SONAR BANGLADESH TOUR

Upon your arrival, you’ll be met by A Classic Tours Collection’s representative and transferred to your hotel. Bangladesh, meaning “Country of Bengal” in Bengali, was both a provincial capital and a center of the worldwide muslin trade under Mughal rule in the 17th century. Dhaka was also known as Jahangir Nagar. HOTEL (D)

Begin your city tour of Dhaka with a stop at Sadarghat, a wharf on the River Buriganga, one of the largest river ports in the world. Continue to Ahsan Manzil, once a palace and the seat of Dhaka’s Nawab family, and now a museum. Visit Shaheed Minar, a monument commemorating those killed during the Language Movement demonstrations in 1952, and the University of Dhaka, established in 1921 and modeled after the British universities. Stop in the Bangladesh National Museum to glimpse its staggering collection of over 85,000 pieces, beautifully preserved. Visit the Star Mosque or Tara Masjid, decorated with ornate designs and motifs of blue stars, and Baitul Mukarram, the Holy House founded in the 1960s. End the day’s tour with a stop at the Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban, the National Assembly Building of Bangladesh. Designed by Louis I. Kahn, it is one of the world’s largest legislative complexes. HOTEL (B, L)

After an early breakfast, travel overland to Bogra. Pass over the Bangabandhu Bridge, also called the Jamuna multi-purpose, which established a strategic link between the eastern and western parts of Bangladesh. Bagura or Bogra was a town and district of British India in the Rajshahi division of eastern Bengal and Assam. After lunch, visit Mahasthangarh, the capital of the kingdoms of the Mourjo, Gupta and Sen dynasties. It is an ancient archeological and historical site established in 2500 B.C. Visit some isolated Maunds and ruins of both the Hindu and Muslim eras. Proceed to Paharpur to visit the spectacular Buddhist Sompura Vihara, the single largest Buddhist monastery in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. HOTEL (B, L)

Travel overland to Rajshahi, passing through the vast chalan beel and green crop lands. En route, visit Dighapatia Rajbari, once the residence of Maharajas of Dighapatia. The extensive palace area encompasses 43 acres enclosed within a moat and a high perimeter wall. Continue to Puthia where you’ll visit the largest Shiva Temple. Built in 1815 by the queen of Puthia, it is dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. The grandest temple in Puthia, the Govinda Temple was erected in the mid-19th century and dedicated to Lord Krishna. The temple has exquisite terracotta ornamentation depicting the divine romance between Krishna and Radha. Puthia Rajbari was built in 1895 by Rani Hemanta Kumari Devi in honor of her mother-in-law, Maharani Sarat Sundari Devi. Rajshahi, located besides the Padma River, is often referred to as “The Silk City” and “Education City.” An epigraphic record engraved on the Dargah (mausoleum) of a famous Saint Hazrat Shah Makdhum indicates that the antiquity of Rajshahi goes back to at least 1634. After lunch, visit the Varendra Research Museum, established in 1910. I It houses a rich collection of artifacts from Mohenjo-Daro, also dating from the 16th and 19th centuries. You’ll have the chance to shop for souvenirs at some of the nice silk emporiums. HOTEL (B, L, D)

After breakfast, travel overland to Khulna. En route visit Bagha Mosque,built during the Husain Shahi period by Sultan Nusrat Shah. The monument boasts some of the most impressive examples of terracotta wall carvings and relief in rich floriated patterns, combined with grapes and rosettes. HOTEL (B, D)

After a very early breakfast, embark on a full day cruise through the Sunderbans, the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world. The Sundarbans is intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests. The area is known for the eponymous Royal Bengal tigers as well as numerous fauna – several species of birds, spotted deer, crocodiles and snakes. It’s estimated that there are now 500 Bengal Tigers and about 30,000 spotted deer. The fertile soils of the delta have been subject to intensive human use for centuries, and the eco-region has been mostly converted to intensive agriculture, with few enclaves of forest remaining. HOTEL (B, L, D)

After breakfast, travel overland to Dhaka. Along the way, tour Bagerhat, founded by Khan Jahan Ali who settled here with his soldiers in 1429. Tour the Sixty Dome Mosque or Shaṭ Gombuj Moshjid. It’s the largest in Bangladesh and one of the most impressive Muslim architectural structures in the Indian subcontinent. Continue to the Tomb of Khan Jahan Ali, the second most important monument of Khalifatabad; watch the marsh crocodiles as they soak in the large pool adjacent to the holy shrine. Continue with your drive towards Dhaka, crossing over the great Ganges River by ferry boat. You’ll have free time to visit the local bazaars and souvenir shops before wrapping up your Bangladesh journey with a festive Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant. HOTEL (B, D)

Your explorations of Bangladesh end today as you board flight homeward. (Breakfast)