Chittagong

Eco-friendly travel guide to Chittagong advises how to be a responsible tourist. Learn how to explore the attractions in a sustainable way and how to respect the local people and culture. Make your trip green by supporting locally owned hotels, organic restaurants and other businesses. Read more on how to protect the environment by making conscientious choices and how to travel green in Chittagong, Bangladesh.

Air quality: 2.6 / 5

Exploring by foot: 3.5 / 5

Exploring by bicycle: 3.5 / 5

Public transportation: 4.0 / 5

Parks: 4.5 / 5

Outdoor activities: 4.0 / 5

Locals' English level: 2.0 / 5

Safety: 4.0 / 5

Accommodation: US$10 - $200

Budget per day: US$5 - $50

Responsible Travel

Are you planning to visit Chittagong, Bangladesh? If yes, then you have chosen one of the best places to travel in the world. The sweet culture and the people of Chittagong would make you feel like home during every visit. The area is full of tourist attractions, scenic beauty and most importantly, rich culture. If you visit Chittagong ever, you will come to know that the place has a lot of things to offer to the tourists. The most precious thing which you would bring home along with you from Chittagong, Bangladesh, are the sweetest of memories.

You would be able to easily store every glance of what you see over there in your naturally unique gallery, the brain. But have you ever thought to yourself, if you have something to give back to Chittagong? Well, yes. Every tourist visiting Chittagong should pay the city back by exploring the place with a sense of responsibility, being careful about the culture and paying respect to the local people as well as the local markets. Your small contributions to Chittagong as a responsible tourist would be a massive help.

Avoid Political Turmoil: The first thing which you should keep in mind is the political scenario of Chittagong. The place has had a typical political history in the past. As a responsible traveller, you should never get into any political turmoil in Chittagong.
Try to Stay in the Local Hotels: The local hotels of Chittagong do have a relatively healthy ambience. You could enjoy the local culture and food while staying at the local hotels. Your smallest contributions to these local hotels would enable them to grow and flourish. They would be able to develop their business fast and also welcome more and more travellers or tourists visiting Chittagong with good services.
Taste the Local Food: You would be able to spot several local food stalls on the streets while roaming around. Lots of unique dishes to win the hearts of the tourists are available. You can show some love and respect towards their hard work and struggle in life by buying some of the local street foods from Chittagong. The quality of the food items is worth the praise of the tourists. Every time you go near the stalls, you can smell the ever delicious, mouth-watering food items served fresh to the tourists.
Buy things from the local stores: Another way to show love and respect towards the culture of Chittagong is by purchasing stuff from the local markets. The economy is not doing really well and it is a city in a third world country so supporting local businesses will really make a difference. Not everyone pays much attention and respects the seller's everyday life struggle to save up each penny and use it sustain a business and provide for their family.
Visit the local places: One of the best ways to appreciate Chittagong and its people is by visiting the evergreen and colourful local sites of tourism. The tourist spots are worth every penny you pay to see them. These monuments and exceptional destinations mark the rich Bangladeshi culture and history. You can not only understand the history of the struggle of the people of Bangladesh but also have the opportunity to appreciate it.
Use local transport: The best way to travel responsibly is by using the local transport system and reducing your carbon footprint. Not only that but if you go for local transport options like buses, rickshaws, boats, trains, etc then the budget of travelling would automatically reduce as well.
Using Green or Eco-Friendly Hotels: Another step that you can take while travelling in Chittagong as a part of responsible tourist can be to book green hotels. These unique hotels in Chittagong, Bangladesh, are relatively less in numbers but are still present nonetheless.

Air Quality and Pollution

The Air Quality and pollution level depends on the particulate matter in the air. Fortunately, Chittagong has a moderate rate on a scale of 5, which is 2.5 PM. 2.5 rating on the scale of 5 in air quality and pollution is relatively mild. It is not too much or too low. So you cannot straight away overlook the matter. If you have got specific allergies like that of dust or pollen, then you should take precautions during the visit to Chittagong which can include wearing a mask or carrying an over the count antihistamine with you.

Pollution in the air can be severe during the winter as the air tends to be static and heavy. There is not much movement in the pollutant particles. The human body might get in touch with the particulate matters at ease during the winter. Despite the excellent and soothing weather condition during winter months from November end to March, it is not suitable for tourists with allergies or health concerns to visit Chittagong during the winter season. The months of August, September and October might have a lesser amount of particulate matters in the air, and the air quality might be more healthy. Heavy humidity and rainfall during the monsoon season brings down the pollution level in the air. But those months might not be entirely appropriate for visiting Chittagong as you would not be able to go out of the hotels much or enjoy and explore the whole of Bangladesh.

