanganj District. The Folk Art and Craft Museum in Sonargaon has two exhibition galleries featuring depictions of everyday life in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh National Museum is in Dhaka's Shahbag neighbourhood; its collections span from prehistory to the present day. The comparison highlights two different perspectives: the Folk Art and Craft Museum focuses on depictions of everyday life, while the Bangladesh National Museum's collections cover a broad sweep of history.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Dhaka, Mawa, Kishoreganj, Kamarpara, Dhanbari, Chittagong, Sylhet Division, Rajshahi.

For the broader travel overview: Bangladesh.