Dhaka is the capital city of Bangladesh, a residence of 16 million population and growing every day. It is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, full of activities – a paradise for street photography. If you like street or portrait photography, Dhaka is your city. You’ll find unlimited subjects here to shoot for several days.
Other than photography, Dhaka has many interesting sites to visit from the Mughal and colonial periods. In this article, you’ll find some of the best places to visit in Dhaka City (New & Old Dhaka) that you must not miss on your first trip to Bangladesh.
Table of Contents
- Kawran Bazar
- Sadarghat Waterfront
- Shakhari Bazar (Hindu Street)
- Lalbag Fort
- Parliament Building
- Dhaka Shipyards
- Armenian Church
- Ahsan Manzil (Pink Palace)
- Dhakeshwari Temple
- Star Mosque (Tara Masjid)
- Mridha Mosque
- Bait-ur-Rouf Mosque
- Liberation War Museum
Best places to visit in Dhaka City (New & Old Dhaka)
Bellow is a comprehensive list of the places I think now one should miss on their visit to the megacity of Dhaka. Let me know what you think about the list in the comments.
1. Kawran Bazar
One of the best places to visit in Dhaka for photography
Kawran Bazar is the largest wholesale market in Dhaka city. It is full of activities and a gem for photographers. Trading starts here at midnight and ends around 8.30 in the morning. The permanent shops on the market will remain open the whole day though. Kawran Bazar is a must-visiting tourist attraction in Dhaka for people who love photography.
2. Sadarghat Waterfront
One of the must places to visit in Dhaka City for photography
Sadarghat is Dhaka City’s busy waterfront, harboring the Sadarghat River Port and many other small ports. Sadarghat River Port is one of the largest river ports in Asia, passing about 30,000 passengers daily. The riverfront is full of big passenger ferries, cargo vessels, and tiny wooden rowing boats crossing the passengers across the river. You’ll get a truly authentic taste of Dhaka by visiting this live and vibrant place. Sadarghat is a must-visiting tourist attraction in Dhaka you can’t miss.
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3. Shakhari Bazar (Hindu Street)
Shakhari Bazar, also known as the Hindu Street, is a unique street in Dhaka City and the center of Hindu culture and community in Old Dhaka. Old buildings are raised on both sides of the street, full of jewelry shops, local musical instrument shops, Hindu bridal shops, kite shops, cookery shops, temples, rickshaws, and people. A live and vibrant street of Old Dhaka, Shakhari Bazar is one of the best places to visit in Dhaka City.
Visiting Shakhari Bazar
You can book our Dhaka City Tour to visit Shakhari Bazar along with other major attractions of both the New and Old Dhaka conveniently on a day tour, including a boat ride on Buriganga and a rickshaw ride on the backstreets of Old Dhaka. Also can book our 5-day Dhaka, Bagerhat & Sundarban Tour or any of our Bangladesh holiday packages to visit Shakhari Bazar.
4. Lalbag Fort
One of the top places to visit in Dhaka City for history
Lalbagh Fort is a 17th-century Mughal fort and one of the key tourist attractions in Dhaka. The fort’s construction was started in 1678 by Prince Muhammed Azam, the third son of Aurangazeb, during his vice-royalty in Bengal. He returned to the capital Delhi after 15 months when his father called him to take part in a war, leaving the fort unfinished.
The construction work was then handed to the next governor of Dhaka, Shaista Khan, a maternal uncle of Muhammed Azam. Shaista Khan didn’t finish it because of the death of her young daughter Pari Bibi in 1684. He started thinking the fort ominous and never finished it. It is said that Pari Bibi was engaged with Muhammed Azam at that time. Aurangazeb never told him anything about finishing the fort and later donated it to Shaista Khan in memory of his daughter. The fort lost popularity because Bengal’s capital shifted from Dhaka to Murshidabad in 1704 after Shaista Khan left Dhaka. After the royal Mughal period, the fort became abandoned.
In 1853 during the Pakistan Period, the fort was used as the cantonment. After its independence in 1971, the Bangladesh government renovated and opened it for visitors. There is the tomb of Pari Bibi inside the fort, wrapped in expensive marble, which is its main attraction. Also, the residential building of the governor is being used as a small museum, displaying Mughal paintings and calligraphy, along with swords and firearms. Lalbagh Fort is number two on our list of the best places to visit in Dhaka.
