Chattogram Travel Guide: Places to Visit, Day Trips, Food and Tips

Chattogram, the country's great port city, is a destination in itself and the gateway to some of the best travel in Bangladesh: hills, waterfalls, lakes and the sea are all within a few hours. This Chattogram travel guide covers how to get there from Dhaka, the places to visit in and around the city, day trips up the highway to Sitakunda and Mirsharai, and the road on to the Hill Tracts. For more, see our Chattogram district guide.

Best time to visit Chattogram

November to February is the best time to visit Chattogram: dry, clear and cool enough for hill walks and long days out. The waterfalls of Mirsharai are fullest in the rainy season, but trails get slippery and muddy then, and the summer months before the monsoon are hot and humid.

How to get to Chattogram from Dhaka

Buses from Dhaka take about 5–7 hours on the Dhaka–Chattogram highway, with both day and night departures. Coaches stop at counters around Dampara, GEC and Oxygen, so check which one your bus uses and pick the closest to your hotel. A night bus gets you in early with the whole day ahead; a day bus suits families and anyone who wants to see the countryside.

Search buses from Dhaka to Chattogram and compare departure times and bus types. Trains also run from Dhaka to Chattogram station, and Shah Amanat International Airport has domestic flights.

Places to visit in Chattogram city

• Patenga Sea Beach: the city's own beach, about 20 km from the centre past the airport, where the Karnaphuli meets the Bay of Bengal. Come for the sunset, the ships waiting offshore and fried fish at the stalls.
• Foy's Lake: a lake among low hills in Khulshi, about 20 minutes by CNG from GEC Circle, with boating and walks.
• Chittagong War Cemetery: a quiet, beautifully kept Second World War cemetery off Badsha Mia Road.
• Bayazid Bostami Shrine: a hilltop shrine in the north of the city near Nasirabad, known for the old turtles in its pond.

Day trips: Sitakunda and Mirsharai

Head north up the Dhaka–Chattogram highway and you reach some of the most popular day trips from the city.

• Chandranath Hill: take a bus to Sitakunda town, about an hour away, then a rickshaw or CNG to the foot of the hill. The climb to the temple at the top takes 1.5–2 hours, so start early.
• Guliakhali Sea Beach: near Sitakunda, a beach of green grass and tidal channels rather than open sand; a CNG covers the last few kilometres.
• Mohamaya Lake: a lake between hills at Mirsharai, about 1.5 hours from the city. Get off a Dhaka-bound bus at Thakurdighi and take a CNG.
• Khoiyachora Waterfall: get off at Boro Takia in Mirsharai and walk the forest trail, about an hour each way. A local guide helps.

Chandranath and Guliakhali fit into one day; Mohamaya and Khoiyachora make another.

Onward to the Hill Tracts

Chattogram is the jumping-off point for the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

• Rangamati: buses reach the town in about 2.5–3 hours. Take a boat on Kaptai Lake and see the hanging bridge.
• Bandarban: about 2.5 hours by bus, then a hired jeep (chander gari) up the hill road to Nilgiri, another 1.5–2 hours.
• Sajek Valley: reached from Khagrachhari town by jeep, not from Rangamati town.

Rules for visitors in parts of the Hill Tracts change from time to time, and some areas have been closed to tourists. Check the current rules before you plan a trip, and carry your ID.

What to eat in Chattogram

Chattogram is proud of its food, and one dish above all.

• Mezbani beef: beef slow-cooked with a dark, rich spice blend, as served at a mezban, the city's community feast. Several restaurants serve it every day; ask locally for the current favourite.
• Kala bhuna: beef fried slowly with spices until almost black, very good with paratha.
• Shutki: sun-dried sea fish, cooked as curry or mashed into bhorta.
• Durus kura: a whole chicken in a spiced gravy, a Chatgaiya dish for guests.
• Bela biscuit: a hard, dry biscuit baked in Chattogram for generations, made for dipping in tea.

GEC Circle and Nasirabad are the main restaurant district, and the stalls at Patenga fry fish and crab at sunset.

Where to stay in Chattogram

• Agrabad: business hotels near the port and banks, on the way to Patenga.
• GEC and Nasirabad: mid-range hotels close to restaurants and bus counters.
• Station Road: budget hotels by the railway station.
• Rangamati and Bandarban: spend a night in the hills if you are going to Kaptai Lake or Nilgiri.

Getting around

• CNG auto-rickshaws go everywhere; agree the fare first.
• Ride-hailing apps work across the city.
• Rickshaws for short hops; tempos and legunas run fixed routes.
• For Sitakunda and Mirsharai, take buses up the highway; for Rangamati and Bandarban, buses leave from the city's terminals.

Tips for visiting Chattogram

• Start hill climbs and waterfall walks early, wear shoes with grip and carry water.
• At Patenga, keep out of the water when the sea is rough or a signal is up.
• Dress modestly at shrines and temples, including Chandranath.
• In the Hill Tracts, respect local communities and ask before taking photos.
• Locals speak Chatgaiya, which differs a lot from standard Bangla, but everyone understands standard Bangla.
• If you are in town during Boishakh, look for the Jabbarer Boli Khela wrestling contest at Laldighi.

Ready to go? Search buses to Chattogram, and explore more places in our Chattogram guide.