Things to Do in Chittagong: My Guide to the Port City
Most of Bangladesh’s visitor traffic flows through Dhaka, and Chittagong gets treated as a shy neighbour to the south. I spent two weeks here, and it won me over completely. It is a working port city with grit and energy, set against the green of the surrounding hills and the brown sweep of the river. It rewards patience and a willingness to wander. Here is what I would do again.
See the Ships at the Port and the Hilltop View
Chittagong is above all a port, and I start with the boats. The Port area along the Karnaphuli River is a hive of cranes, containers, and huge vessels coming in from the sea. I find a high vantage point, often the top of a hotel or a hill, and watch the constant churn of the working docks. It is raw commerce doing its job, and it is endlessly absorbing to watch.
Visit the Ship Breaking Beach at Sitakunda
Just north of the city, the beach at Sitakunda is where giant ships come to be taken apart by hand in one of the world’s largest ship breaking industries. I stood and watched the impossible scale of it, enormous hulls beached on the sand, men crawling over the rusting steel. It is a hard, dangerous business, but it is a defining part of this coast, and no serious visit to the area should look away from it.
Hike to the Foy’s Lake and Hill Views
For greenery, Foy’s Lake on the city’s edge sits in a bowl of hills, reached by a small cable car or a walk up the slope. I take the lift to the top and look out over the reservoir and the forested ridges that come right down to the city. It is the touristy, pleasant side of Chittagong, but the view makes it work, and the air is a relief after the harbour.
Wander the Mermaid of the Beach Road
Chittagong’s seaside, with its long beach road and the bay on one side, is where the city comes to relax in the afternoon. I walk the seafront when the families and the tea sellers are out, buying a fresh coconut to drink as I go. It is not a swimming beach, the currents and mud make it inadvisable, but as a place to watch the waves and the people, it is wonderful.
Shop the Crowded Market Streets
The market lanes that run through the centre near the old quarter are a jumble, in the best way. I wander the narrow streets where rickshaws squeeze past stalls of spices, tea, dried fish, and colourful textiles. It is loud, crowded, and completely alive. I pick up spices and tea as souvenirs, and I practice my haggling, slowly improving and just as slowly being cheated less.
Try the Local Food From the Stalls
Eating in Chittagong is a highlight. The Bengali food here is distinct, heavy on the river fish and the coastal vegetables, and the street stalls do it well. I eat rice with fish curry and a helping of the famous local vegetable dishes, and I finish with the region’s sticky, cultured milk desserts. I eat where the locals queue, and I have never been disappointed.
Explore the Historic Shrines and Old Districts
The city keeps its history in pockets. I walk the old districts to the tomb complex and shrines where the Bay of Bengal region’s Muslim and Portuguese influence left its mark, and I visit the old rail heritage buildings left from the colonial era. The mix of it all, the old high court lines, the rickshaws, the warehouses, gives Chittagong a layered feel that the map does not show.
Take the Day Trip to the Hill Tracts
Chittagong’s district reaches up into the Chittagong Hill Tracts, a very different world of steep green valleys and indigenous hill peoples. I take the short trip out of the city to the nearest forested hills and lakes, where the pace drops to near zero. A note of care: parts of the Hill Tracts have required permits and have seen conflict, so I check the current situation before going. The accessible edges are beautiful and worth the bus ride.
See the Fish Landing Port
Near the river mouth, the fishing docks show the food side of the port. I go early in the morning when the boats come in, and the wharf is a frenzy of crates of silvery fish, ice, and shouting. It is vivid and a little chaotic, but it is real Chittagong, people at work feeding a huge country from these waters. I photograph with respect, buy nothing, and remember it for a long time.
Plan Around Dhaka Connections and the Wet Season
My closing advice is practical. Chittagong connects well to Dhaka by train and by flight, the train being the option I enjoyed most for the passing rice fields and rivers. The dry season, roughly November to February, is the most comfortable time, and outside it the heat and the monsoon rain slow everything down. Come with a flexible schedule and a willingness to wander, and Chittagong will give you the real Bangladesh.