The best time to visit the city and to avoid pollution or particulate matters in the air is during the summer season. During July, the pm level remains down in the air. The particulate matters rise high up in the air, away from the people. It allows you to breathe freely and enjoy the climate without much problem. Despite the high temperature, some people with health concerns and skin allergies prefer to visit Chittagong during the summer where the air is non-static and mobile, and the pollution level is low.

When you are visiting, make sure you do not contribute to the pollution in any way and take all the necessary precautions.

Respect the Culture

When you visit a place, your love and respect for that place should be your priority. The same level of respect is required for its people and culture. The first thing which you should know about Chittagong and Bangladesh is that the name represents Bengali language and Bengali culture most importantly.

The area mainly consists of Muslim population. The majority of the population is Bengali. Besides the 98% of Bengali people, the rest of the 2% belong to different ethnicities. People belong to different religions apart from being muslims, Hindu, Buddhist, Christians and many others are also present. You need to know this in order to ensure that you do not hurt anyone's religious sentiments in any way. What they practice might be different from you do and what you believe in but you still need to respect it. Do not question them in a way that can be offensive and generally just steer clear from this topic.

You will see people talking in various languages as well and even their dialect of speaking Bengali might differ from region to region. If you do not understand Bengali then there is nothing to worry about because most shopkeepers, hotel staff can speak enough English to understand what you are trying to say albeit it will be great to learn a few sentences in the local language. Bengali is known to be a very sweet language so make sure you respect it and don't say anything offensive about it.

The place has a very rich historical past with several historical events which marks the growth, political changes, religious changes and the mentality of the locals. Their flag consists of a dark green base which indicates the beautiful Mother Nature prevailing in Bangladesh. In the left of the centre of the green-based flag, you can spot a dark red circle which means the bloodshed in the year of 1971 that was a result of a war and gaining their independence. It also indicates the rising sun as a symbol of growth in the land. The beautiful Chittagong's culture reflects clearly in their National anthem, which is a gift from the legendary Novelist and writer Rabindranath Tagore. You can show it some respect by keeping your hand on your chest or standing up in respect whenever you hear it during your trip. The culture and the literature is influenced by other nations as well like India, Pakistan and even from the British Empire because of its status as a colony in the past.

When it comes to cultural programs and occasions, Chittagong's people love celebrating things like weddings, birthdays or national events by having a gathering and an event or special ceremony. The people are very hospitable and love welcoming the guests with nothing but love and respect so make sure it is reciprocated as well. The celebrations involve inviting and feeding relatives and friends with amous dishes like Biriyani and curries of meat, beef, lamb, etc. Most of the population belongs to the Muslim community in Chittagong, so the celebration of Eid is quite common in the region. If someone invites you to their home for a small celebration, do not hesitate and pay a visit to enjoy their rich culture.

Top 10 Places to Visit

Here is a list of the top 10 places to visit in Chittagong, Bangladesh:

