Sundarbans (tours from Khulna) travel guide

At a glance

Area

About 10,000 sq km (about 6,017 sq km in Bangladesh)

Distinction

UNESCO World Heritage (1997), Ramsar Site (1992)

Tigers

About 125 in the 2024 survey

Closed to visitors

June–August (breeding season)

History and details

The Sundarbans is the world's largest single mangrove forest, formed in the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna; about 60 per cent is in Bangladesh and the rest in West Bengal, India. The name is thought to come from its main tree, the 'sundari'. Parts of the forest were leased out in Mughal times; in 1875 the British government declared it a reserved forest.

The forest is a web of countless tidal rivers, creeks and islands. It has Royal Bengal tigers, spotted deer, saltwater crocodiles, Irrawaddy and Ganges dolphins, lesser adjutant storks, kingfishers and over 300 species of birds. Forest people — bawalis (golpata collectors), mowals (honey collectors) and fishermen — have depended on it for centuries; they worship Bonbibi for protection from tigers.

The Sundarbans is a natural shield protecting the coast from cyclones and storm surges, as proven during Sidr (2007) and Aila (2009). The 3-day launch tour from Khulna usually visits Karamjal, Harbaria, Katka, Kachikhali, Jamtala beach and Dublar Char.

Things to do

• Go into the creeks in a small boat at dawn to see animals and birds
• See herds of deer from the Katka watch tower
• Look for tiger pugmarks in the Kachikhali grassland (with a guide)
• Listen to the sounds of the forest from the launch roof at night
• See the Rash Mela and dried-fish village at Dublar Char in November

How to get to Sundarbans (tours from Khulna)

On a tour operator's launch from Jailkhana Ghat in Khulna (Forest Department permission is included in the package).

Khulna is about 230 km from Dhaka; the journey takes 4–5 hours (via the Padma Bridge).

• 🚌 By bus: Green Line, Hanif, Eagle, Sohag via the Padma Bridge from Gabtoli/Jatrabari; non-AC ৳600–800, AC ৳1,200–1,600.
• 🚆 By train: Jahanabad/Sundarban Express from Kamalapur via the Padma Bridge rail link, fare ৳400–1,200.
• ✈️ By air: Via Jashore airport, then 1.5 hours by bus.

Where to stay

• Stay and meals on the tour operator's launch
• Hotel Castle Salam, Tiger Garden in Khulna city

What to eat

Mutton/beef with chui jhal (the most famous), giant river prawns

Good to know

• Choose a government-approved tour operator
• When you go ashore, don't leave your guide and guard
• Fishing and tourism are banned June–August — check the dates
• Don't drop plastic in the forest

More to see nearby

• Karamjal (from Mongla)
• Harbaria Ecotourism Centre
• Katka and Kachikhali
• Dublar Char
• Hiron Point (Nilkamal)

More places to visit in Khulna district

• Rabindra Complex, Dakshindihi — Rabindranath's in-laws' home; memories of the poet's wife Mrinalini Devi.
• Rupsha Bridge — A bridge over the Rupsha River; people come in the afternoon for the river view.

Location on the map