Cambodia Highlights

Our guide will pick you up at your hotel and start a half-day city tour, including the Victory Monument and the National Museum (known as Musee des Beaux-Arts). Next, you’ll visit a French archaeologist and painter, Georges Groslier, who designed it in Khmer style in 1917. The museum contains a collection of Khmer art - notably sculptures – from throughout the ages. You’ll also discover the Royal Palace, built by King Norodom in 1866 on the site of the old town, and the Silver Pagoda, located within the grounds of the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda is so named because of its floor, which is made up of 5000 silver tiles. The treasures found inside include a solid gold Buddha encrusted and weighing 90 kilograms, and a small 17th-century emerald and baccarat crystal Buddha.

Continue to visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S21), followed by the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, which is approximately 15Km from the city. You’ll witness Cambodia's horrible recent past. We will also visit the Russian market (Psah Tuol Thom Pong), a lively outdoor market where you will find antiquities, silver and gold jewellery, gems, silk, kramas, stone and wood carvings, as well as T-Shirts, CDs and other souvenirs. End of the day, get back to the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast
Stay overnight in Phnom Penh

After breakfast, our driver will pick you up at the hotel lobby (with no guide), and transfer you to Siem Reap, it is about 320 kilometers and takes about 5.5 hours to transfer.

Along the way, take a visit to Kampong Kdei Bridge (a grand ancient laterite bridge that was built in the 12th century) and rest stop in Skun village, well-known in the local language as "Spider village" because it is famous with international visitors to Cambodia for its fried spiders.

Upon arrival, check-in the hotel in Siem Reap.

Meals: Breakfast
Stay overnight in Siem Reap

Breakfast at the hotel, and visit the antique capital of Angkor Thom (12th century): the South Gate with its huge statues depicting the churning of the ocean of milk and the Bayon Temple, unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara, the Phimeanakas, the Royal Enclosure, the Elephants Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King. Continue to visit the most famous of all the temples on the plain of Angkor, Angkor Wat. The temple complex covers 81 hectares and is comparable in size to the Imperial Palace in Beijing. Its distinctive five towers are emblazoned on the Cambodian flag, and the 12th century masterpiece is considered by art historians to be the prime example of classical Khmer art and architecture.

Afternoon, visit Ta Prohm, one of the area’s most beautiful temples. Ta Prohm has been relatively untouched since it was discovered and retains much of its mystery. After the visit, Ta Prohm, if time and energy permit, visit the Old Market for some souvenirs for friends and family.

Meals: Breakfast
Stay overnight in Siem Reap

Morning, we visit Kulen Mountain in Phnom Kulen National Park. It is an isolated mountain massif located in Svay Leu District and some 48 kilometers from Siem Reap. Its highest point is 487 meters. This is widely regarded as the birthplace of the ancient Khmer Empire. During the construction period of the ancient temples in the Ninth century, sandstones were brought from this sacred mountain to Angkor. It was here at Phnom Kulen that King Jayavarman II proclaimed independence from Java in 802 A.D. After exploring the surrounding nature, pay respect to the reclining Budha statue. Picnic lunch near the waterfall at your own expense.

On the way back to Siem Reap, stop by and visit an ancient Hindu temple in the countryside, BANTEAY SREI (citadel of women, 35 kilometers north of Siem Reap), was built from 968-1001 AD, is dedicated to Shiva God. In Cambodia, it is a unique pink sandstone temple that has the most beautiful deep carvings.

After tours, transfer back to Siem Reap and drop off at your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast
Stay overnight in Siem Reap

Morning, enjoy a boat ride on the Tonle Sap Lake. This is the largest permanent freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and flows into the Tonle Sap River, joining the Mekong in Phnom Penh. We will see a fishermen's "floating village" with floating schools, a floating police station, etc.

Afternoon visit, Wat Thmey, a home to Siem Reap’s Killing Fields’ memorial. It is located about 3  kilometers from the center of Siem Reap along the exit road from Angkor. So far so ordinary, there’s nothing here to make you stay more than a few minutes. However, on the side of the pagoda is a small, rather gruesome building. Continue to visit Satcha Handicraft Center is the first Cambodian handicraft center that incubates local artisans, mixing traditional knowledge with contemporary design to showcase Cambodian talents to local and international visitors and to transmit this know-how over time while having a sustainable social, economic, and environmental impact.

Meals: Breakfast
Stay overnight in Siem Reap

Breakfast at hotel, free until time to transfer to Siem Reap Airport for departure flight

Meals: Breakfast