Combining the magnificence of the Khmer Empire with lively Phnom Penh, this introduction to Cambodia is the perfect way to get acquainted with this captivating nation on this classic Cambodian adventure.
Trip overview
- See the very best that Cambodia has to offer in just under a week as you traverse the country with a small group or for a short period.
- The highlight tourist sites in the Capital as well as the opulent Royal Palace and the National Museum.
- Discover one of the Cambodian UNESCO World Heritage Archaeological Sites - Sambor Preik Kuk.
- Explore the amazing Angkor archaeological complex along with the other temples in Angkor Zone.
- An excursion on Tonle Sap Lake to see the daily life of local people in the floating village.
ITINERARY TRIP CODE – CCL01
Note: B = Breakfast / L = Lunch / D = Dinner
DAY 01: CHAU DOC (VIETNAM) – PHNOM PENH [-/L/-]
Arrive in Phnom Penh pier, welcome by your English-speaking guide and driver and heading for lunch at a local. Note: Your room will be available for check-in at 14h00.
Afternoon, start your visit to the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda. These buildings are a great example of the incomparably beautiful and extremely detailed Khmer architecture. A highlight of the Royal Palace is the giant golden Buddha statue, a large statue made of 75 kg of gold decorated with precious stones.
Note: Visiting the Royal Palace requires visitors to cover their shoulders well and wear long pants or a long skirt.
Then visit the National Museum offers an admirable collection of bronze pieces, sculptures, bas-reliefs, Buddha’s, etc. End of day with a visit the Wat Phnom pagoda: a very shaded pleasant site, at the top of a small hill, one of the oldest sites in the city.
Check-in at hotel and free time. Dinner on own account. Overnight stay at a 3* or 4* or 5* Hotel.
DAY 02: PHNOM PENH - SIEM REAP [B/L/-]
Breakfast at hotel. Departure for Siem Reap (314km, about 6 hours’ drive) and on the way stop at the village of Skun, famous for its grilled spider vendors.
Arrive in Kampong Thom and direct to visit the Sambor Prei Kuk Temple Complex. The complex dates from the pre-Angkorian period and is one of the most impressive archaeological sites in Southeast Asia. In the evening, the welcome dinner is served. Locals perform a Cambodian traditional dance while you taste Cambodian specialties.
Lunch at a local restaurant in Kampong Thom.
Continuation of the road with a short stop to visit the Naga Bridge before arriving in Siem Reap. Installation at the hotel and followed by dinner on your own account. Overnight stay at a 3* or 4* or 5* Hotel.
DAY 03: SIEM REAP [B/L/D]
Breakfast at hotel. Full day tour by remork Tuk Tuk (02 people per Tuk Tuk) to visit the site of Angkor Thom, a vast architectural ensemble with the Bayon mountain temple in its center, famous for its towers with 216 faces of Avalokitésvara. Stroll the temple of Baphuon in the enclosure of the former Royal Palace. Visit the terrace of the Elephants and that of the Leper King.
Note: Since January 2020, the APSARA Authority which manages the Angkor site has closed access to the third terrace of the Bayon temple to the public until further notice, in order to allow studies on the stability of the towers and the main shrine. Visitors can, for the time being, admire the bas-reliefs and sculptures on the ground floor and on the first and second terraces.
Lunch at a local restaurant.
Afternoon, continue to visit the famous temple of Angkor Wat, a masterpiece of Khmer art that has become the symbol of Cambodia.
Note: The visit of the temple of Angkor Wat and also the tower of Bakan oblige visitors to cover their shoulders well, and to wear long pants or a long skirt. For the visit of the Bakan Tower of Angkor Wat, children under 12 are prohibited from climbing. It will be closed on Buddhist holy days 4 days a month and according to the lunar calendar.
End of your day, enjoy a pleasant moment with a one-hour gondola ride on the moat of Angkor Thom with a supplement to be charged separately.
Dinner at local restaurant with a traditional dances show. Overnight stay at a 3* or 4* or 5* Hotel.
DAY 04: SIEM REAP [B/L/-]
Breakfast at hotel. Discovery of the temple of Banteay Srei, the "citadel of women" which André MALRAUX liked so much. Along the way, stop at a traditional palm sugar production village (depending on the season). Then continue to visit of Banteay Samrè temple. This temple is named after the Samrè, an ancient people of Indochina, and this temple uses the same materials as the Banteay Srei. It is less popular than Banteay Srei but it was excellently restored by Maurice Glaize from 1936 to 1944.
Possibly to stop for a visit at the Cambodian Landmine Museum, a showcase of some of the mines cleared after decades of war in Cambodia. The museum was founded by the ex-Khmer Rouge soldier Mr. Aki Ra. You will learn about Cambodia’s troubled past, as well as a documentary. The visit is with a supplement to be charged separately.
Lunch at a local restaurant.
Afternoon discovery of Preah Khan , a late 12th century monastery that housed more than a thousand monks and Neak Pean , which stands in the middle of a basin. Finally, visit the temple of Ta Prohm. One of the most extraordinary works of nature is concentrated here in this temple where the immense cheese makers extend their roots through the stones lifting them and upsetting little by little the original configuration of this temple.
End of day, joint a Circus Show “PHARE, the Cambodian Circus” at 8:00 p.m. with a supplement to be charged separately. Reach new heights by applauding the unique acts of energetic professional artists trained at the PHARE circus school in Battambang. After acclaimed tours around the world, these young and talented Cambodians perform every night in the very heart of the cradle of Khmer civilization. Without any animals, this show of juggling, tricks of all kinds, and daring acrobatics are breathtaking!
Dinner on own account. Overnight stay at a 3* or 4* or 5* Hotel.
DAY 05: SIEM REAP – DEPARTURE (NO GUIDE) [B/L/-] Breakfast at hotel. Depart to visit the local market and continue the road to the great Tonlé Sap Lake, one of the wonders of Asia. Boat trip to a floating village enlivened by fishing and farming activities, offering a colorful spectacle.
Lunch in a local restaurant.
Note: Your room will be available until noon only.
Transfer to the airport for the departure flight to the other destination.