Day 1: Welcome to Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh - Arrive in Phnom Penh, CAMBODIA

Meet & Greet: Welcome to Cambodia! Upon arrival in Phnom Penh, secure your Cambodia visa (please refer to your Special Program Note), and proceed through Immigration and Customs. After collecting your luggage, exit the airport to meet a local Guide from Global Travel & Tours outside. The guide will be holding a sign with your names on it. Please note that local guides are not permitted inside the airport.

Private transfer: From the airport, you will be privately transferred to your charming boutique hotel. This city was once regarded as one of the most beautiful in the Orient, and despite its recent turbulent history, it still retains a colonial charm.

Settle in and enjoy the evening at your leisure.

Mekong River - Later this afternoon, enjoy a one-hour sunset cruise on the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers. The boat will pass by floating villages, offering great views of the city’s rapidly changing skyline.

Day 2: Phnom Penh – Siem Reap (Flight)

Choeung Ek Genocidal Center - Today, meet your personal guide and driver and travel to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek (16 km south of Phnom Penh). Between 1975 and 1978, about 17,000 men, women, children, and infants (including nine Westerners) detained and tortured at S-21 prison were transported to the extermination camp of Choeung Ek. They were often bludgeoned to death to conserve precious bullets. Fragments of human bone and bits of cloth are scattered around the disinterred pits. Over 8,000 skulls, arranged by sex and age, are visible behind the clear glass panels of the Memorial Stupa, which was erected in 1988.

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum - You’ll then continue to visit the notorious Tuol Sleng Museum. In 1975, Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken over by Pol Pot’s security forces and turned into a prison known as Security Prison 21 (S-21). It soon became the largest such center of detention and torture in the country. More than 17,000 people held at S-21 were taken to the extermination camp at Choeung Ek to be executed; detainees who died during torture were buried in mass graves in the prison ground. Room after room, the museum displays photographs of men, women, and children covering the walls from floor to ceiling; virtually all the people pictured were later killed.

Russian Market - Next, continue to visit the Russian Market (Psah Tuol Thom Pong), a lively outdoor market where you will find antiquities, silver and gold jewelry, gems, silk, kramas, stone and wood carvings, as well as T-Shirts, CDs, and other souvenirs.

Royal Palace - After lunch, visit the Royal Palace built in 1866 by King Norodom. See the different structures of this pagoda-style compound and stroll in its beautiful garden. Visit the Silver Pagoda, so named because of its floor that is comprised of 5,000 silver tiles. A gold Buddha encrusted with 9,584 diamonds and a small 17th-century emerald and baccarat crystal Buddha are also housed here.

National Museum - Next, visit the National Museum. Built in 1917, it is an exceptional example of traditional architecture and is exclusively devoted to preserving and displaying Khmer art and sculptures. Hundreds of pieces are housed here, including both pre-and post-Angkorian pieces.

Wat Phnom - Finish your tour at the city’s namesake, Wat Phnom. Founded in 1373, the pagoda was built to house Buddhist relics washed ashore by the river. From here, you will transfer to Phnom Penh airport in time for your flight to Siem Reap.

Siem Reap - Fly from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, departing at 19:05 and arriving at 19:55.

Welcome to Siem Reap. Upon arrival at Siem Reap Airport, after collecting your luggage, exit the airport to meet a local Guide outside. The guide will be holding a sign with your names on it. Please note that local guides are not permitted inside the airport.

From the airport, you will be privately transferred to your lovely boutique hotel. Siem Reap is the base for exploring the fabled temples of Angkor, the ancient capital of the Khmer empire.

Settle in and enjoy the afternoon and evening at your leisure.

Day 3: Siem Reap, The Wonders of Angkor

Angkor Thom South Gate - Spend the early morning visiting the ancient capital of Angkor Thom (12th century). This huge walled complex was the center of the world’s largest city in 1200. Following the occupation of Angkor by the Chams from 1177 to 1181, King Jayavarman VII decided to build an impregnable fortress at the heart of his empire. The scale is simply staggering, and visitors are immediately overwhelmed by the audacity of Jayavarman upon arrival at the city’s gates. The causeway is lined by an intricate bridge depicting the Churning of the Ocean of Milk from Hindu mythology, in which the devas (gods) and asuras (devils) play tug of war with a naga (seven-headed serpent) to obtain the elixir of immortality. Its vast walls, some 6m wide, 8m high, and 13km in length, contain many monuments.

Bayon Temple - Next, visit Bayon temple, surrounded by faces on all sides. Visitors never forget the enigmatic and enchanting temple of the Bayon. At the exact center of Angkor Thom, this is an eccentric expression of the creative genius and inflated ego of Cambodia’s most celebrated king. Its 54 towers are each topped off with the four faces of Avalokiteshvara (Buddha of Compassion), which bear more than a passing resemblance to the king himself. These colossal heads stare down from every side, exuding power and control with a hint of compassion, just the mix required to keep a hold on such a vast empire.

Unlike his predecessors who had worshipped the Hindu deities of Shiva and Vishnu, Jayavarman VII adopted Mahayana Buddhism as the fount of royal divinity. This sets the Bayon apart from many other Angkorian monuments. The bas-reliefs here depict intricate scenes of ancient battles against the Chams and offer a wonderful snapshot of daily life during the Angkor period.

