Angkor Explorer: Temples, Kulen Mountain and Village Life in 7 Days

Your driver meets you at Siem Reap airport and takes you to your hotel. The afternoon is free to rest, swim or walk into town at your own pace. In the evening, enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant with a performance of Apsara dance. The graceful hand movements and costumes come straight from the carvings you will see on the temple walls over the coming days, so it is a fitting introduction to the week ahead.Overnight: Siem Reap · Meals: D

Start at Ta Prohm, where giant fig roots and creepers grip the stone and give a sense of nature taking the temple back. Continue to the smaller temples nearby: Banteay Kdei, the royal pool of Srah Srang, Ta Keo, Thommanon and Chau Say Tevoda. After lunch, follow the grand circuit to Preah Khan, Prasat Kravan with its brick reliefs, Neak Pean on its island, Krol Ko, Ta Som and East Mebon. Finish at Pre Rup, a fine spot to watch the sun go down over the forest.Overnight: Siem Reap · Meals: B, L

Drive north to Phnom Kulen, the sacred mountain where King Jayavarman II declared the Khmer empire in 802. Walk along the River of a Thousand Lingas, where Hindu symbols are carved into the riverbed, then climb the steps to Preah Ang Thom and its great reclining Buddha cut from a single boulder. Finish at the Kulen waterfall, a favorite picnic spot for local families. On the way down, stop at Banteay Srei, famous for its delicate pink sandstone carvings, and at Preah Dak village, known for fresh rice noodles and palm sugar.Overnight: Siem Reap · Meals: B, L

Rise early for sunrise at Angkor Wat, then return to the hotel for breakfast. Spend the rest of the day on the heart of Angkor. Enter Angkor Thom through the South Gate with its rows of stone giants, then explore the Bayon and its serene faces, the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas and the Terrace of the Leper King. In the afternoon return to Angkor Wat, the largest and most complete temple of all, to walk its galleries, libraries and courtyards and follow the long carved reliefs.Overnight: Siem Reap · Meals: B, L

Drive through rice fields to Beng Mealea, a 12th-century temple built on a plan close to Angkor Wat but left to the jungle. Trees grow out of its towers and carved blocks lie in heaps, so you climb, duck and step your way through, much as early explorers did. Lunch is a picnic at the site. Continue to Kampong Khleang on the northern edge of Tonle Sap, about 48 km from Siem Reap. A boat takes you past tall stilt houses and fishing boats in a village that sees few visitors.Overnight: Siem Reap · Meals: B, L

This morning visit the Roluos group, about 13 km southeast of town and the oldest temples open to visitors at Angkor, dating from the late 9th century. See the pyramid of Bakong, the brick towers of Preah Ko and Lolei on its old reservoir island. In the afternoon, browse the Old Market under its French colonial arcades. Early in the evening, a tuk tuk takes you through the outskirts of Siem Reap to a local pagoda, where Buddhist monks offer a blessing for happiness and good fortune on your journey.Overnight: Siem Reap · Meals: B, L

Enjoy a slow breakfast and some free time at your hotel, perhaps for a last swim or a little souvenir shopping in town. At the agreed time your driver collects you and takes you to Siem Reap airport for your onward flight. If you have a late departure, ask us about a late check-out or an extra half-day visit before you go.Meals: B