Cambodia Highlights Tour: Phnom Penh to Siem Reap

Welcome to Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia. Upon arrival at Phnom Penh International Airport (PNH), our tour guide/driver will welcome you at the exit and then transfer you to the hotel in downtown Phnom Penh for check-in. Rest of your day will be free time for your own discovery and relaxation.

Recommendation for Free Time: You can take a leisurely walk along the Riverside (Sisowath Quay). This area is lively in the evening and is lined with cafes, bars, and restaurants.

After breakfast, we start our day with a visit to the Royal Palace, where the King of Cambodia resides. This is a stunning example of Khmer architecture, featuring its classic Khmer roofs and ornate gilding. It’s a striking structure near the riverfront, bearing a remarkable likeness to its counterpart in Bangkok. Visit the Silver Pagoda, located within the palace grounds. Here you can find many national treasures including gold and jeweled Buddha statues. One of the most notable is the “Emerald Buddha.”

We then have a short walk to the National Museum of Cambodia. This museum is a home to the world’s largest collection of Khmer art, including sculptures, ceramics, and ethnographic objects. The beautiful terracotta structure itself is worth visiting, and it offers a serene courtyard. Enjoy optional lunch at one of local restaurants nearby and a short break.

In the afternoon, we visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a former high school that was converted into a brutal detention center (S-21) by the Khmer Rouge. Later, our guide will take you for a short drive to the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center, known as the Killing Fields, where you will witness a memorial stupa filled with skulls commemorates the victims of this dark period.

We then continue to explore the Central Market (Psar Thmei), an Art Deco landmark in the heart of Capital city – Phnom Penh. This market is an excellent spot for shopping offering clothes, jewelry, souvenirs, and electronics, and for trying local snacks while observing daily life of Cambodian.

Conclude your day of adventure with a sunset cruise along the Mekong river. With views of the popular Phnom Penh riverside and the skyline, this is a chance for you to have relaxation at the end of the day and enjoy a unique view of the beautiful city.

After breakfast, you will depart 6 hours drive from Phnom Penh and journey towards Siem Reap. The drive through the countryside of Cambodia offers beautiful scenery, with rice paddies, traditional wooden houses, and the occasional water buffalo.

We will make a stop at the Skuon Market, locally known as “Spiderville”, renowned for its market where fried spiders are a delicacy. This unique stop offers a chance to stretch your legs and sample local cuisine. If spiders don’t appeal to you, other local fruits and snacks are also available. Upon arrival in Siem Reap, check into your hotel and take some time to relax after the long drive.

Renowned as a UNESCO World Heritage site, Angkor Archaeological Park is a vast and impressive temples complex. Area spans roughly 400 square kilometers and contains the magnificent remains of the various capitals of the Khmer Empire, which flourished from the 9th to the 15th centuries. Today, our guide will take you for exploration of some of the most iconic temples and structures within the park, including the majestic Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom complexes, and the enchanting Ta Prohm Temple.

Start your exploration early with a Sunrise Trip in Angkor Wat (The sun usually rises between 5:30 AM and 6:30 AM, depending on the time of year). You should be prepared with dress code that covers shoulders and knees, and our guide will walk you to the best viewing spots to watch the sunrise behind the iconic towers, taking some amazing photos. After sunrise, we head back to your hotel for breakfast and a short rest.

After breakfast, we head to Temple of Angkor Thom, the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer empire. It was established in the late 12th century by King Jayavarman VII in the late twelfth century. Proceed to the Bayon Temple, this is known for its numerous smiling faces carved into its towers. Each of its 54 Gothic towers is decorated with 216 gargantuan smiling faces of Avalokiteshvara. The temple also features 1.2km of extraordinary bas-reliefs, incorporating more than 11,000 figures. Take your time to marvel at these detailed bas-reliefs, then have a short walk to the Baphuon Temple. This temple, which predates Angkor Thom, was originally a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva.

Next, visit the Terrace of the Elephants, that was used by King Jayavarman VII as a viewing platform to observe his victorious returning army. You’ll find it adorned with carvings of elephants and many other animals, providing excellent photo opportunities. Continue to the nearby Terrace of the Leper King. This 7-meter-high laterite platform features multiple tiers of meticulously carved walls depicting nagas (serpents), demons, and various mythical beings.

Later, continuing to Ta Prohm (Jungle Temple), was also featured in the movies “Tomb Raider” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, which adds to its popularity. After exploring Ta Prohm, enjoy a relaxing lunch at one of the local restaurants nearby.

