Himchari travel guide

At a glance

Location

12 km south of Cox's Bazar

National park

Declared in 1980

Area

About 1,729 hectares

Entry

Small ticket fee

History and details

Himchari National Park was declared in 1980. Its hill forest once had elephants and other wildlife; monkeys, many birds and reptiles can still be seen. The small waterfalls running down the hillside are loveliest in the monsoon.

The main attraction is the stairway to the hilltop — a few hundred steps up you can see the Marine Drive, the beach and the sea to the horizon. Being so close to Cox's Bazar town, almost every visitor stops here first on a Marine Drive tour.

Things to do

• Photograph the sea from the hilltop viewpoint
• See the waterfalls in the monsoon
• Walk on the beach below for a while

How to get to Himchari

About 12 km from Kolatoli along the Marine Drive.

Cox's Bazar is about 400 km from Dhaka; the journey takes 8–10 hours (bus) / 1 hour (air).

• 🚌 By bus: Green Line, Hanif, Shyamoli, Saudia from Sayedabad/Arambagh/Kalabagan; non-AC ৳1,000–1,200, AC ৳2,000–3,000.
• 🚆 By train: Cox's Bazar Express and Parjatak Express from Kamalapur; fare about ৳700–2,000 (book tickets ahead).
• ✈️ By air: Biman, US-Bangla, Novoair, Air Astra; one way ৳5,000–9,000, 1 hour.

Where to stay

• Sayeman Beach Resort
• Long Beach Hotel
• Ocean Paradise Hotel
• Sea Pearl Beach Resort (Inani)
• Budget hotels at Kolatoli and Sugandha Point (৳1,500–3,000)

What to eat

Fried pomfret, lobster, prawns, coral fish, dried fish

Good to know

• The steps are steep — older visitors should climb slowly
• Don't show food to the monkeys

More to see nearby

• Inani Beach (13 km)
• Dariyanagar Eco Park (5 km)
• Kolatoli Beach (12 km)

More places to visit in Cox's Bazar district

• Cox's Bazar Sea Beach — Sunsets, swimming and beach bikes at Laboni, Sugandha and Kolatoli points; the world's longest beach.
• Marine Drive — A road of about 80 km from Cox's Bazar to Teknaf, with hills on one side and the sea on the other.
• Inani Beach — A clean, quiet beach covered in coral stones; more stones show at low tide.
• Saint Martin's Island — The country's only coral island; blue water, coconut palms and Chhera Dwip. Visitor seasons and numbers are limited by government rules — check them before you go.
• Ramu Buddhist Monasteries — Century-old Buddhist monasteries and a huge reclining Buddha (Bimukti Bidarshan Bhavana Centre).
• Moheshkhali Island — A hilly island; the Adinath Temple on its hilltop, and betel-leaf and salt farming.
• Sonadia Island — A deserted island; mangroves, red crabs and migratory birds.

Location on the map