Siem Reap Trip Overview
This is a very intense version of the classic so-called “Small Tour” (with Angkor Wat and jungle temple), starting early (6.30am) for good reasons:
1. You will visit Angkor Wat twice, during best morning hours, allowing you to avoid the crowds, and at the end of the tour, allowing you to see it in the best sunshine.
2. You will visit five “hidden gems” as Extras, one of them being a picture-book “lost temple in the jungle”.
3. You will enjoy a 3.5 km hike in Angkor Thom to lonesome sites.
The private tour is with both an English-speaking driver and an English-speaking guide. You will visit each temple with the guide, while the driver is waiting at its car park.
Lunch-break will be at the reservoir Srah Srang, where several good restaurants are available. Alternatively, the driver can drop you to another location, provided you agree to pay him for the extra kilometre.
For each temple, you need a one- or multiple-day Angkor Ticket, which is not included in the tour costs.
Additional Info
* Duration: 11 to 13 hours
* Starts: Siem Reap, Cambodia
* Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
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What to Expect When Visiting Siem Reap, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia
This is a very intense version of the classic so-called “Small Tour” (with Angkor Wat and jungle temple), starting early (6.30am) for good reasons:
1. You will visit Angkor Wat twice, during best morning hours, allowing you to avoid the crowds, and at the end of the tour, allowing you to see it in the best sunshine.
2. You will visit five “hidden gems” as Extras, one of them being a picture-book “lost temple in the jungle”.
3. You will enjoy a 3.5 km hike in Angkor Thom to lonesome sites.
The private tour is with both an English-speaking driver and an English-speaking guide. You will visit each temple with the guide, while the driver is waiting at its car park.
Lunch-break will be at the reservoir Srah Srang, where several good restaurants are available. Alternatively, the driver can drop you to another location, provided you agree to pay him for the extra kilometre.
For each temple, you need a one- or multiple-day Angkor Ticket, which is not included in the tour costs.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Angkor Wat, Sangkat Nokor Thum, Siem Reap Cambodia
Our driver will first drive to the less frequented East Gate of Angkor Wat, entering from here, you will see Angkor Wat in the best morning light. Don’t worry, you will see it from the much more famous West Gate, too, but at the end of the tour, when there is time for a second, shorter visit of the world’s largest temple building.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Prasat Kravan, National Road 6 Angkor Archaeological Park, Siem Reap 17252 Cambodia
The second stop is at the small temple of Prasat Kravan, which consists of five towers in one line. Prasat Kravan is most remarkable for brick carvings, which are large in size. All other carvings in Angkor are made of sandstone, not brick.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Prasat Bat Chum, Siem Reap Cambodia
Bat Chum is a small temple, three Prasat towers standing on a shared platform. However, it’s of some significance due to the large inspriptions, which indicate that Buddhism had taken route in Angkor long before the era of the Buddhist King Jayavarman VII. Bat Chum is not frequented very often by tourists and thereby somewhat special.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Srah Srang, National Road 6 Angkor Archaeological Park, Siem Reap 17252 Cambodia
The terrace with animal sculptures of Srah Srang is quite picturesque. Srahs are not Baray, they are deepened artificially, whereas Barays are only reservoirs. Srah Srang is a smaller but elaborate artificial basin, presumably used for ceremonies instead of irrigation. A Buddhist prime minister initiated the construction in the 10th century, a Buddhist king rebuilt it in the late 12th century.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Banteay Kdei, Angkor Archaelogical Park, Siem Reap 17000 Cambodia
Banteay Kdei is the smaller sister of the famous jungle temple Ta Prohm. Actually, it’s still a very large complex. The flat temple has a very labyrinthic layout, but don’t worry, you won’t get lost.
After visiting Banteay Kdei, you will have lunchbreak at the nearby Srah Srang reservoir, where you have a choice of several good restaurants.
Alternatively, you could drive back to town for lunch, however, this additional detour would mean to pay the driver for it additionally and the tour would take more than 9 to 10 hours in this case.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Ta Prohm Temple, Angkor Archaeological Park, Siem Reap 21000 Cambodia
Ta Prohm is the world-famous jungle temple of Cambodia, overgrown by several immensely large strangle figs. It’s a very large temple compound. So take your time to explore it.
