Explore Siem Reap's iconic temples on this immersive 2-day tour. With a local, English-speaking guide, discover the grandeur of Angkor Wat, the ancient ruins of Angkor Thom, and the beautifully carved Banteay Srei Temple. Begin each day with exciting temple explorations, from a stunning sunset on day one to a breathtaking sunrise over Angkor Wat on day two. This small-group tour offers a full, enriching experience of Siem Reap's must-see landmarks in just two days.
Day 1: Banteay Srei, Grand Circuit Heritage Temple and Sunset
Today, start the exploring by visiting the most interesting temples outside Angkor Thom city. Departing your hotel around 8.00 am, you begin with the first stop at Pre Rup Hindu temple built as the state temple of Khmer king Rajendravarman and dedicated in 961 or early 962. It is a temple mountain of combined brick, laterite and sandstone construction.
Continue a drive for the intricately carved and well-preserved Banteay Srei. The detailed reliefs on this smaller sandstone structure are regarded as the finest, most skillfully crafted in Cambodia. Banteay Srei has only been accessible since the late 1990s, when the Khmer Rouge left the area.
Return your journey back and visit Neak Pean temples, an artificial island with a Buddhist temple on a circular island in Jayatataka Baray and continue your afternoon to Preah Khan temple, a ruined but highly atmospheric mélange of tree roots and crumbling stone structures. Construction of this site was commissioned by the great 'temple builder' Jayavaraman VII (in honour of his father) and a visit to this smaller site makes for an interesting contrast with the more imposing Angkor Wat. Preah Khan is currently being restored by the World Monument Fund and in places is in remarkably good condition. End the day by enjoy at temple ruins, the perfect vantage point to witness the magical sunset. Late afternoon return to town after a memorable day of exploration.
Day 2: Angkor Wat Highlights and Sunrise Guided Tour
We begin with a pre-dawn departure from your hotel for sunrise outside Angkor Wat. Enter the great temple in darkness (please bring a torch) from the little-visited eastern side, and creep along hoary cloistered corridors past the longest stretch of bas-relief carvings in the world. Soak up the atmosphere of dawn at Angkor, from the edge of one of the ancient library pools. We then explore the interior of the great temple, spending a thorough two hours discovering the corridors, central chambers and upper terraces of this truly great temple. Your expert local guide will decipher the myriad of stories behind the bas-relief carvings, and give you an insight into life during the height of the Khmer empire.We end our tour at Angkor with breakfast outside the temple (breakfast is not included), and a short rest. Continue the morning visit the jungle-enveloped Ta Prohm – 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.Continue the morning to Angkor Thom city. Pass by the famous Terrace of the Leper King, and the Terrace of Elephants before arriving Bayon Temple. At ‘The Bayon’ (12th century) we see its beautifully crafted central towers, covered in more than 200 enormous faces, then continue to the southern Gate of Angkor Thom, flanked by a row of 54 stone figures on each side - gods to the left and demons to the right – and the fortified city of Angkor Thom. Enjoy the rest of peaceful atmosphere at Angkor Archaeological Park before heading back to your hotel. Tour end between 12.30-1.30pm.
Includes convenient hotel pickup and drop-off services in Siem Reap City.
Includes convenient hotel pickup and drop-off services in Siem Reap City.
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