Architecture Tour of Bangladesh

$0 per person

The architecture tour of Bangladesh is a unique interactive tour program for architects and people passionate about architecture, art, culture and nature. While visiting an architecture site, visitors often forget the life and culture around the site. This trip is the perfect blend of architecture, people and their fascinating culture. We named this trip “a journey through the living architecture of Bangladesh.” We are the first and only operator to offer this trip once a year in October. This tour requires a lot of permission from the government, private organizations, and individuals for site visits and interactive sessions. Bangladesh has developed a highly prolific contemporary architecture scene in the course of a few decades, which is unknown to the world. This tour presents a variety of architectural senses of Bangladesh from different periods and orientations of local life, culture, nature, politics and history. Therefore, Architect participants would always be our first priority for this trip, and we want to keep the group size smaller.

A spectacular body of work has arisen, which can easily stand the comparison to the architectural creation in the west, both in terms of its quality, versatility and originality. The fact is, the world hardly knows any! Architectural establishments from Bangladesh rarely get published in Western architectural magazines, books, and even online.

A stunning building by a Western architect: Louis Kahn’s National Assembly Building in Dhaka, has brought an exception to this rule. This building is one of the great mythical masterpieces of 20th-century modernism, world-famous and yet visited by only a few. But maybe at least as interesting as the building itself is the cultural dialectics out of which it emerged and how it eventually empowered the unfolding of contemporary Bangladeshi architecture.

We are the pioneer in accomplishing some unique architecture tours in collaboration with the Swiss Architecture Museum under the leadership of Architect Niklaus Grabber (former professor of ETH, Zürich). We were lucky to be a part of various national and international architectural research and exhibition over the last few years. ‘Bengal Stream – the vibrant architectural sense of Bangladesh’ is one of the remarkable exhibitions that took place in Switzerland (2017-18), French (2018-19) and Germany (2019) and Bangladesh (December 2022). Since then, we have invited many European architects and have travelled through the noble of architecture and fascinating culture of Bangladesh.

We could never achieve this alone without the encompass support of the local architectural community from every aspect. Their dedication and understanding of Bangladesh’s architectural tourism development have been the main energy behind the efforts of this trip. This tour requires a lot of special permits, attention and participation from renowned Bangladeshi architects and many notable characters of different levels. Therefore, we would like to dedicate this trip only to the worldwide architectural community.

As the world is changing every moment, the itinerary of this trip will not be the same every year. The published itinerary on our website is more of a rough travel plan to have an idea about the trip. And the per-person trip price will also vary from the total number of participants, type of hotels and all other subsequent services involved according to the latest trip itinerary of the applicable year. The signup ceremony for this trip will end a minimum of three months before the trip departure dates. Participants must sign up by depositing $500 as soon as they have decided to join this trip, and our team will coordinate all other necessary information from time to time, along with the minimum and maximum trip costs range without the international flights.

This is not only a trip, but a very special ceremony for architects around the world to get together in Bangladesh for new learnings…

Basic Plan
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We require a minimum group of 10 PAX to operate this trip.
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20 Days

Bagerhat

Barishal

Bogra

Paddle Steamer Journey

Destination

North - Western heritage
Dress Code

Casual, comfortable athletic clothing, closed shoes, hat. Warm jacket during the winter (November to February). Raincoat/ umbrella during the rainy season (May to August). Full sleeves are always necessary while visiting any religious place, mosque, temple, church or a trip during Ramadan.
Included

AC vehicle with experienced chauffeur for sightseeing and transfers

Accommodation in twin sharing basis as per itinerary

All air, bus, train and launch tickets as per itinerary

All entrance fees and local permits

All Museum Tickets

All rickshaw/ cycle / boat / local transports

Bottled water, soft drinks and seasonal fruits during the sightseeing

Expert English-Speaking Guide

Local guide/ escort/ experts/ academics

Lunch

Trip as per itinerary

Typical Souvenir
Not Included

Any activity not mentioned in the itinerary.

