Essential Angkor Trip

Upon your arrival in Siem Reap today, your guide and driver will pick you up from the airport and then transfer you to check in at the hotel we specially selected for you. Get some rest at the hotel to refresh yourself.

Afterwards, your Siem Reap Angkor tour will officially start. The first stop is the Angkor Thom. With an area of about 9 square kilometers (3.5 square miles), it was the capital constructed by the King Jayavarman VII and also the last capital during the glorious days of Angkor civilization. It has five city gates in total, which were all carved with Buddhist statues. In this ancient capital are scattered with many temples, while the ones you will visit today are the most popular and most representative Bayon Temple, Baphuon Temple and the Terrace of the Elephants.

Located in the center of Angkor Thom with 216 gigantic sandstone faces on 54 gothic towers, the Bayon Temple is best known for its "Khmer Smile". The Baphuon Temple was once among the finest of the great monuments of Angkor and has been called the world's largest 3D jigsaw puzzle. The Terrace of the Elephants, named for its exquisite carvings of elephants on the 350-meter-long and 2.5-meter-high wall, was used by the King as a platform to view the public ceremonies. If time allows, we will also take you to visit the Terrace of the Leper King with carvings of nagas, demons and various mythical beings.

In the end, we will transfer you back to the hotel. Please have an earlier rest tonight since you will need to get up early in the morning to watch the splendid sunrise at Angkor Wat.

Meals: Lunch

Before dawn, we will set out to Angkor Wat. Taking hundreds of thousands of people for about 30 years to finish, it is definitely the most magnificent temple in the Angkor Archaeological Park. The sunrise of Angkor Wat is among the most beautiful in the world and the best place to view it is on the edge of the pond in front of the temple, where you can watch the sun slowly rise from the top of the lotus towers of the Angkor Wat, and then cast the reflection into the pool water. After admiring the sunrise, we will transfer you back to the hotel for breakfast, or you can choose to take away your breakfast and enjoy a morning picnic at the site. Later, your guide will show you around the Angkor Wat. Being the largest temple in the world, it is famous for its grand architecture and meticulous reliefs.

Next, you will be guided to visit the Banteay Kdei, a beautiful and quiet temple, and then come to the Ta Prohm Temple, where the Hollywood movie of "Tomb Raider" was shot. Many trees twine around this temple, making it more mysterious. After that, you will follow the guide to explore the temples of Ta Keo and East Mebon.

Finally, you are going to appreciate the sunset and overlook the whole Angkor architectural complex in the middle of jungle at Phnom Bakheng Temple.

After this day trip, we will drive you back to the hotel. If you feel interested, we can also drop you off at the old town of Siem Reap, where you can explore the most popular market and enjoy your dinner in the pub street, the nightlife hub of the town.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After you have breakfast this morning, please check out from the hotel. Your guide and driver will take you to visit Banteay Srei. What is extremely different from other temples in Angkor is that it enshrines the Hindu God Shiva. It is also renowned as the "Diamond of Angkor Art" because it was built with plenty of red sandstones and the carvings are delicate. Then continue to drive to Beng Mealea, a temple situated at the tropical rainforests. In Khmer language, Beng Mealea means Lotus Pond. However, there is no lotus now and we can only see their carvings on the walls. It is one of the most mysterious temples in Angkor where collapsed walls and broken pillars can be seen everywhere. Strolling in this temple, you will feel its desolate and vicissitudes of beauty.

Till now, you have finished your 3 days Siem Reap Angkor tour. According to the flight schedule, your guide and driver will transfer you to the airport and see you off there. We wish you a pleasant onward trip!

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch