Angkor Wat Small Tour Guide Review: Morning Itinerary
Discover the ancient wonders of Siem Reap with our detailed review of the Angkor Wat Small Tour morning itinerary, featuring expert guide tips and temple highlights.
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Discover the ancient wonders of Siem Reap with our detailed review of the Angkor Wat Small Tour morning itinerary, featuring expert guide tips and temple highlights.
Your Perfect Day Two Cambodia Itinerary
Angkor Wat Small Tour with Local Licensed Guide Nimol
Written by Global Explorer
Hello, fellow travelers! Welcome back to Global Explorer.
If you are planning an independent adventure to Cambodia, this guide is for you.
After dedicating our first day in Siem Reap to settling into our resort and recovering from the flight, we kicked off our second day with the iconic Angkor Wat temple tour.
We decided to start with the famous "Small Tour." Here is my honest review of our morning experience exploring these ancient wonders with our incredible local guide, Nimol.
How to Hire a Licensed Angkor Wat Guide
To protect their heritage, Cambodia strictly regulates temple guiding. Only licensed Cambodian locals are permitted to guide inside the Angkor Archaeological Park, so it is highly recommended to book your guide in advance.
After researching highly-rated guides on travel blogs and forums, we reached out to a few popular local guides directly via messaging apps to check their availability.
Since we booked a bit last-minute, some of the most famous guides were already fully booked. However, we were lucky enough to connect with Nimol, who came highly recommended for his deep historical knowledge and excellent communication skills.
Angkor tours are generally divided into the "Grand Circuit" (Big Tour) and the "Mini Circuit" (Small Tour). Because the transport is booked as a private vehicle, the cost is per vehicle. To make the trip more affordable and meet fellow travelers, we teamed up with two other travelers to share a comfortable 4-passenger van.
(Traveling in a group of 4 is the sweet spot for comfort and budget-friendly ride-sharing!)
You can easily reach out to Nimol via KakaoTalk (ID: nimol2022) to inquire about bookings.
Angkor Wat Tour Pricing & Details
We booked both the Small Tour and the Big Tour. For our Small Tour + Phnom Bakheng Sunset itinerary, the rates were as follows:
Guide Fee: $50 | Private Van: $40
(Pricing is standard across most reputable local guides in the area.)
Since we split the tour among 4 people, it cost us just $22.50 per person!
Nimol took care of everything from helping us buy our park passes to providing chilled bottled water throughout the day, leaving us free to simply enjoy the experience.
Nimol was incredibly kind, professional, and passionate about Khmer history. If you really want to understand the stories behind the stone carvings, he is the guide to choose! Bonus: he knows all the absolute best photo spots and will happily act as your personal photographer.
The Small Tour: Morning Itinerary
Don't let the name "Small Tour" fool you. It covers a dense concentration of highly detailed, major temples, making it physically more demanding than the Big Tour.
Many travelers prefer to do the Big Tour first to ease into the experience, but due to a scheduled event closing off access to parts of Angkor Wat the following day, we decided to tackle the Small Tour on day one.
Our morning itinerary consisted of:
Angkor Thom (South Gate, Bayon, Baphuon, and the Terrace of the Elephants)
Here is how our morning unfolded:
Our tour started bright and early at 8:00 AM. Our driver picked us up in a spacious, air-conditioned van, and our first stop was the official Angkor Ticket Center.
Angkor Pass Ticket Prices:
1-Day Pass: $37 | 3-Day Pass: $62 | 7-Day Pass: $72
Most travelers opting for a relaxed pace choose the 3-day pass.
You can also purchase your tickets online in advance to skip the morning lines. The price is exactly the same!
>> Official Ticket Portal <<
If you buy in person, they will take your photo on the spot and print it directly onto your physical ticket. It makes for a hilarious, candid souvenir!
Keep in mind that dress codes are strictly enforced at the temples. Both shoulders and knees must be covered, so choose lightweight, breathable clothing that keeps you covered.
Our first stop was the South Gate of Angkor Thom, where Nimol gave us a fascinating overview of Cambodian history, religion, and the Khmer Empire.
Angkor Thom translates to "Great City." Rather than just a single temple, it is a massive fortified city complex containing several major ruins.
