Current as of: April 17, 2025 - 23:03

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Angkor Wat Extension (start Siem Reap) Trip Notes

  • Destination: Cambodia
  • Programmes: Trip Extensions
  • Activity Level:

    1 out of 7 - Easy

  • Ages: 16+
  • Trip Code: XOV
  • Carbon Footprint: 109kg CO2e

Trip Overview

Explore Southeast Asia’s great archaeological site Angkor Wat and fascinating Phnom Penh

‘Discovered’ enmeshed in jungle in 1860, Angkor, the ancient capital of the powerful Khmer empire, is one of the finest archaeological sites in the world. Built between the 9th and 13th centuries, the wonderfully preserved sprawling complex of temples and palaces is on a par with any great monument of the world with magnificent towers, sculptures and bas-reliefs. This extension also includes time in Phnom Penh, where you learn about its horrifying recent past and bright future.

At a Glance

  • Accommodation: 4 Classic nights (hotel)
  • From £1379 (per person, shared room, travelling together)
  • Single supplement from £155
  • Compulsory solo traveller supplement from £550

Highlights

  • Discover the magnificent ruins of the Angkor temple complex
  • Visit Angkor Wat, the standout temple, at sunrise
  • Explore the highlights of the fascinating capital city, Phnom Penh

Is This Trip for You?

Start/end points: This extension is possible before or after our Cycling Vietnam trip. If you are doing this extension before Cycling Vietnam commences in Ho Chi Minh City, this extension starts in Siem Reap and ends in Ho Chi Minh City. The flight from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City is included in the extension.

If you are doing this extension after Cycling Vietnam finishes in Hanoi, the extension includes a flight from Hanoi to Siem Reap, where the extension starts and it will end in Phnom Penh.

Itinerary: There have been incidents of very last-minute flight schedule changes between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. Although rare, you should be aware there is a slight possibility of this. We have, however, ensured there is enough free time, so you are guaranteed a full day and a half seeing the Angkor sites, plus a full day in Phnom Penh to explore.

Guides: You are put on a flight in Ho Chi Minh City and met in Siem Reap by your new local guide for Siem Reap. You are guided around the sites in Angkor/Phnom Penh during the day but are left free in the evenings. The two guides are employed (one local guide in Siem Reap, one local guide in Phnom Penh) for these few days as a guide of the local sites and, as such, are not the same as the Exodus tour leader you have on the trip. There is an emergency number provided should you need assistance when he/she is not guiding you at the sites.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.

Adult min age: 16

Min group size: 1

Max group size: 6

Itinerary

Land Only

  • Start City: Siem Reap
  • End City: Ho Chi Minh City

Land Only Itinerary

Day 1
Start Siem Reap

Fly to Siem Reap, where you are met at the airport and transferred to the hotel (arrival transfer to hotel included). Depending on the flight schedule, there may be time for an afternoon visit to the Angkor temples with your local English-speaking guide or, season depending, a visit to the Tonlé Sap Lake (extra fee for the boat and entrance fee).

If booking this extension after the Cycling Vietnam tour, you will fly from Hanoi to Siem Reap (included flight).

Accommodation: Angkor Holiday Hotel (or similar)
Day 2
Explore the magnificent temples of Angkor

Spend most of the day exploring the incredible Angkor temple complex, one of Southeast Asia’s greatest archaeological sites. Visit the many temples inside the royal city of Angkor Thom, including the magnificent Bayon, and other less-visited outlying temples.

Particularly impressive are Banteay Kdei and Ta Prohm, the latter still wrapped in jungle roots, just as it was when it was rediscovered almost 140 years ago.

For lunch, you can eat in the Angkor temple area, before the tour ends around 3.30pm to 4pm. The rest of the afternoon is free for you to return to the hotel and relax, enjoy the pool, or you can explore the city and market.

Alternatively, have lunch in town, then return to the Angkor zone to continue the temples tour, which then ends around 5pm to 5.30pm. Your tour leader will discuss the best option for the day.

Accommodation: Angkor Holiday Hotel (or similar)

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 3
See Angkor Wat at sunrise • Return to Angkor • Fly to Phnom Penh

Visit Angkor Wat, the standout temple in Angkor, for sunrise, witnessing the magnificent structure as the day breaks.

Return to the hotel for breakfast, before heading back into the Angkor temple complex for one last exploration.

After, you fly to Phnom Penh, ready for your exploration tomorrow.

