8 Budget Tour Plans for Students in Bangladesh, All Under ৳6,000

Students have time to travel but not much money. The good news is that in Bangladesh, with Shovon chair train seats, shared rooms and local food, you can see wonderful places for very little. Every cost below is from Dhaka, per person, for a group of 4–12.

1. Day trips near Dhaka: ৳600–1,200

Places you can visit and be back the same day: Panam Nagar and the Folk Art Museum in Sonargaon, the Padma Bridge and fried hilsa at Mawa, Bhawal National Park in Gazipur, and Idrakpur Fort and the Sonarang twin temples in Munshiganj. A local bus there and back is ৳200–400; the rest is food and entry fees. The full list is in our day trips near Dhaka.

2. Mymensingh by train, one day: ৳800–1,200

From Kamalapur the Tista (7:30 am) or the Agnibina Express takes just three hours, and a Shovon chair costs ৳145. See the Brahmaputra riverside, the Zainul Abedin Museum, Shashi Lodge and the agricultural university campus, and take the evening train back.

3. Sreemangal by train, 2 days: ৳2,500–3,200

The best-value trip for students. The Parabat or Joyantika takes about 4–5 hours and a Shovon chair costs ৳300. Tea gardens, Lawachara, seven-layer tea and, in winter, the birds of Baikka Beel.

The full plan is in our 2-day Sreemangal tour plan.

4. Rajshahi by train, 2 days: ৳2,500–3,500

A Shovon chair on the Silk City or Padma Express costs ৳450. Sunset on the Padma, the Varendra Museum, Puthia Rajbari and kalai roti. The city is clean and cheap, and you can see it all by rickshaw. See our Rajshahi travel guide.

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5. Sylhet by train, 2 days: ৳3,000–3,800

A Shovon chair on the Parabat, Joyantika, Kalni or the overnight Upaban costs ৳410. Spend one day at Jaflong and Lalakhal, and the other at the shrine, Malnicherra tea garden and Ratargul or Sada Pathor. A shared leguna or CNG to Jaflong works out at ৳400–700 each. See our 2-day Sylhet tour plan.

6. By launch to Barishal: ৳2,000–3,000

A deck place on the night launch from Sadarghat costs ৳400–600, and a night on the river is one of the most fun things a student can do. The floating guava market is busiest in the monsoon and early autumn; in winter the river is calm. Bring your own mat and sheet. See our Barishal launch trip.

7. Cox's Bazar, 3 days: ৳4,500–5,700

A Shovon chair on the Cox's Bazar Express or the Parjatak Express costs ৳754 each way. With 4–5 people to a room and meals at local restaurants, three days stays affordable. The full budget is in our Cox's Bazar on a budget post.

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8. Sajek, 2 days: ৳5,000–5,800

In a group of 12, the jeep costs only about ৳1,000 each. With a non-AC night bus and a shared cottage, two days comes to around ৳5,500. See our 2-day Sajek plan and cost.

Ten ways to save money

1. Take the train, in Shovon chair. It's cheaper, safer and more comfortable than the bus. Tickets go on sale 10 days ahead at 8 am; see how to buy train tickets online.
2. Travel Sunday to Wednesday. Hotels can cost half what they do on Thursdays and Fridays.
3. Make the group bigger. Vehicles and rooms shared by 6–12 people cost far less each.
4. Travel overnight. A night train or bus saves a night's hotel.
5. Eat at local restaurants. Rice hotels in the bazaar cost half as much as tourist-area restaurants.
6. Carry a water bottle. Bring one you can refill.
7. Use local transport instead of hiring. Legunas, local buses and shared CNGs.
8. Carry your student ID. Some museums and parks have cheaper student tickets; ask at the counter.
9. Let one person keep the money. Write every expense in an app or notebook and split it at the end; there'll be fewer arguments.
10. Avoid festival holidays. Prices rise at Eid, in the last week of December and on 31 December.

Good places for a study tour

For a whole class or department on a day trip, historic sites work well: Sonargaon, Mainamati and Shalban Vihara (Cumilla), Paharpur and Mahasthangarh, and the Sixty Dome Mosque in Bagerhat. Hiring a 40-seat bus for the day brings the cost per person right down. Arrange the institution's permission, parents' consent and an emergency contact list first. To see two historic sites together, read Paharpur and Mahasthangarh.

Safety

• Tell your family where you're going, where you're staying and when you'll be back
• Don't go into the sea, rivers or waterfalls if you can't swim; wear a life jacket
• Carry a copy of your ID in the hill districts
• The emergency number is 999; every place page on our site lists the local police station and hospital numbers

Questions and answers

Where can I travel for ৳3,000?

Two days in Sreemangal or Rajshahi by train, or a few day trips near Dhaka. Sylhet is also possible for ৳3,000–3,800 in a bigger group.

Can I do Cox's Bazar for ৳5,000?

Yes. With a Shovon chair train seat, 4–5 to a room and local food, three days costs ৳4,500–5,700, especially midweek.

Which places are safe for a group of women students?

The main areas of Sreemangal, Sylhet, Rajshahi and Cox's Bazar have many tourists and good facilities. Stay at known hotels and avoid isolated places at night.

What's an easy way to plan the cost?

Pick places and set the route with our trip planner, then work out the cost with the tables in this post.

See it on the map, plan your trip

Look up the places, routes and costs, then put your own trip together.

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