Vespa countryside tour Siem Reap: Basket weaving and rice wine
Ride past rice fields and into the hands-on work of village life.
A half-day Vespa tour from Siem Reap that takes you outside the city on the back of a scooter with a local English-speaking guide, stopping at a Buddhist temple, a basket-weaving village, a rice wine distillery, and the West Baray reservoir. You meet at your hotel at 7:45 am and return by 12:30 pm, learning about Khmer crafts and local industries along the way. Hotel pickup and drop-off, snacks, water and a guide are included. Children from age 12 are welcome.
Step-by-step itinerary
Siem Reap countryside Vespa tour
- Meet at hotel lobby at 7:45 am
- Ride outside Siem Reap town
- Explore old Buddhist temple and get blessing
- Visit local businesses and learn crafts
- Ride to West Baray reservoir
- Visit basket village and make baskets
- Visit local rice wine distillation
- Return to Siem Reap before 12:30 pm
The experience
If you land in Siem Reap and have a free morning, or you want to see how people actually live outside the tourist zones, this tour trades the temple crowds for a ride through working countryside. You climb onto the back of a Vespa with a local guide who speaks English, and the two of you head out before the heat peaks. The route covers five stops in about five hours, each one chosen to show you something real: not a performance for visitors, but the daily work of the region.
The first stop is an old Buddhist temple where a monk offers a spiritual blessing and reads your fortune in the Khmer tradition. From there the guide takes you past local businesses (rice noodle makers, bamboo sticky rice cake producers) stopping long enough to watch and ask questions. You'll ride to the West Baray, an ancient reservoir that stretches across the landscape, then head to the basket village. This is where the tour shifts from watching to doing: local women teach you to weave baskets by hand, and you spend time making one yourself. The last stop is a small family rice wine distillery, where you taste the drink and learn how it's made using techniques passed down through generations. It's one of Cambodia's oldest beverages, and seeing it made at scale (or rather, at the intimate family scale) changes how you think about what you drink.
The Vespa is not a thrill ride. It's the way locals get around, and it puts you at eye level with the landscape instead of behind glass. Your guide handles the driving, so you sit as a passenger and take in the fields, the villages, the light. You're back at your hotel by 12:30 pm, which leaves the rest of your day open. Water and snacks come with the tour, so you won't get stranded between stops.
What’s included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Siem Reap.
- Vespa ride with an experienced local driver.
- English-speaking guide for the full tour.
- snacks and water throughout the morning.
- village food tastings at local businesses and the rice wine distillery.
- hands-on basket weaving instruction with local women.
Options for this experience
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Information
Lasts 5h, runs every day at 08:00 and 14:30, from US$ 27 per person, with a live guide in English, in groups of up to 8 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.
Prices and times updated 2 days ago
Operated by Vespa Backstreet
Is this one for you?Book this tour if you have a free morning and want to see working countryside instead of packaged attractions: the Vespa puts you in the landscape at the pace of local life, and the hands-on stops at the basket village and rice wine distillery mean you're doing something, not just watching. Skip it if you have spinal issues or need to stay seated in a vehicle. The five-hour ride on the back of a scooter requires moderate fitness and comfort with that position.
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Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years). Children under 12 can't be included in the booking.
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.
What's the Buddhist temple stop actually like?
The old Buddhist temple is where you'll receive a spiritual blessing from a monk and get your fortune told in the Khmer tradition, giving you a direct encounter with local religious practice rather than a guided lecture about it.
Do I actually make a full basket, or just try it?
You spend time learning basket weaving from local women in the village, making a basket yourself as part of the hands-on portion. It's not a five-minute demo, but a real lesson in the craft.
What time does the tour start and end?
You meet at your hotel lobby at 7:45 am and return to Siem Reap by 12:30 pm, making it a morning commitment that leaves your afternoon free.
Is the Vespa ride rough on your back?
The tour is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health. You should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness, as riding on the back of a scooter for five hours does require some comfort with that position.
What's included in the price?
Hotel pickup and drop-off, the Vespa and driver, an English-speaking guide, snacks, and water are all included. Village food tastings at the stops are part of the experience.
Vespa countryside tour Siem Reap: Basket weaving and rice wine
5h · EN · at your hotel
from US$ 27 per person