Explore authentic Cambodia in a 7-day classic tour

This morning, gain insight into Cambodia’s recent dark history on a visit to the remarkable Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, housed in the former school that was taken over by the Khmer Rouge and used as its main detention and torture center, named “S-21.” Also, visit the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. A moving but important visit that will allow you to dig below the surface and understand Cambodia better. After learning about some of Cambodia’s tragic past, it is time to put a smile back on your face and experience modern Khmer life.

Return to central Phnom Penh for lunch at Le Lotus Blanc, a training restaurant for the humanitarian organization Pour un Sourire d’Enfant (for the smile of a child) that provides education and job training to street children that used to be scavenging the municipal dump, and gives them skills and hope for a brighter future. Your visit helps support the training of these kids by being their guests. (Note: Lotus Blanc closes on Sunday.)

In the afternoon, head to Wat Phnom temple, the founding place of the city on a small hilltop. Then continue along the riverfront to the Royal Palace. This palace dates back to 1866 and houses the Silver Pagoda, named for the over 5000 heavy silver tiles that cover its floors. Its original name is Wat Prakeo, meaning the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. In this temple, you will see a collection of Buddhas in gold, silver, crystal, and bronze.

Your next stop is the National Museum, built in the traditional Khmer style. It houses the world’s foremost collection of ancient Khmer artistic, archaeological, and religious artifacts from the 4th to the 13th centuries. Over 5,000 pieces are on display, constituting the repository of the Kingdom’s cultural wealth. In addition, the roof space is home to a large bat colony!

In the late afternoon, enjoy an atmospheric sunset river cruise and watch how Phnom Penh’s popular riverfront comes to life in the early evening, with a coconut juice degustation on board.

Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Phnom Penh National Museum

The collected images of Cambodia’s history are vibrant in your mind and will soon come to life. Your private transfer meets you at your hotel and escorts you back to the airport. Today, you will take a 45-minute flight to Siem Reap, the city known as the “Gateway to Angkor”. On arrival, you will be met by a new private guide and driver and transferred directly to your hotel downtown.

Head out to visit the excellent Angkor National Museum. The visit serves as an excellent primer on the gems of Angkor before visiting the temples. The museum provides a potentially large collection of relics, texts, and audiovisual presentations relating to the Angkorian era. If you know even a little bit about the history and meaning of the architecture, your visit to the temples will be much richer and more interesting.

Enjoy an evening of culture at the Phare Cambodian Circus Show. Set up by refugees from the Khmer Rouge era, Phare promotes performing arts as a way to cope with trauma. Over the years, they have not only helped hundreds of Cambodians but also helped to promote traditional Khmer culture. Then sit down for dinner, a feast of traditional Cambodian dishes.

Afterward, the lights will dim and the performers will take to the stage. The hour-long show tells stories of modern life in Cambodia through a rich spectacle of song, dance, and acrobatics. The performers combine traditional Khmer theatre with modern influences, resulting in an entertaining and enthralling show. Following the show, there is an opportunity to take photos with the cast, a spectacular memory of the evening’s performance.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Siem Reap Phare Cambodian Circus Show

Watch the sunrise over the massive Angkor temple complex with a guided tour. Return to the hotel for a full-energy breakfast, and be ready for another full-day tour to immerse yourself in Khmer culture.

This morning, you will visit the ancient capital city of Angkor Thom. First on the agenda is Ta Prohm, a ruined and mysterious temple with its own story about giant tree roots and strange shapes. This mystery attracts both domestic tourists and overseas explorers to set foot in Cambodia. Continue to Banteay Kdei (the citadel of Chambers), the Victory Gate, the Terrace of the Leper King, the Royal Palace, Baphuon, and Bayon.

Bayon Temple is considered the heart of the Angkor Thom Complex. It is a massive temple, built in the 12th century, and played an important role in the Khmer’s spiritual life. One of the most curious things about Bayon Temple is the almost 200 smiling faces carved into the walls. Some of the carving details on the temple have been damaged by time and climate. However, the soul of this ancient Khmer architecture remains.

The afternoon tour gives you time to explore Angkor Wat, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The temple architecture is modeled after the great Meru Mountain in India. The highest central tower is 65m, representing the legendary Mount Meru, and its five towers correspond to the peaks of Meru. The entire structure has been built from sandstone and honeycomb. The magic is that the giant blocks of stone are stacked on top of each other without any binders or reinforced concrete.

After touring, you get dropped off at your hotel.

Stay overnight in Siem Reap.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Siem Reap Victory Gate

Picked up from your hotel, sit back and relax on the way to Kulen Mountain, one of Cambodia’s most sacred mountains, with deeply revered ancient sites and ruins on its high plateau. Take in the scenic countryside as you pass by rice paddies, local markets, schools, villages, and Buddhist temples. Stop at Palm Sugar village, where they make palm sugar out of palm juice.

Continue to the National Park, where you can get out to stretch your legs and snap pictures of the view. Explore the vast plateau of Phnom Kulen by walking through jungle trails and through vine-covered trees until you reach Kbal Spean. Admire an array of unique carvings in the riverbed. Visit a large stone Buddha carved into the top of a rock and set in a bustling temple complex in Preah Ang Thom. Have a delicious lunch in a local restaurant. Before you go back to your Siem Reap accommodation, take a fresh swim at Kulen Waterfall.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Siem Reap Kulen mountain

Enjoying a delicious breakfast with a cup of coffee is the best way to start a new day. This morning, you will have the opportunity to leave the center of Siem Reap and go to the countryside to discover the beauty of a less-known floating village on Tonle Lake. Kampong Khleang floating village is 55km from Siem Reap. With 10,000 people, this is currently the largest floating village in the area. After the main highway, you turn onto the winding dirt road. Stop for the hot sticky rice, and observe the local farmers working on their rice paddies.

Upon arrival, you use a motor boat to explore Kampong Khleang, along with two other floating villages and the great lake. Life on the lake is not pleasant and is always affected by harsh weather conditions. In the rainy season, the lake surface area usually expands six times while the depth increases nine times. That is why most houses have high floors and float on the lake in the rainy season. In the dry season, towering stilts are revealed, like wooden skyscrapers.

During the boat ride, you will make stops to see where Bridge of Life works, visit a stilted home, and see a Cambodian pagoda to learn more about local life. Your tour guide is happy to show you a small floating village known as the natural flood barrier in the area. You ride back to the harbor, see your driver, and return to downtown.

Suggested Activity: Attend the Phare – the Cambodian Circus, an amazing blend of traditional and modern theater, music, dance, acrobatics, juggling, and contortion beautifully choreographed and performed in a story about Cambodian lives and society.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Meals: Breakfast.

Siem Reap Kampong Khleang

After breakfast, your private transfer meets you at your hotel and escorts you to the airport. You board the plane filled with mixed emotions. You’re ready to journey home, but you know that you will miss Cambodia. Luckily, the memories will last a lifetime.

Meals: Breakfast.

Siem Reap Angkor national museum