What this trip is really like
Kulen is where our Siem Reap guides take their own families on a day off: the carved riverbed, the waterfall, the reclining Buddha, and palm sugar boiled in a village on the way back. This route gives it a whole day after the main temples.
Day one runs the identical full Angkor circuit offered on our shorter, 2-night Siem Reap itinerary: Angkor Wat, then the Bayon and terraces of Angkor Thom, banyan-wrapped Ta Prohm, then sunset at Pre Rup to finish. The extra night here provides a further full day, reserved for Phnom Kulen, about 58km north of town.
In 804 CE, King Jayavarman II declared Khmer independence from this very mountain, Phnom Kulen. The day's stops build around that history: a stone Buddha reclining figure set into a boulder, the River of a Thousand Lingas, then a waterfall, and finally Banteay Srey village, where local palm sugar is made in front of you. Choose this if temples alone aren't enough and you'd like nature and pilgrimage woven in as well.
Highlights
- Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bayon and Ta Prohm in one circuit
- Sunset viewpoint at Pre Rup temple
- Phnom Kulen mountain, birthplace of the Khmer empire
- River of a Thousand Lingas carved into the riverbed
- Reclining Buddha statue and waterfall on Phnom Kulen
- Banteay Srey village palm sugar-making visit
The trip, day by day
Day 1 — Land in Siem Reap, town and markets
Arrival in Siem Reap is followed by a transfer to your hotel and then a brief orientation drive through the city — the riverside, Pub Street and Old Market offer an initial feel for the town ahead of the two full days of excursions to come. Evenings are left open.
Day 2 — Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm, sunset at Pre Rup
Angkor Wat, built for King Suryavarman II in the early 1100s, opens the day; from there you pass through the South Gate into Angkor Thom, the last walled capital of the Khmer, arriving at Bayon Temple with its stone faces carved into the towers.
From Bayon, the walk leads you by the Terrace of the Elephants, close to the Terrace of the Leper King, then onward to Ta Prohm — half-swallowed itself by banyan roots, recognisable to many as the temple from 'Tomb Raider' — before finishing at Pre Rup as the sun sets.
Day 3 — Phnom Kulen: river of lingas, waterfall, village on the way home
Phnom Kulen lies some 58km away, to the north of Siem Reap — a mountain sacred to both Buddhists and Hindus alike; in 804 CE, this was the place from which King Jayavarman II broke Cambodia free of Java to found the Khmer empire. Highlights of the visit include the River of a Thousand Lingas, its riverbed carvings dedicated to Shiva, and a boulder carved into the shape of a reclining Buddha.
Inside Kulen National Park, a waterfall gives you a shaded spot to pause for a picnic lunch, before the return route to Siem Reap runs through Banteay Srey village, where you can watch palm sugar being made locally, on the way back to the hotel.
Day 4 — Departure
Siem Reap International Airport is your last stop, reached by private transfer for the flight onward or home, with the rest of the day unplanned. Nothing is scheduled for sightseeing on this final day.
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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