Siem Reap Trip Overview
Visit sunrise outside of Angkor Wat with enter the great temple in darkness from the western side and soak up the atmosphere of dawn at Angkor, from the edge of one of the ancient library pools.
Spend your day with temple-hopping with your local guide to make the most of your visit to the world-famous Angkor complex, built between the 9th and 13th centuries when the Khmer empire was the pre-eminent influence in South-East Asia.
Additional Info
* Duration: 8 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
Visit sunrise outside of Angkor Wat with enter the great temple in darkness from the western side and soak up the atmosphere of dawn at Angkor, from the edge of one of the ancient library pools.
Spend your day with temple-hopping with your local guide to make the most of your visit to the world-famous Angkor complex, built between the 9th and 13th centuries when the Khmer empire was the pre-eminent influence in South-East Asia.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Angkor Wat, Sangkat Nokor Thum, Siem Reap Cambodia
We begin with a pre-dawn departure (4.30 to 4.45am depending on the time of year) from your hotel for sunrise outside Angkor Wat. Enter the great temple in darkness from the little-visited eastern side, and creep along hoary cloistered corridors past the longest stretch of bas-relief carvings in the world.
Duration: 3 hours
Pass By: Angkor Thom South Gate, National Road #6 Angkor Archaeological Park, Siem Reap 17252 Cambodia
The south gate of Angkor Thom is the best preserved. It is approached from outside via a causeway that extends about fifty meters across a moat. On each side of the causeway are railings fashioned with 54 stone figures engaged in the performance of a famous Hindu story: the myth of the Churning of the Ocean. On the left side of the moat, 54 ‘devas’ (guardian gods) pull the head of the snake ‘Shesha’ while on the right side 54 ‘asuras’ (demon gods) pull the snake’s tail in the opposite direction. In this myth, the body of the snake is wrapped around the central mountain—Mt. Meru—perhaps corresponding here to the Bayon temple at the center of the site. In any case, the myth relates that as the Devas pulled the snake in one direction and the gods pushed in the other, the ocean began to churn and precipitate the elements. By alternating back and forth, the ocean was ‘milked’, forming the earth and the cosmos anew.
Stop At: Bayon Temple, Angkor Thom, Siem Reap Cambodia
Angkor Thom is the majestic site once served as the Khmer Empire’s glistening capital city. Take a moment to consider its grandiosity before venturing inside the city. Arriving at the temple at Bayon, appreciate its beautifully crafted central towers covered in more than 200 enormous faces.
Duration: 2 hours
Pass By: Terrace of the Elephants, Angkor Thom Angkor Archaeological Park, Siem Reap 17252 Cambodia
The 350m-long Terrace of Elephants was used as a giant reviewing stand for public ceremonies and served as a base for the king’s grand audience hall. It has five outworks extending towards the Central Square-three in the center and one at each end. The middle section of the retaining wall is decorated with life-size garuda and lions; towards either end are the two parts of the famous parade of elephants complete with their Khmer mahouts.
Stop At: Ta Prohm Temple, Angkor Archaeological Park, Siem Reap 21000 Cambodia
One of the most atmospheric of all temples in Angkor. Once home to 2,740 monks, Ta Prohm today looks much as it did in the early 1850s, when French explorer Henri Mouhot ‘rediscovered’ this crumbling site. After exploring the maze-like interior of Ta Prohm, return to your hotel after a long but fulfilling day, which will leave you with a lifetime of memories of one of the wonders of the world.
Duration: 2 hours