Visiting Lalbagh Fort
You can book our Dhaka City Tour to visit Lalbagh Fort along with other major attractions of both the New and Old Dhaka conveniently on a day tour, including a boat ride on Buriganga and a rickshaw ride on the backstreets of Old Dhaka. Also can book our 5-day Dhaka, Bagerhat & Sundarban Tour or any of our Bangladesh holiday packages to visit Lalbagh Fort.
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5. Parliament Building
A must visiting tourist attraction in Dhaka for architecture
The parliament building of Bangladesh is the finest architecture of world-renowned American architect and Yale University Professor Louis I. Kahn. Originally commissioned by the Pakistanis when Bangladesh was known as East Pakistan after the Partition of the Indian Sub-Continent, was meant to serve as the second seat of the national parliament.
Construction started in 1964 but halted due to the Bangladeshi War of Independence, and was finally completed in 1982. If you like architecture, this is one of the two must-visiting tourist attractions in Dhaka for you.
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6. Dhaka Shipyards
One of the best places to visit in Dhaka City for photography
Located on the bank of river Buriganga, Dhaka Shipyard is a busy place for repairing and sometimes making new passenger ferries and cargo boats for the rivers. Passenger ferries of Sadarghat come here for occasional overhauling and repairs. Workers work here from dawn to dusk, beating their hammers on the boats and rubbing new paints. Endless workshops make huge propellers for the boats, melting still. Full of activities, Dhaka Shipyard is one of the best places to visit in Dhaka City which you should not miss.
P.S. Don’t confuse this with the infamous ship graveyard of Bangladesh, which is located about 250 km away from Dhaka. You can check out our Chittagong Ship Breaking Yard Tour to visit that site on a convenient day tour from Dhaka using an internal flight and express train.
7. Armenian Church of The Holy Resurrection
One of the most beautiful places to visit in Dhaka for history
Armenian Church of the Holy Resurrection is located at Armanitola in Old Dhaka, a place named after the Armenian colony that settled here in the late 17th century. The church is the soul of this now almost extinct community. Dates from 1781, it is an oasis of tranquility in the heart of the crowded city and a must-visiting tourist attraction in Dhaka.
Visiting Armenian Church
You can book our Dhaka City Tour to visit the Armenian Church along with other major attractions of both the New and Old Dhaka conveniently on a day tour, including a boat ride on Buriganga and a rickshaw ride on the backstreets of Old Dhaka. Also can book our 5-day Dhaka, Bagerhat & Sundarban Tour or any of our Bangladesh holiday packages to visit Armenian Church.
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8. Ahsan Manzil (Pink Palace)
One of the best places to visit in Dhaka City for history
Ahsan Manzil, also known as the Pink Palace, was the residence of the wealthiest family of Dhaka during British rule. Dating from 1740, Ahsan Manzil was a small entertainment house of a local landlord, which later became a French trading house. After exchanging ownership between the French and the British a few times, it was purchased in 1830 by Khwaja Alimullah, the established feudal landlord of Dhaka. After his death, his son Khwaja Abdul Gani made a massive development to the property and named it “Ahsan Manzil” after his son Ahsan Ullah. It was two one-storied buildings at that time.
In 1888, the building was severely damaged by a tornado. Khawaja Abdul Gani and his son Ahsan Ullah then reconstructed the buildings, making them two-storied, adding the dome, and connecting the two buildings with a wooden gangway. After the British rule, when the family’s descendants could not maintain the property and made it a slam by renting its rooms individually, the then Pakistan government acquired this property from them in 1952 and put it under a trust.
In 1985, Dhaka National Museum acquired this property, renovated it, and opened it as a museum for the public. Since then, it has become a key tourist attraction in Dhaka. Ahsan Manzil is one of the best tourist attractions in Dhaka City someone should not miss on their first visit.
Visiting Ahsan Manzil
You can book our Dhaka City Tour to visit Ahsan Manzil along with other major attractions of both the New and Old Dhaka conveniently on a day tour, including a boat ride on Buriganga and a rickshaw ride on the backstreets of Old Dhaka. Also can book our 5-day Dhaka, Bagerhat & Sundarban Tour or any of our Bangladesh holiday packages to visit Ahsan Manzil.
