Dhaka Activities by Time of Day
Travel advisory, October 2026. The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to the Chittagong Hill Tracts (Rangamati, Khagrachari, Bandarban), and the US government warns against travelling there too. The UK rates terrorist attacks in Bangladesh as very likely, and warns that hartals (strike days) and demonstrations can turn violent without much notice, so keep clear of them. Street crime has risen since 2024, with bag snatching from passing motorbikes and CNG auto-rickshaws. Check UK FCDO advice and travel.state.gov before you book.
How a day in Dhaka fits together
Dhaka is a flat delta city of more than 20 million people, and traffic decides how much you can see. A 10 km car or CNG ride at peak hours can take two hours or more, so group your stops by neighbourhood and split the day into three parts. Everything below is priced in Bangladeshi taka (BDT). Foreign visitors pay a higher ticket tier than Bangladeshis at the main sights, and official online tickets add a 4% service charge.
Early morning: Old Dhaka before the crowds
The lanes around Nazira Bazaar, Tantibazar and Shankhari Bazaar are at their calmest early. A cycle rickshaw is the traditional way to move through them, and it is worth a ride just to watch the pullers thread between handcarts and brick shophouses. Rickshaws have no working meters, so agree the fare before you sit down. Typical short hops are in the tens of BDT, but treat any figure as a starting point for haggling and keep small notes, since pullers rarely have change for 500 or 1,000 BDT.
Lalbagh Fort is the obvious anchor here. Foreign tickets are 200 BDT, paid in cash at the booth. It is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00 with a short lunch break, Monday afternoon only from 14:00, and closed Sunday. Allow about 90 minutes.
Midday: museums out of the heat
Use the hottest hours for a museum. The Bangladesh National Museum in Shahbagh and Ahsan Manzil by the river each charge 500 BDT to foreigners. Both close at 16:30 on most days, open on Friday afternoon only, and are shut on Thursday. The Bangabandhu Military Museum at Bijoy Sarani costs 800 BDT for foreigners and is closed on Wednesday. Check the day before you go, because the closing days are all different.
The Metro helps here. Line 6 runs elevated from Uttara North to Motijheel, about 20 km, and the full ride takes roughly half an hour. Fares start at 20 BDT and rise with distance, up to 100 BDT end to end. A Rapid Pass gives a 10% discount. Useful stops are Shahbagh for the National Museum, Bijoy Sarani for the Military Museum, Agargaon for the Liberation War Museum and Dhaka University for the campus. The Kamalapur extension has not opened yet. Service hours change, and Friday trains start later in the day, so check the current timetable at the station.
Afternoon: crafts and the river
Weaving villages around Sonargaon and Rupganj, beside the Shitalakshya River, are known for Jamdani muslin, woven on pit looms. Visits are normally arranged through a guide or driver, so ask what is open that day. Sonargaon is also the base for a longer day trip, covered on the day trips page .
At Sadarghat, the river port is crowded with multi-deck passenger launches, and small wooden boats cross in front of them. If you hire a rowing boat to watch the port, do it only in clear morning daylight, with an experienced boatman, a life jacket if one is offered, and plenty of distance from moving launches. The Buriganga is badly polluted, so keep clear of the water. Sunset and night trips are not advisable.
Evening: food and a lake walk
Old Dhaka is famous for mutton kacchi biryani. Haji Biryani, founded in 1939 with its main branch on Kazi Alauddin Road near Nazira Bazar, and Nanna Biryani are both well established, and a plate is usually a few hundred BDT. Copycat shops use similar names, so look for the original branch. Eat freshly cooked food served hot and drink only sealed bottled water.
For a gentle walk afterwards, the Hatirjheel promenade has lit bridges. Water taxis there have been running on a reduced schedule, so treat them as a bonus rather than a plan. Go in a group, and use a ride-hailing app such as Uber or Pathao, checking the driver and plate, rather than flagging a CNG at night.
Season and health
November to February has the worst air, and Dhaka is often listed among the most polluted cities in the world in winter. Bring a good mask if you have breathing problems. The monsoon brings flooding and a peak in dengue, so use repellent in the daytime. Tourists normally need a visa in advance, and the e-visa is the usual route; do not plan on getting one at the airport.
Booking help
If you would rather have a driver who knows the traffic, you can browse private city tours on GetYourGuide and compare what the price includes.
Read more: Dhaka sightseeing , Dhaka 2 day itinerary and the main Dhaka guide .