Tour & Activity Scams in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Unlicensed guides, fake tickets, bait-and-switch excursions, and ticket scalping. Below are the tour & activities scams reported in Dhaka — how they work and how to avoid them.
For broader context, compare this scam type with nearby destinations like Kandy, Mumbai, and Amritsar.
Last updated: April 7, 2026
3
Tour & Activities Scams
8
Total in Dhaka
How it works
Self-appointed guides outside the Lalbagh Fort entrance collect "fees" framed as mandatory for foreign visitors and provide tours of questionable accuracy. Bangladesh's official entry fee for foreigners is separate and paid at the ticket window — no guide fee is mandatory.
How it works
Boat operators at Sadarghat river terminal offer tours of the Buriganga River that start at 200-300 BDT but escalate with add-ons — longer routes, additional stops, "special views" — that were not discussed before departure. Some operators demand payment before returning to the dock.
How it works
Given Bangladesh's textile industry profile, touts in Gulshan and near Dhaka Export Processing Zone offer "factory tours" or "wholesale fabric buying" that lead to showrooms where heavily marked-up fabrics are sold as factory-direct prices. No actual factory visit occurs.
See all scams in Dhaka
8 total warnings across all categories