Dinner

Gratuities

Personal expenses

From Our Gallery

Not a trip, truly a vibrant architectural scene of Bangladesh

Come for a cultural exchange

Award winning clay architecture in bangladesh

Arcadia is a floating vocational school project for seasonal bricks field worker's kids in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Brick manufacturing factories are locally known as a brickfield, which is usually at open-air outdoor and built on the low lands at the same elevated levels of agricultural lands. Low land ensures easy and cost-effective raw materials and products transportation through rivers, canals, boat or even trucks. Most of the low-lying agricultural lands disappear under seasonal monsoon waters, and fresh mountain river flows up from Himalaya. Therefore, brick manufacturing happens only during the dry season between October to early March or the monsoon arrival. The rest months of the years are to sell the products. Brickfield workers may not be the region's neighbour; they are more of climate refugees due to the lack of works in their native area; they migrate to the nearby cities or far distance, even to a brickfield along with their families and kids. Men do harder jobs, and females do relatively easier jobs in the field, but this easy job is way harder than what they get in returns from the highly unhealthy work station. While the parents are at work, younger kids would play around the fields, and older kids would also help the parents for some extra incomes or look after the youngest member of the family. Brickfield owner has nothing to do with education facility for the kids of his workers, nor the community thinks about it because of many reasons; seasonal business, geography, monsoon water and so on. Arcadia Education Project at South Kanarchor in Bangladesh has brought an innovative idea to include a huge number of ignored children into the education network. Arcadia is not only a school but also an education solution role model for Bangladesh.

Tourist must try to driver a rickshaw for fun in Bangladesh

majestic housing architecture by Marina tabassum

Friendship Centre is an ancient Buddhist monastery style architecture

Meeting the friendly local in a rural village in Bangladesh

Interactive session between Bangladesh and visiting architects in Dhaka

Fascinating modern architectures Sanes in Bagladesh

Lear the secretes of natural dying of Chittagong hill tribes

Do not miss to experience a Bangladeshi barber during your trip

Gulshan society mosque in Dhaka was designed by kashef

Exploring a local architecture in rural Bangladesh

Sundarbans is a unique mangrove forest in the world

Late afternoon cruising through a creek in sundarban

European architects had an adventurous jungle walk in sundarban

effects of climate change on the life of coastal people of Bangladesh

Tourist must try authentic bangla food during their trip

Visiting a sustainable architecture project for a rural community in the north west of bangladesh

Cyclone shelter center is a necessity for the southern area of Bangladesh

Meeting the lovely entrepreneur women in Bangladesh

Healthcare architecture of Friendship Hospital Satkhira

A foreigner is relaxed on the rickshaw in Dhaka

Foreign tourist paddling a rickshaw in Bangladesh

Explore the main tourist spots of old dhaka within half day

Farewell meeting with Bangladeshi architects in dhaka

Sonargaon is known as a World Craft City for most complicated Jamdani weaving

Birds eye view of National Parliament building of Bangladesh

Beautiful Inner courtyard of Boro sardarbari

Panam archaeological site near sonargaon

beautiful one domed goaldi mosque in sonargaon

Chaotic new market in Dhaka should not be missed by any tourists

Country boat cruise on Burigonga river in Sadarghat

Aerial view of Behular Bashor Ghor, a famous and touristic archeological site in Bogra, Rajshahi, Bangladesh.

UNESCO world heritage site sixty domed mosque in Bagerhat

Early morning rowboat trip through the creeks of sundarban forest

Large group of spotted Deers in sundarban forest

Reddish-brown spotted Deers in sundarban mangrove forest

western tourist should not leave bangladesh without visiting a floating market and Back water cruise

most famous backwater and cannel cruise in Bangladesh

Day 1: Welcome to Bangladesh

Upon arrival at Dhaka International airport, Meet and greet your guide and transfer to the hotel for refreshments. Your guide will offer a city walk around Kanwar Bazar, Hatirjheel Lake in the afternoon. Late afternoon visits to the Home and studio of architect Bashirul Haq and some of his creations. Depending on the group size, accommodation would be arranged at Ambrosia guest house or at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka.

Day 2: Old Capital, Jamdani Saree weaving and a short river cruise by local country boat.

