Battambang Day Trip: Bamboo Train & Bat Cave Sunset

Ride the bamboo train through countryside, climb to an 11th-century temple, then watch the bat exodus at sunset.

This full-day guided tour from Siem Reap takes you to Battambang, an 11th-century city 90 minutes away, with round-trip hotel pickup and an English-speaking guide. You'll ride the traditional bamboo train through farmland and villages, climb 365 stairs to Wat Banan temple overlooking the Sanker river, and end at the bat cave just before dusk to watch thousands of fruit bats leave for their evening hunt. The tour runs 9 hours and includes entry to all sites, drinking water, towel service and air-conditioned transport between stops.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Battambang from Siem Reap

• Travel from Siem Reap to Battambang
• Ride the traditional Bamboo Train
• Explore village near Bamboo Train
• Climb 365 stairs to Wat Banan temple
• Visit the secret Bat Cave before sunset
• Watch bats fly out at dusk
• Return to Siem Reap

The Experience

Battambang sits far enough from Siem Reap that getting there without a tour means renting a vehicle or negotiating with tuk-tuk drivers—time that eats into actual sightseeing. This tour picks you up from your hotel and handles the route, so the day stays on schedule. Your guide navigates between the four main stops and shares context about each one as you move through the countryside by tuk-tuk.

The bamboo train is the first stop: a platform of bamboo lashed over two sets of wheels that run on a single track. Decades ago, farmers and villagers used it to move goods between Battambang and Phnom Penh; now it carries visitors through open farmland and past small settlements you can walk through before the train returns. From there, you head to Wat Banan, an Angkor-era temple perched on a hilltop. The climb is 365 stairs, steep enough to feel it but manageable for most fitness levels. The temple sits close to the Sanker river and draws few tourists outside Cambodian holidays, so you're likely to have the site mostly to yourself.

The day ends at the bat cave on a mountainside, timed so you arrive before sunset. Around 5 pm, thousands of fruit bats wake and leave the cave for their nightly hunt—a stream that lasts roughly 45 minutes. The sight is the draw: a dark mass moving across the sky, the air filled with the sound of wings, before the bats scatter into the dusk. You watch from the mountain itself, so the moment unfolds above and around you rather than from a viewing platform below.

What’s included

• Round-trip hotel pickup and drop-off in Siem Reap.
• entry to the bamboo train, Wat Banan temple and the bat cave.
• air-conditioned tuk-tuk transport between all stops.
• English-speaking guide.
• drinking water and cool towel throughout the day.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Angkor Dynasty Travel

Is this one for you?Choose this if you're based in Siem Reap and want a full day covering Battambang's main sites by tuk-tuk with a guide; if you prefer shorter outings or independent exploration, look at self-guided options instead.

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Top questions

What is the bamboo train ride like on this Battambang tour?

The bamboo train is a platform of bamboo laid over wheels that runs on a single track through the countryside. You ride it through farmland and past villages, then get out to walk through a small settlement before the train brings you back to the starting point. It's a short, gentle ride that shows you rural life outside the main town.

How many stairs does it take to reach Wat Banan temple?

Wat Banan sits on top of a hill, and the climb to the temple is 365 stairs. The temple dates to the Angkor era and overlooks the Sanker river. It's steep but not technical, and the site stays quiet because few tourists visit outside Cambodian holidays.

When do the bats leave the cave, and how long does it last?

The bat exodus happens around 5 pm each day as dusk falls. Thousands of fruit bats stream out of the cave for their evening hunt, and the stream continues for roughly 45 minutes. You watch from the mountainside as they fly out into the darkening sky.

Does this tour include hotel pickup in Siem Reap?

Yes, round-trip pickup and drop-off from your Siem Reap hotel are included. The tour runs 9 hours total, and you travel between sites by air-conditioned tuk-tuk with your guide.

What's included in the tour price?

Entry to the bamboo train, Wat Banan temple, the bat cave and all other sites is included; so are drinking water and a cool towel during the day, plus the air-conditioned transport and guide. Gratuities and personal expenses are separate.