Sreemangal 2-Day Tour Plan and Cost: Tea Gardens, Lawachara and Baikka Beel
Go on the morning Parabat and come back on the next evening's: a full two-day plan for Sreemangal's tea gardens, Lawachara forest, seven-layer tea, Madhabpur Lake and, in winter, the migratory birds of Baikka Beel, with costs.
- From Dhaka
- About 200 km, 4–5 hours by train
- Train fare
- Shovon chair ৳300, Snigdha ৳570
- How long
- 2 days, 1 night
- Cost
- ৳2,600–3,500 per person on a budget, ৳6,000+ at a resort
- In winter
- Migratory birds at Baikka Beel, misty tea gardens at dawn
Trip ticket
Sreemangal is a small town surrounded by tea gardens, forest, haor wetland and lakes. Only four or five hours from Dhaka by train, it's one of the easiest two-day breaks in the country. Winter adds another reason to go: thousands of migratory birds at Baikka Beel.
For a full introduction to every place in Sreemangal, see our Sreemangal travel guide.
Train times (Dhaka–Sreemangal)
| Train | Leaves Kamalapur | Reaches Sreemangal |
|---|---|---|
| Parabat Express | 6:30 am | 10:32 am |
| Joyantika Express | 11:15 am | 4:01 pm |
| Kalni Express | 2:55 pm | 6:52 pm |
| Return train | Leaves Sreemangal | Reaches Kamalapur |
|---|---|---|
| Kalni Express | 8:20 am | 12:55 pm |
| Joyantika Express | 2:45 pm | 7:15 pm |
| Parabat Express | 6:02 pm | 10:40 pm |
Fares are ৳300 for a Shovon chair, ৳570 for Snigdha and ৳685 for an AC seat. Go on the morning Parabat and return on the next evening's Parabat and you get two full days. Check each train's weekly day off on our train schedule. Buses (Hanif, Shyamoli) take 4–5 hours and cost ৳500–700.
Day 1: Tea gardens, Lawachara and seven-layer tea
10:30 am: Arrive and check in
Take a rickshaw or CNG from the station to your hotel or cottage. Hotels in town are cheaper; cottages and resorts sit beside the tea gardens on the Bhanugach road and around Radhanagar.
Noon: A CNG for the day
Hire a CNG for the rest of the day in town for ৳1,500–2,200. Lawachara, the tea gardens, Nilkantha Tea Cabin and BTRI all fit into one day.
1–4 pm: Lawachara National Park
About 8 km from town. There are three walking trails of half an hour, one hour and three hours; a guide can help you find hoolock gibbons, capped langurs and many birds. The railway line running through the forest is worth seeing too. Next door is Magurchhara Khasi Punji, where betel leaf is grown.
4:30 pm: A walk in a tea garden
On the way back, stop at any tea garden hillock. Tea gardens look their best in the afternoon light. Ask permission before going in, and don't pull at the tea bushes.
Evening: Seven-layer tea at Nilkantha Tea Cabin
Seven separate coloured layers in one glass is Sreemangal's most famous sight. Nearby is the Bangladesh Tea Research Institute (BTRI), where you can see tea processing if you go during the day. For dinner in town, try bhorta and hill-chicken curry.
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Day 2: Baikka Beel, Madhabpur Lake and a Manipuri village
6 am: Baikka Beel
About 15 km from town, a protected wetland in Hail Haor. From November to February it fills with migratory ducks, cormorants, egrets and other waterbirds. The view from the watchtower is best at dawn. Bring binoculars if you have them, and keep quiet.
10 am: Madhabpur Lake
In Kamalganj, about 20 km from Sreemangal: a winding lake between tea-covered hillocks, where blue lotuses bloom in summer and the monsoon. Climb a hillock beside the lake to see tea gardens all around.
Midday: A Manipuri village and handlooms
In the Manipuri villages of Adampur or Bhanugach in Kamalganj you can buy hand-woven shawls, saris and bags straight from the weavers. Read more in the handloom textiles of Bangladesh.
Afternoon: Buy tea in town, then the evening Parabat
Buy estate tea at a shop in town and take the 6 pm Parabat to Dhaka.
Can I fit in Hum Hum Falls?
Hum Hum is a 3–4 hour trek with a guide from Kalabon Para, and the round trip takes a whole day. The water is highest in the monsoon, but the path is then muddy and full of leeches; in winter the flow is low. Fit Hum Hum into a two-day trip and you'll have to drop Baikka Beel and Madhabpur.
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Two-day cost (per person)
| Item | Budget (4 people) | Comfortable (2 people) |
|---|---|---|
| Train, return | ৳600 (Shovon chair) | ৳1,140–1,370 |
| One night's stay | ৳500–800 | ৳2,000–4,000 |
| CNG for two days (shared) | ৳700–1,000 | ৳1,500–2,000 |
| Food, tea and entry fees | ৳800–1,100 | ৳1,200–1,800 |
| Total | ৳2,600–3,500 | ৳5,800–9,200 |
What to bring
- Warm clothes in winter; mornings are quite cold
- Comfortable shoes and long socks for forest walks
- Mosquito and insect repellent
- Binoculars, if you want to watch birds
Questions and answers
Can I see Sreemangal in one day?
On the morning Parabat out and the evening Parabat back you get about seven and a half hours, enough for Lawachara, a tea garden and seven-layer tea. To see the dawn birds at Baikka Beel, though, you need to stay a night.
How much does a Sreemangal trip cost?
With a Shovon chair train seat and a CNG shared by four, ৳2,600–3,500 per person for two days. At a resort, over ৳6,000.
When is the best time for birds at Baikka Beel?
December to February, in the first two hours after sunrise.
What can I combine with Sreemangal?
Sylhet is only two to two and a half hours away. See our 2-day Sylhet tour plan.
See it on the map, plan your trip
Look up the places, routes and costs, then put your own trip together.
