Angkor Wat Full Day Tour

Classic 1 Day Tour to Angkor Wat, Bayon Temple, Baphuon, Terraces of the Elephants & the Leper King, Ta Prohm and Phnom Bakheng

Trip Highlights:
• Admire the spellbinding sunrise at Angkor Wat.
• Worship the iconic “Khmer Smile” in Bayon Temple.
• Appreciate animal reliefs and statues in the Terrace of the Elephants.
• Photograph with the Tomb Raider Tree in the temple ruins at Ta Prohm.
• Enjoy the sunset and overlook Angkor Thom from Bakheng Temple on the hilltop.

Your guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel in Siem Reap. The guide will confirm the pickup time with you a day in advance. If the weather permits and you’re up for it, we can set off early and arrive at Angkor Wat before dawn to watch the sunrise.

★ Why Choose an Itinerary with a Private Car?
1. Exclusive driver allows you to effectively visit 7 temples in Angkor Wat small circuit in one day.
2. An air-conditioned car is superior to the open-air tuk-tuk in protecting you from blistering weather and dust on red-earth roads.

Watching the sun gradually rise from behind the iconic spires of Angkor Wat is absolutely fantastic. Your expert guide will help you find secret spots to capture Instagram-worthy photos. There is a pond on the left and right sides in front of Angkor Wat. On one side, you can hold your phone close to the water for a panoramic shot with a tree-lined background. The other side has fewer trees, but the fenced pond might limit your framing. Try both locations to make the most of this photogenic opportunity. After sunrise, you can either return to your hotel for breakfast, or pack breakfast from the hotel in advance to enjoy a picnic at Angkor Wat. Snacks are available here but are a little expensive.

As the most prominent and best-preserved temple in the Angkor ruins, Angkor Wat has become an essential symbol of Cambodia, whose emblematic five towers are stamped on the country's national flag. Walk around the temple, and you will gravitate toward its intricate bas-relief carvings and perfect architectural structure. Your guide will share fascinating stories about the Khmer King Suryavarman II, who commissioned the construction of Angkor Wat in the early 12th century. Imagine the grandeur of this national temple in its heyday and its ultimate purpose as the king’s final resting place.

Next, enter from the imposing South Gate to Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Khmer Empire (802 - 1431), initially built in the 9th century, destroyed and rebuilt on several occasions through the end of the 12th century. Head to the central Bayon Temple with Apsara dancers, Hindu Gods and legendries carved on each stone; you can’t help but exclaim over the details and prowess of ancient artisans with only simple tools. You may have heard of the “Khmer Smile” when learning about Angkor Wat, and that refers to the four-faced smiling Buddha statues on 54 pagodas of Bayon Temple. Whenever look up, you will get caught up in the Buddha’s peaceful smiling.

► How to take a photo with the smiling Buddha?
It is suggested that you stand on the top, and the photographer shoots from a lower perspective, which can capture the lintel and reliefs on the wall, as well as the smiling Buddha at the top, or take a popular nose-to-nose photo with the Buddha in a forced perspective.

About 200 meters northwest of Bayon is Baphuon, with a long approach road leading you to the entrance. Built in the mid-11th century, it was a state temple dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. Its 5-layer platform has each layer gradually shrinking upwards in a pyramid, where you can take photos full of vertical visual effects in the cloisters. Climbing the steep stairs is physically challenging, but you can enjoy an elevated view. Walk to the back of the temple, and a 70-meter-long giant Reclining Buddha statue is also worth seeing.

Before noon, we will reach the Terrace of the Elephants because no trees can hide us from the sun. Used as a royal viewing place to hold ceremonies and welcome triumphal armies, the terrace has a 350-meter-long (1,150 feet) and 2.5-meter-high (8 feet) wall, formed by three platforms and carved with lifelike elephants, rhinoceros, and lions, as well as dancers and warriors. Nearby is the Terrace of the Leper King, a 7-meter-high (23 feet) platform made of laterite and sandstone, where you can appreciate delicate carvings of goddesses, demons, and other mythological figures on the walls.

Have lunch by yourself, and we will come to Ta Prohm, a “Jungle Temple” coexisting with centuries-old trees that grow through the ruins, among which a nicknamed “Crocodile Tree” in the east of the courtyard is well-liked. Such a mysterious scene earned it a preferred shooting place for the film Tomb Raider, and the “Tomb Raider Tree” that appeared in the movie has become the icon of Ta Prohm. Walking through the unrestored temple will give you a surreal experience.

At the tail end of today, we will climb up Phnom Bakheng to visit Bakheng Temple, the last state temple dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. Standing at the highest site near Angkor Thom overlooking the West Baray’s swathes of water on the west and forested Angkor Wat on the southeast, you will understand why the Emperor built the state temple here and why the sunset here never ceases to amaze tourists. To prevent the Bakheng Temple from being damaged by a deluge of tourists, it is limited to 300 people daily, and the entrance will close at 5:30 pm. Your guide will arrange to go up the mountain well in time to get a good place for sunset viewing.

► Tip: You may encounter people soliciting tourists to go up the mountain by elephants, and it is advisable to refuse it to protect animals and protect you from price gouging. It takes just about 20 minutes to walk up the mountain.

After all visits, your guide and driver will transfer you back to the hotel. Hope you are satisfied with this one-day trip to Angkor Wat! Beyond the temples we visited today, other Angkor ruins like Preah Kahn, Banteay Srei, and Beng Mealea, are well worth spending more time on. If you want to extend your tour to other cities in Cambodia or other Asian countries, please contact us to customize a private itinerary.

► Dinner and Nightlife Suggestions
Khmer Taste Restaurant serves Cambodian dishes at reasonable prices and complimentary ice water for each guest, costing about $5 per person. Amok Fish and Fried Rice Pineapple are recommended. You can continue to enjoy a cheerful nightlife on Pub Street, taking an eastward walk for about 5 minutes from the restaurant.