Accommodation: Ohana Hotel (or similar)

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 4
Explore the history and architecture of Phnom Penh • Visit the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek

Immerse yourself in Phnom Penh today on a full-day tour. This includes the beautiful Royal Palace and the Tuol Sleng Museum (Museum of Genocide), which graphically displays the horrors of the four years when Pol Pot systematically ordered the murder of between 2m and 3m Cambodians. Tuol Sleng was originally a school but was used as a torture and interrogation centre between 1975 and 1979. It is a sobering, depressing and enlightening place to visit.

After, we travel out to the ‘Killing Fields’ of Choeung Ek, a mass gravesite discovered after the fall of the Khmer Rouge. Many of the dead were former inmates of the Tuol Sleng prison.

Phnom Penh is a city in transition; despite its horrific recent history, it has started to find its feet. Some of its former French colonial buildings have been restored and there is a small but lively restaurant and bar scene developing along the riverfront.

The Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda date back to the 19th century and were built in classic Khmer style under the French protectorate. Here, you discover a priceless collection of historical objects giving you an insight into the past achievements of the Khmer Empire.

Accommodation: Ohana Hotel (or similar)

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 5
Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City

Fly from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City (transfer to Phnom Penh Airport and international flight included). You join the Cycling Vietnam group at the hotel this evening on Day 1 of the main tour.

If booking this extension after Cycling Vietnam, you are transferred (included) to Phnom Penh Airport where your extension ends.

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation

Hotels

You will spend four nights in comfortable hotels with en suite facilities. 

Food & Drink

Food is cheap in Cambodia and you can generally avoid the spicier food if you wish. Cambodia’s food is all about the contrasts: sweet and bitter, salty and sour, fresh and cooked. It shares many dishes with its neighbors, and you’ll find noodle soup similar to Vietnamese pho, Thailand’s refreshing salads and sour soups, Indian-inspired curries, and noodles and stir fries handed down from years of Chinese migration. From Cambodia’s days as a French Indochina colony, there’s a national love of coffee, pate, and good bread. Baguettes are served with soup, made into sandwiches, and sold by men riding bicycles carrying baskets of long loaves. Western food is also available in most of the places visited.

Weather & Seasonality

The weather will be hot and humid throughout with temperatures during the day usually between 28C (82F) and 34C (93F). It is only a little cooler at nights. The dry season is late October to May and the monsoon is normally between May and October; though there is an obvious transitional time between those settled periods. The dry season is as it sounds, with hot days and generally clear skies, though you can expect the odd shower.

Joining Instructions

Free transfers are provided, please let your sales consultant know your arrival time upon booking. 

Full joining instructions including local emergency numbers will be sent to you as part of our Final Joining Instructions. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier please contact our office or your travel agent.

Location start: Siem Reap
Location end: Ho Chi Minh City

Transfer Details

Transfers to Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh International airports are included.

What To Take

Practical Information

Visa

Cambodia

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally need a visa to enter Cambodia. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

Important advice regarding e-Visas:

Please note, e-Visas are not accepted at all border checkpoints when travelling overland into Cambodia.

This applies to the following borders/trips:

  • Tinh Bien,Vietnam/Phnom Den, Takeo, Cambodia border: Thai Indochina Explorer (Trip Code: AOX) and Southeast Asia Express (AOK)
  • Xa Xia, Vietnam/Prek Chak, Cambodia (Ha Tien crossing): South East Asia Adventure (Trip Code: FIJ)

You can only purchase a tourist visa on arrival at these borders as e-Visas will not be accepted.

More information can be found at:

Visa on arrival:

For obtaining a visa on arrival, you will need $30 USD in cash and 2 passport photos. You will be required to fill in a small application on arrival with your personal details including the address of the first hotel you stay at in Cambodia.

Applying for your Cambodia tourist e-Visa:

If you choose to apply for a Cambodia tourist e-Visa before arrival, will need to add in the following information to your application:

Address During Visit (Address in Cambodia):

Angkor Holiday Hotel

Address: Sivatha Rd, Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia

Phone: (+855) 63 966 777

Intended date you enter Cambodia:  The XOV: Angkor Wat Extension (start Siem Reap) commences in Siem Reap, Cambodia on day 1 of your extension itinerary.

Please ensure you allow for any pre tour accommodation you may have booked if you are intending to arrive into Cambodia before your Angkor Wat Extension trip commences.

Supporting documents: You can submit your Exodus trip invoice and/or booking confirmation with your application.

