Battambang tuk-tuk tour: Bat Caves, temples, bamboo train

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/18

Duration9h 45m

GroupUp to 8

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Ride the bamboo train before it closes, then watch the bat cave exodus at sunset

A full-day guided tour of Battambang by tuk-tuk that covers colonial architecture, three temples including a 300-year-old Buddhist site, rural villages, the Battambang Bat Caves, and a ride on the original bamboo train. The guide speaks English, hotel pickup is included, entrance fees to the killing cave and bat cave are covered, and snacks from local producers are provided along the way; the bamboo train ticket costs $5 extra per person.

9h 45m

Step-by-step itinerary

Full day Battambang sightseeing tour

Pick up from hotel at 9:00am
Visit French colonial buildings and local market
See Lok Ta Dambong Kra Nhoung symbol
Visit Wat Samrong Knong temple and learn history
Explore small villages and local family crafts
Walk around fish paste market
Visit Ek Phnom temple and Buddha statue
Drive through villages and visit fruit farms
Stop at Golden Gate Bridge for photos
Ride the original bamboo train
Visit Phnom Sampov mountain and killing cave
Watch bats fly out of Bat Cave
Return to hotel

The Experience

The day starts at 9am with pickup from your hotel. Your English-speaking guide drives you through Battambang's city center first, pointing out French colonial buildings and the local market, then the statue of Lok Ta Dambong Kra Nhoung, the symbol of Battambang. From there the tuk-tuk heads into the countryside to visit small villages where you'll stop and watch families make bamboo sticky rice, rice paper for spring rolls, and dried banana—you can taste samples as you go. A short walk through the fish paste market (called Cambodian cheese locally) rounds out this part of the morning.

The afternoon takes you to three temples. Wat Samrong Knong, built over 300 years ago, was used as a prison during the Pol Pot regime; your guide explains the history and shows you the Well of Shadows, a killing field where over 10,000 people were killed—skulls and bones remain visible in a stupa there. Ek Phnom, one of Battambang's oldest ruins from the 11th century, stands nearby with a large Buddha statue. Before the bamboo train, you pass through more villages and fruit farms along the river, stopping at Kampong Pil Pagoda and a small golden bridge with river views where locals wave and greet you. The bamboo train ride itself lasts as long as you want and costs $5 per person (not included); you'll see small villages and countryside from the bamboo platform as it rolls along the tracks.

The final stop is Phnom Sampov, the mountain holding the killing cave and bat cave. You can walk up or take a motorbike or pickup truck to the summit. The killing cave shows where victims were pushed from the top during the Pol Pot era—thousands of skulls and bones are housed in a stupa inside. After that, you wait for the bat cave exodus: millions of bats emerge over 30 to 40 minutes, flying out in a stream that looks like a long dragon. The guide then returns you to your hotel by 6:30pm. Bottled water and snacks are provided throughout; bring cash for the $5 bamboo train ticket if you want to ride.

What’s included

Hotel pickup at 9am.
English-speaking guide for the full day.
entrance fees to Phnom Sampov killing cave and bat cave.
bottled water throughout.
snacks and samples from local producers (sticky rice, rice paper, dried banana).
a short walk through the fish paste market.
and a donation to a local family to support children's education in rural Battambang.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Battambang tours by bun

Is this one for you?The day runs nine and a half hours with frequent tuk-tuk rides between stops and short walks at villages and temples, so it suits travelers comfortable with a full schedule and some heat. The two killing sites—Wat Samrong Knong and Phnom Sampov—are historically significant but graphic, with visible human remains; if you want to understand Battambang's recent history and the Pol Pot era, this tour covers it directly. The bamboo train ($5 extra) is optional, so you can skip it if you prefer to spend more time at the temples or villages instead.