Cambodia Essence

SE Asia Tour Packages
§ World Heritage -
.. Indochina
§ Vietnam Complete
§ Laos Discovery
§ Cambodia Essence
§ Vietnam Essence

'Mix & Match' Tours
§ City of Hanoi
§ Pagodas & History
§ Ha Long Bay & Yen Tu
§ Ancient Capitals
§ Northern Highlands
§ Cao Bang & Lang Son
§ Central Highlands
§ Hue Monuments
§ Cham Discovery
§ Mekong & the South
§ Cu Chi & Tay Ninh
§ Ho Chi Minh City

Tell us about your particular interests, and we'll take you to places only the local guides know. Whether it's active travel, sun worship, study tours, Vietnam War sites, or satisfying your culinary curiosity, Mikeland welcomes a challenge!

Home > SE Asia PackageTours > Cambodia Essence (4-6 days)

We provide our suggested itinerary below, including Phnom Penh, but we can shorten the tour if you prefer to fly straight to Siem Riep, bypassing the capital.

Day 1: Phnom Penh (Optional)
We'll pick you up at the airport and take you to your hotel in downtown Phnom Penh. After lunch, you can take our city tour, which begins with the temple of Wat Phnom, seated on the only hill in town. The magnificent collection of Khmer art in the National Museum is the best way to prepare for the splendor of Angkor. Just a few blocks away is Wat Ounalom, originally founded in the 16th Century to keep a hair of the Buddha.

It may also be possible to tour portions of the Royal Palace, though the private quarters are now home to the royal family and usually closed to the public. At the northern area of the palace grounds is Wat Preah Keo Morokat, known as the "Silver Pagoda" because of the thousands of silver tiles decorating its courtyard. This pagoda is especially interesting because it has become a repository for many works of art, such as the "Emerald Buddha" and paintings from the great epic poem, the Ramayana.

For most visitors, this will be a full day. Please let your guide know if you want to adjust the itinerary to include a visit to the Tuol Sleng Prison Museum, which documents some of the worst atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge from 1975-1979.

Other options include a two-hour cruise on the Mekong, or a visit to the Central Market or the Russian Market. If music is one of your interests, your guide can tell you about any performances during your stay, whether it's contemporary jazz or traditional "apsara dancing."

Day 2: Phnom Penh to Siem Riep (Optional)
You can travel to Siem Reap town by car, bus, boat, or plane. If you are traveling by car, you may stop at Sambo Prei Kuk temple, which was built in the 7th Century and makes a nice comparison to the first temples at Angkor. Once you arrive at Siem Reap, if time permits, go to the temple at the top of Bakheng Hill for a grand view of the sun setting over the Western Baray. Your hotel in Siem Reap will be your home base for the next four nights.

Day 3 : Rolous and Angkor Wat
UNESCO designated the Angkor monuments near Siem Riep as a World Heritage site in 1992, calling it "one of the most important archaeological sites in South-East Asia." The site occupies roughly 400 square miles, with more than 40 temples and several capitals of the Khmer Empire from the 9th to the 15th century.

You'll begin your tour with a trip to the nearby Rolous group of temples, among the first that were built by the Khmer kings. In the afternoon, tour the expansive temple complex of Angkor Wat, with its great towers and famous bas-relief murals depicting the "churning of the ocean" that created the world and the court of Suryavarman II. In the evening, enjoy a performance of traditional dance and music at a restaurant in Siem Riep.

Day 4: Angkor Thom, the Bayon, and other temples of Jayavarman VII
On the second day, you'll visit the ruins of the vast walled city of Angkor Thom, built by Jayavarman VII after he defeated the Cham invaders and restored the Khmer monarchy in 1181. The carvings of the central temple, the famous Bayon, accurately depict the fierce battles in the lake of Tonle Sap as well as the more peaceful episodes in the daily life of the populace. In the afternoon, visit the temple of Preah Khan and the unique pool of Neak Pan, also built by Jayavarman VII.

Day 5: Banteay Srei and more
On your last full day, travel further north to see the temple of Banteay Srei, built by a minister to the court and justly renowned for its fine carvings. Continuing north, you'll be able to cool off and relax from your temple tour at a hillside stream where the water runs over elaborate rock carvings.

Day 6: Departure
In the morning, we'll shuttle you to Siem Riep airport, either to continue to your next Southeast Asian destination, or begin your trip home.

Fly to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City to begin your tour of Viet Nam.
If the temples of Angkor have piqued your interest, be sure to check out our Cham Discovery Tour in the central part of Vietnam, and the option to visit Wat Phu in Laos.