 

Important Information- Cambodia e-Arrival Card (CeA)

Applicable for all clients travelling on Exodus trips AOA/AOH/AOL & Angkor Wat Extensions.

As of 1 July 2024, all travellers arriving in Cambodia (via air only) are required to submit a Cambodia e-Arrival Card within 7 days before their arrival. The Cambodia e-Arrival Card (CeA) is free and is replacing the requirement to complete paper forms when arriving at Cambodia Airports. The e-Arrival card is separate from visa/e-visa requirements.

How to fill out the e-Arrival card online:

  1. Visit the official website https://arrival.gov.kh/
  2. Fill out the form online or download the app, available or iOS and Android devices.
  3. Once the form is completed, you will receive a confirmation email with QR code.
  4. Take a screenshot, download or print the QR code.
  5. Present the QR code to the immigration upon arrival.

Vaccinations and Health

Cambodia

There are no required vaccinations. However, recommended vaccinations include hepatitis A, tetanus, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, rabies and tuberculosis. You will also need a yellow fever vaccination certificate if you’re arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission or transiting for more than 12 hours through a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. Please confirm your vaccine recommendations and requirements with your doctor or travel clinic.

Dengue fever, a tropical viral disease spread by daytime biting mosquitoes, is a known risk in places visited. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, so take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

Local Time

Cambodia's time zone: Asia/Phnom_Penh (UTC +07:00)

Electricity

Cambodia's electricity: Plug types A (two flat pins), C (two round pins) and G (three rectangular pins) – 230V, 50Hz

Angkor Wat Extension (start Siem Reap)

Money

Cambodia's currency: Cambodian riel (KHR); however, US dollars are widely accepted

Extra Expenses & Spending Money

Lunches and dinners are not included. Allow about 260,000-520,000 riel (US$65-US$130) to cover all meals in Cambodia.

Sustainability and Impact

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony though practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.

Important Information

Your safe participation 

When booking this trip, you should be confident in your ability to participate in all activities described in these Trip Notes. If you have any doubt about your suitability, please call us and ask to speak to one of the experts on this itinerary. 

Although our leaders are well trained to deal with different capabilities, if they have any concerns about someone’s ability to safely take part in an activity, or their impact on other people’s enjoyment, we authorise them to take necessary action which, in some circumstances, may involve asking someone to miss that activity. 

By booking this trip you agree to our Booking Conditions which clearly state that our leaders have the authority to do this. In these rare instances we will ensure anyone sitting out is safely provided for and offered alternative options where possible. Refunds will not be provided for activities missed and customers may be liable for additional costs incurred. 

Seatbelts

All vehicles used by us should be equipped with working seatbelts, except where approved by us based on the vehicle type or journey. Wherever seatbelts are available, we require our customers to use them for their own safety, even where it may not be a legal requirement.

How To Book

  1. Check availability: Go online to check availability, or contact us by phone or email.
  2. Secure your place: You can provisionally hold a place on this trip, usually for between three and seven days.
  3. Complete your booking and payment

When you’re ready to book, go to our website for online bookings, book over the phone or you can complete a booking form (available online or on request by calling us). We accept all major credit and debit cards, or you can pay be cheque.

After booking

You will receive your booking confirmation letter and invoice, which includes extra information and guidance about your travel arrangements.

Full joining instructions, including local emergency numbers and details of how to reach the start point, will be sent to you approximately two to three weeks prior to departure. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier, please contact our office or your travel agent.

Trip Note validity

These Trip Notes are valid from the “Current as” date on page one. They will occasionally be updated after booking and before departure; if there are any updates that significantly impact the inclusions or itinerary, customers will be written to separately. They will also receive a link to the most up-to-date Trip Notes with their Final Joining Instructions before travelling.

The information in these Trip Notes is given in good faith. Where differences exist between the Trip Notes and our current brochure or website, the Trip Notes supersede the brochure and website. All holidays can be subject to unexpected changes; to enjoy them you should be prepared to be flexible where necessary. Occasionally, it may not be possible to follow the itinerary as planned. This may be for a variety of reasons – climatic, political, physical or other. In these circumstances we will make the best-possible alternative arrangements that maintain the integrity of the original itinerary.

Licensing

Exodus is fully licensed and bonded as a tour operator. We hold Air Traffic Organisers Licence (ATOL) number 2582, issued and bonded with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). We are also bonded to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and we are members of the Federation of Tour Operators (FTO) and ABTA – The Travel Association. This means you can book your Exodus holiday with confidence, as all money paid to us for your trip is fully protected.