What to Do in Cox's Bazar in 2 Days: A Plan With Activities and Costs
Only two days? Instead of sitting at Sugandha Point the whole time, this hour-by-hour plan fits in Marine Drive, Himchari, Inani, parasailing, jet skis, beach bikes and the Buddhist temples of Ramu, with rough prices for each activity.
- From Dhaka
- About 400 km; night bus or the Cox's Bazar Express
- How long
- 2 days, 1 night (travel overnight)
- Cost
- ৳5,000–9,000 per person for 2 days, with activities
- Best time
- November–March, when the sea is calm and activities run
Trip ticket
The biggest mistake on a two-day Cox's Bazar trip is spending all of it at Sugandha Point. With a little planning, two days is enough to ride Marine Drive to Inani, see the sea from a hilltop, go up on a parasail and still catch the sunset on the beach. This plan assumes you travel overnight in both directions, so you don't lose any daylight.
If you have three days, see our 3-day Cox's Bazar trip plan, which adds Maheshkhali.
The best way to get there
Overnight travel works best for a two-day trip: leave at night, arrive in the morning and you have the whole day.
| Mode | Time | Approximate one-way fare |
|---|---|---|
| Cox's Bazar Express (Kamalapur, 11 pm) | About 8 h 20 min | Shovon chair ৳754, Snigdha ৳1,443 |
| Non-AC bus | 9–10 hours | ৳1,000–1,200 |
| AC bus | 9–10 hours | ৳2,000–2,800 |
| Flight | 1 hour | From ৳4,500 |
All train times and fares are on our train schedule page. Tickets go on sale 10 days before travel, and winter Thursday tickets sell out in minutes, so try first thing in the morning.
Day 1: Marine Drive, Himchari and Inani
7–9 am: Arrive and drop your bags
Trains and buses arrive in the morning. Check-in is usually after noon, so tell the hotel ahead that you'll leave your bags early. Have breakfast in Kolatoli.
9 am: Hire an open jeep or CNG
Open jeeps (chander gari), CNGs and battery autos for Marine Drive wait at Kolatoli junction. Agree on the return trip to Inani and every stop on the way before you set off.
| Vehicle | Seats | Approximate fare (Inani and back, half a day) |
|---|---|---|
| CNG | 3–4 | ৳1,200–1,800 |
| Open jeep | 8–10 | ৳2,500–3,500 |
10 am: Himchari
About 12 km from Kolatoli. The small waterfall nearly dries up in winter, but the real draw is the hilltop. Climb the steps and you get green hills on one side and the sea to the horizon on the other. Allow an hour up and down.
Noon: Patuartek and Inani
About 13 km further is Inani, where black rocks and coral appear on the sand at low tide. They're covered at high tide, so check the tide times first. Just before Inani, Patuartek has a quieter rocky beach.
Have lunch at an Inani restaurant: pomfret, coral fish or fried loitta (Bombay duck).
4 pm: Back for sunset at Laboni and Sugandha
Check in, then head down to the beach. Sunset is the best moment of the day in Cox's Bazar.
Evening: The Burmese Market and seafood
The Burmese Market sells Rakhine shawls, pickles, dried fish and shell crafts. Later, near Sugandha Point, you can pick fresh fish and have it fried on the spot; settle the weight and price first.
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Day 2: Activities, Ramu and the trip home
6 am: An empty beach
At dawn the beach is almost empty and fishermen bring their boats in. It's the best time for photos.
9 am–noon: Beach activities
From November to March the sea is calm and most activities run. Prices vary with the season and your bargaining; rough figures:
| Activity | Where | Approximate price |
|---|---|---|
| Parasailing | Laboni–Sugandha, Inani | ৳1,500–3,000 per person |
| Jet ski | Sugandha–Kolatoli | ৳500–1,000 for 5–10 minutes |
| Beach bike (ATV) | Sugandha–Kolatoli | ৳300–600 for 10–15 minutes |
| Horse ride | Along the beach | ৳100–300 |
| Speedboat ride | Jetty No. 6 | ৳200–500 per person when shared |
| Beach umbrella and chair | Along the beach | ৳50–100 an hour |
If you'd rather skip the thrills, the Radiant Fish World aquarium in Jhautala is good for families and children.
1 pm: The Buddhist temples of Ramu
About 15 km from town, 30–40 minutes by CNG. Ramu has wooden monasteries over a century old and a huge reclining Buddha on a hilltop. A CNG there and back with waiting costs ৳800–1,200.
Afternoon: One last beach walk, then home
Spend the last of the afternoon on the beach, then take a 10–11 pm bus or the night train to Dhaka and be at work or class the next morning.
Two-day budget (per person)
For a group of four, one night in a hotel:
| Item | Budget | More comfortable |
|---|---|---|
| Travel (Dhaka return) | ৳1,500–2,000 | ৳3,000–5,500 |
| Hotel (one night, shared) | ৳500–1,000 | ৳1,500–3,000 |
| Marine Drive and Ramu transport (shared) | ৳500–800 | ৳500–800 |
| Food (2 days) | ৳1,000–1,500 | ৳2,000–3,000 |
| Activities | ৳300–1,000 | ৳2,000–4,000 |
| Total | ৳3,800–6,300 | ৳9,000–16,300 |
For more ways to save, see our budget travel tips.
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Where to stay
For a two-day trip, stay at Kolatoli or Sugandha Point: the beach is a short walk away and Marine Drive transport starts here. Budget hotels cost ৳1,500–3,000 and good hotels from ৳5,000. Prices can double over the winter holidays, on Thursdays and Fridays and in late December, so book ahead.
Safety tips
- Don't go in the water when the red flag is up; swim only where lifeguards are on duty
- The pull is strongest at low tide, so don't go deeper than your waist
- Don't leave valuables on the sand while you swim
- Don't walk alone on empty stretches of beach at night
- The tourist police can help with any problem; the emergency number is 999
Questions and answers
Can I visit Saint Martin's in two days?
No. Saint Martin's needs at least two extra days, and there are now set rules for visiting. See our Saint Martin's travel rules for details.
Is parasailing safe?
With good gear, an experienced operator and calm weather it is usually fine. Don't go up if it's windy or the harness and rope look worn.
Can I rent a bike for Marine Drive?
Scooters and motorbikes are for hire in Kolatoli, but you need a valid licence and a helmet. Marine Drive has bends and people crossing suddenly, so ride slowly.
Which month is the most crowded?
December and January, especially from Christmas to New Year and during the school winter holidays. Go in November or midweek to avoid the crowds.
See it on the map, plan your trip
Look up the places, routes and costs, then put your own trip together.
