Tour Name: Phnom Penh to Angkor Wat and Back Tour 4d3n
Tour Code: PNH-PNH-4d3n
Tour Duration: 4 days / 3 nights
Tour Operate: all year round / on demand
Number of Pax: available upon request
Day I - Phnom Penh arrival, Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, National Museum, Toul Sleng S21 Genocide Museum, Chhoeung Ek Killing Field Museum, Stop by Russian market
Upon arrival in Phnom Penh international airport, you will be met and welcomed by our English-speaking guide, picked up and transferred to hotel for check in.
After check in to hotel, transfer for the visit to:
Royal Palace - Silver Pagoda – built in 1866 by His Majesty Preah Bat Norodom, the Royal Palace is now home to his Majesty Preah Bat Nodom Sihamony and his mother, her majesty Preah Reach Akka-Mohesey Norodom Monineat. Most of the buildings inside the palace are closed to the public, except for special occasions. Also within the palace walls is the Silver Pagoda, which draws its name from the 5,000 silver tiles that pave its floor. Inside the pagoda there are hundreds of gifts to Cambodian king, including a solid-gold Buddha encrusted with 9,584 diamonds weighing 90 kilograms. For those who love shopping, there are several markets that offer handicraft, silk, silver ware, wood carving, precious stones from the country's famous mines, as well as antique furniture and paintings by local artists.
Lunch at local restaurant (at your own costs)
National Museum – located just north of the Royal Palace, the National Museum was recently rested to its former glory as one of the finest examples of Khmer architecture. On display there are more than 5,000 artifacts and objects of 'art from the 6th to the 13th centuries. They include sandstone sculptures, royal barges, palanquins and silk, intricately woven with silver and gold threads. There are also rare religious objects in gold, silver and bronze.
Toul Sleng S21 Genocide Museum - when the Khmer Rouge came to power in 1975 they converted a former high school in the suburbs of Phnom Penh into a detention and torture center known as Toul Sleng, or S-21. A genocide museum was established at Tulo Sleng after 1979 and today it remains as it looked when abandoned by the Khmer Rouge. Hundreds of faces of those tortured line the walls inside the old school. Most of the 17,000 people detained at Toul Sleng were eventually transported to Choeung Ek, a mass gravesite located 15 km outside Phnom Penh. Known to locals as the Killing Field, Choeung Ek serves as a memorial to those killed under the Khmer Rouge rule. These sites can be extremely distressing, but are essential part of understanding Cambodia’s tragic past.
Chhoeung Ek Killing Field Museum - mass graves containing 8,895 bodies were discovered at Choeung Ek after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime. Many of the dead were former political prisoners who were kept by the Khmer Rouge in their Tuol Sleng detention center and in other Cambodian detention centers.
Today, Choeung Ek is a memorial, marked by a Buddhist stupa. The stupa has acrylic glass sides and is filled with more than 5,000 human skulls. Some of the lower levels are opened during the day so that the skulls can be seen directly. Many have been shattered or smashed in.
Tourists are encouraged by the Cambodian government to visit Choeung Ek. Apart from the stupa, there are pits from which the bodies were exhumed. Human bones still litter the site.
On May 3, 2005, the Municipality of Phnom Penh announced that they had entered into a 30-year agreement with JC Royal Co. to develop the memorial at Choeung Ek. As part of the agreement, they are not to disturb the remains still present in the field.
Stop by Russian Market - This sweltering bazaar is the one market all visitors should come to at least once during a trip to Phnom Penh. It is the place to shop for souvenirs and discounted name-brand clothing. We can’t vouch for the authenticity of everything, but, along with plenty of knock-offs, you'll find genuine articles stitched in local factories.
Brands you're likely to see include Banana Republic, Billabong, Calvin Klein, Colombia Sportswear, Gap and Next. The Russian Market, so called by foreigners because the predominantly Russian expat population shopped here in the 1980s, also has a large range of handicrafts and antiquities (many fake), including miniature Buddhas, woodcarvings, betel-nut boxes, silks, silver jewellery, musical instruments and so on. Bargain hard, as hundreds of tourists pass through here every day. There are some good food stalls in the Russian Market if you are feeling peckish.
