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Siem Reap: Banteay Srei, Beng Mealea & Kulen Waterfall Day Trip

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1/24

Duration9h–10h

GroupUp to 15

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Three Temples and a Waterfall in One Day from Siem Reap

You get picked up early, driven to three separate temples and a mountain waterfall, guided through each one with an English speaker, fed lunch, and returned to your hotel by evening. The tour skips the main Angkor complex and goes deeper — Beng Mealea especially feels less visited. You'll need to buy entrance fees separately, and the day is full enough that it suits people comfortable with a packed schedule and some walking.

9h–10h

Step-by-step itinerary

Pick up from Siem Reap hotel
Drive 2 hours to Kulen Mountain
Visit Banteay Srei temple
See Reclining Buddha at Preah Ang Thom
Explore River of a Thousand Lingas carvings
Visit Kulen Waterfalls
Lunch at local restaurant near Beng Mealea or Banteay Srei
Explore Beng Mealea temple
Drive back to Siem Reap hotel
Drop off at hotel around 5:00 PM

The Experience

Most people see Angkor Wat and call it done. But 40 kilometers east, Beng Mealea sits half-swallowed by jungle, its galleries collapsed and roots tangled through stone — the kind of place that makes you feel like you're the first one there, even though you're not. The day starts at 7:30 AM with pickup from your hotel in an air-conditioned vehicle, then a two-hour drive north through the Cambodian countryside to Kulen Mountain. The landscape shifts as you go, rice fields giving way to scrub, and the air gets thicker.

Your guide meets you there and walks you through Banteay Srei first — a 10th-century temple carved from red sandstone about 25 kilometers north of Angkor Wat. The detail is what stops you. Hindu scenes, lingas, yoni carvings so fine you can see the chisel marks. It's smaller than the big temples, which means you're not fighting crowds the same way. Then you head to Kulen Mountain, where the Reclining Buddha — Preah Ang Thom — sits carved into a boulder, eight meters tall, with stairs and a shelter built around it. Locals come here to pray. The River of a Thousand Lingas runs nearby, 500 meters of riverbed carved with linga and Vishnu figures. The waterfalls come next — two of them, the first about 13 to 16 feet tall and 82 feet wide during rainy season, the second 49 to 66 feet tall. Size depends on when you go; dry season means less water, but fewer tourists too.

Lunch happens at a local restaurant near one of the temples, depending on timing. You'll get seasonal fruit, bottled water, a small towel. The return drive takes about 90 minutes, and you're back at your hotel between 5:00 and 5:30 PM. The whole thing is 10 hours door to door. Groups stay under 12 people, which changes how it feels — you're not herded. One thing to know: you buy the Kulen Mountain entrance fee ($20 USD) and the Angkor Pass for the temples ($37 USD) on-site or online beforehand. Your guide handles the logistics, but the tickets are on you.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup between 7:30 and 8:00 AM, transport in an air-conditioned vehicle with a professional English-speaking guide, entry to Banteay Srei, Beng Mealea, and Kulen Mountain, lunch at a local restaurant, bottled water, fresh towels, and seasonal fruit tasting.
Hotel drop-off happens in the evening around 5:00 to 5:30 PM.
Entrance fees for the temples ($37 USD) and Kulen Mountain ($20 USD) are paid separately on-site or online.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Angkor Buddy Tour

Is this one for you?This works well if you want to see temples beyond the main Angkor circuit and a waterfall in one day without arranging transport, tickets, or timing yourself — the fixed schedule and small group size (under 12) make it possible to cover three separate sites and still have breathing room between stops.