Scenic train journey through northwest Bangladesh: ancient temples, medieval mosques, Santal villages, silk factories, and Ganges sunsets.
Your guide meets you at Dhaka Central Railway Station to board the Dhumketu Express (6:00 AM departure; Thursday closed) for one of the most scenic train rides in Bangladesh, arriving in Rajshahi around 12:00 PM. After hotel check-in and lunch, explore the Temple City of Puthia, a village filled with beautiful 18th-19th-century terracotta temples and palaces whose carvings depict scenes from Hindu epics. Later, enjoy a boat ride on the Padma (Ganges) River, watching the sun set over one of Asia's great waterways.
After breakfast, begin a full-day heritage exploration with a visit to a Santal village, one of the oldest indigenous communities in Bengal, meeting local families and visiting the village school. Continue to Chapai Nawabganj, the land of mangoes, and explore the ancient capital of Gaur with its medieval mosques: Choto Sona Mosque (15th century), Darasbari Mosque (15th century), and Nayabad Mosque. In the afternoon, visit the Sopura Silk Factory to learn the silk-weaving process and explore its showroom, returning to Rajshahi by evening.
After breakfast, explore Rajshahi city and visit the Varendra Research Museum, one of Bangladesh's oldest and richest museums, housing rare artifacts from ancient Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms. Take a tuk-tuk ride through the historic city past Rajshahi College, old indigo trading houses, and colonial-era buildings. In the afternoon, board the Padma Express (4:00 PM departure; Tuesday closed) back to Dhaka, arriving around 9:30 PM where the tour ends.