Leave Dhaka after breakfast at 8:00 AM for Sonargaon – the first capital of Bengal. On the way, we shall take our first stop in Nawapara Jamdani village. This is where the magic fingers are at weaving traditional Jamdani sari, which is an incredible artwork with a narrow future due to the cheaper productions of modern technology. Continue drive to the old capital of Bengal – Sonargaon; Panam Nagar, beautiful Sadarbari, well-maintained Folk-Art Museum are well worth visiting. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant. Continue to Buiddyer Bazar for a refreshing country boat cruise on the Meghna (One of the major rivers in Bangladesh) River for a couple of hours. This river trip will include an interesting walk to explore the primitive Char village life. Char is a temporary sandy shifting island formed by river erosion and sedimentation. There are thousands of chars in Bangladesh up from the northern part till to the south coast. Life on the Char is minimal; access to the medical care centre and education is very tough, impossible in some areas. You will return to your hotel by late in the afternoon.

Day 3: Architecture and Architect Day around Central Dhaka

Today's visit will include some remarkable buildings of Architect Muzharul Islam, Kashef Mahbub Chowdhury and Marina Tabassum around the Shahbag and Ramna Park area. Dhaka Art School, Department of fine art, central library complex, TSC Building, Curzon Hall, BUET Campus, Mohila Samity Complex, if time permits; Kamalapur Railway Station and BCIC building of B. Haque.

Day 4: Muzharul Islam - Pioneer of Bengali modernism

Morning visit to Kahn central Hospital and Capitol complex by L.I.Kahn, Muzharul Islam's building, SOS Youth Village, Herman Gmeiner School. Afternoon visits to the IAB building.

Day 5: City Tour of old Dhaka and Burigonga River

Old Dhaka Tour in the morning, New Market, Lalbag Fort and Burigonga River. Meeting local architects in the Dhanmondi area in the afternoon.

Day 6: Muzharul Islam, Paul Rudolph and Richard Neutra's Architecture around Mymensingh

Leave Dhaka at 4:30 AM for Mymensingh by reserved vehicle. Visit Muzharul Islam, Paul Rudolph and Richard Neutra buildings and Community-Based Medical College building in and around Mymensingh town. Late afternoon drive to Gazipur for overnight stay at Bhawal Resort.

Day 7: Modern Architecture for Rural Development

After an early breakfast, leave the hotel/ resort at 8 AM for Loom Shed (about an hour drive) and Aga Khan Award-winning Mosque in Gazipur. We may have a chance to visit a modern garments factory in the same area. Continue driving towards Savar to visit Muzharul Islam's buildings in Jahangirnagar University. Arcadia School of Saif U Haque is only an hour driving distance. Overnight stay at a hotel in Uttara.

Day 8: Leave Dhaka for Anna Heringer around the North-western parts of Bangladesh

After an early breakfast, you will be transferred to the domestic airport to avail 7:30 AM flight to Saidpur. Upon arrival at Saidpur, avail of the reserved vehicle and drive Kantanagar Hindu temple – the finest example of ancient brick terracotta architecture in Bangladesh. Continue the journey through a beautiful landscape of the country to Anna's School in Rudrapur. We will now have a long and worthy drive (4h) to the Friendship Centre in Gaibandha. Overnight stay at the centre.

Day 9: Architecture for Char development; Friendship Centre and Raised Settlements

It is beautiful to walk around the centre just before sunrise. Soon after breakfast at 8 AM, we will take a local rickshaw/ auto-rickshaw (20 Minutes) from the centre to a nearby river station for a daylong country boat cruise on Brahmaputra (Jamuna) River. You will be visiting the raised settlements (by Kashef M Chowdhury), Char villages and some schools around the Char. Overnight stay in Gaibandha.

Day 10: Ancient and modern architectures of Bogra

Leave the centre/ hotel after breakfast at 8 AM by reserved car for Bogra (2 hours). House of Orient would be our first stop. Exploration continues through Mohasthangarh, the oldest Hindu City and nearby Vasu Bihar. We would slightly be in a rush to visit the SOS youth village, Tigerman and Muzharul Islam's buildings and if time permits to visit Community Centre by B.Haque. Overnight stay at a hotel in Bogra.

