What this trip is really like
A night in the capital, then the road north with a stop at a roadside market, and a full Angkor day that ends on Phnom Bakheng for sunset.
Fitting Phnom Penh together with Siem Reap into a single Cambodia trip is quickest done this way: the capital gets one night, covering your arrival and a morning's sightseeing, before you move on to Siem Reap for two further nights centred on a full day taking in Angkor Wat plus Angkor Thom.
The Phnom Penh stay here is short by design, which works well if Angkor is your priority but you still want a glimpse of the capital in passing, rather than a deep dive into Phnom Penh itself. For more time there, our 5-night and 6-night packages extend the capital stay instead.
Highlights
- Overnight stop in Phnom Penh before continuing to Siem Reap
- Angkor Wat, built for King Suryavarman II in the 12th century
- Angkor Thom's Bayon Temple and Baphuon, an 11th-century Shiva temple
- Ta Prohm, the jungle-covered 'Tomb Raider' temple
- Sunset from Bakheng Mountain temple
The trip, day by day
Day 1 — Land in Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh International Airport is your arrival point, with a private vehicle — no guide — waiting to take you to the hotel. What remains of the day is unscheduled: settle in after the flight, or head out for an evening walk by the Mekong. Phnom Penh sightseeing follows the next morning, then the transfer onward.
Day 2 — Palace and markets, then the road to Siem Reap
Breakfast and check-out come first, then the morning belongs to Phnom Penh sightseeing ahead of the onward leg to Siem Reap, timed so you arrive with enough room for check-in and a rest before the full Angkor day begins. What you see during this half-day can be adjusted to match your interests.
Day 3 — Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm, sunset at Bakheng
Angkor Wat opens the full day — the world's largest temple, and unusual among Khmer temples for facing west instead of east. The South Gate then admits you to Angkor Thom, the Khmer empire's walled last capital, where you'll find the carved stone faces of Bayon Temple and the 11th-century Baphuon, dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.
From there the route takes in the Terrace of the Elephants, then the nearby Terrace of the Leper King. Lunch, paid separately, follows near Srah Srong, before Ta Prohm, its stones still wrapped in banyan roots much as they were when explorers found the site again. Sunset that evening is watched from the hilltop temple on Bakheng Mountain.
Day 4 — To the airport
Breakfast at the hotel precedes a private transfer — Siem Reap International Airport is the destination, timed for your flight home or onward. Just as when you arrived in Phnom Penh, no guide rides along this time, and nothing else is scheduled on this final day.
Where you sleep
| CITY | Option 1 | Option 2 |
|---|---|---|
| SIEM REAP | Holy Angkor / Kou Prey | Royal Empire Hotel / Landing Gold by Amatak |
| PHNOM PENH | Salita / Rose Emerald | Pacific Phnom Penh |
What's included
- Rooms with breakfast in the grade you choose — we favour Khmer-owned hotels and guesthouses
- Meals named in the day-by-day, taken where possible at family-run places rather than hotel dining rooms
- A Cambodian guide who speaks English and knows the temples as more than a checklist
- Private air-conditioned transport for transfers and touring days
- Angkor passes and every other entrance fee on the route
- The Mekong sunset boat and Tonle Sap boat where the plan includes them
- Two bottles of drinking water per person on every touring day
- Taxes and service charges
Not included
- International and domestic flights
- Cambodian visa (on arrival or e-visa) — we tell you which suits your passport
- Single-room supplement if you are travelling alone
- Meals not named in the day-by-day, drinks, laundry and optional outings
- Travel insurance
- Tips for guide and driver
- Early check-in and late check-out (rooms are normally ready from 14:00 and given up by 12:00)
- Bank transfer charges
Book this trip
- Days
- 4 days / 3 nights
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