Dhaka is Bangladesh’s restless heart—once a Mughal provincial capital famed for muslin, now a mega-city where rickshaw art, riverside shipyards, and tea stalls animate every hour. The old city’s tangle of lanes opens to mosques tiled with stars, a pastel-pink palace, and markets that begin at dawn.

History is layered here: Mughal forts, Armenian churches, British-era university buildings, and modernist marvels like Louis Kahn’s National Parliament. River life still rules; Sadarghat launches churn the Buriganga and boatmen ferry commuters past bustling docks and ship-repair yards.

Expect heady flavors—kacchi biryani, haleem, bhorta, and sweets perfumed with cardamom. Traffic can be intense, but new metro lines, rickshaws, and ride-hailing make it manageable. Dress modestly for religious sites, keep small bills for fares, and carry a mask in dry season when air quality dips.

Dhaka

Dhaka rewards curiosity. Wander Old Dhaka’s Shakhari Bazar (Hindu Street) for conch bangles and woodcraft, duck into Star Mosque with its porcelain stars, and trace Mughal footprints at Lalbagh Fort. On the riverfront, Ahsan Manzil—the Pink Palace—recounts the city’s Nawabi past.

“New Dhaka” districts like Gulshan, Banani, and Dhanmondi offer specialty coffee, contemporary eateries, galleries, and lakeside walks. Architecture lovers should plan time around Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban, Louis Kahn’s monumental parliament complex, best viewed golden at dusk from Chandrima Udyan and Crescent Lake.

• Getting there (flights): Search fares and routes to Dhaka (DAC) on Trip.com or Kiwi.com. Typical nonstops: Kolkata (~1 hr), Bangkok (~2.5 hrs), Singapore (~4 hrs), Dubai (~5 hrs). Airport to Gulshan: 30–90 minutes by car depending on traffic.
• Getting around: Combine the MRT (Line 6 to Motijheel), rickshaws for short hops, and ride-hailing for cross-town trips. Buriganga boats are great for short scenic crossings near Sadarghat.
• Where to stay: For easy dining and transport, base in Gulshan/Banani or Dhanmondi. Browse stays on Hotels.com (Dhaka) or apartment-style options on VRBO (Dhaka). Popular picks include InterContinental Dhaka (Shahbagh), Pan Pacific Sonargaon, The Westin Dhaka (Gulshan), Le Méridien (near DAC), and value favorite Hotel 71.

Day 1: Arrival, Lakeside Unwind, and First Taste of Dhaka

Afternoon: Land at Shahjalal International (DAC) and transfer to your hotel. If you want instant data without hunting for SIM shops, consider the Bangladesh Data eSIM (0.5GB daily to 50GB) for easy connectivity.

Check in and refresh, then stroll Hatirjheel’s promenades—sunset reflections over the bridges are a gentle city welcome.

Evening: Dinner at Sultan’s Dine (signature kacchi biryani with tender mutton, aromatic basmati, and prunes) or Star Kabab & Restaurant (paratha, beef bhuna, dal—fast, classic, and budget-friendly). For dessert, try Mishti Doi or rasmalai at Alauddin Sweets. Early night to beat jet lag.

Nightcap: Coffee at North End Coffee Roasters (house roasts, cinnamon rolls) or a lakeside chai “tong” (tea stall) near Dhanmondi Lake for a local vibe.

Day 2: Old Dhaka Deep Dive—Mughal Lanes, River Boats, and Shipyards

Morning: Fuel up with a quick breakfast at The White Canary Cafe (eggs, good flat whites) then head to Old Dhaka. Explore Shakhari Bazar’s crafts, peek into the Armenian Church of the Holy Resurrection, and admire the porcelain-tiled Star Mosque (Tara Masjid). Navigate by rickshaw—the quintessential Dhaka ride.

Afternoon: Visit Ahsan Manzil (Pink Palace) for Nawabi-era rooms and river views. Grab lunch at Haji (Hajir) Biriyani—fragrant, minimalist biryani that’s an Old Dhaka institution—or Nirob Restaurant for a spread of bhortas (mashed veg with mustard oil and chilies). Continue to Sadarghat for a short rowboat ride on the Buriganga and a look at the gritty, photogenic ship-repair yards across the river.

Evening: Take the Authentic Old Dhaka Day Tour with Shipyard Visit to cover the highlights with a local expert—ideal if you want curated stops for food, heritage, and boats without the navigation stress.

For a sweet finish, sip a frothy lassi at Beauty Lacchi & Faluda near Northbrook Hall.

Day 3: Forts, Campuses, and Modernist Icons

Morning: Visit Lalbagh Fort for Mughal gardens, red ramparts, and tombs; then Dhakeshwari Temple, the city’s principal Hindu shrine. Move on to the University of Dhaka campus—Curzon Hall’s Indo-Saracenic arches and the leafy grounds make a serene mid-morning walk.

