Rajshahi Travel Guide: The Padma Riverside, Puthia, Bagha Mosque, Mango Season and Costs
A clean, green city, sunsets on the Padma and the mango capital of Bangladesh. How to get to Rajshahi from Dhaka, the Varendra Museum, Puthia's terracotta temples, Bagha Mosque, what to do in mango season, kalai ruti and a 2-day plan.
- From Dhaka
- About 250 km, 5–6 hours by bus
- By train
- Silk City, Padma, Dhumketu, Banalata; ৳350–1,100
- How long
- 2 days
- Cost
- ৳1,500–3,000 per person per day
- Best time
- June–July for mangoes; October–February for sightseeing
Trip ticket
Rajshahi is often called one of the cleanest and greenest cities in Bangladesh. In the afternoon thousands of people gather on the paved bank of the Padma to watch the sunset, with huge sandbanks in the river. Half an hour away, Puthia has the country's largest group of terracotta temples, and Bagha a five-hundred-year-old Sultanate mosque. Go in June or July and you'll get mangoes fresh from the orchards. Here's everything you need for Rajshahi.
How to get from Dhaka to Rajshahi
| Mode | From | Approximate fare and time |
|---|---|---|
| Bus | Gabtoli (Green Line, Hanif, Desh Travels, National) | Non-AC ৳650–800, AC ৳1,200–1,600; 5–6 hours |
| Train | Kamalapur (Silk City, Padma, Dhumketu, Banalata) | ৳350–1,100 |
| Air | Biman and US-Bangla (Shah Makhdum Airport) | ৳3,500–5,500 one way |
The Banalata Express runs non-stop between Dhaka and Rajshahi, so it's quicker. Check times on the train schedule page.
In the city
The Padma riverside: Padma Garden and T-Bandh
The heart of Rajshahi is the paved bank of the Padma. Watching the sunset from T-Bandh and Padma Garden, eating fuchka with tea and hiring a boat out to the river's sandbanks is Rajshahi's favourite pastime. In winter you can walk on the chars; in the monsoon the river is full.
Varendra Research Museum
Founded in 1910, the oldest museum in the country, with a superb collection of Pala- and Sena-era stone sculpture, inscriptions, coins and relics of ancient Bengal. If you like history, allow at least an hour and a half to two hours. Check the weekly closing day before you go.
Shrine of Hazrat Shah Makhdum
Rajshahi's main shrine, at Dargapara on the Padma, in memory of Shah Makhdum Rupos.
Rajshahi University and silk
The green campus of one of the country's biggest universities is lovely for an afternoon walk. In the Sopura area, Rajshahi silk factories and shops sell silk saris and fabric.
Outside the city
Puthia Temple Complex
About 30 km from Rajshahi on the way to Natore. Around the Puthia Rajbari and its ponds stand many temples, including the large Shiva temple, the Govinda temple and the Ahnik temple, their walls covered in superb terracotta work. It's the largest group of terracotta temples in the country. Take a Natore-bound bus, get off at Puthia and walk or take a rickshaw.
Bagha Mosque
In Bagha upazila, about 40 km from the city: a ten-domed Sultanate mosque from 1523, its walls covered in terracotta work, beside a large pond. It used to appear on the old fifty-taka note.
A little further
- Natore: Rani Bhabani's palace, Uttara Ganabhaban and Chalan Beel; right after Puthia, doable in a day. Details in the Natore district guide.
- Chapainawabganj: the 15th-century Choto Sona Mosque, the Tahkhana and miles of mango orchards. Details in the Chapainawabganj district guide.
- Paharpur in Naogaon and Mahasthangarh in Bogura: two of ancient Bengal's great sites; read the Paharpur and Mahasthangarh trip.
Rajshahi in mango season
The mangoes of Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj are famous across the country. Different varieties ripen from about early June through July: Gopalbhog, Himsagar (Khirsapat), Langra, then Amrapali and Fazli. Each year the government announces the dates from which each variety may be picked.
- To visit an orchard, go through a local contact with the owner's permission
- Baneshwar haat (on the way to Puthia) is one of the country's biggest mango markets; it's busiest at dawn
- Mangoes you buy can be sent home by courier; the city has plenty of mango packing shops
A 2-day plan
Day 1: the city
- Morning: arrive by train or bus and check in
- 11 am: Varendra Research Museum
- Midday: lunch of kalai ruti with duck curry
- Afternoon: the shrine of Shah Makhdum, then sunset on the Padma and a boat to the sandbank
- Evening: Shaheb Bazar and the silk shops
Day 2: Puthia and Bagha
- Morning: bus to Puthia and the temple complex (2 hours)
- Midday: Bagha Mosque (by CNG from Puthia)
- Afternoon: back to Rajshahi for the night train or bus to Dhaka
Where to stay
- Parjatan Motel Rajshahi: the government motel near the Padma.
- Hotel X Rajshahi: the city's luxury hotel.
- Mid-range hotels: around Shaheb Bazar and the city centre, ৳1,200–3,000.
What to eat
- Kalai ruti: a thick flatbread of black gram flour, served with aubergine bhorta, chilli paste or duck curry; Rajshahi's most famous dish
- Mangoes: fresh from the orchards in season
- Rajshahi sweets and doi: at the city's old sweet shops
- Padma fish: at riverside eateries
A 2-day budget
Per person, group of 2–4:
| Item | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| Dhaka–Rajshahi bus or train (return) | ৳700–3,200 |
| One night in a hotel (shared) | ৳600–1,500 |
| Local transport (Puthia, Bagha) | ৳400–800 |
| Food (2 days) | ৳800–1,500 |
| Museum and entry fees, boat | ৳200–500 |
| Total | ৳2,700–7,500 |
When to go
- June–July: mango season; hot and rainy, but this is the time for mangoes.
- October–February: the most comfortable time for sightseeing, when you can walk on the Padma's chars. December and January bring fog and cold.
- March–May: extreme heat in the north; stay indoors at midday.
All of Rajshahi's places, transport and emergency numbers are in our Rajshahi district guide.
Questions and answers
How long does it take to get from Dhaka to Rajshahi?
Usually 5–6 hours by bus. The non-stop Banalata Express takes about the same, but the journey is more comfortable.
When is mango season in Rajshahi?
Roughly from early June to the end of July. Gopalbhog and Himsagar come first, Fazli and Amrapali later.
How far is Puthia from Rajshahi?
About 30 km, half an hour to an hour by Natore-bound bus.
What is Rajshahi's famous food?
Kalai ruti is the most famous, along with mangoes, and Rajshahi silk.
How many days do you need for Rajshahi?
Two days is enough for the city, Puthia and Bagha. Allow another day for Natore or Chapainawabganj.
See it on the map, plan your trip
Look up the places, routes and costs, then put your own trip together.
