Welcome by your driver upon your arrival at the airport. Transfer and installation at your hotel. Rest of the day free.
Rooms available from 2 p.m. If you arrive a little early and your room isn't ready yet, you can drop off your bags at reception before going for a walk in town or relaxing by the pool.
Day without guide
Discover the famous Wat Phnom which gave its name to the capital. The "hill pagoda" is the highest point of Phnom Penh.
Let's then visit the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda, true jewels of Khmer architecture built in the mid-19th century.
The dress code at the Royal Palace is quite strict: shoulders and knees must be covered. Wearing a mask is compulsory.
Let's continue with the National Museum and discover one of the most important collections of Khmer art: 14,000 sculptures and ethnographic objects, most of which come from the temples of Angkor
Visit of the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21), the largest detention and torture center under the Pol Pot regime and the Khmer Rouge which will reveal a very painful chapter to you of the history of Cambodia.
English-speaking guide included on this day
Transfer by road to Kampong Thom halfway between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.
At the intersection of the national roads N6 and N7, brace yourselves to fully enjoy a "culinary" pit stop in the small town of Skun, renowned for its grilled spiders and insects.
On the edge of Kampong Thom, let's discover the formidable pre-Angkorian temples of Sambor Prei Kuk. This archaeological site has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since July 2017 and owes it to its status as an ancient capital before the advent of the Khmer empire which settled in Angkor a few centuries later. , at the crossroads of Buddhist, Hindu, even Persian and Greek cultures from the 7th century AD, as we will be able to discover.
We then go to visit the mountain of Phnom Santuk, the sacred mountain brings together pagodas and large reclining Buddhas; the oldest were sculpted in rock over time and other more recent ones are simply made of cement. You have to climb more than 800 steps in the middle of the forest to reach the top of this popular pilgrimage site in the region. We will probably be accompanied by bands of monkeys. From up there, you can enjoy the view of the vast plains and surrounding countryside.
Check-in at the hotel at the end of the afternoon and free time to rest.
English-speaking guide included on this day
In the morning, transfer by road to Siem Reap, the city-province which hosts, among other things, the magnificent temples of Angkor. A must-see destination par excellence, the city also borders the no less famous Tonlé Sap lake and its floating villages.
A short distance from Siem Reap, we make a detour towards the village of Kampong Pluk located on the lake Tonlé Sap. We board a private boat to discover and visit the floating village. During the excursion, if we wish, small canoes will take us through the middle of the mangrove forest.
Check-in at the hotel in the afternoon and free time to rest.
English-speaking guide included on this day
Day visit in a tuktuk of the marvelous temples of Angkor located around and inside the Angkor Thom .
You will notably discover Angkor Wat, symbol of the apogee of the Khmer Empire under the Angkorian era. Inside Angkor Thom, discover Bayon and its many towers with gigantic faces, Baphuon and its gigantic 40m reclining Buddha statue, Phimeanakas, the Terrasse des Elephants and its wide variety of sculptures, but also the Terrasse du Roi Leper.
Continue by Ta Prohm famous for its huge trees with sprawling aerial roots and conclude with a sunset from the heights of Phnom Bakheng.
Possibility of making the visits in the opposite direction to avoid the crowds. Just let your guide know at the start of the day.
Temples are sacred places, avoid short clothes, cover your shoulders and wear pants or a long skirt.
In order to preserve these fragile monuments, it is forbidden to touch the sculptures or to sit on elements of the temple.
In Cambodian culture, it is offensive to heckle inside a sacred place, calm and respect are key words.
It is not recommended to buy items or sweets from child sellers, this only encourages begging and the practice of skipping school, prefer a donation to an association if it is important to you.
If you wish to photograph the monks (called Bonzes), you must obtain their permission beforehand. In addition, you must not touch them, they have the right to touch you but not the opposite.
English-speaking guide included on this day
Near Kbal Spean, continue with a visit to the Angkor Center for the Protection of Biodiversity. You will be able to see the efforts made by local and international teams to protect local endangered species: snakes, turtles and other reptiles, birds and exotic mammals. Children and animal lovers will be delighted by this visit of discovery and awareness.
We then begin the short hike necessary to reach the site of Kbal Spean nicknamed "the underwater temple". Ruins of temples dating from the 9th century border a river whose bed is strewn with carved lingas. A small waterfall near the protected sacred site will allow us to cool off or even swim there (bring a small towel).
Randonnée très accessible d'environ 1,5 km (ou 3 km aller-retour) avec un petit dénivelé positif sur les 700 derniers mètres. Prévoir des chaussures de marche/baskets car le sentier est assez rocailleux.
Après le déjeuner, poursuivons par la visite de Banteay Srey, temple à taille humaine comparé aux gigantesques Angkor Wat ou Bayon. Ce temple en grès rose surnommé « La Citadelle des femmes » est connu pour le raffinement des bas-reliefs et sculptures qui ornent ses murs et colonnes. S'il nous reste des forces, nous pouvons conclure la journée par la visite du temple Banteay Samre ou rentrer à l'hôtel directement.
Possibilité de remplacer cette journée par le Grand Circuit d'Angkor avec les temples Preah Khan, Neak Pean, le Mébon oriental, etc.
English-speaking guide included on this day
By visiting Satcha we will immerse ourselves in the world of traditional Khmer crafts. This Cambodian craft center is an incubator for local artisans, combining traditional know-how and contemporary design to showcase Cambodian talents to local and international visitors and transmit this know-how over time while having a lasting social, economic and environmental impact. As we pass from one workshop to another, we will be able to admire the know-how in sculpture on stone or wood, lacquer, or even silk work.
We then visit the organization APOPO and its famous demining rats whose powerful sense of smell makes it possible to detect antipersonnel mines with more efficiency and less risk than a metal detector. We will learn more about the mission of this association and the development of their activity for medical purposes.
In the afternoon, we return to the archaeological site of Angkor, more precisely to the site of Roluos, a small Khmer city sheltering the beginnings of the Angkorian era. Seat of the first capital of the Hariharalaya empire, Roluos marks the beginning of classical Khmer civilization. The buildings are mainly constructed of brick, laterite, or sandstone. Bakong, Lolei, and Preah Ko are the three main temples of the place. All dedicated to the cult of Hinduism, the last two however today protect Buddhist pagodas.
We reserve the visit to the Bakong temple for the end because we can take advantage of the viewpoint to admire the sunset from the heights of this temple-mountain.
English-speaking guide included on this day
Free program before your transfer to Siem Reap International Airport (included; we will organize the transfer according to your flight schedule).
You will need to vacate your room by noon. If your flight is in the afternoon/evening, you can leave your suitcases at the hotel reception for a last walk around town.