Angkor Wat 2-Day Tour: Private Sunrise & Sunset Circuits

Two days, ten temples, sunrise and sunset from the same guide.

A 2-day private tour of Cambodia's Angkor temple complex with an English-speaking guide, hotel pickup and air-conditioned vehicle. Day one covers Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm (the Tomb Raider temple), Bayon with its 216 stone faces, and the climb up Phnom Bakheng for sunset. Day two starts before dawn at Angkor Wat for sunrise, then follows the Big Circuit through Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Ta Som, East Mebon and Pre Rup, finishing at Banteay Srei: the pink sandstone temple built in the 10th century. Lunch is included both days at a local restaurant. Temple passes are chosen at checkout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Angkor Wat Small Circuit and Sunset

• Pick up and buy temple pass
• Visit Angkor Wat temple
• Visit Ta Prohm temple
• Lunch at local restaurant
• Visit Ta Nei temple
• Visit Victory Gate of Angkor Thom
• Visit Bayon temple
• Visit Baphuon temple
• Visit Royal Enclosure and Phimeanakas
• Visit Terrace of the Elephants
• Visit Terrace of the Leper King
• Climb Phnom Bakheng for sunset

Day 2: Angkor Wat Big Circuit and Banteay Srei

• Pick up and watch sunrise at Angkor Wat
• Return to hotel for breakfast
• Visit Preah Khan temple
• Visit Neak Pean temple
• Visit Ta Som temple
• Visit East Mebon temple
• Visit Pre Rup temple
• Lunch at local restaurant
• Visit Banteay Srei temple
• Visit Banteay Samre temple
• Visit Banteay Kdei temple

The experience

The guide picks you up at your hotel at 8 a.m. on day one and takes you straight to Angkor Wat, the world's largest religious monument. From there you move to Ta Prohm, where massive tree roots have grown over the temple structure. This is the site where the Tomb Raider film was shot. After lunch at a local restaurant (around 45 minutes to an hour), you visit Ta Nei, a smaller temple with fewer crowds, then head to the South Gate of Angkor Thom to photograph the Victory Gate before moving into the city itself.

Inside Angkor Thom, you walk through Bayon, the temple at the city's center with 49 towers, each tower showing four faces: 216 stone faces in total. The guide then takes you to Baphuon, a Hindu temple from the 11th century with a 16th-century reclining Buddha behind it, and on to the Royal Enclosure, the Terrace of the Elephants (where kings once watched returning armies), and the Terrace of the Leper King. The day ends with a climb up Phnom Bakheng mountain to watch the sunset. The wait and the view take roughly two hours, though you can skip this if you prefer. Note that Phnom Bakheng has a limit on visitors at the peak, so if it's busy the guide takes you up earlier to give you more time.

Day two starts at 5 a.m. for sunrise at Angkor Wat, then you return to your hotel for breakfast before the guide picks you up again. The Big Circuit takes you through Preah Khan (a vast monastic complex that once housed over 1,000 monks), Neak Pean (a small island temple in the middle of a baray, or reservoir), Ta Som, East Mebon (a three-level temple crowned by five towers), and Pre Rup, built in the late 10th century. After lunch, you visit Banteay Srei, known as the Ladies Temple for its intricate carvings in rare pink sandstone, then finish at Banteay Samré and Banteay Kdei before returning to your hotel.

What’s included

• An English-speaking licensed guide and air-conditioned vehicle with driver for both days.
• hotel pickup at 8 a.m. on day one and 5 a.m. on day two, with drop-off at your hotel at the end of each day.
• cool water and cool wet towels.
• lunch at a local restaurant both days (food cost is your choice from the menu, roughly $5 USD per dish).

Information

Lasts 2d, runs every day, 15 start times, from US$ 151 per person, with a live guide in English, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery day15 departure times: 07:30, 07:45, 08:00, 08:15, 08:30, 08:45, 09:00, 09:15, 09:30, 09:45, 10:00, 10:15, 10:30, 10:45 and 11:00Another time? ›

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglishOther languages ›

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Book up to10h before

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 9 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Happy Angkor Tour

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want a private guide for the full two days rather than joining a group: the same person stays with you from sunrise to sunset, so you move at your own pace and can ask questions as you go. The early start on day two is worth it if you want to photograph Angkor Wat before the crowds arrive and still have time for the Big Circuit temples in the afternoon.

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Top questions

What's the difference between the Small Circuit and the Big Circuit at Angkor?

The Small Circuit on day one covers Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm, and the temples inside Angkor Thom (Bayon, Baphuon, the Terraces, and Phnom Bakheng for sunset). The Big Circuit on day two is a longer loop that reaches the outer temples (Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Ta Som, East Mebon and Pre Rup) before ending at Banteay Srei, the pink sandstone temple on the eastern edge of the park.

Do I need to buy temple passes separately, or are they included?

Temple passes are chosen at checkout when you book, so you decide which pass option suits your plans before the tour starts. The guide will take you to buy the pass on the way to the first temple on day one.

What time do I need to be ready on each day?

On day one, the guide picks you up at 8 a.m. at your hotel. On day two, pickup is at 5 a.m. so you can reach Angkor Wat in time for sunrise, then you return to your hotel for breakfast before the guide collects you again to start the Big Circuit.

Is lunch included, and what does it cost?

Lunch is included both days at a local restaurant near the temples, taking about 45 minutes to an hour. Individual dishes cost around $5 USD each depending on what you order from the menu, so the total is up to you.

Can I skip the sunset at Phnom Bakheng on day one?

Yes, you can skip the sunset climb if you prefer. The wait and the view take roughly two hours, and the guide will let you choose. If Phnom Bakheng is busy that day, the guide takes you up earlier to give you more time to find a spot.

What's included in the tour price?

The tour includes an English-speaking licensed guide, hotel pickup and drop-off, an air-conditioned vehicle with driver, cool water and cool wet towels throughout the day. Lunch is at your own cost from the restaurant menu.