Day 11: Highest Buddhist Stupa south of Himalaya and Housing by M. Islam

Leave the hotel after breakfast at 8:30 AM for Paharpur Archeological site. A local family will serve lunch at a nearby village. Continue driving towards the Joypurhat housing project of M. Islam. Drive to Saidpur Airport to avail a flight (ETD 4:50 PM) to Dhaka. Night stay at the same hotel in Uttara.

Day 12: Welcome to Sundarban

Morning flight to Jessore; visit the Panigram project, Banchte Shekha Bricks building in Jessore. Continue drive for 3 hours to Khulna and embark on the houseboat for Sundarban nature trip for tew days. Soon after completing your boarding, the boat will start its cruise towards the south and anchor at a forest station for an overnight stay and complete necessary forest permission formalities and pick up some forest armed guards to accompany us throughout the trip.

Day 13: Sundarbans – Forest between Land and Sea

Depending on the tides, the ship will resume its cruise towards the south until the coast of the Bay of Bengal, where we will be doing most of our forest activities. Before the sun sets, you will explore a narrow mangrove channel in a small rowboat to get a glimpse of the mangrove flora & fauna. Overnight and all meals onboard.

Day 14: Sundarbans – The Beautiful Forest

After an early morning excursion on the small boat, you are invited to join an easy hike along the sea-facing beach. With the Bay of Bengal on one side and the jungle on the other, it becomes apparent how seasonal and climate-induced changes shape this ever-changing forest. The boat will meet you on the other end of the walk near the Kotka Forest Station. This is the ranger station in the Eastern Sanctuary, one of the three Sundarbans sanctuaries with UNESCO World Heritage Site recognition. A silent evening boat ride will allow you to get a closer look at some of the wildlife inhabiting the biologically most diverse mangrove forest in the world: overnight and all meals onboard.

Day 15: Living with Tides and Tigers – People of the Sundarbans Forest

After the early morning exploratory boat trip, the ship will start cruising north through the mangrove forest. You will have the opportunity to observe fisherfolk at work in the channels using various fish, crab and shrimp catching gear. If time permits, you should not miss the chance to visit one of the communities along the forest fringes highly dependent on the Sundarbans resources. Overnight and all meals onboard.

Day 16: Bagerhat – City of Past Glory

After breakfast on board, you will disembark at Mongla and travel by road to Bagerhat. The Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat is an ancient city, formerly known as Khalifatabad, founded by the Turkish general Ulugh Khan Jahan in the 15th century. Bagerhat contains some of the most significant buildings of the initial period of the development of the Muslim architecture of Bengal. After visiting the famed sixty-domed mosque (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the mausoleum of Khan Jahan Ali, you will continue the scenic drive to Barishal by reserved vehicle and visit Kashef's Mosque in Agarpur on the way. Overnight stay at a hotel in Barishal.

Day 17: Backwater trip in Barishal and overnight launch/ Paddle Steamer to Dhaka

We will drive (40Km) to Banaripara by reserved transport. Here we embark on a country boat for rural life, experiencing a backwater channel cruise. Exploring life, people and their daily activities along the shore are charming. We will get off in some interesting village marketplaces and Schools in rural areas. There are some weekly floating vegetables, fruits, and timber markets on our route to explore. Thrilling to see how the manual labours load and unload all the giants' logs by hand and shoulder. The cruise is for 4/5 hours, but the impression is endless. Drive back to Barisal same way by reserved car to visit Muzharul Islam and Tigerman's buildings in the town before you avail the late afternoon/ overnight Rocket Paddle steamer (ETD 6 PM)/ regular ship (ETD 7-8:30 PM) to Dhaka. Overnight and dinner on board.

Day 18: New Dhaka Walk

Explore some buildings around around Gulshan, Banani; Slum upgrading (Karail Basti), Gulshan Society Mosque, Aakash Prodwip Tower, Comfort Revery, City Plaza, Playpen School and Bait Ur Rouf Mosque in Faidabad.

