Bangladesh - The Ultimate Photography Tour.

Join us on an epic adventure through this mystical land.

The Tour.

Join Nathan on a photographic adventure through Bangladesh and discover the diverse and captivating beauty of this vibrant nation as we explore its iconic locations and uncover its hidden gems. Our journey begins in the bustling capital city of Dhaka, where we immerse ourselves in the vibrant chaos of Kawran Bazaar. Here, we'll capture the hustle and bustle of the capitals biggest wholesale fruit, vegetable and fish markets. A kaleidoscope of lighting conditions, reveal endless transactions to our cameras in earnest gestures and all manner of textures and colour’s get taken away by porters in head baskets or rickshaws. The atmosphere is more lively and friendly than you can imagine but a great indication of things to come.

From here, we head south towards the Ganges Delta and the city of Barisal were we explore a brick factories and floating rice market’s, where the early morning mist creates an ethereal atmosphere. We'll capture the rustic beauty of brick-making and the vibrant atmosphere of floating market’s, where villagers trade their harvest on wooden boats, their voices echoing across the water.

Back in Dhaka, we visit the Buriganga River where we'll photograph the morning activity along the riverbanks. Commuters cross the river by small paddle boat taxi’s at the same time as market traders set up their stalls. We then cross the river ourselves to visit ship yards when skilled workers arrive to craft intricate vessels. The rhythmic sound of hammers and saws provides the backdrop to our photography as we document these age-old crafting techniques.

Chittagong, is the nations most industrious of cities and we go out of our way to visit small streets were aluminum pots and pans are forged, laved and sold. The next morning we visit the busiest of fishing ports you are likely to see anywhere. It’s so busy it’s difficult to arrest individual frames but a better problem to have than not enough happening to keep you interested.

Rangamati welcomes us with the cultural richness of its tribal bazaar, where we'll engage with indigenous communities, capture their traditions, and photograph the vibrant costumes on display. The fascinating interplay of light and shadow in the covered market creates dramatic scenes perfect for photography. At nearby Lake Kaptai, we'll explore its serene waters and capture the tranquility and reflections of this picturesque setting, especially during the golden hours of sunrise and sunset.

Our journey then takes us to Bandarban, where we embark on a photographic adventure along the Sangu River, capturing the rugged landscapes and the natural beauty that surrounds this region. The mist-shrouded hills and verdant valleys provide a stunning backdrop for visiting hidden hill tribes that rival the authentic villages we used to find in Myanmar.

Finally, we arrive at Cox's Bazar, a coastal paradise where we'll photograph the world's longest natural sandy beach, dotted with iconic moon-shaped boats. We'll also witness the scenes at the dry-fishing yards, where locals work to process their daily catch, creating compelling compositions of light, texture, and human activity. This is a perfect opportunity to discover the captivating beauty of this diverse nation and immerse yourself in its vibrant culture.

Photo Highlights.

  • the biggest wholesale vegtable market in Dhaka Bangladesh

    Kawran Bazar

    Dhaka’s biggest wholesale market

  • TAKING BRICKS FROM KILN IN BRICK FACTORY BARISAL BANGLADESH

    Brick Factories

    The nation’s primary construction material

  • HILLTIBE LADY ADORNED WITH EAR RINGS AND NECKLACE FROM TRIPURA TRIBE BANGLADESH

    Hill tribes

    Mro, Marma, Tonchhonga and Tripura

  • Endless river activity and trade on Ganges Delta Barisal Bangladesh

    Ganges Delta

    Endless river activity and trade

  • Industrial railway station in Chittagong Bangladesh

    Chittagong

    The city of Industry

  • Boats crossing Dhaka's busiest river Bangladesh

    Buriganga River

    Dhaka’s busiest river

  • Kawran Bazar fish mongers in Dhaka Bangladesh

    Local markets

    Unusual offerings

  • Rangamati tribal ladies bagladesh

    Rangamati

    Off the beaten track

  • Old lady in Cox's Bazar Bangladesh

    Intimate portraits

    Very responsive local people

  • the tranquil rivers of Barisal Bangladesh

    Barisal

    Tranquil rivers, tribal villages and markets

  • Sunrise at Cox's Bazar Bangladesh

    Moon boats

    Unique fishing vessels

  •  Local people at work in Chittagong Bangladesh

    Personal moments

    Access to local people at work

Tour Details.

Est. 2025

Duration: 12 days, 11 nights, 10 days of shooting

Dates and Prices

2026

February 7 -18

US$6350

Past participants will get a special discount.

Our fee includes hotels, breakfast, bottled water throughout the tour, as well as all transport including airport transfers. This tour also includes an internal flight. We base our fee on accommodation in a single room, (always A/C with private bathroom) though we offer discounts for couples sharing rooms, as well as for non-photographers. If you need help with insurance for this tour, please let us know and we can put you in touch with a broker that should be able to help you.

Our Itinerary.

  • Rickshaw in Dhaka Bangladesh

    Day 1

    Arrive Dhaka: Enjoy free transfer to the hotel

    PM: Optional technical and aesthetic travel photography workshop for those who need it

    Sunset: Meet Nathan and the group

    Sleep: Dhaka 4-star hotel

  • Fireworks-over-at-Si-Muang-Vientiane-Laos.

