11-Day Highlights of Cambodia Tour

Day 1: Arrive in Phnom Penh

Welcome to Cambodia. A private transfer will take you from the airport to your accommodations in Phnom Penh. Then you’ll have the rest of the day to spend as you’d like. If you ever need a ride, your driver and his car are always ready for you.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, sits at the junction of the Mekong and Tonlé Sap rivers. It was a hub for both the Khmer Empire and French colonialists. On its walkable riverfront, lined with parks, restaurants and bars, are the ornate Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and the National Museum, displaying artifacts from around the country.

At the riverside also sits Phnom Penh’s only night market. While small, it makes for a pleasant stroll through. There are also street food stalls, plus a spacious place to sit and eat. Sometimes, you may catch concerts or local performances too. It’s a nice chilled place to just soak in the local atmosphere. Every night from 7 to 8 PM at the National Museum, you can catch the sublime performance of Cambodian classical and folk dances. Drawing inspiration from literature, nature and local life, the dances are a fantastic glimpse into Cambodian culture.

Overnight in Phnom Penh

Day 2: Phnom Penh City Tour, Royal Palace & Toul Sleng

After breakfast, we start our tour and visit some of Phnom Penh’s important sights, landmarks and attractions. Visit the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, it is the official residence of the King of Cambodia and it’s where you can see some very beautiful wall paintings, charming building with lots of different decorations and colorful and there are such many beautiful plants. We visit Russian Market, a noteworthy street market in Phnom Penh. This is the interesting market in town, stalls selling wooden handicrafts, antiquities, miniature Buddhas, fruits and veggies, jewelry, etc.

Tuol Sleng genocide Museum – a mass gravesite and a former high school converted to a detention and torture center by the Khmers Rouges when they came to power in 1975. Visit Wat Phnom is the unique hillock in the city, is crowned by at active Buddhist Wat and marks the legendary founding place of Phnom Penh.

Overnight in Phnom Penh

Day 3: Phnom Penh City Tour, National Museum & Killing Fields

This morning after breakfast, your driver will take you to the National Museum, it is the most important repository of Khmer artifacts in the country. Over 5000 objects are on display including Angkorian era statues, lingas and other artifacts, most notably the legendary statue of the ‘Leper King’ in Siem Reap and an enormous 11th century bronze Vishnu. Here is also a good collection of pieces from later periods, including an exhibition of post-Angkorian Buddha figures.  We then see Central Market, built during the French Colonial rule, the bright yellow building completed in 1937 has a 26-metre-high central dome, with four tall arch-roofed arms branching out diagonally across the block, creating vast hallways housing countless stalls and a variety of goods. When it first opened in 1937, it was said to be the biggest market in Asia.

We head to the Killing Fields of Choeng Ek, these sites are testament to Phnom Penh’s tragic modern history and the insanity of the Pol Pot era. In the evening, you’ll find boats that take you on an hour cruise to the other side of the river bank and back. Whether you’re gazing at the sunset or twinkling city lights, it’s a lovely way to wind down and reflect on your day.

Overnight in Phnom Penh

Day 4: Travel to Siem Reap, Spider Town & Sambor Prei Kuk

We leave Phnom Penh after your tasty breakfast and travel to Siem Reap. We make a short stop in Skuon, affectionately called Spiderville Cambodia, the popular place for Cambodian and foreign travelers where it is possible to taste the local delicacy of fried tarantulas and other fried insects. However, if you don’t want to taste spider, cricket, scorpion, grasshopper or other insects, this is also a good place to take pictures.

We take a little time to visit the Stone Carving Village, a place where local men perform Buddha carvings by hand. You’ll learn how Khmer Empire workers carved the statues so professionally. Sandstone carving is a very old tradition in Cambodia. From the 9th to the 13th centuries, the Khmer were considered the best stone sculptors in the world.

After lunch, we visit the famous Sambor Prei Kuk, an ancient city that has about two hundred brick temples is located here in this province. The city was built during the time of King Isanavarman when he successfully united the territories of Chenla Kork and the Khmer water territory of Chenla Toek. Sambo Prei Kuk served as the capital of the Khmer Empire for many centuries.

Overnight in Siem Reap

Day 5: Half-Day Tour of Floating Village

Have breakfast at the hotel. Free for leisure until your driver arrives at your hotel in the afternoon to pick you up for a visit to the floating village.

Explore Typical Khmer village Kampong Phluk, see an incredible such a different way of life lives in the biggest freshwater lake Tonle sap in Southeast Asia and it is the real example of the living life of Cambodian fish men who live in the middle of nowhere during the monsoon. On the trip gain a fascinating insight into local life as you explore the stilted houses, living style and cruise around the flooded mangrove forest, that’s amazing things about this village and it is definitely one of the aspects of Cambodia trip.

Overnight in Siem Reap

Day 6: Angkor Tour, Banteay Srei Temple – Roluos Group & Beng Mealea

We start our day after breakfast, we travel 1 hour to Banteay Srei, Angkor’s ultimate art gallery. This petite pink temple is the jewel in the crown of Angkor-era sculpture. The elaborate carvings here are the finest found in Cambodia and the name translates as Fortress of the Women. The intricate detail here, considered too fine for the men’s hands.

We travel back in time to one of the earliest capitals in the Angkor region, Hariharilaya, now known as Roluos – visit the brick temple of Lolei, which originally stood on an island in the centre of the Baray (reservoir) – Preah Ko (sacred cow), named after Shiva’s mount Nandin – Bakong, the oldest temple mountain, which later became the symbol of the Khmer kings. It is a huge pyramid whose cardinal points are marked by huge elephants. Explore the lost temple of Beng Mealea, the titanic of temples, a sleeping giant lost for centuries in the forests of Cambodia. It is the most accessible of Angkor’s lost temples, a mirror image of Angkor Wat, but completely consumed by nature’s voracious appetite. Built in1113-1150, the forest has gone wild here and it’s hard to get a sense of the monument’s shape amid the intimidating ruins.

