Angkor Wat & Temples of Siem Reap
A curated journey through the ancient heart of the Khmer Empire — from the world's largest religious monument to jungle-swallowed ruins and hilltop sunsets.
Trip Stops
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The crown jewel of Khmer architecture and the world's largest religious complex, covering 162.6 hectares. Built between 1113–1150 CE by King Suryavarman II as a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu, it was later transformed into a Buddhist sanctuary. Fun fact: Angkor Wat is the only temple in the complex that faces west — possibly symbolizing death and the setting sun, as it was designed as the king's funerary temple. Its five iconic lotus-bud towers represent the five peaks of Mount Meru, home of the gods. It appears on Cambodia's national flag — the only temple to be featured on any country's flag in the world. Best visited at sunrise when the towers reflect in the moat.
📍 Krong Siem Reap, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia
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Perched atop a natural 65-meter hill, this 9th-century Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva predates Angkor Wat by over two centuries. Built by King Yasovarman I (889–910 CE), it was the first 'temple mountain' of Angkor and once served as the state temple of the entire Khmer capital. Fun fact: The temple's design encodes a precise astronomical calendar — it originally contained 108 towers, a sacred number in Hindu and Buddhist traditions, representing the four lunar phases times 27 constellations. Today it's the most popular sunset viewpoint in Angkor, offering sweeping views over the jungle canopy toward Angkor Wat. Visit in the late afternoon and arrive early — access is limited to 300 visitors at a time.
📍 Krong Siem Reap, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia
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The most dramatic entrance to the ancient 'Great City' of Angkor Thom, the last and greatest capital of the Khmer Empire founded by King Jayavarman VII around 1200 CE. The South Gate causeway is flanked by 54 gods on the left and 54 demons on the right — a total of 108 figures — all pulling the body of the sacred Naga serpent in a scene from the 'Churning of the Ocean of Milk.' Fun fact: Angkor Thom's city wall enclosed an area of 9 square kilometers and may have housed up to one million people at its peak, making it one of the largest pre-industrial cities on Earth. The giant stone faces on the gate towers gaze serenely in the four cardinal directions.
📍 Krong Siem Reap, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia
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One of the most surreal and mesmerizing temples in all of Angkor, the Bayon sits at the exact geometric center of Angkor Thom. Built by King Jayavarman VII in the late 12th–early 13th century, its 54 towers are each carved with up to four colossal smiling faces — totaling 216 serene stone visages gazing in every direction. Fun fact: The faces are believed to depict the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (the Buddha of Compassion), and some historians think they are also portraits of Jayavarman VII himself — making him literally omnipresent in his capital. The Bayon is the only Angkorian state temple built primarily for Buddhist worship. Its outer galleries contain over 1.2 km of bas-reliefs depicting naval battles, market scenes, and everyday Khmer life.
📍 Krong Siem Reap, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia
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A stunning 350-meter-long ceremonial platform built by King Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century, used as a viewing gallery for royal processions, public ceremonies, and military parades. Its walls are adorned with life-size elephant carvings, mythical garudas, and multi-headed nagas. Fun fact: The terrace once supported a series of wooden pavilions and reception halls that have long since rotted away — but the stone base remains as one of the finest examples of Khmer decorative relief work. The elephants carved here are depicted in vivid hunting scenes and are so detailed you can see individual wrinkles in their skin. Stand on the upper level for the same king's-eye-view of the Royal Square that Jayavarman VII would have enjoyed 800 years ago.
📍 Krong Siem Reap, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia
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Built in 1186 CE by King Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university, Ta Prohm is the most atmospheric temple in all of Angkor — and possibly the world. Unlike other temples that were cleared and restored, Ta Prohm was intentionally left in a semi-ruined state entwined with enormous silk-cotton and strangler fig trees. Fun fact: The temple once housed over 12,500 people including 18 high priests, 2,740 officials, 2,232 assistants, and 615 dancers — all supported by 3,140 villages and nearly 80,000 laborers. It famously appeared in the 2001 movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, sparking worldwide fascination. The tree roots slowly consuming the stone walls create a hauntingly beautiful scene that perfectly captures the relentless power of nature over human creation.
📍 Krong Siem Reap, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia
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A sprawling Buddhist monastic complex built in the mid-12th to early 13th century during the reign of King Jayavarman VII, sharing the same Bayon architectural style as Ta Prohm. Less visited than its famous neighbor, Banteay Kdei rewards those who seek it with peaceful corridors, intricate lintels, and dancing apsara carvings in superb condition. Fun fact: In 2001, archaeologists excavated the temple and discovered over 274 Buddhist statues that had been deliberately buried beneath the temple floor, possibly hidden there during a period of Hindu resurgence to protect them from destruction. The name means 'Citadel of Chambers' in Khmer. It directly faces the serene royal bathing pool of Srah Srang just across the road.
📍 Krong Siem Reap, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia
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A magnificent royal bathing pool measuring 700 by 350 meters, originally constructed in the 10th century and later enlarged by King Jayavarman VII. Lined with laterite and sandstone, its western landing stage features a terrace decorated with nagas and garudas. Fun fact: The pool was used by royalty for ritual bathing and once had a wooden pavilion at its center — a tradition that echoes sacred Hindu cosmology where water represents the primordial ocean surrounding Mount Meru. Today it's one of the best sunrise spots in the entire Angkor complex, as its still waters create mirror-like reflections of the surrounding tree line in the early morning light. Far fewer tourists make it here at dawn compared to Angkor Wat — making it a serene and rewarding alternative.
📍 Krong Siem Reap, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia
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One of the largest temples in the Angkor complex, Preah Khan ('Sacred Sword') was built by King Jayavarman VII in 1191 CE to honor his father. It served simultaneously as a Buddhist temple, a center of learning with over 1,000 teachers, and possibly a residence for the king during the construction of Angkor Thom. Fun fact: An inscription found here reveals that 97,840 people were involved in maintaining the temple, including 1,000 dancers and 18 senior priests. Unlike other Angkor temples, Preah Khan features a mysterious two-story structure with round columns that scholars believe is unique in Khmer architecture — possibly a library or a treasury. The sprawling, overgrown eastern sections of the temple have barely been cleared, giving it a more primal, jungle explorer feel than most sites.
📍 Krong Siem Reap, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia
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Dubbed the 'Jewel of Khmer Art,' Banteay Srei is a small but extraordinarily refined 10th-century Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, located about 25 km north of the main Angkor complex. Built in 967 CE — unusually — not by a king but by two Brahmin scholars, it is constructed from pink-red sandstone rather than the grey sandstone used elsewhere. Fun fact: The sandstone here is harder than typical Angkor stone, which is why the carvings are so incredibly detailed and well-preserved after more than 1,000 years. Its name means 'Citadel of Women' or 'Citadel of Beauty' — some say because the carvings are so delicate they could only have been made by women's hands. Despite being the smallest major temple at Angkor, it is consistently rated by art historians as having the finest and most intricate decorative carvings in the entire Khmer world.
📍 Banteay Srei, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia
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