Chittagong ship-breaking yard: One of the most popular places to visit in Chittagong is the ship-breaking yard. If you miss this tourist spot, you will miss one of the most exciting experiences you could have had in the city. On visiting the shipwrecking point, you would notice the decays of the giant steel bodies of the ships. It is a hundred-meter long beach where millions of ships rest in peace. The place has been a shooting spot to famous movies like Avengers at present.
Patenga beach: It is one of the most beautiful and popular tourist spot which you should not miss visiting. The beach is a perfect destination for observing Mother Nature's love as well as the rage. You would see the beautiful Bay of Bengal crashing its sea waves drastically on the shore full of stones. The beach has got long linings of boulders to protect the city and its people from the vast sea waves of the Bay of Bengal.
Foy’s lake and amusement park: Wherever there is a park, there is fun. The lake is a natural gift from Mother Nature to the land of Chittagong. The park lies in the lap of mountains which adds to the beauty of the tourist spot. If you visit Chittagong with your family and friends, then this tourist spot is a must-visit. The peaceful ambience would make you fall in love with this scenic beauty. The park is named after the railway engineer Mr Foy.
Shrine of Bayazid Bostami: The Shrine of Bayazid Bostami is a religious place in the memory of Bayazid Bostami (a Persian Sufi). People believe it he visited Chittagong during the ninth century because in those days Arabs and Persians used to visit the port of Chittagong. The Shrine has a pond of turtles right in front of it where you would find dozens of turtles. It is a beautiful and peaceful place to visit.
The National Ethnological museum: One of the best tourist attraction points is the National Ethnological museum. It is the only ethnological museum in Bangladesh and the second one in Asia. The ethnological museum has a wide collection to mark the various historical tribes in Bangladesh who used to live there at some point of time but now they are no more. The museum is of great importance to the people working on several research papers on history. It gets 200 or 300 visitors daily marking its immense value.
WWII Memorial Cemetery: One of the tourist spots which you should not miss while visiting Chittagong is the World War two memorial cemetery. The cemetery has 731 tombs at present. Previously it had only 400 graves, but at the end of the war, the rest of them were added, marking the significant loss during the war. There are 20 tombs of foreign people who were killed during the war including a Dutch soldier and 19 Japanese. The place also has a monument of Chittagong-Mumbai war indicating the massive loss of the nation.
Chittagong Railway Station: If you want to understand and observe the most beautiful architectural designs in Chittagong and also Bangladesh, then no other spot can be more enduring than the Chittagong railway station. The railway station has got some of the most ancient architectural designs.
Fish Harbor and Market: Have you got any idea on the varieties of fish? If not, then you should visit the fish harbour and market in the city. It is the biggest fish market in Bangladesh. You can spot varieties of fish from all over the world. The place might not smell pleasant, but the opportunity of seeing thousands of varieties of fish is not for everyone. One thing you need to know about the locals is that they LOVE fish. Bengalis are obsessed with fish and their meals are incomplete without it.
Battali Hills Park: The Batali Hill stands at the Tiger Pass which has witnessed various events like the World War Two. The attackers got a clear view of the Bay of Bengal and the whole city from the Batali Hill. The launching of anti-aircraft weapons from Batali Hill was quite useful during the war. It is also the highest point in the city of Chittagong.
Chittagong Circuit House: The circuit house is a gift to Chittagong city from the British government. At present, the circuit house has been turned to a museum preserving the memories of the former President of Bangladesh, Ziaur Rahman.

The Patenga beach is a must visit if you are looking for some peace and tranquility

Explore

Chittagong, Bangladesh is a small land with a rich culture and severe history. It has got beautiful places and tourist spots to visit, which would leave you amazed. It is the greenery hub of Bangladesh. It has got several beautiful city parks where you along with your tourists mates and chill and relax amidst Mother Nature. The list is as follows:

City Parks

Butterfly Park: The park comprises of a vast area where kids and grownups both can have fun. The peaceful ambience of the park is praiseworthy. The small rides for the children are safe. Adults can enjoy the peace and the lush green park.
Lal Dighi Park: The lal dighi park has many seats and benches for the people visiting. There is a small pond in the centre of the park which adds to the beauty of it. The park is the best for morning walks.
D.C. Hill Open Stage: This park in Chittagong consists of jogging tracks for people wanting to jog or walk and exercise. It has plenty of seats for the visitors. It remains quite busy during the evening.

Artificial waterfall, Butterfly Park Bangladesh

National Parks

Chittagong is one of the most popular city divisions in Bangladesh among the tourists. You can easily expect to visit a few national parks which also are amusement parks with excellent decorations and lighting shows. The list is down below:

Jamburi park: The Jamburi park is one of the national parks in Chittagong. The excellent light works in the park is a tourist attraction point. There is an artificial lake in the garden, which makes it quite popular among the tourists.
Kaptai National park: The Kaptai National park consists of a vast lake for boating. The small jungle region surrounding the national park attracts tourists the most. It has got a peaceful ambience.
Chittagong zoo: the zoo is a part of the Foy’s amusement park. It is also a kind of entertaining national park for the tourists.

Jamburi park in Chittagong

Beaches

You can expect to visit a few splendid sea beaches in Chittagong. As a coastal region with huge ports and harbors, you can consider Chittagong and the Bay of Bengal to be best friends. If you visit Chittagong, do not forget to visit the following sea beaches.

Cox's bazaar beach: it is one of the most famous sea beaches in Chittagong division for the tourists. It is the longest sea beach in the world. The open beach with various stalls makes it popular.
Patenga beach: as mentioned before, Patenga beach is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in Chittagong. The beach has got boulders in the shore for safety concerns.
Inani beach: the Inani beach in Chittagong division also marks one of the beautiful tourist spots. It is a perfect spot for enjoying the sunrise and sunset.

