Day 1: Small temple tour with sunset

Today, we pick you up from your hotel to purchase the Angkor pass and continue to Angkor Thom, which was the fortified "Great Royal City" built in the 12th century by King Jayavarman VII. At the south gate, we can see the imposing statue of Avalokiteshvara, which appears in the Tomb Raider movie.

Next, we visit the temple of Bayon, in Buddhist style and adorned with hundreds of faces made of stone, and also explore the Terrace of Elephants, Royal Palace, Terrace of Leper King, and Baphoun temple, It is considered the largest Hindu temple in Angkor Thom.

In the afternoon, we will have lunch near the Angkor Wat temple. Then we enjoy a visit to the fascinating Angkor Wat, the largest sacred building on the planet and an icon of the Khmer civilization. It was built by King Suyavarman and is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. It contains hundreds of decorations that cover the walls and the longest bas-relief in the world. It is surrounded by a giant moat, and its five towers are part of the Cambodian flag, and from the top you can see the impressive and dense jungle. It is the most revered in the country and the most emblematic of the complex.

If the weather is good and you are not too exhausted, we surely will take you to watch a beautiful sunset at the hilltop of Phnom Bakheng before getting back to your hotel.

Optional Activity

If you have time after your temple tour, we highly recommend that you attend the Phare Circus Show, which is a performance by the well-known artists of the Phare Ponleu Selpak Artistic and Social Center in Battambang, who combine modern theater, music, dance, acrobatics, and other forms of entertainment. Please do not hesitate to contact us and ask us to book a ticket for you. The Circus starts at 8:00 p.m., and we may make a reservation for you in advance.

 

Day 2: Grand temples tour with sunrise

Today, we wake up early in the morning and visit one of the world's cultural heritage sites, Angkor Wat, the largest temple in the world as you soak in the breathtaking sunrise. The magnificent architecture and charming light and shadow are even more memorable with the light morning mist that is most often present in this region of Cambodia. As your expert guide tells you stories about the bas-reliefs, they'll also provide insight into life during the height of the Khmer Empire. After visiting Angkor Wat, we will have breakfast nearby the temple, please ask your hotel to pack a breakfast box for you.

The rest of the day, we will pay a visit to Ta Prohm temple, which has been left in its original state and is partly overgrown with trees and huge roots. If you still want to explore more temples, our guide can take you to visit Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Ta Som temple, and Pre Rup also known as the temple royal crematorium.

We will enjoy lunch at the local restaurant in front of Sras Srang. The tour will end around 3 PM as we start early.

Day 3: Kulen Mountain and Banteay Srei temple

Today, we depart from your hotel in the morning via private vehicle to Phnom Kulen National Park. This journey takes you through rural Cambodian villages, where you may observe locals going about their everyday lives and admire beautiful landscapes such as rice paddies and traditional dwellings.

Afterward, we continue to the hilltop of Phnom Kulen, and our knowledgeable local guide will take you to the most spectacular tourist attractions in the national park, including the largest and most beautiful waterfalls, the reclining Buddha sculpture, and the River of Thousand Linga, which was constructed in 802 AD.

We will have lunch at the local restaurant and continue to Banteay Srei temple which is one of the most intricately carved temples in the region.

In the late afternoon, we will head to Tonle Sap lake, known for its picturesque floating villages. We enjoy a boat ride and observe the local life in the villages with their floating farms, schools, markets, and Buddhist temples.

Note: Tonle Sap Lake and Floating Village are best visited between June and February.

 

Day 4: Preah Vihear and Koh Ker Group

Today, we will depart from your hotel at 7:00 am and travel to the north of Cambodia near the Thai border to see Preah Vihear, the most spectacular mountain temple in Cambodia. It was built in the 11th century during the Khmer Empire. It is located on a cliff on top of a mountain with a lush forest below it. The temple was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2008.

We will stop for lunch on the way to the Koh Ker archaeological site before continuing on to Linga Pura, another ancient Khmer city. After a brief but fulfilling lunch break, we will head out for a much-anticipated visit to Linga Pura, a historical city that is well worth a visit with your experienced tour guide.

There are three spectacular temples in Koh Ker archaeological site that are worth seeing such as Prasat Thom (the Pyramid temple), Prasat Linga, and Prasat Prum.

You can expect to return to Siem Reap town in the late afternoon.