Overnight at your hotel in Phnom Penh.
Day II - Stop by Wat Phnom, Independent Monument, Central markets, transfer to Siem Reap, Angkor Wat, Watching sunset over the top of Phnom Bakheng Hill or at Pre Rup temple
In the morning, after breakfast at the hotel, pick up and transfer for the visit to:
Wat Phnom - is a Buddhist temple (Wat), a pagoda, that symbolizes the name of Phnom Penh, a historical site in the record of Khmer national identity. Wat Phnom has a total height of 46 meters. The pagoda is named after Lady Penh from the story of the discovery of the five statues: one Vishnu statue and four Buddha statues.
In 1372, a wealthy old lady named "Penh" lived on a small hill near the bank of the confluence of the four rivers. One day, when it was raining, Penh went down to the port to take a bath and saw a floating Koki tree in the river and she called the village to fish it from the water. She and the villagers took a piece of wood to scrape off the mud and in the hole of the Koki tree, there were four Buddha statues made of bronze, brass and one made of marble. Another statue was in the form of Vishnu with the hands holding a staff, a chain, a snail, and a lotus flower. Penh asked the villagers to help retrieve the Koki tree and retrieve the four treasures. Later, Penh assigned the villagers to build an artificial hill and build a small wooden temple on top of the hill to house the statue. She invited monks to pray for the statues and the monks named the hermitage "Wat Phnom" which is known to this day.
Independent Monument - The Independence Monument in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, was built in 1958 to memorialise Cambodia's independence from France in 1953. It stands on the intersection of Norodom Boulevard and Sihanouk Boulevard in the centre of the city. It is in the form of a lotus-shaped stupa, of the style seen at the Khmer temple at Banteay Srei and other Khmer historical sites. The Independence Monument was designed by the Cambodian architect Vann Molyvann, who was “personally selected and instructed” by Prince Norodom Sihanouk on how it should look like, combining “the religious and the secular. It stands 37 metres tall.
During national celebrations, the Independence Monument is the centre of activity. A ceremonial flame on the interior pedestal is often lit by a royal or high official on these occasions, and floral tributes line the stairs. Every year, the Independence Monument is visited by foreign tourists and locals alike. Behind the monument is the Norodom Sihanouk Memorial, constructed in 2013.
Central Market – Phsar Thum Thmei; meaning "New Grand Market is a market and an art deco landmark in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. The bright yellow building completed in 1937 has a 26-metre high central dome, with four tall arch-roofed arms branching out diagonally across the block, creating vast hallways housing countless stalls and a variety of goods. Initially designed by city architect Jean Desbois, construction works were supervised by French architect Louis Chauchon. When it first opened in 1937, it was said to be the biggest market in Asia; today it still operates as a market.
Lunch at local restaurant
Private transfer to Siem Reap - upon arrival in Siem Reap, check in to hotel.
Angkor Wat – After check in to hotel, transfer for the visit to the magnificent temple of Angkor Wat, built by Suryavarman II in early 12th century. Angkor Wat is constructed following the model of the temple mountain symbolizing the mount Merou, home of the gods, considered as the masterpiece of the Khmer architecture. This Vishnuite temple is the King’s funerary temple that is why the temple is oriented to the west. Inside the temple the walls are covered by carvings and bas-reliefs depicting the Hindu mythology and the wars Suryavarman II made during his reign. As well Angkor Wat is well known for the 1800 Apsara dancers decorating the all temple. But like most say, it takes a life time to discover all the wonders of this temple.
Return to Siem Reap after watching sunset at Phnom Bakheng Hill. Dominating the flat landscape, this 10th Century mountain temple is the most popular spot in the area to watch a classic sunset over Angkor Wat and the surrounding forest or
Watching sunset at Pre Rup temple, a Hindu temple, built as the state temple of king Rajendravarman and dedicated in 961. It is a temple mountain of combined brick, laterite and sandstone construction. The temple’s name is a comparatively modern one meaning "turn the body". This reflects the common belief among Cambodians that funerals were conducted at the temple, with the ashes of the body being ritually rotated in different directions as the service progressed.
Overnight at hotel in Siem Reap.
