Therefore, any tour that is convenient, finishes within a day, and does not interfere with tomorrow’s classes is a gift from the heavens.

While tourist places like the hilly regions of Sitakunda, the mountains of Bandarban, or the beaches in Cox’s Bazar get the limelight, they may be too distant, not to mention expensive, for students to explore in one day.

By contrast, many underrated districts remain unexplored. One such district is Sirajganj.

Located quite close to Dhaka, just across the Jamuna River, Sirajganj boasts some of the most stunning places to visit. Let’s explore how we can visit most of the amazing places in a day while maintaining a student-friendly budget.

First, hop on a bus from Dhaka to Sirajganj city at 6 am. It takes a maximum of 4 hours to arrive at the Station Mor bus stand from Dhaka and costs Tk 350.

After arriving in the city, we can enjoy the delicacies of Sirajganj, the kalo jam with paratha for breakfast right next to the bus station, in any of the stalls, with kalo jam costing Tk 15 to 20 and paratha being the usual Tk 10.

After a refreshing breakfast, we can take a Tk 50 rickshaw ride and visit our first spot, Chinabadh. Here, we can enjoy the wonders of the mighty Jamuna River. From the multiple viewpoints of Chinabadh, we can see the beauty of the Jamuna River by taking a boat ride across the river.

Photo: Chinabadh, Credit: Ahasan Habib

There is no fixed rate, and a good habit of bargaining can make it quite cheap. Taking a reserved boat for an entire day costs Tk 1000. So, as students, we can reserve a boat for one hour, and with multiple people, the price drops to Tk 100–200 per person. This makes the trip quite student-friendly.

After enjoying a fabulous boat ride, we can take a bus or CNG ride to Hatikumrul from the Sirajganj city centre for Tk 50. Hatikumrul acts as the central junction of the Sirajganj district, and from there, we can visit the iconic Hatikumrul Navaratna Mondir, locally known as Dolmancha.

Photo: Navaratna temple, Credit Rajan Das

This temple, a three-storey masterpiece with rich terracotta, consists of seven verandas and five doors. There are three other temples besides the Navaratna temple.

The next destination is Shahjadpur city. We can take a Tk 50 bus ride to Shahjadpur city from Hatikumrul. After arrival, we can enjoy lunch with the iconic kala bhuna, rich in spices and, most importantly, flavoured with oily and butter-like textured meat, at a cost of Tk 200 in total.

Photo: Kalabhuna, Credit: Norah Shabnam Anwar/TBS

After lunch, we can visit the Rabindra Kachari Bazar. It is believed that Rabindranath wrote some of his legendary works like Sonar Tori, Hridoy, Jamuna, Chitra, Vaishnav Kabita, and many more here.

While residing here, he started working on Gitanjali. He would later receive his Nobel Prize for this masterpiece. He stayed in Shahjadpur for around seven years. This house has been preserved since 1958 in honour of Rabindranath Tagore. There is also a museum with memories of the Tagore family, starting from Dwarkanath Tagore. We can find their family photos there. Today, a university stands there in honour of Rabindranath Tagore.

Photo: Rabindra Kachari Bazar, Credit: Al Rafi

From Shahjadpur, we can now go to the spiritual centre of Sirajganj through a local CNG, costing just Tk 40–50 per person. Here, among the splendid view of the banks of the Jamuna River, we can find a momentous monument dedicated to the Sufi saint Khawaja Younus Ali Enayetpuri, Enayetpur Pak Darbar Sharif.

His followers have built Bangladesh’s largest khanqahs, and a huge gathering of his devotees from all across eastern India, modern-day West Bengal, Assam, and Bangladesh visit his shrine. This started the tradition of Enayetpur Orash Sharif.

Photo: Enayetpuri Orash, Credit: Md. Ruhul Amin Hossain

This year, 2026, marks the 111th Orash Sharif, taking place on 16, 17, and 18 January. The festival follows the Arabic calendar, so the dates are subject to change. Planning your trip with these dates in mind will be worth it.

During the Orash festival, a huge Orash Mela is organised, with children celebrating the entire day by enjoying rides, sweets, and prayers.

As the evening approaches, we can easily go back to Sirajganj city with a Tk 100 bus ride from Enayetpur and head back to Dhaka with a Tk 350 bus ride.

Overall, it took me Tk 1350 for the entire trip, and throughout the tour, the people of Sirajganj were extremely friendly and hospitable.

As I arrived in Dhaka, the memories made throughout the trip left me mesmerised. The body, despite being tired, was mentally fulfilled. Sirajganj will make you fall in love with its people, food, and places.

A must-visit for travellers who want a short escape from the bustling city to explore nature, history, and spirituality within a short time and budget.