eSIM for Bangladesh

In Bangladesh this eSIM runs on Banglalink's 4G network, which Opensignal's January 2026 report ranked joint-fastest for downloads, level with market leader Grameenphone. Coverage outside the cities is thinner than Grameenphone's, 5G is limited to two rival operators, and a new national handset registry went live in 2026.

A week for curious first-timers who want Bangladesh's river life and history: Mughal and colonial Dhaka, the old capital at Sonargaon, the mosque city of Bagerhat and a boat trip into the Sundarbans mangroves, with one domestic flight each way.

Length

7 days

Bases

4

When to go November to February is dry and mild and the best time for the Sundarbans; avoid the June to October monsoon and cyclone season, and expect crowds and heavy security around temples during Durga Puja (16 to 21 October 2026).

1. 01

   Day 1 Dhaka

   Old Dhaka by rickshaw and boat

   Start early at Lalbagh Fort, the unfinished seventeenth-century Mughal fort with the tomb of Pari Bibi. Take a cycle rickshaw through the lanes of Old Dhaka to the Armenian Church of the Holy Resurrection and the mosaic-covered Star Mosque. Finish at Ahsan Manzil, the pink palace of the Dhaka nawabs on the Buriganga, then hire a small wooden boat from Sadarghat for an hour on the river at dusk.

   Signal Banglalink 4G works across central Dhaka, but speeds drop in the dense lanes of Old Dhaka and around the crowds at Sadarghat; download offline maps of the old city before you set out.

2. 02

   Day 2 Dhaka

   Sonargaon and Panam Nagar

   → Sonargaon is about 30 km from central Dhaka; by car it takes 1 to 2 hours each way depending on traffic.

   Drive south-east to Sonargaon, the medieval capital of Bengal. Walk the single street of Panam Nagar, lined with crumbling nineteenth-century merchant houses, then visit the Folk Art and Crafts Museum in the grounds of the old Sardar Bari mansion. On the way back, stop at the riverside Goaldi Mosque, a small fifteenth-century sultanate mosque. Allow for slow traffic leaving and re-entering Dhaka.

   Signal 4G holds along the Dhaka–Chattogram highway and in Sonargaon town; inside the brick buildings of Panam Nagar and the museum it can fall to a weak signal.

3. 03

   Day 3 Khulna or Mongla

   Fly south to Bagerhat's mosque city

   → Dhaka to Jashore is about 40 minutes by air; Jashore to Bagerhat is roughly 2 hours by road. Driving over the Padma Bridge from Dhaka takes about 4 to 5 hours instead.

   Take a morning flight to Jashore and drive to Bagerhat, the fifteenth-century city founded by Khan Jahan Ali and now a UNESCO World Heritage site. See the Shait Gumbad, or Sixty Dome Mosque, then the tomb of Khan Jahan beside its tank, where pilgrims feed the resident crocodiles. Visit the smaller Singar and Bibi Begni mosques if time allows, then continue to Khulna or Mongla for tomorrow's boat.

   Signal Good 4G in Jashore and Khulna; the monument zones at Bagerhat are rural and coverage is usable but slower between the two clusters, which are about 6.5 km apart.

4. 04

   Day 4 Boat in the Sundarbans

   Into the Sundarbans

   → Khulna to Mongla port is about 1 hour by road if your boat leaves from Mongla.

   Board a licensed tour boat at Mongla; the operator arranges Forest Department permits and an armed forest guard. Sail down the Pasur River into the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest. Stop at Karamjal to see the wildlife breeding centre and walkways, then cruise the narrow creeks by small boat looking for spotted deer, kingfishers and crocodiles. Spend the night on board.

   Signal Coverage fades within an hour of leaving Mongla and much of the forest has no usable signal at all; tell people at home you will be offline overnight.

5. 05

   Day 5 Khulna

   Sundarbans creeks and back to Khulna

   Go out at first light in a country boat, when birds and deer are most active and the tide reveals mudbanks. Walk the raised trail at Harbaria with your guard, looking for tiger pugmarks rather than expecting a sighting, since Bengal tigers are rarely seen. Sail back to Mongla in the afternoon and return to Khulna for a hot shower and a night on land.

   Signal Expect no signal for most of the morning; 4G returns as you approach Mongla, and Khulna has reliable coverage for catching up on messages.

6. 06

   Day 6 Dhaka

   Back to Dhaka: Kahn's parliament and the Liberation War Museum

   → Drive back to Jashore (about 2 hours from Khulna) for the 40-minute flight to Dhaka.

   Fly back from Jashore in the morning. In the afternoon, see the National Parliament House at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar from the surrounding grounds; Louis Kahn's concrete complex is one of the landmark buildings of the twentieth century. Then spend a couple of hours at the Liberation War Museum in Agargaon, which tells the story of the 1971 war of independence.

   Signal Strong 4G in Agargaon and around the parliament; indoors at the museum, connection is fine for messaging but expect slower speeds on Banglalink than in the open.

7. 07

   Day 7 Dhaka

   Dhaka University and departure

   Spend your last morning around Dhaka University: the red-brick Curzon Hall, the Central Shaheed Minar honouring the language martyrs of 1952, and the nearby Bangla Academy. If you have time, walk around Hatirjheel lake in the afternoon. Leave at least two to three hours to reach Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, as traffic on Airport Road can be severe.

   Signal City 4G is dependable for ride-hailing and check-in; keep a screenshot of your e-ticket in case the airport terminal is crowded and data slows.