The city is surrounded by a wide moat. Nimol explained that the water in the moat is crucial for structural preservation; it keeps the sandy foundation packed tightly so the heavy stone temples do not collapse.
Walking across the bridge to the South Gate, you'll see lines of stone devas and asuras holding a giant serpent. You can see where some heads have been replaced with lighter-colored replicas during restoration efforts over the years.
Next, a short van ride brought us to the spectacular Bayon Temple, a striking Buddhist temple located at the exact center of Angkor Thom.
Bayon is famous for its towers adorned with serene, smiling stone faces. Seeing these massive, ancient carvings up close is an unforgettable experience.
Nimol knew exactly how to capture the perfect perspective shots, helping us take incredible photos with the stone faces.
The outer gallery walls of Bayon are covered in incredibly detailed bas-reliefs. These carvings depict epic battle scenes, historical events, and everyday life in the Khmer Empire, offering invaluable insights for historians.
If you look closely, you can spot elephants, monkeys, and the faces of enemy Cham soldiers. Having Nimol explain the stories behind the carvings made the history come alive.
Next, we headed to Baphuon Temple.
To reach Baphuon, you walk down a stunning, elevated sandstone causeway. At this stop, Nimol gave us some free time to climb up and explore the temple independently.
Along the way, we ran into several families of wild monkeys playing on the ruins. They are incredibly cute but keep a respectful distance and watch your belongings!
Baphuon Temple features incredibly steep wooden stairs built over the original stone steps. With an incline of nearly 72 degrees, climbing down can be a bit nerve-wracking, but the climb is absolutely worth it.
The view from the upper terrace overlooking the surrounding jungle is spectacular. Because there is a lot of walking and climbing involved, wearing comfortable sneakers with good grip is absolutely essential!
To wrap up our morning, we walked down from Baphuon to the nearby Terrace of the Elephants.
By this point, the intense Cambodian heat was starting to set in, but we pushed through to finish our morning itinerary strong.
On our way, we caught a quick glimpse of Phimeanakas, a tiered sandstone pyramid temple tucked away in the forest.
The Terrace of the Elephants is named after the stunning, life-sized elephant reliefs carved along its walls. This platform was historically used by King Jayavarman VII to welcome back victorious armies and view public ceremonies.
The terrace also features detailed carvings of mythical birds (Garudas) and lions. Nimol explained how to identify which Hindu deity a temple honors based on the carved animals associated with Shiva, Vishnu, or Brahma.
The elephant-headed pillars supporting the structure are completely unique. It is fascinating to see architectural styles so different from anything back home.
We were proud to learn that international archeological teams, including those from Korea and Western nations, are actively collaborating with local authorities on the ongoing restoration work here.
After a packed morning, we took a well-deserved break for local Khmer food, fresh coconuts, and cold iced coffee to recharge our batteries.
With temperatures climbing past 90°F, we were completely drenched in sweat, but our spirits were high. The afternoon portion of our tour was still to come!
If you are heading to Siem Reap soon, stay hydrated, wear sunscreen, and prepare for an incredible adventure!
Check out our other Siem Reap travel guides below!
Siem Reap Hotel Recommendation: Eightfold Urban Resort Review & Pool Experience
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The guide fee is $50 and the vehicle fee is $40, making a total of $90. The price is set per van, so if 4 people share it, the cost is a more affordable $22.5 per person.
The ticket prices are $37 for a 1-day pass, $62 for a 3-day pass, and $72 for a 7-day pass. When purchasing on-site, a unique feature is that they take your photo right there and print it directly on your ticket.
The morning schedule begins at the South Gate of Angkor Thom, where you will listen to explanations about its history and religion. Afterward, you will visit Bayon Temple and Baphuon Temple, finishing the morning tour at the Terrace of the Elephants.
Baphuon Temple has incredibly steep and dizzying stairs with a 72-degree incline. Since the itinerary involves a lot of walking and climbing up and down the temples, you must wear comfortable sneakers.
Experience the magic of Cambodia with an Angkor Wat afternoon tour. Climb the steep celestial stairs, catch the Phnom Bakheng sunset, and enjoy local bites.
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