Shrines and tea in the city on day one, then stone rivers and the Khasi hills on day two.
Two days is enough to see the heart of Sylhet if you base yourself in the city and leave early on the second morning. This plan works best from November to March, when roads are dry and the rivers are clear.
Day 1: the city
- Morning: visit Hazrat Shahjalal Dargah before the crowds, then Shah Paran Dargah on the eastern edge of town.
- Late morning: walk the estate roads at Malnichhara, usually called the country’s oldest commercial tea garden.
- Lunch: try Sylheti satkora beef or fish curry in Zindabazar.
- Evening: watch the sunset from Keane Bridge and take a short boat ride on the Surma.
Day 2: Jaflong and Lalakhal
- Leave by 8 am on the Tamabil road. Stop at Lalakhal for a two to three hour boat ride on the turquoise Sari river.
- Continue to Jaintiapur to see the megaliths beside the highway.
- Spend the afternoon at Jaflong and take a boat across the river to the Khasi punjis.
- Leave Jaflong in time to be back in Sylhet by dark; the Tamabil road is narrow and busy.
Hire one car with a driver for day two. It is cheaper and safer than changing transport at every stop, and the driver will know the boat ghats.
If you visit in the monsoon
Swap Lalakhal for Ratargul Swamp Forest, which is only worth visiting when it is flooded, and add Bisnakandi if the weather allows. Check flood warnings before leaving the city.