In the afternoon, we will return to Angkor Wat for a more detailed tour of this iconic temple. Uniquely designed with a westward orientation, Angkor Wat is best viewed in the afternoon light. Angkor Wat, the largest monument of the Angkor group and the best preserved, is an architectural masterpiece. Its perfection in composition, balance, proportions, relief, and sculpture make it one of the finest monuments in the world. After the tour, we will drive you back to your hotel. Stay overnight in Siem Reap.

• Itinerary: Prasat Kravan → Banteay Kdei → Srah Srang → Pre Rup temple → Eastern Mebon → Ta Som → Neak Poan → Preah Khan → Sunset at Phnom Bakheng.

On the second day of our exploration of Angkor Archaeological Park, we will embark on the Grand Circuit, that takes you to some of the less traveled route but incredibly fascinating temples and historical sites beyond the main Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom complexes.

Start of your day at Prasat Kravan, a small 10th-century temple, known for its unique brick sculptures depicting Vishnu and Lakshmi that are remarkably well-preserved. Next, we will visit Banteay Kdei, a sprawling Buddhist monastery from the mid-12th century, often referred to as “Citadel of Monks’ cells”.

Then, we head to Pre Rup, another pyramid-style structure built during the same period. This was likely used for royal funerary rites, as suggested by the name, which loosely translates to “turn the body,” referring to the traditional method of local cremation. Due to its red brick structure, it glows with a warm red hue color under the sunset. Coupled with its open vistas, it attracts many travelers to watch the sunset here.

Enjoy a relaxing optional lunch at one of the local restaurants nearby. Then we continue to Eastern Mebon, another temple dedicated to Shiva and built on what was once an island in the East Baray reservoir. Admire the elephant statues at each corner of the temple, then visit Ta Som, a smaller but enchanting temple dedicated to father of King Jayavarman VII. The temple is especially famous for a big strangler fig tree growing out of one of its entrance towers, creating a picturesque and iconic image.

Next, make your way to the Neak Pean, a unique artificial island with a Buddhist temple on a circular island in Preah Khan Baray. This was originally designed for medicinal purposes. Explore Preah Khan, a large monastic temple complex full of carvings, passages, and photo opportunities. This extensive place was once a city, school, and Buddhist monastery, serving as a hub of religion and learning.

Conclude your adventure day with about 15-20 minutes climb up to Phnom Bakheng to admire the beautiful view of sunset. Arrive early as this popular spot can get very crowded at sunset. From here, you can watch the sky change colors over the main temples of Angkor and the surrounding forests. This is a perfect end to a day of exploration.

On the third day exploring Angkor Archaeological Park, we will take a journey beyond the main temple complex to explore the enchanting and less frequented outlying temples. Banteay Srei, renowned for the intricate carvings and unique pink sandstone construction, and Beng Mealea temple, shrouded in mystery and overtaken by the jungle, offering a more adventurous experience.

After breakfast, depart for about 10hour drive to Banteay Srei. This 10th-century temple is dedicated to worship Shiva. Banteay Srei Temple stands apart for its small size and the exquisite quality of its ornate carvings, which are the finest you can find in Cambodia. The stone’s pink hue and the elaborate decorative wall carvings of deities and mythical creatures make it a photographer’s paradise.

Next, we drive for an hour to Beng Mealea, have optional lunch at a local restaurant nearby. Then exploring Beng Mealea temple, that offers a completely different experience from the more restored sites around Angkor. Much of this temple has been reclaimed by the jungle, with trees and vines breaking through the stone blocks. It’s untouched appearance makes it feel like you’re discovering it for the first time.

After exploration, we will have 1.5-hour drive back to your hotel in Siem Reap. Free time for your own discoery and relaxation. Stay overnight in Siem Reap.

After breakfast, you will drive to Tonle Sap Lake to visit the floating village of Kompong Khleang. Known as the biggest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, the lake is home to numerous floating villages. These are unique for the stilted houses style, which are built on platforms supported by wooden poles or tethered to boats, adjusting to the lake’s changing water levels. The villages also have floating schools, shops, and even churches.

Enjoy a boat ride for about 1.5 hours to observe the residents’ unique lifestyle and the region’s rich biodiversity. If it happens to be dusk, you will have chance to appreciate the beautiful sunset on Tonle Sap Lake before going back to you hotel for relaxation.

It is time to end your 8-days Cambodia Highlights Tour Package Phnome Penh to Siem Reap. Today, you can have free time until our guide/river transfer you to Siem Reap International Airport for your departure. We finish our fantastic discovery trip to Cambodia, and you can continue to your next destination.