Overnight in Siem Reap

Day 7: Angkor Wat sunrise, Jungle temple & Small Group Temples

Today we will meet in the hotel lobby at 4:45am and travel to see Angkor Wat at Sunrise, the temple is considered the largest religious building in the world and is truly one of the wonders of the world. Believed to have been built as a temple and mausoleum for King Suryavarman II during the height of the Khmer Empire in the first half of the 12th century, Angkor Wat is the best preserved of the Angkorian temples. The central monument represents the mythical Mount Meru, the sacred mountain at the centre of the universe, which was home to the Hindu god Vishnu

We return to the hotel for breakfast and you can take some rest to recharge your energy for the next visit. We then visit Ta Prohm, it is unique in that it is overgrown by jungle trees and vines, with many parts of the temple crumbling to the ground. This makes the ‘Tomb Raider Temple’ one of the most picturesque and memorable of the Angkor temples – Giant Pyramid of Takeo, one of the highest temples in the Angkor area – Take a short jungle trek to Ta Nei, a temple hidden in the forest, which has been left in its original state and is partly overgrown with trees – Then we continue to Chau Say Tevoda, Thommanon, Victory Gate of Angkor Thom.

Overnight in Siem Reap

Day 8: The Great City of Angkor Thom & Grand Circuit Temples & Sunset

In the morning we head to Angkor Thom, first the ancient city of Angkor Thom. It was the last capital of the Great Khmer Empire under the reign of Jayavarman VII. This city is surrounded by an 8 m high wall drawing a perfect square. You will enter the city from the ancient South Gate, an impressive stone gate carved with Elephants and four giant faces. And our highlight is the enigmatic and enchanting Temple of Bayon. The 54 towers are each crowned with the four faces of Avalokiteshvara (Buddha of Compassion), which bear more than a passing resemblance to the king himself – Visit Baphuon, one of Angkor’s most beautiful temples from the 11th century. It was extensively renovated by the French and is now open to the public again – continue along the Terrace of Elephants – visit at the Terrace of the Leper King.

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 – Neak Pean temples, an artificial island with a Buddhist temple on a circular island in Jayatataka Baray and other beautiful temples outside the Great City of Angkor, Ta Som temple, East Mebon temple, Pre Rup temple, Banteay Kdei, a Buddhist monastery from the late 12th Century, and Srah Srang, also known as the “pool of ablutions and spend your evening watching sunset from Phnom Bakheng Hilltop.

Overnight in Siem Reap

Day 9: Travel to Battambang, Senteurs d’Angkor & Bat Cave

We start the trip from Siem Reap after breakfast and make a first stop at Senteurs d’Angkor, Handicraft – Botanical Garden – Natural Products. We then continue the journey northwest towards the trading town of Svay Sisophon via national road number 6 and turn left south to Battambang.

You check in and take some rest, later we drive to Phnom Sampeau, a sacred mountain dotted with interesting pagodas and stupas. There is also a moving memorial to the victims of the Khmer Rouge who were thrown into one of the many caves that dot this sacred mountain. After visiting this view on the hill and later you will see the most spectacular 7 million bats flying out of the cave. Wrinkle-lipped bats fly up to 50 km from their roosts each night to hunt insects. Bats eat 50-100% of their own weight every night before returning home. We then travel back to Battambang town for the night.

Overnight in Battambang

Day 10: Battambang Tour & Lifestyle

Journey start after we looked the French colonial buildings in the heart of Battambang town. Battambang is home to some of Indochina’s best preserved colonial era architecture. Experience the bamboo train ride along the rail tracks offering great views of the surrounding countryside. It is first appearance in the early 1980s inspired by the small railway vehicles used by railway workers to carry out repairs – Hilltop temple of Wat Banan, the mountaintop temple from the Angkor era is the best preserved of the Khmer temples in Battambang.

Explore Wat Domrey Sor, White Elephant temple, is one of the central Buddhist temples in Battambang. This temple was built in the late 18th century. Visit Wat Samrong Knong, it was built in the 19th century on the site of a pre-Angkorian temple complex. The Khmer Rouge used the temple compound as a prison. The complex is now home to the magnificent main pagoda and a hodgepodge of ancient ruins, glittering modern structures and memorials to those who perished here.

Phsar Prahok or Stinky Market, it is an interesting place where they make Fish Prahok, the traditional Khmer cuisine and its ingredients. This place has been selling prahok since the 1990s as it is located near a river which hosts various types of fish – we discover Doun Teav village to learn how family makes hand-made rice paper for fresh and deep-fried spring rolls – we head to the ruins of Ek Phnom, it was built during the Bayon period 11th-century in year of 1027 in reign of king Suryavarman I (1002 – 1050) in the Angkor period in order to dedicate for the deities in Hinduism.

Overnight in Battambang

Day 11: Transfer to Phnom Penh International Airport

Today is your last day in Cambodia. You’ll be picked up to transfer to Phnom Penh International Airport by your driver, where you’ll catch your flight to your onward destination.

If you have time, you can visit Oudong mountain on the way, it is an ancient capital and a site of Buddhist monastery and burial of Khmer Kings from the 17th to the 19th centuries. The mountain’s two hills are connected by a ridge and dotted with stupas and shrines dedicated to former kings.

Have a good flight! See you again on our next trip!