Heritage journeys of Indochina
Tours · Cambodia
Angkor in depth, and the temples before it
Five nights in Siem Reap: four temple days at Angkor planned around opening times, and one long day to Sambor Prei Kuk, the seventh-century brick capital that came before the stone.
At a glance
- Duration
- 6 days, 5 nights
- Party
- Private, 1 to 8 travellers
- Starts
- Siem Reap
- Ends
- Siem Reap
- Pace
- Four early mornings
- Price
- On request
Who this journey is for
UNESCO describes Angkor as some 400 square kilometres of capitals of the Khmer Empire, built from the ninth to the fifteenth century. Most visitors give it two days and see Angkor Wat, the Bayon and Ta Prohm. Those three are worth the visit, but they are the end of a story whose beginning lies elsewhere: in the brick temples of the Roluos group, and further back in Sambor Prei Kuk, the capital of Chenla in the late sixth and early seventh centuries, inscribed by UNESCO in 2017.
This journey follows that story. It is for travellers who already know they want more than a glimpse, who are happy to be at a temple gate at 07:30, and who want a guide who can read an inscription’s date off a lintel’s style. It is also the natural second week after our central Vietnam journey, which includes My Son, Champa’s sanctuary, a neighbour and rival of the Khmer.
Day by day
Day 1
Arrive in Siem Reap
Private transfer from the airport. In the late afternoon, an introduction with your guide: a map of the park, the order of the kings, and how to tell a ninth-century temple from a twelfth-century one by its material and its plan.
Day 2
Angkor Wat in the quiet window
The south gallery reliefs with no one in front of you
Collect your Angkor Pass at the official ticket office on the way in. Sunrise at Srah Srang, a royal bathing pool that opens at 05:00 like Angkor Wat but draws a fraction of the crowd. Breakfast, then Angkor Wat at about 08:00. Built by Suryavarman II in the early twelfth century and facing west, it holds the long galleries of bas-reliefs; we give them two hours. Rest through the midday heat. Sunset from Pre Rup, which stays open until 19:00.
Day 3
Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm
Through the south gate of Angkor Thom to the Bayon at 07:30, when most temples open. Then the Baphuon, the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King. After lunch in town, Ta Prohm in the late afternoon, when the light comes low through the trees and the mid-morning groups have gone.
Day 4
Sambor Prei Kuk
Octagonal brick towers carved with flying palaces
A long day: about 2.5 to 3 hours each way by road to Kampong Thom province. Sambor Prei Kuk was Ishanapura, capital of Chenla, built in fired brick with sandstone detail. Eleven of its temples are octagonal, a form found almost nowhere else. The site opens 07:30 to 17:30 and is quiet by any standard; you may meet more farmers than visitors.
Day 5
Banteay Srei and the Roluos group
Early to Banteay Srei, north of the main temple group, to see its pink sandstone carving at the 07:30 opening before the coaches. Back via Banteay Samre. In the afternoon, the Roluos group: Preah Ko, Bakong and Lolei, ninth-century temples from the first capital in the Angkor area, where brick and stone meet.
Day 6
Preah Khan, then depart
A last morning at Preah Khan, a temple built as a monastery and university, at opening. Transfer to the airport for your onward flight.
Prices
| Party | Deluxe rooms | Suites where available |
|---|---|---|
| Private, 2 travellers | On request | On request |
| Private, 3 – 4 travellers | On request | On request |
| Private, 5 – 8 travellers | On request | On request |
| Single traveller | On request | On request |
What the price includes
- Five nights in the hotel named in your quote, with breakfast
- Private vehicle and driver every day
- A guide who specialises in Khmer history and architecture for the temple days
- A seven-day Angkor Pass (four temple days) and the Sambor Prei Kuk ticket
- Lunches as listed and drinking water in the vehicle
What it does not include
- International flights
- Cambodia visa
- Travel insurance
- Dinners
- Drinks
- Tips
For reference, the Angkor Pass costs USD 37 for one day, USD 62 for three days and USD 72 for seven, with children under 12 free on showing a passport; Sambor Prei Kuk is USD 10. Sources are on the heritage table; check before you travel. Both are included. See the prices page for what else moves the quote.
Gallery
Who this journey is not for
- Travellers who want Angkor in a day or two. That trip exists and costs less; this one is for depth.
- Anyone travelling in April or May who struggles in heat. Midday temperatures at the temples are high in those months, and the plan relies on long mornings outside.
- Travellers who find five or six hours in a car hard. Day 4 is long; it can be dropped and replaced with Beng Mealea or a second Angkor Wat morning.
- Those who cannot manage steep stone steps. Several temples have them; your guide can plan around most, but not every view is reachable on the level.
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
Do we really need five nights for Angkor?
For the three famous temples, no. For the story from Roluos to the Bayon, plus Sambor Prei Kuk, yes. Four nights works if you drop the Sambor Prei Kuk day.
Is sunrise at Angkor Wat included?
If you want it. We suggest Srah Srang for sunrise and Angkor Wat at about 08:00, but many travellers want the classic view once, and we plan around that.
Can children come?
Yes, and children under 12 enter Angkor free with a passport. The early starts and the heat are the harder part; we shorten the days for families.
Could we add Koh Ker or Preah Vihear?
Koh Ker, inscribed in 2023, can replace or follow Sambor Prei Kuk as a long day. Preah Vihear lies on the border with Thailand; we include it only after checking the current travel advisories.
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Tours · Prices
Prices
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Tours · Booking
How to book
The booking process, from first form to first morning.
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Start planning
Tell us about the trip you have in mind
Dates, party size and the places you care about are enough to start. You get a draft route and an indicative price, not a brochure.