The 10 things to do in Dacca

Are you going to South Asia and particularly to Bangladesh? Here is our list of essential things to do to visit Dacca!

Capital, largest city and economic, cultural and political centre in Bangladesh, Dacca is one of the 15 largest cities in the world (13th row), a vast agglomeration with 17 million people. Bangladesh, one of the countries with the highest population density in the world, is home to 160 million inhabitants on a territory equivalent to the quarter of Metropolitan France (143 998 km2). And it is a country often blocked by tourists, that favor the India Myanmar and Thailand .

Founded in the 10th century and capital of Bengal from 1608 to 1704, Dacca extends over 306,38 km2 (3 times the size of Paris), and is the capital of the country since the secession of with East Pakistan in 1971. The town is located on the left bank of the Buriganga River, an arm of the Dhaleswari River.

You know what to do in Dacca? The city is full of activities to do and must-see sites to visit Dacca. Here is our list – non-exhaustive – things to see in Dacca.

1. The old town's messes

Often described as chaotic and overcrowded, the city of Dacca is a giant open-air furnace: strolling through the streets of the historic center allows to take the measure: rikshaws and tuk-tuks jams, it even stops on foot because there is a world absolutely everywhere. If you are agoraphobe, don’t visit Dacca. In the old town, the bazaars are unmissable: you will find a "happy brothel" where the small chains of clothing, jewelry, fruit and vegetable stalls, bracelets and other colorful souvenirs mix.

2. Lalbagh Fort

The Fort of Lalbagh is a strong Moghol dating from the 17th century (1678) and located in the old town. Built under the impulse of Prince Muhammad Aza, he was never finished. Fort Lalbagh is surrounded by a 7-hectare estate, with a mosque, the mausoleum of Para Bibi and the remains of an old wall. The archaeologists discovered on site 26 or 27 ruins of buildings that used to supply gardens and fountains with water. The fort also served as a prison.

3. Bangladesh National Zoo

What to do in Dacca? The city is often blocked by travellers, who deplore a small amount of things to do in Dacca. Yet here is a must to visit Dacca: the Bangladesh National Zoo . Located in Mirpur (a area of Dacca), the zoo houses many endemic and non-native animals, with a total of 2,150 animals of 134 different species. You can see cheetahs, rhinoceros, black bears, various monkeys, Bengal tigers, crocodiles, snakes, countless birds, etc. Founded in 1974, this 75-hectare zoo attracts more than 10,000 visitors a day and nearly 4 million people a year.

4. The National Museum of Bangladesh

Make a museum to visit Dacca? If there was only one to do, it would be retained National Museum : open to the public in 1913, it houses exhibitions dedicated to history, world civilizations, archaeology, ethnology, contemporary art and classical arts. Numerous Hindu and Buddhist sculptures made of stone and wood, metal or gold can be observed through 44 rooms. The museum exhibits works and objects ranging from Prehistory to modern art. Discover, among other things, the works of Zainul Abedin which represent and commemorate the misery and famine that struck Bangladesh after the accession to its independence.

5. The Palace Ahsan Manzil

Named the "Red Palace" for the color of its walls, Ahsan Manzil was the residential palace of a rich Nawab family in Dhaka. Built between 1859 and 1872 on the banks of the Buriganga River, it is now a national museum. You don't know what to do in Dacca? Go through this palace, which is one of the city's unmissable.

6. Dhakeshwari Temple

Want to visit Dacca and its historical treasures? The Dhakeshwari Temple is a Hindu building built in the 12th century. Detained by the state, he is the largest Hindu centre in the country since the destruction in 1971 of the Ramna Kali Mandir temple.

7. The Bangladeshi cuisine

How to come visit Dacca without tasting its culinary charms? It is often said that cuisine in Asia is delicious: it is not just a myth. Bengalis dishes are fine, tasty and cheap: don’t miss the unmissable “ tehari dhakai yathirai ", a spicy dish made of rice and beef. Try the curry too! The dishes include multiple spices, eggs, potatoes, tomatoes and eggplants. The dal – a lentil type lentils – is the second most consumed food after rice in Bangladesh! The main dishes are pabda (stromateidae) rui (rohu), pangash (pangas catfish) chitol (ocelled fish) magur (silure frog), bhetki (barramundi) and tilapia.

8. The Armenian Church of Dacca

Do you know what to do after “breaking belly” in restaurants and bazaars? Visit the Armenian church , listed as the national heritage of Bangladesh! From Orthodox Christian obedience, it is located in the district of Armanitola, in the old town. Built in 1781, the building proved the strong Armenian presence in the region between the 17th and 18th centuries. As the Armenian community fled the city, the church is now less a place of worship than a museum.

9. Hussaini Dalan

Originally built in the 17th century under the Moghol Empire, the Hussaini Dalan was the house of the Imam of the Shiite community of Dacca: it was the place where the majlis (out of legislative assembly) and the gatherings of the mouharram (first month of the Muslim calendar, one of the four sacred months of Islam). In the 1897 earthquake, the building was renovated and is now lined with a flat roof, overlooking a mixture of Mongolian and British architectures. At night, Dacca’s lights illuminate the facades and draw its shadow in the adjacent water plan.

10. Ramna Park

Just east of the University of Dacca, there is a green setting with its homonymous lake where one can want to go to rejuvenate and flee the permanent agitation of the city center: the Ramna Park , with Shikha Chirantony , the monument on which the eternal flame is struck, symbolizing the immortality of the Bangladeshi nation. Several thousand people go there every day. So, to find a deserted place, we'll pass! However, you can go there early in the morning or late in the afternoon and stroll around various species of trees, it will always be better than humming the hydrocarbons of the large boulevards!

How to get to Dacca?

How to come to visit Dacca? Dacca Airport is 17 kilometres away from the city, but there is no direct flight between Bangladesh and France: a stopover in the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, India or Singapore will be required. Attention, the security checks in Dacca are very strict. Whatever your city of departure, think to take a look at our partner's website Ulysses which will allow you to get a flight at the best price.

Where to stay in Dacca?

Ramna, Banani, Old Dacca or Babu Bazaar are ideas of neighborhoods where to stay in Dacca . Ramna is a rather populated area of expatriates, very popular and therefore quite expensive. Banani when he is a busy neighborhood while Babu Bazaar, more popular, allows to immerse himself in the Bangladeshi society and to sleep in Dacca as the native premises. From the hotel offer listed on this Compare hotels at bed-surfing to rental platforms, Dacca enjoys a wide spectrum in terms of accommodation: you only have to choose according to your budget!