A full-day guided exploration of Dhaka's mosques, markets, Mughal forts and a Buriganga River boat ride past the dockyard.
Your guide meets you in the hotel lobby at 07:30 AM. The day begins at Dhaka's colorful early-morning flower market, followed by the National Parliament Building, one of the world's greatest works of modern architecture designed by American architect Louis I. Kahn. Next, explore Kawran Bazar, Dhaka's busiest wholesale market, where vendors trade vegetables and fish and trains pass through the heart of the market. Continue to Lalbagh Fort, a Mughal fortress built in 1678, then visit New Market to watch artisans handcraft patterns in traditional block-printing workshops. Tour Dhaka University, including Curzon Hall, Sculpture Square and the Shaheed Minar, the national monument to the 1952 Language Movement, before a traditional Bengali lunch. In the afternoon head into Old Dhaka, taking a rickshaw ride and walking tour through its narrow lanes and markets, visiting the orthodox Armenian Church, the mosaic-decorated Star Mosque, and Ahsan Manzil (Pink Palace), the iconic former residence of the Nawabs. Finish at Sadarghat River Port, one of South Asia's busiest river terminals, and enjoy a boat ride on the Buriganga River past the Dockyard, where workers repair wooden ships in open-air workshops. Return to your hotel by late afternoon.
