Cambodia Essentials

A local guide will meet you at Phnom Penh Airport and take you to the hotel. You can check in if there is a room ready before 2 pm, or leave your luggage at the lobby and set the tour to visit Wat Phnom, which is the center of Phnom Penh that gives the city its name. At 27 meters above sea level, it is the highest point in the area, and as a town gradually grew up around it, the settlement became known as Phnom Penh, the hill of Penh. It is the zero point of the city. Then continue to visit Wat Ounalom (Buddhist Monastery), this pagoda serves as the headquarters for one of Cambodia’s most revered Buddhist patriarchs. Besides the pagoda, this monastery has a stupa from the post-Angkorian period. After lunch, you will see Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. It used to be a high school, then a Khmer Rouge prison called S-21, and now a museum of genocide. Return to the hotel free at leisure.

In the late afternoon at about 5.30 pm, our guide and tuk-tuk driver pick you up from the hotel for the food tours. Enjoy the tuk-tuk ride through the city via the riverfront, and get the first stop at one of the lovely bars on the riverside where you get a briefing and tour presentation by the tour guide along with one class of cocktails or one drink. Then, we take a thorough tour of a lively local night market before sitting down with the locals at a popular local street food spot. Experience the taste of Cambodia’s fresh seafood, cooked with a unique Saba fish recipe and spicy Kampot pepper squid. Then, hop on a ride to explore the dazzling city nightlife and listen to live music at a hip venue, where you can sample some amazing local treats. Afterward, ride to the much-celebrated Independence Monument for a quick insight into the city’s history and a fantastic photo opportunity. We finish the evening at one of the city’s most stylish bar areas with trendy locals and foreigners on the top roof with a panoramic view of the heart of Phnom Penh City. This tour includes free-flowing drinks and all-you-can-eat, so come with an appetite!

Breakfast at the hotel.

Discover the stunning Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, the jewels of the capital and the masterpieces of Khmer architecture. Built by the French in 1866, they showcase the rich history and culture of Cambodia. The Royal Palace is also the residence of King Sihamoni, the current monarch. The neighboring Silver Pagoda stands out in its own distinctive way. Walk on the 5,329 silver tiles that give the building its name. Then, head to Central Market, where our guide will show you the food hall and let you try various delicacies, beverages, dishes, and fruits for your lunch. Marvel at the art deco Psar Thmei, also known as the Central Market, a huge dome that looks like a Babylonian ziggurat and is one of the world’s largest. After that, go back to the hotel and check out.

Visit the National Museum, The National Museum of Phnom Penh is instantly recognizable, with its warm red terracotta and its gracefully curved roof topped by dozens of guardian nagas. Located just north of the Royal Palace, off the street of Artists (178 Street), it was designed in 1917 by famed French architect Groslier and the Ecole des Arts Cambodgiens. It was inaugurated by King Sisowath in 1920. Transfer to Phnom Penh Airport to fly to Siem Reap, meet the local guide in Siem Reap and transfer to the hotel for check-in. Dinner on your own.

Breakfast at the hotel

You will visit Angkor Wat Temple, a world-renowned architectural wonder and a testament to Khmer culture and civilization, at its three levels with our guide and driver. They will pick you up from the hotel at 6.30 am to avoid the crowds. Admire the exquisite stone carvings of Apsaras, the celestial dancers, from the Angkor era at the temple. Then, we drive to Srah Srang, the royal pool where King Jayavarman VII bathed in the 12th century, and stroll through the village to a local house for high tea and picnic breakfast. The friendly hosts will welcome us with fresh fruits, snacks, coffee, hot tea, and picnic breakfast. Next, we visit the Ta Prohm temple, where the movie “Tomb Raider” was filmed. The temple is hidden in the jungle and covered by overgrown plants, creating a mysterious and enchanting atmosphere. The majestic roots of a tree, squeezing through the massive stone blocks of the temple in a hug-like gesture, will leave a lasting impression on you. Undisturbed by crowds of tourists you can better appreciate the interplay of man and nature at this magical site. Return to the hotel for a lunch break on your own.

Afternoon, explore the mysterious Royal city of Angkor Thom. Its 50-tower temple is an awesome sight. It looks like a formless pile of stone, but as you look closer, you see a face, and then another and another until you are surrounded by the quiet, weighty, mysterious, quiet stare through half-shut eyes, gazing out from an ancient and distant time. Enter at the South Gate before uniquely walking along the 8m high wall through the forest to the less touristy Death Gate. Walk through the cool parkland behind the Terraces of Elephants and Leper King to the Phimeanakas and Baphuon temples, where you can discover the local trees and fruits. Then, visit the Bayon temple with its famous sculpted faces and marvel at its beauty. Finally, watch the sunset from Phnom Bakheng, one of the two hills that overlook the Angkor plain, and admire the stunning view of the Western Baray and Angkor Wat. Return to the hotel and the dinner on your own.

Early wake up in the morning for a transfer to Phnom Krom (13 km south of Siem Reap), we climb up the hill to view the sunrise over the rice paddies and the floating village on Tonle Sap Lake, and have a picnic breakfast on the slope of Phnom Krom. After breakfast, take the boat ride visiting the Chong Kneas Floating Village on Tonle Sap Lake and take a boat trip to see daily life in the village. Tonle Sap, a natural wonder, reveals the ancient culture of river life and the beauty of rural landscapes, followed by a workshop at Artisan D'Angkor. Return to the hotel for relaxation, and lunch on your own. You will ride with our guide and the scooter driver to Krabei Riel Village (a tuk-tuk is available to ride instead of a scooter if you prefer a tuk-tuk better), where you can interact with the villagers and see how they work in their vegetable gardens, rice fields, and weaving workshops. You will also have many chances to take photos along the way. Then we get to Mr. Ron’s house and are greeted by his family. We will enjoy the cooking class that will be led by his wife, Mrs. Sina. Our guide will assist in the presentation of his family and also bring you around his vegetable garden before we begin to learn to cook 3 Cambodian dishes with his wife. Enjoy the dinner you prepared, and bid farewell to Mr. Ron and his family. Then, our scooter driver(s) will take you back to your hotel in Siem Reap.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Free at leisure until transfer to airport for departure.