Khulna Travel Guide — Best Time, Things to Do & Where to Stay

Why Khulna

Khulna is the fourth-largest city in Bangladesh and serves as the primary regional center for Khulna Division. Positioned along the Rupsha and Bhairab Rivers within the Ganges Delta, this southwestern urban hub is bounded on its western side by the Mayur River. The surrounding geography features tidal-flat ecosystems, bounded by the districts of Jessore, Narail, Satkhira, and Bagerhat, with the Bay of Bengal situated to the south. The city hosts its own river port and is economically tied to the nearby Port of Mongla.

Historically, the area formed part of the ancient Samatata, Vanga, and Gangaridai kingdoms. Muslim settlement expanded during the fourteenth century, and in the fifteenth century, the saint Khan Jahan Ali established a fiefdom named Jahanabad. Following periods of rule under the Bengal Sultanate, local dynasties, and the Mughal Empire, the British East India Company assumed control in 1793. Khulna was designated as the headquarters of Khulna District in 1882 and was subsequently elevated to a city corporation in 1990.

Khulna is widely recognized as the entry point to the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest and a primary habitat for the Bengal tiger. It lies just north of the Mosque City of Bagerhat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visitors exploring the local waterways can travel on historical river routes via a colonial steamboat service, utilizing classic passenger vessels such as the Tern, Ostrich, and Lepcha.

Local transport within the city relies on rickshaws, auto rickshaws, urban bus networks like Nagar Paribahan, and ride-sharing applications. Long-distance road travel connects through the N7 highway and the central Sonadanga Bus Terminal. Khulna Railway Station operates domestic express routes to Dhaka and Rajshahi, alongside the international Bandhan Express to Kolkata. For air travelers, Jashore Airport is located 50 kilometers north, offering flights to Dhaka with direct air-conditioned shuttle bus connections into Khulna.

Khulna experiences a tropical wet and dry climate shaped by the South Asian monsoon, featuring hot, humid summers and pleasantly warm winters. Average annual rainfall reaches approximately 1,878 millimeters, with the vast majority occurring between May and October, alongside occasional heavy precipitation from Bay of Bengal cyclones. Beyond tourism, the city functions as a major industrial center focused on shipbuilding, jute production, seafood packaging, food processing, and marine commerce.