Cambodia » Siem Reap | 🏛 Angkor Thom Tours · Banteay Srei

Angkor Wat & Bayon: 2-Day Private Sunrise & Sunset Temples Tour

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1/36

Duration2d

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Sunrise at Angkor Wat, Bayon faces, Banteay Srei carvings, sunset over Siem Reap rice fields

You’ll step quietly into Angkor Wat before sunrise, trace centuries-old carvings at Banteay Srei, and watch sunset over Siem Reap’s rice fields with a cold drink in hand. With an expert local guide handling all logistics (and sharing small stories), you’ll get close to Cambodia’s history — and maybe find a moment or two that stays with you.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Explore temples and sunset in countryside

Visit Pre Rup Hindu temple
Explore Banteay Srei temple
Visit Neak Pean island temple
Explore Preah Khan temple ruins
Relax with sunset drink in rice fields

Day 2 — Sunrise and major Angkor temples

Sunrise at Angkor Wat temple
Visit Ta Prohm jungle temple
Drive to Ta Nei temple
Explore Angkor Thom city site
Visit Bayon temple with faces
Pass Terrace of Elephants
Pass Terrace of the Leper King

The Experience

We were already bumping along the road outside Siem Reap when our guide, Dara, handed us bottles of water and grinned — “You’ll need these.” The air was sticky and smelled faintly of woodsmoke from someone’s breakfast fire. First stop: Pre Rup temple. I remember the rough feel of the brick under my hand, still cool from the night. Dara pointed out faded carvings I’d have missed on my own. I tried to say “Pre Rup” properly; he laughed and said I sounded like his nephew. We kept moving — Banteay Srei next, all pink sandstone and impossibly tiny details. The sun was starting to bite by then but somehow it felt right for those carvings to glow in that light.

Neak Pean came after lunch (sticky rice wrapped in banana leaf — not sure if that was part of the tour or just Dara being kind). It sits on its own island, quiet except for frogs somewhere nearby. Preah Khan felt different: tree roots everywhere, stone corridors half-swallowed by jungle. There were moments when we didn’t talk much — just walked slowly, listening to birds and our own footsteps echoing off old walls. By late afternoon we ended up in a patchwork of rice fields outside town with plastic chairs set up for us. Cold drink in hand, watching the sky turn gold over Siem Reap… I still think about that view sometimes.

The second day started before the world woke up. We crept into Angkor Wat from the east gate with torches (bring one — Dara wasn’t joking). The bas-reliefs seemed endless in the half-light; you could almost hear stories whispering from the stone if you listened long enough. Later we wandered through Ta Prohm where trees have taken over everything — roots like giant fingers gripping walls. At Ta Nei there was no one but us and a couple of stray dogs dozing in the shade.

I didn’t expect Bayon to hit me so hard — all those giant faces looking down with that odd smile. Dara said they’re meant to be serene but honestly it felt like they knew something we didn’t. We drifted past the Terrace of Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King without much ceremony; by then my feet were tired and my head full of images I’m still sorting out now.

What’s included

Your days include convenient hotel pickup and drop-off in Siem Reap, travel by private air-conditioned vehicle with bottled water and cool towels provided along the way, plus guidance from an experienced English-speaking local who’ll share stories as you explore each temple site together—and yes, there’s time to relax with a cold drink at sunset out among the rice fields before heading back each evening.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Journey Cambodia