Day III - Angkor Wat sunrise, Angkor Thom, Bayon, Ta Prohm, small circuit, Banteay Srei and Kampong Pluk fishing village
At 5am, pick up and transfer for viewing picturesque sunrise at Angkor Wat. Return to hotel for breakfast.
Angkor Thom city complex – After breakfast, transfer for the visit to the Great City of Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Great Khmer Empire under the reign of Jayavarman VII. This city is surrounded by an 8m high wall; each side of the city is 3 kilometers long. It draws a perfect square you access this town through 5 gates, 4 of them represent the cardinal points and the 5th one the Victory Gate was the one leading directly to the Royal Palace area.
You will arrive via the South Gate, an impressive stone gate carved with Elephants and 4 giant faces. On each side is a row of 54 gods or demons holding the sacred Naga snake.
After passing through the South Gate, you will go down along this shady road to the Bayon temple. This temple lies exactly in the center of the city. The particularity of this monument is the 54 towers representing the 54 provinces of the then Great Khmer Empire. Each tower has 4 faces. This is the only temple in Cambodia depicting scenes of the everyday life at the time of the empire.
From the Bayon continue by walk to the Baphoun recently re-opened to the public. There you will pass by the Phimeanakas the location of the Royal Palace. The only remaining are a pond and a temple. The palace was made of wood and did not survive the time and the wars.
Then continue to the Terrace of the Elephants. This Terrace was the place where the parade was done for the king. Next is the Terrace of the Leper King, depicting the water world.
Ta Prohm overgrown temple – continue to Ta Prohm - one of the most popular temples of the Angkor Complex. This temple was built in the memory of the King Jayavarman VII’s mother. When found by the French conservators at the end of the 19th century, they deliberately left this temple in the same condition as it was discovered, overgrown by strangler fig and silk-cotton trees, giving the temple a mystical and romantic appeal.
Your visit will also include Banteay Kdei, a Buddhist monastery from the late 12th century, Srah Srang, also known as the "pool of ablution", the identical twin temples of Tommanon, Chaosay Tevoda, and Krovan temple.
Banteay Srei - continue for an excursion to Banteay Srei, made of pink sandstone and is one of the smallest temple you can visit but one of the most beautiful as well. Built in 967 AD by a guru to Jayavarman V, it showcases the most exquisite, deep and complex carvings in all Khmer architectures. As well the carvings and bas-relief are in a perfect condition although being here for more than millenary.
On the way back to Siem Reap, visit an isolated temple Banteay Samre. Situated on the eastern edge of the Angkor complex, this temple is very similar to Angkor Wat. The structure with its typical lotus flowers shaped tower but has very compact proportions. This temple was built during the best period of the Khmer architecture and its condition is almost perfect.
Kampong Pluk Fishing Village – After check in to hotel, transfer for visit to Kampong Pluk, a cluster of three villages of stilted houses built within the floodplain about 16 km southeast of Siem Reap. The villages are primarily Khmer and have about 3000 inhabitants between them. Flooded mangrove forest surrounds the area and is home to a variety of wildlife including crab-eating macaques. During the dry season when the lake is low, the buildings in the villages seem to soar atop their 6-meter stilts exposed by the lack of water. At this time of year many of the villagers move out onto the lake and build temporary houses. In the wet season when water level rises, the villagers move back to their permanent houses on the floodplain, the stilts now hidden under the water. Kampong Pluk's economy is, as one might expect, based in fishing, primary in shrimp harvesting.
Overnight at hotel in Siem Reap.
Day IV - Siem Reap market, Artisan d'Angkor, Pouk Silk Farm and private transfer to Phnom Penh
In the morning, after breakfast at the hotel, transfer for the visit to:
Stop by Siem Reap market and then continue to Artisans d'Angkor and Pouk Silk Farm where you can observe young Cambodians being trained in the making of traditional crafts.
Lunch at local restaurant
After lunch, private transfer to Phnom Penh, drop off at Phnom Penh international airport to catch your flight to your destination or
If you have an early flight, we can leave Siem Reap early to be on time to catch flight or
We can leave Siem Reap the day before your flight departure day.
Tour Ends
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