Angkor Wat Sunrise Private Tour by Tuk Tuk from Siem Reap

Watch sunrise inside Angkor Wat before the crowds arrive, then walk through three centuries of Khmer temples in a single morning.

A 6 to 7 hour private tuk tuk tour from Siem Reap that picks you up before dawn to catch sunrise at Angkor Wat, then visits Angkor Thom, Bayon, the Terrace of the Elephants, the Terrace of the Leper King, and Ta Prohm. Your guide provides commentary at each stop and answers questions throughout the day. Early morning timing means cooler temperatures and fewer visitors at the temples.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each2 stops

1. Angkor Wat3h
2. Bayon1h

Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom tour

• Pre-dawn hotel pickup by Tuk Tuk
• Watch sunrise at Angkor Wat
• Explore Angkor Wat temple corridors
• Visit Angkor Thom city walls and gates
• Tour the Bayon temple
• Visit Ta Prohm temple
• Return to Siem Reap hotel

The experience

The tour begins with hotel pickup between 4:30 and 4:40 am, depending on the season. You enter Angkor Wat in near-darkness from the western side, a route few visitors take, and walk past the longest stretch of bas-relief carvings in the world as light breaks over the temple. Angkor Wat itself is the world's largest religious building, built in the early 12th century as a state temple and capital city for King Suryavarman II. It remains the best-preserved temple at the site and the only one to have stayed a significant religious centre since its foundation, first as a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu, then as a Buddhist one.

After sunrise, the tuk tuk carries you north to Angkor Thom, the walled capital city built at the end of the 12th century by King Jayavarman VII. The city's walls stretch a little over 12 kilometers and stand 8 meters high, with five gopura gates providing entry. Inside, you visit the Bayon, a richly decorated temple at the city's centre, famous for more than 200 smiling faces carved into its towers. The temple's three levels contain square galleries with bas-reliefs and a circular sanctuary, though the maze of passages and dim lighting make the levels feel indistinguishable as you move through them. You also see the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King before heading to Ta Prohm, located southwest of Angkor Thom. Ta Prohm is among the largest monuments in the complex and was built around the mid-12th to early 13th century by King Jayavarman VII as a dedication to his mother. The temple comprises long low buildings enclosed by a 600 by 1,000 meter laterite wall, with a series of towers connected by passages forming a sacred way to the heart of the monument. Early morning is especially serene here.

Your guide speaks English and provides commentary at each temple, with time for your questions built into the tour. The tuk tuk, Cambodia's iconic local transport, carries you between sites, and chilled bottled water is provided throughout. Hotel pickup and drop-off in Siem Reap are included. The early start means you experience the temples in cooler temperatures and before crowds arrive, then return to your hotel by mid-afternoon.

What’s included

• Experienced English-speaking guide.
• transport by tuk tuk between temples.
• chilled bottled water during the tour.
• hotel pickup and drop-off in Siem Reap.

Information

Lasts 6h–7h, runs every day at 04:30, from US$ 48.72 per person, with a live guide in English and French, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 04:30Another time? ›

GroupPrivate2 group tours ›

Live guideEnglish and FrenchOther languages ›

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Book up to6h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Under 12: can't be booked

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

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Moderate physical effortNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Green Era Travel

Is this one for you?Book this private tour if you want to explore Angkor's major temples without sharing a guide or vehicle with other travelers. The pre-dawn start and private tuk tuk mean you control the pace and can linger at sites that interest you most, while the early timing keeps you ahead of tour groups and in cooler temperatures.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and French.

What is Angkor Wat and why is it built on such a massive scale?

Angkor Wat is a temple complex built in the early 12th century as a state temple and capital city for King Suryavarman II. It is the world's largest religious building and the best-preserved temple at Angkor, remaining a significant religious centre since its foundation: first Hindu, dedicated to the god Vishnu, then Buddhist. The temple represents the high classical style of Khmer architecture.

Why does this tour enter Angkor Wat from the western side before sunrise?

The western entrance is little-visited, allowing you to walk past the longest stretch of bas-relief carvings in the world in near-darkness as dawn breaks. This route avoids the crowds that gather at the main entrance and gives you the temple largely to yourself during the most dramatic light of the day.

What makes the Bayon different from the other temples on this tour?

The Bayon stands at the centre of Angkor Thom and is decorated with more than 200 smiling faces carved into its towers. Built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the state temple of King Jayavarman VII, it has no enclosing wall of its own, instead, it is protected by the wall surrounding the city. The temple's three levels are connected by a maze of galleries, passages and steps that create dim lighting and narrow walkways.

Is Ta Prohm the temple from the movies, and what should I know before visiting?

Ta Prohm was built around the mid-12th to early 13th century by King Jayavarman VII and is among the largest monuments in the Angkor complex. The temple is especially serene and beautiful in the early morning, which is when this tour visits it. The complex comprises long low buildings enclosed by a 600 by 1,000 meter wall, with a series of towers connected by passages that form a sacred way to the heart of the monument.

How much time do I spend at each temple, and what is the pace like?

The full tour runs 6 to 7 hours from hotel pickup to drop-off, visiting five major sites: Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bayon, the Terraces of the Elephants and Leper King, and Ta Prohm. Your guide provides commentary at each stop and builds in time for your questions, so the pace allows you to absorb each temple rather than rush through.