Dhaka Attraction Tours: Museums, Churches, Mosques
Travel advisory, checked October 2026. The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to the Chittagong Hill Tracts (Rangamati, Khagrachari, Bandarban), and the United States warns against travel there too. UK advice describes terrorist attacks as very likely and notes that hartals and demonstrations can become violent quickly. Avoid both. Motorbike and CNG bag snatching has risen since 2024. See the UK FCDO page and the US advisory before booking.
Planning a day of attractions
Most of Dhaka’s museums and historic buildings are spread across the city, and travel between them is slow. A workable plan is one cluster per day: the Shahbagh museums on one day, the Old Dhaka heritage buildings on another, and the military and war museums by Metro on a third. Check closing days first. Thursday, Sunday and Wednesday each close a different major museum.
Liberation War Museum
The Liberation War Museum stands at Agargaon, a Metro Line 6 station. It records the 1971 war of independence and the atrocities committed in it. Displays include films, photographs, documents and belongings from those years. Expect a heavy visit. Foreigners pay 500 BDT (Bangladeshis 50, children 20, plus a 4% fee online). Hours are 10:00 to 17:00, shortened to 16:00 in Ramadan, and the only closing day is Sunday. Some galleries do not allow photos. This is a solemn site, not suitable for small children.
Bangladesh National Museum
At Shahbagh, this large museum holds Buddhist and Hindu sculpture from early Bengal, textiles, folk embroidery and twentieth-century painting. Foreigners pay 500 BDT (SAARC visitors 300, Bangladeshis 40). It opens Saturday to Wednesday 10:30 to 16:30 and Friday 15:00 to 18:30, with Thursday closed.
Ahsan Manzil
Pink and domed, the former Nawab residence beside the Buriganga is now a museum with restored rooms. Foreign tickets are 500 BDT, with last sales at 16:00 on weekdays. It closes on Thursday, and on Friday it is open from 15:00 to 19:00.
Old Dhaka’s quiet corners
Two free places reward a small detour. The Armenian Church of the Holy Resurrection in Armanitola, finished in 1781, has an old churchyard and is opened by a caretaker when you ring the bell at the gate. The Khan Mohammad Mridha Mosque near Lalbagh, built in 1706 on a raised vaulted platform, is much quieter than the fort. Take off your shoes inside the mosque and avoid prayer times.
Military Museum
Reached from Bijoy Sarani station, the Bangabandhu Military Museum shows army, navy and air force exhibits. Foreign tickets are 800 BDT, SAARC 500 and local 150. It is closed on Wednesday.
Dhanmondi 32
The old Bangabandhu Memorial Museum on Dhanmondi Road 32 was pulled down by crowds in February 2025, and only a ruin stands. It is no longer an attraction, and the area can be politically tense.
Booking and tickets
Lalbagh Fort sells tickets for cash at the booth. Online ticket sites exist for the Liberation War Museum, Ahsan Manzil and the National Museum, and the 4% fee is worth paying if it saves a queue. For a private driver who understands the traffic, check options at Viator .
Read more: Dhaka sightseeing and Dhaka day trips .