Angkor Sunrise Tour: Banteay Srei and Beng Mealea Temple, 2 Days
Dawn light on the world's largest religious monument, then carvings and jungle ruins
Start with the sun coming up behind Angkor Wat, then take a private tour of Siem Reap's temple country: the carved faces of Bayon, giant roots gripping Ta Prohm, the finest carvings at Banteay Srei and the tangled ruins of Beng Mealea. Your guide can personalise the day, and the route is planned to avoid major tour groups.
Step-by-step itinerary
Day 1: Angkor sunrise and Angkor Thom temples
- Meet guide and driver at hotel
- See sunrise at Angkor Wat
- Explore Angkor Wat temple
- Eat packed breakfast
- See Angkor Thom Gate
- Explore Bayon Temple
- See Baphoun Temple
- See Piminakas Temple
- See Terrace of the Elephants
- See Suprat Temple view
- See Terrace of the Leper King
- Walk to Ta Prohm Temple
- Explore Ta Prohm Temple
- See giant tree roots on temple
- See Ta Nei Temple
- See Ta Koe Temple
- Return to hotel
Day 2: Preah Khan, Banteay Srei and Beng Mealea
- Meet guide and driver at hotel
- Explore Preah Khan Temple
- See Neak Pean Temple
- See Ta Som Temple
- See East Mebon Temple
- Explore Banteay Srei Temple
- See rice paddies and village homes
- Meet local villagers
- Explore Beng Mealea Temple
- Return to hotel
What’s included
Expert guide through the main temples, plus an air-conditioned ride, chilled water and towels
- Every day 06:00 18:00
Information
You watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat, then wander Ta Prohm's tree roots, Banteay Srei's carvings and the jungle ruins of Beng Mealea with a guide.
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The experience
The day begins before the light arrives, when you head out for the sunrise at Angkor Wat and wait for the sky to change over its towers. Your guide has already helped with the tickets, so you can give your full attention to the temple itself, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, as the sun climbs and the stone catches the light. A packed breakfast gives you a moment to sit and take it all in before the morning goes on.
Then the route passes through the Angkor Thom gate, where enormous carved Buddha and Asura faces line the way in. Bayon is the highlight, a Buddhist temple where giant carved faces look out from every side. Nearby you walk among the Baphoun, the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King. At Ta Prohm a shady path leads to trees whose giant roots grip the temple structure, the jungle spot famously used in a Tomb Raider film. A lunch break follows around the temple area, and then comes the quiet of Ta Nei and Ta Koe, a Hindu temple built for Shiva.
The second day carries you deeper into the countryside. The drive passes rice paddies and village homes, and if you stop at a palm sugar village you can meet local villagers and talk with them. At Preah Khan, a sacred sanctuary hidden deep in the jungle, you explore the ruins at your own pace. Neak Pean sits in the middle of a freshwater lake, and at Ta Som giant tree roots grow over a Buddha face at the gate. East Mebon rises from brick in the center of a dried out man-made lake. Banteay Srei, older than Angkor Wat, is the carving stop, with intricate details to study closely. Beng Mealea comes last, an untouched temple where trees and vegetation grow out of the stone walls. Cold water and cold towels come along for the heat.
Top questions
Is Ta Prohm, the Tomb Raider temple, on the first day?
Yes, Ta Prohm is on the first day, after Bayon and the Terraces. A shady path leads to it, and giant tree roots grow over the temple structure, the spot used as a location in the Tomb Raider film.
Can I stop at a Land Mine Museum on this tour?
Yes, if you are interested. Your guide and driver will stop on the way to Banteay Srei for you, so it depends on whether you want that stop.
Can you meet local villagers during the tour?
Yes, on the second day you can stop at a palm sugar village, meet local villagers and talk with them while you pass rice paddies and village homes.
Can the route change at short notice?
Yes, the tour guide is experienced at personalizing the tour and is flexible with last minute requests.
Is Beng Mealea a restored temple or jungle ruins?
It is described as an untouched temple, so you explore its ancient ruins, where trees and vegetation grow from the stone walls.
Is the sunrise the only early part of the first day?
No, the sunrise at Angkor Wat comes first, and the temple visit continues after the sun is up, through Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm.
Operated by Angkor Special Tours. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated today
Angkor Sunrise Tour: Banteay Srei and Beng Mealea, 2 Days
2d · EN · at your hotel
from US$ 307.70 per group
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