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Stop At: Ta Nei Temple, Siem Reap Cambodia
Ta Nei is still hidden in the jungle and can only be reached on gravel roads. That’s why most tourists don’t find their way to this temple. The ruins of Ta Nei are the perfect place for an “Indiana Jones Feeling”. However, the temple also has some excellent works of relief art.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Ta Keo, Angkor Archaeological Park, Siem Reap 17252 Cambodia
Ta Keo is a former state temple. As all other state temples, it is an artificial mountain, a stepped pyramid. The stairs to the uppermost platform, where 5 Prasats are situated, are extraordinarily steep.
Duration: 40 minutes
Stop At: Spean Thma, Between the Victory Gate and Ta Keo, Siem Reap Cambodia
Have a photo stop at Spean Thma. This is a stone bridge from the late Angkor period, the construction made use of carved stones taken from earlier temples. The riverbed has shifted further east in the meantime.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Chau Say Tevoda, National Road 6 Angkor Archaeological Park, Siem Reap 17252 Cambodia
Chau Say Tevoda is a charming medium-sized temple with an impressive processional route from the east and lots of pediment carvings depicting mythological themes.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Thommanon, National Road 6 Angkor Archaelogical Park, Siem Reap 17252 Cambodia
Thommanon is the sister temple of Chau Say Tevoda. Thommanon is a temple from the Angkor Wat period. The towers are of the same style as at Angkor Wat.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Mangalartha, Angkor Thom, Siem Reap Cambodia
Mangalartha is a small temple on a steep and tiered platform. It’s from the 13th century and considered to be the very last temple built of stone in Angkor. Mangalartha rarely visited by tourists and therefore one of the five items on this itinerary called “Extras”.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: The Victory Gate, Victory Way Angkor Archaeological Park, Siem Reap 17252 Cambodia
The Victory gate is the second eastern gate of Angkor Thom. It’s one of the best-preserved city gates in Angkor. You will climb the wall to enjoy the stunning view to the southern giant face of the gate, picturesquely framed by trees growing on the wall.
You will start your 3.5 km hike here at Victory Gate. It will run along the rarely visited East Gate and Prasat Chrung in the southeastern corner of Angkor Thom. The driver will pick you up again at Angkor Thom South Gate. You can’t miss the correct path, because the entire way is on the crown of the city walls of Angkor Thom.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Angkor Thom, Angkor Wat, Siem Reap 17259 Cambodia
Walking along the medieval city walls of Angkor Thom you will see the lonesome East Gate. As there is no road leading to it, you will be surprised to see a highlight of Angkor Thom without any crowds. We hope, this unique experience is a rewarding extra of our extended “intense” version of a Small Tour itinerary.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Prasat Chrung, Siem Reap Cambodia
There are four temples called Prasat Chrung, they form the corner temples of Angkor Thom, placed on the city walls. On your 3.5 km hike, you will see the southeastern Prasat Chrung which is the best preserved of the four corner temples. Prasat Chrung cannot be reached by vehicles and is therefore rarely frequented by tourists. As you will fill quite undisturbed at this place, we consider Prasat Chrung to be one of our five specials on this intense tour.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Angkor Thom South Gate, National Road #6 Angkor Archaeological Park, Siem Reap 17252 Cambodia
Take your time at the iconic South Gate of Angkor Thom. The face tower and the railings formed by rows of giant statues, that are depicting demons and gods, are one of the must-sees of Angkor.
Due to our animal welfare policy, we do not offer options of elephant rides at Angkor Thom.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Angkor Wat, Sangkat Nokor Thum, Siem Reap Cambodia
The late afternoon is the best time to take pictures of the towers of Angkor Wat mirrored in the temple ponds and moats. That’s why you will have another half an hour at this most famous temple that you already visited extensively in the morning.
Before entering the West Gate of Angkor Wat, you have the opportunity to take part in the small (stationary) balloon ride allowing you a bird’s eye view of Angkor Wat. The late afternoon is the best time for taking pictures here, too.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Wat Thmey (Killing Fields), Siem Reap Cambodia
Wat Thmey has a small memorial stupa for victims of the Khmer Rouge and photo boards with images of some of those who were killed here. The open grounds also contain a large prayer hall.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Siem Reap, Siem Reap, Siem Reap Province
Drop-off will be at your hotel or at any point of your choice in the town centre of Siem Reap with its vibrant markets.