Day 19: Mingling and bargaining

On your last day, we suggest a visit to the busy different market area, where everything from readymade garments to jewellery, saris, household items, books and art supplies are also sold nicest fair trade and women's cooperative stores that sell a beautiful array of locally and sustainably produced handicrafts.

Day 20: We will say goodbye to meet again.

You will be transferred to the airport according to your departure time to avail flight back to your home.

Tour Location

Dhaka, Mymensingh, Dinajpur, Rangpur, Gaibandha, Bogra, Paharpur, Jessore, Sundarbans, Bagerhat, Barisal, Sonargaon

Comments:

Rolf Meier | Switzerland

April 1, 2018 at 11:00 am

Two weeks guided tour on modern architecture in Dhaka and Northern Bangladesh
May 2018 • Solo
Jewel was a fantastic guide who tried to fullfill all our wishes. From morning untill night he organised all he could to show us as much as possible of his country. He did everything trying to let us also enter private housing. The programm was very tight but he always stayed in a good mood, did everything he could. He was very helpful in any way. The hapiness of his klients is very important to him.
I can recommend him very strongly and actually hope to get back to Bangladesh one day. Surely I will then ask him to be my guide again.
Walter K | Basel, Switzerland

February 1, 2019 at 12:22 pm

An unforgettable travel
Feb 2019 • Friends
Our trip to Bangladesh focussed on modern architecture such as the famous National Parliament by Louis I Kahn, the prominent buildings of Muzharul Islam, the «founding father» of modern architecture in the young country (founded in 1971) and other eminent buildings of widely acknowledged local architects such as Basharul Haq . Our trip was organised and guided by Jewel’s Royal Bengal Tours. Thanks to Jewel we got to visit all impressive architectural sights in Dhaka we had planned to see and several other places in the countryside such as the « friendship center » near Gaibanda, the Agricultural University in Mymensing and more. Jewel and his driver Mobarak guided us safely and patiently through the heavy and noisy traffic and the beautiful landscapes (ricefields) . We had a great time in Bangladesh and learned a lot about the country. Our last days we spent on a boat in the beautiful Sunderban region at the board of the Indian ocean with its rich vegetation and fauna. Jewel is not only a very skilled and experienced guide but also a wonderful and caring person and friend. Thanks to him our trip was a great success and an unforgettable experience. We highly recommend his services to everyone who is interested to get to know the many jewels of Bangladesh!

Our Group “Louis Kahn for ever” from Switzerland (5 persons)
Regine Aeppli

February 1, 2019 at 12:25 pm

Thrilling Bangladesh
Feb 2019 • Friends
Our trip to Bangladesh focused on modern architecture such as the famous National Parliament by Louis I. Kahn, the prominent buildings of Muzharul Islam, the „founding father“ of modern architecture in Bangladesh, and other prominent contemporary architects like Basharul Haq whom we had the chance to meet. Our trip was organized and guided by Jewel‘s Royal Bengal Tours. There was nothing Jewel wouldn’t do for us as long as it fitted into our travelling plans. He guided us to the many places of of architectural interest not only in Dhaka but also in the countryside for instance to „the friendship center“ near Gaibanda, the Agricultural University in Mymensingh with its large buildings by Robert Neutra, Paul Rudolph and Muzharul Islam. Everything Jewel did was very well prepared and of great interest for us. He and his excellent young driver Mobarak showed us their country and guided us safely through heavy traffic and noisy places while we sat peacefully in the back of the car enjoying what there was to see – among others the beautiful green landscapes and rice fields. The last days of our visit we spent in the Sunderbans at the shore of the Indian Ocean where we were looking for Bengal Tigers. Yet they were not hungry for us, they only left their footprints in the sand. – It was a wonderful and extraordinary trip. Not only did we find great architecture in Bangladesh but also gained a good friend – Jewel! We are very greatful for this unique experience. And we can recommend him to everybody who is interested to learn about Bangladesh. Thanks a lot, dear Jewel and good luck with your upcoming tours and your business.

Architecture Tour of Bangladesh