Culture & Nature Discovery

Welcome to Siem Reap, Cambodia's tourism heart, which has a long history and rich cultural heritage! On your arrival, your guide and driver will pick you up from the airport and take you to the hotel.

Siem Reap is not a large city, so you can easily get around on foot or by Tuk-tuk in your free time. The famous Old Market and its nearby Pub Street are well worth exploring.

Your private Siem Reap tour will definitely start from the Angkor Wat Archaeological Park, a UNESEO World Heritage Site. If weather is good, you will wake up before dawn and be escorted to Angkor Wat to enjoy the stunning sunrise view. After that, you will be driven back to the hotel for breakfast.

This morning, you will continue to visit the temple of Angkor Wat, which is the finest example of Khmer art and architecture, with five iconic towers and vast complex of bas-relief galleries.

Then head for the last capital of the Khmer Empire, Angkor Thom. Follow your guide to enter from the South Gate to visit some imposing temples like Bayon with famous Khmer Smile, Baphuon, Elephant Terrace and Pre Rup. You will have a good understanding of history and culture about the Khmer Empire by visiting these ancient temple ruins. Afterwards, you will come to the Bakheng Temple, which sits on top of a hill and is a wonderful place to capture the amazing sunset view as well as to overlook the whole Angkor area.

This evening, you will enjoy a buffet of traditional Khmer dishes and an Apsara Dance Show at a famous restaurant.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today, you will continue to explore the Angkor Wat temples. Firstly, you will proceed to Preah Kahn, which is a large Khmer temple complex constructed in the 12th century by the King Jayavarman VII (1125-1219). The next stop is Neak Pean, a Buddhist temple located at the heart of a pool and known for two giant serpent sculptures. Following is a visit to Ta Som, which is also one of the shooting sites of the movie Tomb Raider. After that, you will visit Banteay Kdei. Although it looks dilapidated, the wonderful female celestial sculptures will catch your eyes.

Your last stop today is the jungle-covered Ta Prohm Temple, also known as the Tomb Raider Temple. The large trees intertwined the ruins of the temple with thick giant roots, which adds a bit mysterious atmosphere. Finally, you will be transferred back to the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

This morning, you will be driven out of Siem Reap to the temple of Beng Mealea for a visit. It is the first temple in the Angkor complex and now look like an abandoned ruin with many big trees twining their roots around the collapsed buildings and walls. Wear comfortable shoes since you will walk through the ruins up and down.

In the afternoon, we will head for the temple of Banteay Srei, which is one of the most beautiful temples in Angkor and has the most exquisite and complex carvings.

Along the way today, we will pass by villages, orchards, vegetable gardens and rice fields, and stop anywhere you want to appreciate rural scenes and interact with locals. Your guide will act as a translator.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Having breakfast in the hotel, and then we will come to an off-the-beaten site, the Roluos Group of Temples, which was built in the 9th century and is considered to be the beginning of the Angkor’s architecture art. Bakong, Preah Ko and Lolei are the main temples here.

In the afternoon, we will head for the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, Tonle Sap Lake. En route, we will show you around a typical Khmer village to see the lifestyle of the locals. On your arrival at the lake, a boat ride is arranged for you to travel around the floating village, where people live in the shabby houseboats for generations.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today, we will leave Siem Reap and drive 3.5 to 4 hours to Battambang. On arrival, check in at the hotel and have lunch. Then you will start with a walk through the boulevards lined with quaint French colonial buildings. After that, you will experience a special ride on the local Bamboo train to enjoy the beautiful countryside view on the old rail road.

Late in the afternoon, we will set out to Phnom Sampeau. When you hike halfway up the hill, you may see the famous Killing Cave. Thousands of innocent people were killed here during the Regime of Khmer Rouge from 1975 to 1979. There is also a temple on top of the hill where you can enjoy wonderful landscape of the villages beneath the hill. When getting down, you will come to the Bat Cave to watch the spectacular scene of numerous bats flying out of the cave at around 18:00.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Begin your day with a 4 to 5-hour journey from Battambang to Phnom Penh. We will first make a stop at Kampong Chhnang, where you will see all kinds of potteries and their handmaking process, as well as how the traditional rice wine is made at a village.

Afterwards, continue your journey and enjoy the rural scenery, temples and pagodas along the way. When getting to Oudong, you may climb to the top of Oudong Mountain and enjoy the magnificent views over the plains below. Your guide will explain the history of this area.

In the late afternoon, you will arrive in Phnom Penh and check in at the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

You will spend a full day to explore the must-see sites in Phnom Penh today. The first spot is the Royal Palace, which is still the home of the king. The highlight of the palace is the Silver Pagoda, which is noted for the ground covered by 5,000 pieces of silver bricks, each weighing more than 1kg. Then head for the National Museum. There are lots of art collections, including different Angkor periods' handcrafts and sculptures and some pictures of Angkor taken by French photographers.

In the afternoon, you will visit the Khmer Rouge sites of the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21 Prison) and the Killing Fields of Choeung EK to learn about the Cambodia's bloody past. It would be a sobering experience to see the savage tortures, some pictures and videos. But don't worry, the local government has done very well on these places. You will be shocked by history, not frightened by horrible scenes.

Kindly Reminder:
The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh is temporarily closed. If it still cannot be visited at the time you travel, the tour guide will discuss with you and change to another site according to your interest. We appreciate your understanding.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Your guide and driver will pick you up from the hotel and see you off at the airport today. You will get back home with many beautiful memories of this trip. Thank you!

Meals: Breakfast