Private Tour
Sonargaon Old Capital & Panam City Day Tour from Dhaka
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Discover Sonargaon, the ancient capital of Bengal, on a day trip from Dhaka. Just 30 km away, this heritage site offers a glimpse into Bangladesh’s rich past. Explore the abandoned Panam City, the 16th-century Goaldi Mosque, and the Folk Art & Craft Museum. Visit Jamdani weaving villages to see the world-famous fabric still crafted by hand. With history, culture, and local life all in one place, Sonargaon is the perfect escape from Dhaka for curious travelers.
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Specialized infant seats are available
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Jamdani was originally known as Dhakai named after the city of Dhaka, one of many ancient textile weaving centers in Bengal region.[5] Under the Mughal Empire the Persian term Jamdani came to be in popular use, since it was the court language of the Mughals. Jamdanis are popularly known as Dhakai Jamdani or simply Dhakai. The earliest mention of jamdani and its development as an industry is found into Dhaka, Bangladesh. Jamdani is a hand loom woven fabric made of cotton, which was historically referred to as muslin. The Jamdani weaving tradition is of Bengali origin. It is one of the most time and labor-intensive forms of hand loom weaving, and is considered one of the finest varieties of muslin, and the most artistic textile of Bangladeshi weavers. Traditionally woven around Dhaka and created on the loom brocade, jamdani is rich in motifs. In the first half of the nineteenth century, James Taylor described the figured or flowered jamdani; in the late 19th century, T. N. Mukharji referred to this fabric as jamdani muslin. Whether figured or flowered, jamdani is a woven fabric in cotton. This is a supplementary weft technique of weaving, where the artistic motifs are produced by a non-structural weft, in addition to the standard weft that holds the warp threads together. The standard weft creates a fine, sheer fabric while the supplementary weft with thicker threads adds the intricate patterns to it. Each supplementary weft motif is added separately by hand by interlacing the weft threads into the warp with fine bamboo sticks using individual spools of thread. The result is a complex mix of different patterns that appear to float on a shimmering surface. The pattern is not sketched or outlined on the fabric, but is drawn on a graph paper and placed underneath the warp. Jamdani is a fine muslin cloth on which decorative motifs are woven on the loom, typically in grey and white. Often a mixture of cotton and gold thread was used.
Goaldi Mosque
Built in 1519, the graceful, single-domed Goaldi Mosque is the most impressive of the few extant monuments of the old capital city, and a good example of pre-Mughal architecture. This mosque is one of the few remnants from the Sultanate period in Sonargaon, during the reign of Sultan Hussain Shah in 925 Hijri (1519 AD). It was built by Mulla Hizabar Akbar Khan in the early 16th century, during the reign of Alauddin Husain Shah at a place called Goaldi – half a mile northeast of Panam village in Sonargaon. Sonargaon was the administrative center of medieval Muslim rulers of East Bengal. It became as the capital of Bengal during Isa Khan’s ruling. The area falls under present-day Narayanganj District, Bangladesh. This mosque is more elegant and ornate in comparison to the earlier Sultanate mosques at Bagerhat.
What‘s Included
Private transportation
Bottled water
All Fees and Taxes
Air-conditioned vehicle
Lunch
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Options
Sonargaon Old Capital & Panam City Day Tour from Dhaka
Pickup included
Reviews
20 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Must try this tour when you are in Dhaka!!
Culture16106788692,,Aug 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I had very good time at the tour.My guide was Mr Jerry and he told me about many historical stories of the place and many fun facts . It was really enjoyable tour and because it was a private tour, the driver and Mr Jerry helped me to have fun and go smoothly with the schedule. このツアーに参加して本当に良かったと思います。まずダッカの郊外に行くためには交通手段が複雑なため専用の車で移動することができることは非常に助かりました。ツアーの内容は十分すぎる、なんなら時間が許されるのであればもっと見たいぐらいです。自分のガイドさんはMr.Jerry さんだったんですがとてもわかりやすい英語でいろいろ説明してくれて歴史についてよく知ることができました。長年ツアーガイドをされているため経験豊富なためいろんなことを聞くことをお勧めします。バングラデシュの人はとても外交的であんまり観光客がいないため日本人の自分が行けばいろんな人に声をかけられることが度々ありましたがその度に通訳をしてくれて現地の人との交流ができたことも良かったです。ツアーのあとのアフターフォローなど最後まで手厚くサポートしてくれてとても充実した1日になりました。またいつかバングラデシュに訪れたときには別の形でお願いしたいです！
Great Day Trip!
pponcexp,,Jul 16, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a great day with Afridi, he was extremely knowledgeable about Bangladesh history providing great context to each of the places we visited during this day trip.
Incredible experience and the best guide!
emmaken123,,Jul 15, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This tour was absolutely incredible. Our guide Afridi showed us so much and was amazing in answering all of our questions and sharing his knowledge with us. We felt so safe and comfortable with him, and learned lots about his country and the culture here. I'm so happy we booked this tour and we were blessed to have him as our guide. I would definitely recommend this to anyone else visiting!
Sonargaon, Srimangal & Sylhet (4 days)
verenaw733,,May 20, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Eco Adventures was very flexible in adapting the tour to my wishes and interests. The guide was great and I had 4 amazing days with culture, history and lots of nature. We went there by car and back by train. Highly recommended.
Old capitals
Werner K,,Mar 30, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00It was really interesting to make this trip to see Sonargaon and Panam City. The tour was well organized and we had a very knowledgeable guide.
Wonderful tour!
victoriacR8313OA,,Mar 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Wonderful tour! It was such a great experience visiting Sonargaon and local villages. Afridi was fantastic tour guide, he is so knowledgeable and passionate about his country. I would 100% recommend this tour while in Dhaka
Great Tour to Sonargaon
Voyager737826,,Jan 16, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was a great tour to see the ancient Sonargaon and Panam City. Especially the stop at the weaving factory I found most interesting. Our guide Afiri was very knowledgeable and could answer all our questions. We can recommend booking the tour with Afiri.
The foot as if back in time. So of course this is still happening in this way... unimaginable surprise.
68lailys,,Nov 18, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The bus ride is an adventure in itself. You see so many beautiful situations along the way. Crazy for words. Old Buses, tuktuk. Nature. Once there also nice cozy interesting experiences.
Incredible Sonargon
N1803CA ,,May 20, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We enjoyed our tour of Dhaka so much that we decided to go with our guide Afridi to see the city of Sonargon. Despite the traffic jams the trip was super comfortable in an air-conditioned car. We visited the weaving mills, saw the oldest mosque in Sonargon, took a boat trip down the Meghna River to an island, and socialized with local children. Very strong impression was made by the palace in Bangladesh Folk & Art Museum and of course by the abandoned Panam City. It was something incredible. I never thought I would see such a thing. Thanks for our guide Afridi for his caring attitude and interesting stories. Come to Bangladesh, you will be met by wonderful people.
Great day trip - thoroughly recommend
Elisabeth G,,May 13, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00Really good day trip exploring the countryside around Dhakar. Very knowledgeable local guide and good transport. Interesting historic and natural sites, and a glimpse at local life.
Related Experiences
Operated by Bangladesh Eco Adventure