Afternoon: The Bangladesh National Museum (Shahbagh) offers a compact sweep of archaeology, folk art, and independence history—perfect context for the week. Lunch nearby at Al-Razzak (rich beef bhuna, khichuri, ruti) or at Kacchi Bhai for a modern, reliable take on kacchi biryani.

Evening: Golden-hour architecture at Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban (parliament). You’ll get strong external views from Chandrima Udyan and Crescent Lake; bring a wide lens. Dinner in Gulshan: Izumi for refined Japanese (sashimi and yakitori) or Lucknow for kebabs, sheermal, and north-Indian gravies. Night stroll along Banani 11, a lively food street.

Day 4: Day Trip to Sonargaon—Panam City and Riverside Life

Morning: Depart around 8:00 a.m. for Sonargaon (30–40 km; 1–1.5 hours by car depending on traffic). Costs range ~5,000–8,000 BDT for a private car/driver for the day. Explore the Folk Arts & Crafts Museum grounds and the haunting facades of Panam City—once a wealthy Hindu merchant street, now an atmospheric heritage corridor.

Afternoon: Join the Sonargaon Panam City and Mayadwip Riverside Village Tour for a guided walk plus a gentle boat ride to Maya Island to see rural life and river ecology up close.

Expect simple, seasonal lunches—fresh river fish, rice, bhorta.

Evening: Return to Dhaka. Casual dinner at Star Kabab (try chicken roast with paratha) or a family-style spread at Kasturi (Bangladeshi homestyle dishes). If energy allows, loop around Dhanmondi Lake for a night walk and a clay-cup chai.

Day 5: Dawn Markets and a Street Photography Safari

Morning: Early start at Kawran Bazar, the city’s biggest wholesale produce market. It’s visual theater: porters stacked with greens, fishmongers splashing tubs, breakfast carts frying singara and jilapi. Grab a light bite and chai on-site, then a mid-morning coffee at North End (Banani) to review shots.

Afternoon: Continue your visual hunt with rail-side life near Tejgaon or Kamalapur (observe safety and respect no-photo zones), then head to the river again for boat silhouettes. Break for lunch at Chawk Bazar’s Al-Madina for kebabs and naan or at Nanna Miah for old-school biryani.

Evening: Level up with a guide on the Dhaka Photography Tour: Private Street Photography Tour, which often pairs Kawran Bazar with the ship-breaking/repair yards and backstreets for candid portraits.

Dinner in Banani 11: try Kebab Ghar for beef seekh and naan or Handi for spicy curries and rustic breads.

Day 6: Art, Crafts, and a Dhaka Food Crawl

Morning: Browse Nilkhet’s bookshops and the surrounding Dhaka University arts quarter. Check the schedule at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy for exhibitions or performances. Coffee at The White Canary or North End (Gulshan) if you’re heading northeast.

Afternoon: Souvenir time at Aarong (fair-trade textiles, nakshi kantha quilts, leather goods, and jewelry). For lunch, go “thali-style” at Kasturi or order an array of bhortas, fish curry, and rice—simple, satisfying, and quintessentially Bangladeshi.

Evening: DIY food crawl: begin with fuchka (pani puri) and chotpoti from a reputable cart in Dhanmondi, move to haleem and kebabs at Bismillah Kabab Ghar, then finish with kulfi or falooda at Beauty Lacchi if you’re back near Old Dhaka—or gelato at a modern parlor in Gulshan. Cap the night with a slow drive over Hatirjheel’s lit bridges.

Day 7: Slow Morning, Last Bites, Departure

Morning: Leisurely breakfast—paratha with omelet and dal at Star Kabab, or pastries and pour-overs at North End. If time remains, a final lakeside amble in Dhanmondi or a quick metro hop for a last look at Motijheel’s bustle.

Afternoon: Pick up boxed sweets (rosogolla, sandesh) from a trusted sweet shop for the flight. Aim to leave for the airport 3+ hours before departure—Dhaka traffic is unpredictable. Search or adjust flights on Trip.com or Kiwi.com as needed.

Evening: Wheels up—carry a few packets of roasted cashews or chanachur to snack on as you relive the week’s flavors and photos.

Insider tips: Start Old Dhaka days early to beat traffic and mid-day heat. Some museums and monuments close one day weekly and on public holidays; check hours the day prior. Dress modestly for mosques/temples; ask before photographing people; use the metro for cross-town jumps when possible.

In seven days, Dhaka’s contrasts come into focus: Mughal palaces and modern megacity speed, river haze and neon food streets, craft heritage and contemporary coffee culture. You’ll leave with stories of boatmen, biryani, and the warmest welcomes—plus a memory card full of color.