Angkor Wat is a renowned temple complex located in Siem Reap, Cambodia. It is one of the most significant archaeological sites in Southeast Asia and is considered the largest religious monument in the world. Angkor Wat was built in the early 12th century by King Suryavarman II, who ruled the Khmer Empire from 1113 to 1150 AD. The temple was originally constructed as a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Vishnu but later transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the 12th century.
There are two ways to experience this historical area. The first is to go around the inner circle and the outer circuit by yourself. The second is to take a guided tour. This is what to expect if you choose to take a guided tour of the inner circuit!
Guided Tour of Angkor Wat
When choosing a tour, there are a few things to consider. The first is do you want it to be the inner circuit and outer circuit? Or just one or the other? We recommend allowing a full day for each circuit to truly experience all there is to see. The second consideration is private vs group tours. We enjoy doing group tours because it gives us the opportunity to interact with other like minded travelers and make new friends from all over the world!
A key part of the tour, no matter your choice, is getting your ticket for Angkor Wat ahead of time. Generally this is not included in the cost of the tour. There are three ticket options: 1 day for $37, 3 days for $62, and 7 days for $72. They have an expiry date of 10 days after purchase. So you don’t have to use it all 3 days or 7 days in a row. On the site is also the option to buy the Koh Ker temple pass. If you plan to visit the outer circuit, go ahead and buy this pass as well. We recommend the 3 day pass for Angkor Wat and the Koh Ker temple pass to see everything the area offers.
What’s Included
A guided tour is awesome because it comes with things that you cannot get when traveling on your own. Here’s a list of why it’s awesome!
- Free bottled water all day (we went through 7 bottles each! It’s very hot there)
- Historical Information and ability to ask a million questions
- Ensuring you don’t get lost or waste time trying to find parking and getting to the right spots
- Awesome local lunch
- Off the beaten path experiences
- Photographer, our guide took our photos expertly at every location for the whole group. Efficient and the photos turned out great!
- Transportation to and from your accommodation
Day Tour of Angkor Wat
We were picked up from our hotel around 8:30. After being brought to the entrance for the famous reflection photo, we entered the first temples. The guide provided us with tons of history and explained the different temples as we explored them. He talked about the excavation process and the areas where they were working to reconstruct the buildings. He explained they couldn’t remove many of the massive overgrown trees because they were holding the temples together. By removing them it would actually tear down more of the temple.
Lunch and Snacks
Mid morning we were provided a break when taken to a small local market. This was fun because there were no other tourists. They showed off how to make the local coconut cakes and sugar cane balls. It was a delicious snack and included in the price of our ticket. For lunch we were taken to a local restaurant. Lunch and water was included. Each person had the opportunity to order one main course. Anything extra you paid for yourself. The food was filling and delicious! Expect a lot of the food to be on the spicy side.
Exploration
The temples themselves have amazing architecture. It is stunning to imagine the amount of time and detail that went into these temples. Many of them have innate carvings throughout that give different stories of their history. The jungle aspect of the bright green against the rock is beautiful.
After exploring the main temple that is what many people refer to as Angkor Wat, we were taken to another area for sunset. After a 15-20 minute walk up a steep hill, we arrived at a different temple. This area was full of many other tourist groups. Everyone watched the sun set together with big Angkor Wat temple in the background. Then it was back to the vans and back to the hotel.
General Recommendations
Plan ahead for this tour because it is a full day of being in the heat. Wear solid shoes as there is a lot of walking. Many of the stairs are not very intact so be prepared for any condition. Wear appropriate clothing to explore the temples. Though they are not actively in use, it is still recommended to be respectful of the historical use of the area. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. It is extremely interesting hearing the history. Wear sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses to protect yourself from the sun. There is minimal shade throughout the walking.
We encourage you to get the 3 day pass and then spend another day or two exploring the outer circuit. Have your tickets downloaded and easily accessible or printed. You will have to show them multiple times throughout the tour. Buying your tickets ahead of time will also save you a lot of time.
There are sometimes monkeys throughout the complex. Always be respectful by keeping your distance and do not feed them.
We hope you found this information helpful and would love to hear about our trip! Check out our other posts for more information about Cambodia!
Want to take a tour like ours? Check out these links below!
