Stand at the Cheragi Pahar Circle in the late afternoon, where three roads meet around a lamp-shaped structure, and you will see why this city has long been a meeting point for poets, journalists and readers. Chattogram is a working port city on the Karnaphuli River, and its pleasures are spread between old stone mosques, colonial-era buildings on low hills and the beaches at the river's mouth.
This guide suits travellers who are comfortable moving between a busy riverfront and quiet temple courtyards, and who would rather spend a day on the water's edge than in a shopping mall. It covers the sights named in the city's travel listings, grouped so you can plan a route rather than a checklist.
Top things to do in Chattogram
1. Patenga Sea Beach
Patenga sits at the mouth of the Karnaphuli River, about 14 km south of the city, and is one of the most popular beaches in Bangladesh. Because many jetties of the Port of Chittagong are nearby, you can watch ships moving in the sea and aircraft passing overhead.
Go in the late afternoon so you catch the light on the water and stay for the food stalls, where the spicy fried crab served with a plate of chickpeas is a local favourite. The Bangladesh Naval Academy is also located here.
2. Khejurtala Sea Beach
Khejurtala is one of the most beautiful beaches in the city and is easy to reach, about 10 minutes by road along the right-side road from Steelmill Market. Its advantage is that you can enjoy it together with the surroundings of Patenga and the naval area in a single outing.
Combine it with Patenga rather than treating it as a separate trip, and keep to the accessible stretch near the road if you are short on time.
3. Foy's Lake
Foy's Lake is an artificial lake in the Pahartali area of Chittagong and one of the city's tourist spots. It was excavated in 1924 under the supervision of the Assam-Bengal Railway Authority and was then known as Pahartali Lake, later named after the English railway engineer Foy.
It sits in South Khulshi, so pair it with the Chittagong Zoo, which is at the entrance of Foy's Lake opposite the foothills of the mountains of USTC Medical College.
4. Chittagong Zoo
The zoo covers 6 acres of land and lies about 3 km north-east of the city, at the entrance of Foy's Lake. Its major exhibits include the Indian lion, Asian black bear, Indian muntjac and chital.
Because it is right by the lake, the two make a natural half-day together. Go earlier rather than later so you have time for both.
5. Anderkilla Shahi Jame Mosque
Andarqilla Shahi Jame Masjid was built after the Mughal conquest of Chittagong in 1666, on a small hill about 10 m above the plain, in the Mughal style. The original design was 16 m long and 6.9 m wide, with walls about 2.2 m thick; the western wall is of burnt mud and the other three of stone, and the roof carries a large central dome with two smaller ones.
It is also called "Jame Sangin", the stone mosque, because it was built using large stones like Delhi's Jama Masjid. Two of its four octagonal towers, built in 1666, still exist. It stands beside Lal Dighi, so visit the two together.
6. Lal Dighi
Lal Dighi is one of the traditional places of the city, spread over an area of 2.70 acres at the end of Jail Road in Kotwali. On one side is Andarkilla, and on the other the Zilla Parishad buildings and local bank branches.
There is no entry charge. It works best as a short stop folded into a walk around Anderkilla Shahi Jame Mosque rather than a destination on its own.
7. Chittagong Court Building
This colonial building on Parir Pahar is an example of Indo-British architectural style built in Bengal. After the British East India Company declared Chittagong a separate administrative region in 1773, this two-storied building was put up for administrative purposes; it covers 1,53,000 square feet and has more than a hundred rooms, and now houses the offices of the Divisional Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner.
From here you get a clear view of the city, especially at night. Come towards the end of the day for that reason.
8. Central Railway Building
The Central Railway Building on CRB Road, in the hilly area adjacent to Tigerpass under Kotwali police station, is the Bangladesh Railway (Eastern) General Manager's Control Office. Completed in 1872, it is the oldest building in the port city and bears the history of two hundred years of British colonial rule in Chittagong.
It is a working office, so treat it as an exterior stop on a walk through the Kotwali area rather than an indoor visit.
9. Masjid-e-Siraj ud-Daulah
Also known as Chandanpura Mosque, this stands on Nabab Siraj ud-Daulah Road in Chandanpura. After Shaista Khan's army liberated Chittagong from the Magharajads of Arakan in 1666, numerous mosques were built here under his orders, and this is one of them. It has 15 domes, and the construction of the largest dome required 15 maunds of silver and brass.
Pair it with Chandanpura Nachghar, which is in the same neighbourhood.