Baphuon Temple - You’ll then continue to visit Baphuon. It is located in Angkor Thom, northwest of the Bayon. Built in the mid-11th century, it is a three-tiered temple mountain built as the state temple of Udayadityavarman II, dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva.

Terrace of the Elephants - Stroll to the Terrace of the Elephants, part of the walled city of Angkor Thom. The terrace was used by Angkor’s king Jayavarman VII as a platform from which to view his victorious returning army. It was attached to the palace of Phimeanakas, of which only a few ruins remain.

Terrace of the Leper King - We also visit the Terrace of the Leper King, located in the northwest corner of the Royal Square of Angkor Thom, Cambodia. It was built in the Bayon style under Jayavarman VII, though its modern name derives from a 15th-century sculpture discovered at the site. The statue depicts the Hindu god Yama, the god of death.

Phimeanakas - Next, visit Phimeanakas or Vimeanakas, a Hindu temple in the Khleang style, built at the end of the 10th century, during the reign of Rajendravarman, and then completed by Suryavarman I in the shape of a three-tier pyramid as a Hindu temple.

Ta Prohm - Next, you’ll continue to Ta Prohm. This temple is perhaps the most atmospheric of all Angkor’s treasures. The temple was a monastery built by Jayavarman VII as a residence for his mother. Ta Prohm has been left to the destructive power of nature by archaeologists to demonstrate the awesome power of nature.

It has been largely consumed by the jungle, and as you climb through the dilapidated stone structures, you see many giant trees growing out of the top of the temple itself. At every turn, you expect to see Indiana Jones or Lara Croft step out from behind a fallen pillar. It is one of the most regularly visited temples, with visitors often arriving during the middle of the day to take advantage of the protective forest canopy above the ruined temple. Ta Prohm looks as many of the monuments did when European explorers first laid eyes on them. This was one of the settings for Lara Croft’s adventures in “Tomb Raider”.

Afterwards, enjoy your lunch at a delicious local restaurant.

Angkor Wat - In the late afternoon and sunset hours, explore Angkor Wat, the largest and most breathtaking monument at Angkor. Built as the funeral temple for King Suryavarman II, who ruled from 1112 to 1152, Angkor Wat never fails to reward the first-time or repeat visitor with its grand scale, surreal bas reliefs, and unbelievable attention to detail. There are several great spots from which to watch the sunset, and your guide will discuss the options with you.

Day 4: Depart Siem Reap

Banteay Srei - This morning, journey north to visit Banteay Srei. This jewel of Angkor was built by a Brahman in the 10th Century and dedicated to Shiva. The famous pink sandstone structure bears a series of exquisite sculptures, lintels, and friezes. These, it is said, must have been carved by women as the detail is too fine for the hands of a man. This gives the origin of the Khmer name, Fortress of the Women. While it may be a small temple complex, the beauty of Banteay Srei is found not in the scale, but the detail. Many believe the intricate carving is the best example of Khmer classical art in existence. Stop at a local village to visit families who are producing palm sugar.

Kampong Phluk Floating Village - Next, you’ll continue for a tour of the surrounding countryside and take an ox-cart ride through the villages and the rice fields. At the end of your ride, have a fresh coconut drink with the family and do not hesitate to talk with the local people to get to know more about their lives. Then drive to the fishing village of Kompong Pluk near Siem Reap and board a private boat. Visit Kompong Pluk village with its houses standing on stilts and board a pirogue to discover the seasonally flooded forest. Enjoy the natural splendor of the country during a cruise across the Tonle Sap Lake to the village of Chhong Kneas. Visit the floating village and discover the centuries-old lifestyle of the inhabitants of the lake.

You will have free time in the afternoon until transfer to the airport in time for your flight to the next destination. We wish you a safe and pleasant journey.

• 02 bottles of mineral water per person while sightseeing and transfers
• Breakfast
• Domestic flight tickets from Phnom Penh – Siem Reap on economy class
• Admission fee to visit the temples in Angkor Archaeological Park (three-day ticket $62.00)
• Sightseeing as specified in the itinerary including entrance fees
• Boat cruise as specified in the program
• Admission fee to visit the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center ($5.00 per person)
• Admission fee to visit the National Museum ($10.00 per person)
• Professional Licensed English Speaking guide
• Admission fee to visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum ($5.00 per person)
• Private transportation by modern air-conditioned vehicle
• Stay 2 nights at the Golden Temple (Premier Pool View Room) or similar
• VAT and all taxes and service charge
• Admission fee to visit the Wat Phnom Temple ($1.00 per person)
• Admission fee to visit the Royal Palace ($10.00 per person)
• Stay 1 night at the iRoHa Garden Hotel (Comfort Room with Balcony)

• Personal, travel and health insurance
• Drinks during meals
• Meals that are not specified

Kickstart your vacation in the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. With its rich history and culture, attractions such as the Royal Palace and National Museum are must-visits. Don’t miss out on Tuol Sleng, an erstwhile high school, turned into an interrogation and torture centre by the Khmer Rouge, providing insights into the devastating regime’s history. Explore the enchanting Angkor Wat next. Your personal guide will take you around the main temples including the haunting faces of Bayon and the overgrown Ta Prohm, and help you unearth some of the less-frequented temples in this extensive compound.

Please note that all our tours are uniquely private, meaning you won’t be grouped with other visitors.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.