    Day 2

    Sunrise: Kawran Bazar

    AM: Brunch

    PM: Drive to Barisal

    Sunset: Yellow mustard fields

    Sleep: Barisal best business hotel

  • Barisal back water river trip Bangladesh

    Day 3

    Sunrise: Breakfast

    AM: Brick factories

    PM: Timber yards

    Sunset: Night market

    Sleep: Barisal best business hotel

  • Man drying rice river-side village bangladesh

    Day 4

    Sunrise: Breakfast

    AM: Floating rice markets

    PM: Drive back to Dhaka

    Sunset: Mawa river views

    Sleep: Dhaka 4-star hotel

  • View-from-window-of-train-to-Oudomxay-Laos.

    Day 5

    Sunrise: Sadarghat

    AM: Shipyards of Dhaka

    PM: Drive to Chittagong

    Sunset: Potters street

    Sleep: Chittagong 4-star hotel

  • Chittagong main fishing port Bangladesh

    Day 6

    Sunrise:  Fishing port

    AM: Drive to Rangamati

    PM: Tribal Bazaar

    Sunset: Tribal Bazaar

    Sleep: Rangamati basic hotel

  • River activity in Bandarban Bangladesh

    Day 7

    Sunrise: Lake Kaptai

    AM: Floating cattle market

    PM: Drive to Bandarban

    Sunset: Sangu River

    Sleep: Bandarban boutique hotel

  • Special-music and dance show by Mro Hill Tribes Bangladesh

    Day 8

    Sunrise: Drive into hills

    AM: Tribal villages

    PM: Drive down hills

    Sunset: Tribal village

    Sleep: Bandarban boutique hotel

  • Tourist beach at Cox's Bazar Bangladesh

    Day 9

    Sunrise: Breakfast

    AM: Tribal bazaar

    PM: Drive to Cox’s Bazar

    Sunset: Cox’s Bazar tourist beach

    Sleep: Cox’s Bazar 4-star hotel

  • Fishing beach on long coast line of Bangladesh near Cox's Bazar

    Day 10

    Sunrise: Moon-shaped boats 

    AM: Beach Life

    PM: Rest

    Sunset: Fishing village backstreets

    Sleep: Cox’s Bazar 4-star hotel

  • Fish drying near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh

    Day 11

    Sunrise: Fishing port

    AM: Dry fish yards

    PM: Fly to Dhaka

    Sunset: Tour review

    Sleep: Dhaka 4-star hotel

  • Bags of rice on Rickshaw Barisal Bangladesh

    Day 12

    Free to leave anytime

    Enjoy transport to the airport at your leisure.

    We hope you will have a wonderful adventure!

Make the dream a reality.

Tuition.

On any of our tours, stunning photography is the name of the game, and our objective is for you to leave with a collection of images that you'll be proud to show off. Indeed, many of our past participants have gone on to win awards and competitions with photographs taken on our tours.

Nathan’s teaching approach is very hands-on, as he believes in learning by doing. He will guide you through technical challenges, provide artistic inspiration, and lead by example in approaching locals for great portraits. You'll be amazed at the striking and authentic images you'll be able to capture.

We also offer Lightroom workshops during our tours, where we cover workflow management and picture processing. We'll show you the tools to take your travel photography to the next level and provide tips on saving your pictures for various outputs like social media, e-books, and printing.

If this is your first tour with us, you can also join Nathan’s pre-tour workshop, designed to equip you with essential skills for travel photography. Covering technical competence, creative observation, and ethical responsibility with a focus on people and culture, this workshop is perfect if you’re new to travel photography or need a refresher. The workshop usually runs on the first day of the tour from around 2-5pm but please check the itinerary above. Enhance your photography skills and capture breathtaking moments to treasure forever. Apply via our tour request form and prepare to take your photography skills to the next level.

Hotels and Transport.

  • Typical hotel on Bangladesh photography tour

    Boutique hotels

    We have gone to great lengths to secure either boutique hotels, or the best choices in more challenging locations, to enhance your overall sense of being in Bangladesh. Most hotels here are designed for business purposes but they can be a lot better than expected. We are excited to share our choices with you. You can be assured of your own bathroom and air conditioning every night of the tour.

  • Typical boat used on NHP photo tour

    Great locations

    We choose all of our locations in the hope they will give you the best of a wide and varied experience of the countries we visit. Our choice of transport and hotels only goes to expand that experience. We try to make our hotels and transport as convenient as possible to allow plenty of great photo opportunities.

  • Peninsula hotel roof top bar, Chittagong, Bangladesh

    Hotel bars

    Our tours try to focus on photography during sunrise and early morning light, and late afternoon and evening light. Sometimes we have to travel during the middle of the day but if not we try to provide you with hotel facilities that will brighten up your day. Having a drink at the end of the day often helps, but is not always easy. We will do our best to ensure our hotels are licensed or we can help source legal supplies.

TripAdvisor.

Clayhaus - Sept 2022

Between 2015 and 2019 I completed eight tours with Nathan Horton Photography Tours. Three times to India, to Laos, to Indonesia, Cambodia, Nepal, and Myanmar. That in and of itself should inform the reader as to my enthusiasm for his photography tours. But let me say more about that. Let me start out by saying that if all you are interested in is ticking the "Top 10" boxes that somebody else has created, then perhaps his tours may not be for you. Yes, he takes you to very scenic areas and yes, there is a set itinerary, and double yes that for a given area you will undoubtedly see and photograph some "classic tour" highlights. But much of the excitement, fun and photographic opportunities come from being prepared for serendipity to happen.

Choose from 15 tours in 8 countries!

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