10. Chandanpura Nachghar
This is the abandoned centenary dance hall of a zamindar house in Chandanpura. The two-hundred-and-fifty-year-old, two-storied building was almost dilapidated as of 2023, decorated with various crafts, with remains of images of gods and goddesses and flowers on the walls.
It has 14 rooms including guest rooms, 10 entrance doors around the dance hall, and a single staircase in one corner to go up. Visit it as part of the same stop as Masjid-e-Siraj ud-Daulah.
11. Chittagong Buddhist Monastery
At Nandan Kanan, this is considered one of the holy places of Buddhists in Bangladesh. It holds the Kesdhatu of Gautama Buddha, an Ashtadhatu statue, Bodhimandap, Chintamani Library, a Buddhist hostel, the Dhammavansh Institute and a medical centre.
The Echarao Chintamani Library here contains various rare manuscripts, which is the reason to allow more time than a quick look.
12. Chatteshwari Temple
On 20 Chatteshwari Road in Mehdi Bagh, this is one of the famous Hindu temples in Bangladesh. According to legend, around 300 to 350 years ago, Goddess Chatteswari appeared through Arya Rishi Yogis and Sadhu Sannyasis.
It is a straightforward stop to add to a day that already takes in the old city's religious buildings.
13. Iskcon Prabartak Sri Krishna Temple
At Prabartak Shangha, in front of Afmi Plaza, the three-storied Drishtinandan temple is built of Makrana marble from Rajasthan, with doors and windows of wood sourced from Africa and Myanmar. It measures 100 feet long, 50 feet wide and 65 feet high.
It is a useful stop if you are already in the Prabartak Shangha area; contact details are listed for the temple if you need to check anything before going.
14. Kalurghat Bridge
Also called Kalurghat Pole, this railway bridge over the Karnaphuli River was built in 1930 during British rule. It has 2 abutments, 6 brick pillars, 12 steel pillars and 19 spans, and connects the greater Chittagong district to the north and south, which is why it is called the gateway of South Chittagong.
It was declared endangered in 2001, so view it from a safe distance rather than walking it. It is about 7 km from Bahaddarhat in the south of the city.
15. Shah Amanat Bridge
Also known as the Second Karnaphuli Bridge, this crossing connects Patia and Baklia police stations. The main bridge, including four lanes, sidewalks and dividers, is 950 metres long and 24.47 metres wide, with 3 spans, and it is open 24 hours at no charge.
Use it as your route across the river when heading to or from the beaches, and take in the Karnaphuli itself as you cross.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start in the old city with Anderkilla Shahi Jame Mosque and Lal Dighi beside it, then walk the short distance to Masjid-e-Siraj ud-Daulah and Chandanpura Nachghar in Chandanpura. Add Chatteshwari Temple on Chatteshwari Road if time allows.
Afternoon: Head to Foy's Lake in South Khulshi and the Chittagong Zoo at its entrance, then continue to the Chittagong Court Building on Parir Pahar and the Central Railway Building on CRB Road for the colonial architecture and the city view.
Evening: Finish at Patenga Sea Beach, at the mouth of the Karnaphuli, watching ships and aircraft, and walk the accessible stretch of Khejurtala Sea Beach nearby. Cross back over the Shah Amanat Bridge, or view the Kalurghat Bridge from a distance if you are heading south.
Frequently asked questions
Which beach should I choose if I only have time for one?
Patenga Sea Beach is the most popular and sits at the mouth of the Karnaphuli River, with port jetties nearby and views of ships and aircraft. Khejurtala Sea Beach is easy to reach and can be enjoyed together with the Patenga and naval surroundings, so the two work as one outing.
How do I get between the sights on opposite sides of the river?
The Shah Amanat Bridge, also called the Second Karnaphuli Bridge, connects Patia and Baklia police stations and is open 24 hours at no charge. The Kalurghat Bridge also crosses the Karnaphuli and is known as the gateway of South Chittagong, but it was declared endangered in 2001, so view it rather than cross it on foot.
Which sights are free to visit?
Lal Dighi is free, and the Shah Amanat Bridge carries no charge. The listings do not give prices for the other places named here, so check locally before you set out.
What can I combine with Foy's Lake?
The Chittagong Zoo is at the entrance of Foy's Lake, opposite the foothills of the mountains of USTC Medical College, which makes the two a natural pairing for a half-day.
Pick the old city for one morning and the river mouth for one evening, and you will have the shape of a Chattogram trip worth planning around.