Angkor Wat, Bayon and Ta Prohm Full-Day Small-Group Tour Siem Reap

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat was built in the first half of the 12th century as a Hindu temple and later became a Buddhist sanctuary, which it remains today. It is the largest religious monument in the world, surrounded by a moat about 190 metres wide, and its five lotus-bud towers represent the peaks of the sacred Mount Meru. Construction took around 30 years and the temple now appears on the national flag of Cambodia.

About two hours with your guide lets you cross the western causeway, climb into the galleries and study the bas-reliefs, including the famous Churning of the Ocean of Milk, and more than a thousand carved celestial dancers. Anyone asking whether Angkor Wat is worth visiting gets the answer within minutes of arriving. The complex lies about 6 kilometres north of Siem Reap, and we handle the transfer so you only need to focus on the temple.

Angkor Thom and the South Gate

Angkor Thom, the Great City, was the last and most enduring capital of the Khmer empire, founded in the late 12th century and enclosed by walls about 3 kilometres long on each side. Five monumental gates lead into it, each crowned by a tower carved with four faces looking out in every direction.

You enter by the South Gate, the best preserved of them. The causeway over the moat is lined on one side by 54 stone gods and on the other by 54 demons, each row holding the body of a giant serpent, a scene taken from the Hindu creation story of the churning of the ocean. It is one of the most photographed spots at Angkor, and your guide explains its meaning before the drive continues to the centre of the city, where the Bayon rises.

The Bayon

The Bayon stands at the exact centre of Angkor Thom and is unlike any other temple in the region. Its towers are covered with more than 200 enormous smiling faces, calm and slightly mysterious, which seem to follow you as you walk through the upper terraces. It was built as a Buddhist state temple at the end of the 12th century.

The outer galleries hold some of the most lively bas-reliefs at Angkor: naval battles on the great lake, markets, cooking, cockfights and scenes of daily life eight centuries ago. Allow about an hour here with your guide. Nearby you pass the Terrace of the Elephants, a long royal viewing platform decorated with life-size elephants, and the Terrace of the Leper King, whose walls are carved with tier upon tier of mythical figures.

Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm was founded in the late 12th century as a Buddhist monastery and centre of learning; its inscriptions record thousands of people who served it, including 2,740 officials and monks. Unlike most temples at Angkor, it was deliberately left much as it was found, with silk-cotton and strangler fig trees growing over its galleries and gopuras.

After a lunch break near the royal pool of Srah Srang, you spend about an hour exploring its maze of corridors, collapsed courtyards and towers held in the grip of giant roots, with green light filtering through the canopy. It is one of the most atmospheric places in Cambodia and a favourite with photographers. Wooden walkways protect the most fragile areas, and your guide shows you the best viewpoints and explains the careful restoration work under way.

Planning your visit to the Angkor temples

Entry to the archaeological park requires an Angkor Pass, which is personal and bought on the day of the tour. The park opens early in the morning for sunrise visitors and closes in the late afternoon, and our pickup between 7:40 and 8:00 brings you to Angkor Wat after the sunrise crowds have moved on, with drop-off back at your hotel between 16:00 and 17:00.

The best time to visit Angkor is the cooler dry season from November to February. March to May is very hot, so start early and drink plenty of water, while the rainy months from May to October bring green landscapes and fewer visitors. The temples are active religious sites, so shoulders and knees must be covered; comfortable shoes, a hat and insect repellent make the day much easier.