Angkor Wat Full Day Tour in Siem Reap: Small-Group with Guide

Two hours inside Angkor Wat's corridors and upper terraces, then the maze of Bayon's enigmatic faces.

A full-day small-group tour of Angkor Wat, Bayon, the Terrace of the Elephants and Ta Prohm, departing from your Siem Reap hotel with an English-speaking guide and returning by late afternoon. You spend two hours exploring Angkor Wat's interior chambers and base-relief carvings, walk the South Gate entrance to Angkor Thom, navigate Bayon's narrow corridors to discover its famous stone faces, and finish at the jungle-enveloped Ta Prohm, where massive tree roots overtake the crumbling temple walls.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each4 stops

1. Angkor Wat2h
2. Terrace of the Elephantspassing by
3. Bayon1h
4. Ta Prohm1h

Explore Angkor Wat and Surroundings

• Pick up from hotel early morning
• Travel to Angkor Wat ticket office
• Explore Angkor Wat temple interior
• Visit Angkor Thom South Gate
• See Terrace of the Elephants
• Tour Bayon Temple
• Lunch at local restaurant
• Explore Ta Prohm temple
• Return to Siem Reap hotel

The experience

Pickup runs between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m. from your hotel, with a 15- to 30-minute drive to the ticket office and another 15 minutes to reach Angkor Wat itself. Your guide deciphers the longest base-relief carvings in the world and walks you through the height of the Khmer empire as you move through the corridors, central chambers and upper terraces. The morning is built around Angkor Wat alone: two solid hours to absorb the scale and detail without rushing.

After Angkor Wat, the tour moves to Angkor Thom's South Gate, the most completely restored of the five entrances, where your guide spends about twenty minutes on the history before you enter Bayon Temple. The maze-like inner enclosure, with its narrow chamber corridors and stairways, reveals the enigmatic stone faces gradually as you move through. The guide explains the significance of each section. The Terrace of the Elephants sits nearby inside the city walls. Lunch happens at a local restaurant within the national park during the midday break. The guide will note that park restaurants cost more than those in town, but they're the practical choice given the day's route.

Ta Prohm closes the tour. Once home to 2,740 monks, it looks much as it did in the early 1850s when French explorer Henri Mouhot rediscovered the crumbling site. The jungle has reclaimed it, massive tree roots overtake the stone, and the maze-like interior rewards slow exploration. The return to your Siem Reap hotel happens in late afternoon after a full day on site. An air-conditioned minibus and bottled water are included. The one-day temple entrance fee of $37 covers all four temples and can be paid on arrival with a visa card.

What’s included

• Transportation by air-conditioned minibus.
• professional English-speaking guide.
• free hotel pickup and drop-off in Siem Reap.
• unlimited bottled water throughout the day.

Options for this experience

2 options

Small-Group Angkor Wat TourGuide in English · 08:00Includes pickup

Full-day private tourGuide in English · 07:30, 08:00 and 09:00Duration: 8 hours; pickup is included

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Information

Lasts 8h–9h, runs every day at 07:30, 08:00 and 09:00, from US$ 25 per person, with a live guide in English, in groups of up to 15 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 07:30, 08:00 and 09:00Another time? ›

GroupUp to 159 private ›

Live guideEnglishOther languages ›

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Book up to8h before

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Angkor Buddy Tour

Is this one for you?Choose the small-group option if you prefer a shared experience and lower cost, or the private tour if you want the same temples and guide on your own schedule with no other travelers. Both follow the same four-temple route and include the same guide and transport. The difference is group size and flexibility on timing.

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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.

How much time do I actually spend inside Angkor Wat itself?

Two hours. Your guide leads you through the corridors, central chambers and upper terraces, explaining the base-relief carvings and the stories of the Khmer empire without moving you quickly through.

What is the Terrace of the Elephants, and where does it fit in the day?

The Terrace of the Elephants is a stone platform inside Angkor Thom city, decorated with carved elephants and other figures. You visit it after Bayon Temple as part of the Angkor Thom complex, before lunch and the move to Ta Prohm.

Is lunch included, and where do we eat?

Lunch is at your own expense. Your guide stops at a local restaurant inside the national park during the midday break. These restaurants cost more than those in town, but they're the only practical option given the tour's route through the temples.

What makes Ta Prohm different from the other temples on this tour?

Ta Prohm is jungle-enveloped, with massive tree roots overtaking the stone walls and corridors. It looks much as it did in the early 1850s when French explorer Henri Mouhot rediscovered it, giving it a more atmospheric, less-restored feel than Angkor Wat or Bayon.

What should I wear to the temples?

Respectful dress covering your shoulders and knees is required. A scarf or light wrap works. The dress code applies at all four temples throughout the day.