Places / Asia / Bangladesh
Khulna
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At a glance
- Country
- Bangladesh
- Region
- Khulna Division
- Population
- 720,000
- Best time to go
- November to February
- Main airport
- None — nearest is Jessore (JSR)
- Coordinates
- 22.85°N, 89.54°E
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Overview
Khulna is Bangladesh's third city, a working river port on the Rupsha where most travellers arrive with one aim: the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest on earth and home of the Bengal tiger.
It is not a city built for tourists, which is part of its appeal. Rickshaws outnumber cars, the river ghats are busy from dawn, and a short drive away the medieval mosques of Bagerhat make one of South Asia's most rewarding and least crowded historic sites.
Things to see
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Photo: মোয়ায মাহমুদ, CC BY-SA 4.0 Sixty Dome Mosque
The great fifteenth-century brick mosque of Bagerhat, a forest of stone pillars under rows of low domes, about an hour from Khulna.
Tickets and tours -
Photo: মোয়ায মাহমুদ, CC BY-SA 4.0 Mosque City of Bagerhat
Smaller mosques and ponds scattered through the villages around Bagerhat, best explored slowly by rickshaw or on foot.
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Photo: Anup Sadi, CC BY-SA 4.0 Tomb of Khan Jahan Ali
The shrine of Bagerhat's founder sits beside a large tank, busy with pilgrims and traditionally home to a few resident crocodiles.
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Photo: sumon talukder, CC BY-SA 3.0 Rupsha riverfront
Watch cargo boats, ferries and country boats come and go from the ghats, especially in the soft light of early morning.
Things to do
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Photo: Shihabur Rahman, CC BY-SA 4.0 Sundarbans boat trip
Multi-day trips by boat take you through tidal creeks to watch for deer, crocodiles, kingfishers and, with great luck, a tiger.
Find tours -
Photo: Salil Kumar Mukherjee, CC BY-SA 4.0 Eat chui jhal
Try the region's signature curry of beef or mutton cooked with chui jhal, a pungent local vine, at a simple restaurant in town.
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Photo: Mamun2a, CC BY-SA 3.0 Ride a rickshaw through the old bazaars
Let a cycle rickshaw driver take you through the markets near the river, where spice, fish and fabric stalls crowd the lanes.
Where to stay
City centre
Most of the better hotels are here, handy for restaurants and for tour operators running Sundarbans trips.
Hotels in City centreSonadanga
Practical for the main bus terminal, with plenty of simple, good-value hotels.
Hotels in Sonadanga
Getting around
Cycle rickshaws and CNG auto-rickshaws are the way to get about; agree the fare before you set off. Hire a car and driver for Bagerhat.
Jessore airport has domestic flights from Dhaka and is around 90 minutes away by road; trains and long-distance buses also connect Khulna with Dhaka.
When to go
November to February is dry and comfortably warm, and the best season for the Sundarbans. From March it turns very hot, and the monsoon from June to September brings heavy rain and the risk of cyclones.
Plan your trip to Khulna
Guide last checked October 2026. Opening times and prices change, so check before you go.