Siem Reap War Museum, Killing Field & HeroRATs tour
War Museum, a memorial stupa, rats trained to save lives, royal gardens, and a handicraft center in one morning
This five-hour guided tour in Siem Reap moves past the temples to Cambodia's modern history: the War Museum, Wat Thmei Killing Field memorial, and the APOPO Visitor Center where African giant pouched rats trained to detect landmines demonstrate their work. You travel by tuk-tuk or small group vehicle with an English-speaking guide, hotel pickup included, visiting the Royal Residence gardens and Satcha Cambodian Handicraft Center. The tour balances difficult history with hope and cultural craft.
Step-by-step itinerary
Explore Siem Reap cultural sites
- Visit War Museum Cambodia
- Tour Wat Thmei Killing Field
- See APOPO HeroRATs demonstration
- Explore Satcha Handicraft Center
- Visit Royal Residence gardens
The experience
What does Cambodia's recent past look like outside the major temples? This tour answers that by moving through four distinct stops, each one a different kind of encounter. The War Museum spans two hectares along the road between the city center and the airport, preserving weapons, vehicles and photographs from the decades of conflict that shaped the country. Wat Thmei sits within the grounds of an active Buddhist pagoda and holds a glass stupa filled with the remains of Khmer Rouge victims: a smaller, more intimate memorial than the larger Killing Fields near Phnom Penh, and one where monks continue their daily practice around you.
The APOPO Visitor Center is where the day shifts. You watch African giant pouched rats, trained by the organization to detect landmines, work through a live demonstration. The guide explains Cambodia's landmine legacy and how these animals have cleared vast stretches of land for communities to reclaim. It is a moment that combines history with something unexpected: innovation and practical hope. After that, the tour moves through the Royal Residence gardens (a 1904 villa where King Norodom Sihanouk planned Cambodia's independence campaign in the 1950s), and ends at Satcha Cambodian Handicraft Center, a one-hectare site built with bamboo and sustainable materials where local artisans train in traditional Khmer techniques alongside contemporary design.
You travel in an air-conditioned vehicle with hotel pickup and drop-off included. The guide speaks English throughout. The pace is built for five hours, which means the stops themselves have room to breathe. You are not rushing between them. Choose the solo tuk-tuk option if you prefer to travel alone, or join a small group if you want to share the experience and the cost.
What’s included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off.
- air-conditioned vehicle.
- English-speaking tour guide.
- entry to War Museum Cambodia.
- access to Wat Thmei Killing Field memorial.
- guided visit to APOPO Visitor Center with live rat demonstration.
- exploration of Royal Residence gardens.
- visit to Satcha Cambodian Handicraft Center.
Options for this experience
3 optionsInformation
Lasts 5h, runs every day, 15 start times, from US$ 75 per person, with a live guide in English, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.
Prices and times updated yesterday
Operated by Angkor Daily Trip
Is this one for you?Book the solo tuk-tuk option if you want a private, flexible pace through these five stops. Choose the small group trip to share the cost and travel with other visitors interested in Cambodia's modern history and humanitarian work.
Traveler reviews
Compare the 4 alternatives
- 89 reviews
- 5.00★
- Duration
- 4h 30m
- start times · Every day
- 2
- 38 reviews
- 4.92★
- Duration
- 5h
- start times · Every day
- 14
- 15 reviews
- 4.87★
- Duration
- 6h–7h
- Every day
- 08:30
- 14 reviews
- 4.86★
- Duration
- 2h
Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 12 years): free; Infant (under 3): free.
What exactly is inside the War Museum Cambodia?
War Museum Cambodia holds weapons, military vehicles, and photographs documenting Cambodia's conflicts from the 1970s onward. The museum spans two hectares and was founded in 2001, then renovated starting in 2015 to preserve and restore the exhibits. It sits along National Road 6 between Siem Reap city center and the airport.
How is Wat Thmei different from the Killing Fields near Phnom Penh?
Wat Thmei is smaller and more intimate, built within the grounds of a functioning Buddhist pagoda where monks continue their daily life. It contains a glass stupa filled with the remains of victims and offers both reflection and cultural insight in a peaceful temple setting, rather than the larger memorial site near the capital.
What do you actually see when the HeroRATs demonstrate their work?
At the APOPO Visitor Center, you watch a live demonstration of African giant pouched rats trained to detect landmines. The guide explains Cambodia's landmine history and how APOPO has helped clear land for local communities, combining the story of the animals' training with the humanitarian impact of their work.
Is lunch included in this tour?
Lunch is not included. The tour runs five hours and covers multiple sites, so you may want to plan a meal before or after, or ask your guide about options near the stops.
What is Satcha Cambodian Handicraft Center?
Satcha, opened in March 2023, is Cambodia's first handicraft incubation center. Built on one hectare with sustainable bamboo materials, it houses workshops, gardens, a showroom and a café where local artisans train in traditional Khmer techniques combined with contemporary design.
Siem Reap War Museum, Killing Field & HeroRATs tour
5h · EN · at your hotel
from US$ 75 per person