3-Day Private Angkor Wat Sunrise/Sunset Tours: Skip the Crowds

Sunrise over Angkor Wat, then into the jungle temples alone

A 3-day private tour of Angkor Wat and the major temples around it, with sunrise and sunset viewing from dedicated spots, hotel pickup each morning, and a professional guide who travels with you in an air-conditioned SUV. You explore Angkor Wat at dawn, then move through Ta Prohm (the Tomb Raider temple), Bayon with its 200 Buddha faces, Banteay Srei's pink sandstone carvings, the untouched jungle of Beng Mealea, and end with a floating village tour of Kampong Phluk on the Tonle Sap Lake.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom temples

• Pick up from hotel at 8:30 am
• Buy 3-day Angkor temple pass
• Visit Angkor Wat and explore carvings
• Visit Ta Prohm jungle temple
• Lunch break at local restaurant
• Visit Angkor Thom ancient city
• Explore Bayon temple with Buddha faces
• Visit Baphuon temple and climb to top
• See Terrace of the Elephants carvings
• Visit Terrace of the Leper King
• View ancient gate to Angkor Thom
• Watch sunset at Phnom Bakheng temple

Day 2: Temples Preah Khan to Banteay Srei

• Visit Preah Khan Buddhist temple
• Visit Neak Pean ancient hospital island
• Explore Ta Som Buddhist temple
• Visit East Mebon temple with elephant statues
• Visit Pre Rup temple and viewpoint
• Drive to and explore Banteay Srei temple

Day 3: Sunrise Angkor Wat and jungle temples

• Watch sunrise at Angkor Wat
• Visit Beng Mealea jungle temple
• Tour Kampong Phluk floating village

The experience

The tour starts before dawn on day one: hotel pickup at 8:30 am after you've bought your 3-day temple pass, then straight to Angkor Wat to watch sunrise bathe the monument in golden light and catch its reflection in the water pools. A professional guide walks you through the carvings and the stories behind them across the entire complex, which takes roughly three hours. After that comes Ta Prohm, the jungle-overgrown temple where vines and vegetation still cling to the stones: the one featured in the Lara Croft film. You'll have lunch at a local restaurant nearby, then move into Angkor Thom, the ancient city built from the late 12th century, where you visit the South Gate, Bayon (famous for its 200 mysterious Buddha faces), Baphuon (which you can climb to the top), and the Terrace of the Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King with their carved bas-reliefs. The day ends at Phnom Bakheng, a 9th-century Hindu temple on a hilltop, for sunset viewing over the surrounding temples.

Day two takes you to the less-visited temples: Preah Khan, a massive Buddhist temple still surrounded by overgrown vegetation; Neak Pean, an ancient hospital that used holy water for healing, reached by a long wooden bridge across a reservoir; Ta Som, a 13th-century temple with four Buddha faces and a tree growing through its east gate; and Pre Rup, a 10th-century brick temple more than 1,000 years old with five standing spires. The day's centerpiece is Banteay Srei, the most beautiful pink sandstone temple with intricate carvings, located 40 minutes away in the outskirts. You'll spend about 50 minutes exploring this small, unique site.

Day three begins with another sunrise at Angkor Wat, then moves to Beng Mealea, 68 km away, an untouched jungle temple where you walk over rubbles and vines as if exploring an Indiana Jones set. The tour ends at Kampong Phluk, a floating village on the Tonle Sap Lake with nearly 1,000 houses on stilts, a pagoda, schools, rice fields, cattle, and mangrove forests: a place to see how the local fishing community actually lives. Your guide travels with you the entire three days in a private air-conditioned SUV or minivan, and the operator provides cold water and wipes throughout.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off each morning.
• cold water and wipes throughout the three days.
• professional historian and photographer guide who travels with you.
• private air-conditioned SUV or minivan.
• gasoline, parking fees and toll roads.

Information

Lasts 3d, runs every day at 08:30, from US$ 220 per person, with a live guide in English, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:30Another time? ›

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglishOther languages ›

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 9 pickup points.

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (18 to 90 years) · Under 18: can't be booked

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Moderate physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Siem Reap Guide

Is this one for you?The tour starts before sunrise and involves early pickups each day, with walking across multiple temple complexes and uneven terrain. It suits travelers with at least moderate fitness who are ready for an early schedule and full days of exploration. The private vehicle means no crowded buses and no waiting for other groups, so the pace stays yours alone.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is Bayon temple and why is it famous?

Bayon is one of the main temples inside Angkor Thom, built in the late 12th century, and is known for its over 200 mysterious Buddha faces carved into stone towers, each one smiling in different directions. You'll see them from multiple angles as you walk through the temple.

How long does it take to explore Angkor Wat itself?

Exploring Angkor Wat with a guide takes roughly three hours, covering the entire monument and the carvings with the stories behind them. You'll visit it twice during the tour, once at sunrise on day one and again at sunrise on day three.

What is Beng Mealea like compared to the main temples?

Beng Mealea is an untouched jungle temple located 68 km away, still overgrown with vines and rubble, giving it the feel of an archaeological discovery. Unlike the more restored temples, it remains in a natural, ruined state that lets you experience exploration rather than a polished tour.

What will I see at Kampong Phluk floating village?

Kampong Phluk is a fishing village on the Tonle Sap Lake with nearly 1,000 houses built on stilts, a pagoda, schools, rice fields, cattle, and mangrove forests. The tour gives you time to observe how the local community lives on the water year-round.

What should I wear to visit the temples?

Knees and shoulders must be covered for both men and women: no shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Formal or smart casual dress is required, and you may be refused entry if you don't comply with these dress codes at places of worship.

Does the tour include meals and temple admission?

The tour includes hotel pickup, the guide, vehicle, fuel, parking and tolls, plus cold water and wipes. You'll have a lunch break at a local restaurant on day one. The 3-day Angkor Park admission, Beng Mealea temple admission, and Kampong Phluk village fees are not included and are paid separately.