The magnificent Inani beach

Landmarks

Chittagong is the busiest city division in Bangladesh after Dhaka for tourists. You can easily find several great landmarks with each of them having a different kind of significance. The following landmarks might be helpful for you:

Anderkilla Shahi Jame Mosque: The mosque is one of the most famous landmarks in Chittagong which almost everyone knows.
Hanging bridge: The hanging bridge might sound scary, but it is a famous landmark in Chittagong which might be useful to you while visiting the place.
Chandranath temple: One of the best landmarks in Chittagong is the Chandranath temple. The temple is situated at the top of Chandranath hill which is quite tough to climb.

Inside the beautiful Anderkilla Shahi Jame Mosque

Museums

Have you been to Chittagong, Bangladesh for the first time? If yes, then do not miss out the amazing museums in Chittagong. These museums hold lots of memories and the prevailing history of the place. you can visit the museums to get a lot of knowledge regarding Chittagong and its people and understand them properly.

Ethological Museum: The museum is one of the rarest museums in the whole of Asia. It preserves the memories of tribes in Chittagong, Bangladesh.
Zia Memorial Museum: The museum preserves all the memories of the former present of Bangladesh, Ziaur Rahman.
Bangladesh Railway Museum: When it comes to museums, nothing more important than the Bangladesh railway museum flashes through the mind. The museum has got historical evidence from the time of the British empire related to the railway station of Chittagong.

Bangladesh Railway Museum

Eat

People of Chittagong value their food a lot. When you go to Chittagong, do not think of wasting food as people in the land know the value of each morsel as Bangladesh is one of the poorest countries in the world. There are several one-stop restaurants in Chittagong offering you a wide variety of dishes from veg to non veg. You can truly get a taste of the Bangladeshi cuisine and culture.

Traditional Local Restaurants

The traditional restaurants not only serve traditional food but also offer an enriching experience and an insight to the local culture of the city. The following list of traditional restaurants in Chittagong offers a variety of traditional dishes:

Handi Restaurant: The restaurant provides dine-in, take away and delivery services to the customers. You can get varieties of Biriyanis and all the traditional dishes at the Handi restaurant.
Patil restaurant: The restaurant offers varieties of Biriyanis along with continental and Chinese dishes to the tourists.
Mejjainna Bari: When it comes to traditional or home-made food, nothing can be better than Mejjainna Bari. You can get Biriyanis, various rice dishes, variations in non-veg items, etc.

Vegetarian and Vegan

People of Chittagong, Bangladesh is not much into vegetarian dishes. If you prefer veg over non-veg, then you might find the following options for your kind of suitable food in good quality.

Govinda’s Hotel and Restaurant
Sri Govinda Restaurant

Street Food

Street food in Chittagong, Bangladesh has been quite famous since a long time now. Street food plays a pivotal role in keeping the tourist count intact in Chittagong. Tourists roaming all around the city division of Chittagong prefer to enjoy snack items like street food always. The following options might be of help.

Kolkhati Street Food Muradpur
Street Admin

Drink

There are different variety of drinks available in Chittagong. You can enjoy fresh fruit juices, tea coffee, water and whatnot. There are available at fresh fruit shops, grocery stores, vending machines etc.

Tap-water

Tap water is not safe to drink from the tap directly. You will have to boil it first and then drink it. Make sure you boil it properly in order to avoid getting sick. It is definitely the most eco friendly way instead of consuming bottled water.

Organic Cafés

The organic cafes in Chittagong, Bangladesh can provide you some delicious and organic meals.

Tava Restaurant & Lounge
Barcode Café

Breweries

Breweries in Chittagong are rare to find as it is a Muslim community zone. Though beers and other drinks are available at irregular spots for the tourists and foreigners.

Activities

There are plenty of things to do in Chittagong. You can visit museums, parks, landmarks, food markets, beaches etc. You will love exploring the town and engaging in different activities.

Yoga and Retreats

People of Chittagong appreciate meditation and yoga retreats. Though there are not many yoga centres in the city you can still use the parks and small tourist spots to do yoga.

Accommodation

When it comes to accommodation in Chittagong, you would easily find varieties of options in accommodations. After the urbanization, Chittagong welcomes the rush of tourists with excellent accommodation of apartments, hostels, messes, hotels, etc.

Hotel Radisson Blu, Chittagong

Green Hotels

The green city of Bangladesh, Chittagong has got a few green hotels located in the lap of Mother Nature with all facilities for comforting the tourists on the first go. The following list of green hotels not only provides excellent services to the tourists but also prevails an eco-friendly ambience.