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9. Dhakeshwari Temple
Dhakeshwari Temple is a state-owned 500 years old Hindu temple built by one Mangat Ray, who was also known as Ballalasena, the younger brother of Arakanese king Shri Sudharma, son of famous Arakanese king Raja Malhana alias Husen Shah. This is the center of the Hindu religion and culture in Dhaka City.
You’ll find devotees coming here in colorful sarees, ringing the bell on the door while entering the temple, and doing many ceremonies. Every major Hindu festival in Dhaka starts here, so you’ll always find a festive atmosphere here. Dhakeshwari Temple is one of the best places to visit in Dhaka city.
Visiting Dhakeshwari Temple
You can book our Dhaka City Tour to visit Dhakeshwari Temple along with other major attractions of both the New and Old Dhaka conveniently on a day tour, including a boat ride on Buriganga and a rickshaw ride on the backstreets of Old Dhaka. Also can book our 5-day Dhaka, Bagerhat & Sundarban Tour or any of our Bangladesh holiday packages to visit Dhakeshwari Temple.
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10. Star Mosque (Tara Masjid)
One of the top places to visit in Dhaka City
Star Mosque is one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions in Dhaka, dating from the early 18th century. The whole walls of the mosque are decorated with mosaic stars, from where the name derived. It was originally built in the typical Mughal style, with four corner towers, but radically altered later.
Visiting Star Mosque
You can book our Dhaka City Tour to visit Star Mosque along with other major attractions of both the New and Old Dhaka conveniently on a day tour, including a boat ride on Buriganga and a rickshaw ride on the backstreets of Old Dhaka. Also can book our 5-day Dhaka, Bagerhat & Sundarban Tour or any of our Bangladesh holiday packages to visit Star Mosque.
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11. Khan Mohammad Mridha Mosque
Erected in 1704-5, this Mughal structure is stylistically similar to Lalbag Fort, built on a raised platform, up to a flight of 25 steps. Three squat domes, with pointed minarets at each corner, dominate the rectangular roof. There are a series of vaulted rooms on the ground floor, which was used for living purpose. Located about half a mile from Lalbagh Fort, Khan Mohammad Mridha Mosque is beautiful architecture and one of the must-places to visit in Dhaka City.
Visiting Khan Mohammad Mridha Mosque
You can book our Dhaka City Tour to visit Khan Mohammad Mridha Mosque along with other major attractions of both the New and Old Dhaka conveniently on a day tour, including a boat ride on Buriganga and a rickshaw ride on the backstreets of Old Dhaka. Also can book our 5-day Dhaka, Bagerhat & Sundarban Tour or any of our Bangladesh holiday packages to visit Khan Mohammad Mridha Mosque.
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12. Bait Ur Rouf Mosque
A must-visiting tourist attraction in Dhaka for architecture
Bait Ur Rouf Mosque is the winner of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2014-2016. Designed by architect Maria Tabassum, this is a modern architecture hidden in a very dense neighborhood in Dhaka city. The design of the mosque is exceptional. Unlike any other mosques in Dhaka city, the symbolic elements of any mosque are absent from it, e.g mineral, dome. Inspired by the Sultanate mosque architecture, it breathes through porous brick walls, keeping the prayer hall ventilated and cool. Natural light brought in through a skylight is ample for the daytime. If you like architecture, this is one of the two must-visiting tourist attractions in Dhaka City for you.
13. Liberation War Museum
One of the top places to visit in Dhaka to know Bangladesh’s history
Liberation War Museum in Dhaka is an exceptional museum. It commemorates the Bangladesh Liberation War that led to the independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan in 1971. It showcases the genocide the Pakistani military committed in Bangladesh during the war, and how Bangladesh was born. A must visit tourist-attraction in Dhaka to know the history of Bangladesh.
Have you ever visited Dhaka? How interesting have you found the tourist attractions in Dhaka? Have I missed something here? Share your experience and opinion with us in the comments.
Check out our Dhaka City Tour to visit the key attractions of New and Old Dhaka. The full-day tour starts from $70* US with an air-conditioned car, an English-speaking guide, all entrance tickets, lunch at a local restaurant with authentic local food, a rickshaw, and a boat ride.