Hotel Green, Chittagong
Green Star Hotel
Hotel Diamond Park

Hostels and Guest Houses

When you visit Chittagong, you would not face any problem in choosing the best and most suitable hostels and guesthouses for yourself and your fellow mates. The following are the list of hotels and guesthouses in Chittagong where you can easily take shelter during your trip.

Naba Inn Guest House
Godhuli Guest House

Apartments

There are several apartments available in Chittagong for accommodation purposes. You can easily pick the best one for you and your family while visiting Chittagong with essential services like food and lodging facilities. The following list might help you know the options available:

A.R. Tower
Chittagong City Corporation Apartments
Noor Mahal

Couchsurfing

Chittagong is developing the concept of Couchsurfing slowly. Though, you can search for a few options from the local people of the area in Chittagong where you are planning to stay.

Camping

Chittagong is naturally beautiful. It has got a few best places for camping during the tourist season. The areas remain safe for climbing and night stays as well. You would not face any extreme weather condition in those areas. You can relax and forget your daily life stress at ease in these spots.

Asthenia Ansar Camp
Mariner’s Drive Road Park
Max-Horse Yard

How to Get There

Are you confused about which mode of transport to choose for reaching Chittagong? If yes, then worry not as there is more than one mode of transport available to reach your dream destination for a perfect vacation. The following are the ways you can take:

Air

If you are planning to visit Chittagong by air, then you would have to book a flight till Shah Amanat International Airport which is the nearest airport to Chittagong. You can get various cab services available near the airport to reach your destination.

Shah Amanat International Airport, Chittagong

Bus

You can easily reach Chittagong taking a bus as the roads are well connected to all the other busy road routes outside the country.

A local bus in Chittagong

Train

You can also reach Chittagong taking a train directly to Chittagong where the routes are connected to cities of Dhaka and Sylhet.

Railway Station, Chittagong

Hitchhiking

The concept of Hitchhiking is yet not common in Chittagong.

Others

The last way you can reach Chittagong is by taking the water route, where you would have to get down at the Chittagong port and take suitable vehicles via road from there.

Moving Around

When you visit a new place, you would die to go out and explore the region by visiting the nearby tourist spots during the stay. It is not worth it to have a car rented for visiting the local sight scenes in Chittagong. Besides rental cabs, you can go for the following options to contribute a little amount to the local transport system as well.

Walk

You can walk around the nearby spots in Chittagong at ease. The best way to visit the nearby tourist spots is by taking a walk.

Bicycle

If you are a cycle lover or a hiker, then a bicycle can be quite a comfortable mode of moving around in Chittagong.

Electronic Vehicles

You would not find many options in electronic vehicles for moving around in Chittagong.

Public Bus

Public bus can be a great and affordable mode of transport for moving around in Chittagong.

Tram, Train and Subway

There are trains available in Chittagong for travelling around, but the trams and subway services are yet to develop properly.

Sustainable Shopping

On visiting Chittagong, you would want to take home a few items as a memory from Chittagong, Bangladesh. Here are a few options from the different categories of markets in Chittagong where you would find gift items for your loved ones and also other stuff as memories.

Food Markets

Dewan Bazar Market
Reazuddin Bazar
Shersha Vegetable Market

Flea Markets

There is no such developed flea market in Chittagong.

Second Hand Stores

Hossain Enterprise
Ayrin Volcanising Shop
Maa Tyre and Vulcanizing

Eco-Fashion

There is no proper eco-fashion market in Chittagong.

Recycling

Chittagong is a place in Bangladesh where people are quite conscious about Mother Nature. You would find a lot of places for recycling of old items to new products. Plastic wastes also transform into new usable items by going through the process of recycling.

Waste

Chittagong is quite a clean city in Bangladesh. It has got two dumping grounds, namely, Ananda Bazar’s Halisahar and Arefin Nagar’s Pahartali.

Work and Study Abroad

You can find a great job and study opportunities in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The place has to offer the best study materials and well-developed institutions for helping the students in the best way possible. The staying facilities are also quite good for foreigners in Chittagong.

Exchange Student

There are several scopes for exchange students program available in Chittagong. Students and teachers can efficiently work and study here at various reliable spots like Asian University for women and Chittagong Medical College.

Au Pair

People of Chittagong are yet not entirely open to Au Pair concepts, but some of them do opt for such services.

Volunteering

There are several non-profit or profit related organizations available in Chittagong for which you can work at ease for the welfare of the people or animals around you.