Understanding Angkor as a living royal city, not just a set of temples
Angkor Thom is the walled royal city built by King Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century, the last and largest capital of the Khmer Empire. It covers 9 square kilometres inside 8 metre walls and a moat, entered through five face-tower gates, and contains the Bayon, the Baphuon, Phimeanakas and the royal terraces. The South Gate, with its causeway of 54 gods and 54 demons holding a serpent, is the famous way in, and entry is covered by the Angkor Pass.
September 2026
Photo: Dennis G. Jarvis, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Swipe to see more photos
Angkor Thom, the “great city”, was the last and grandest capital of the Khmer Empire, a walled and moated royal city of nine square kilometres built by King Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century. You enter it through the South Gate, crossing a causeway lined with stone gods and demons beneath a tower of giant faces, and inside lie the Bayon, the Baphuon and the royal terraces.
Many visitors confuse Angkor Thom with Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is a single temple. Angkor Thom is a whole city, a little over a kilometre and a half to the north, where the king, his court and thousands of officials once lived. The wooden palaces and houses have long gone, but the stone temples and terraces that stood among them remain.
Five great gates pierce the walls of Angkor Thom: one at each point of the compass and a fifth, the Victory Gate, on the east side leading straight to the royal palace. The South Gate is the best preserved and the one almost everyone uses, because it is on the road from Angkor Wat and Siem Reap.
The causeway across the moat is lined on each side with 54 giant figures holding the body of a serpent, or naga. On the left are the calm-faced devas, or gods; on the right the scowling asuras, or demons. Together they recreate the Hindu myth of the Churning of the Ocean of Milk, the tug of war between gods and demons that produced the elixir of immortality. The causeway itself becomes the rainbow bridge between the world of people and the world of the gods.
The gate tower rises 23 metres and carries four faces looking out to the four directions, the same faces you will meet again at the Bayon. At its base, three-headed elephants of the god Indra pluck lotus flowers with their trunks. Many of the heads on the causeway are replacements; originals have been stolen or moved to museums over the years.
Jayavarman VII’s state temple, with about 200 serene stone faces and the liveliest reliefs at Angkor. Read our full Bayon guide.
A towering 11th-century pyramid dedicated to Shiva. On its west side, a vast reclining Buddha was added later in stone. The steep climb rewards you with views over the treetops.
A small, steep temple inside the walled palace grounds. Zhou Daguan recorded the legend that the king spent part of each night here with a serpent spirit in the form of a woman.
A 350 metre long platform from which the king watched parades and received his returning army, carved with life-size elephants, garudas and lions.
A high terrace with walls of carved deities and serpents, and a hidden inner wall you can walk along. The statue on top is a copy; the original is in the National Museum in Phnom Penh.
A small, tree-shaded temple north of the royal palace, and the two long stone buildings facing the royal square across a row of twelve towers, the Prasat Suor Prat.
| Ticket | Covered by the Angkor Pass: 1 day $37, 3 days $62 (use within 7 days), 7 days $72 (use within 30 days) |
|---|---|
| Where to buy | Angkor ticket office on Road 60, or online through Angkor Enterprise |
| Children | Under 12 free; bring a passport as proof of age |
| Opening hours | Daily; the temples inside are reported to open 6:00 am to 6:30 pm. Confirm locally |
| Time needed | Half a day for the South Gate, Bayon, Baphuon and terraces |
| Getting around | Flat roads, ideal for bicycle or tuk-tuk; the monuments themselves have steep steps |
This route follows the city from south to north and ends near the North Gate or Victory Gate, where your driver can meet you:
With more time, add Preah Palilay, Tep Pranam and the Kleangs, or walk a stretch of the city wall, which has a shaded path along its top.
Start early. Tour groups usually move from Angkor Wat to Angkor Thom after sunrise, so the South Gate and the Bayon fill from about 9:00 am. If you skip the sunrise and come straight to the South Gate at opening time, you will enjoy an hour of quiet. Late afternoon is lovely too, when the stone warms to gold.
November to February is the coolest and driest season. From March to May it is very hot, so plan the open terraces for early morning. The green season from June to October brings fewer visitors, a full moat and dramatic skies, with showers usually in the afternoon.
The climbs. The Baphuon and Phimeanakas have steep, narrow stairs. Upper levels may close in wet weather or on Buddhist holy days, and some have age or dress rules at the entrance.
The South Gate is about 1.7 kilometres north of Angkor Wat along the main park road, and roughly 20 to 25 minutes by tuk-tuk from central Siem Reap. Most visitors combine Angkor Thom with Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm on the classic “small circuit” day. From the Victory Gate, the road leads east to Ta Keo and Ta Prohm; from the North Gate, it continues to Preah Khan.
We plan your Angkor Thom morning so you cross the South Gate causeway before the crowds, with a Khmer guide who brings the royal city back to life, from the parades on the Terrace of the Elephants to the markets carved on the Bayon. It is part of our Cambodia Classic Highlights and Phnom Penh & Angkor Discovery, and we can add a cycling day through the city on any trip. Send us an enquiry to start planning.
Banteay Kdei is a late 12th-century Buddhist monastery temple in the Angkor Archaeological Park, built by King Jayavarman VII in the Bayon style. It lies just…
Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary is an elephant rescue and forest conservation project about 100 km north of Siem Reap, developed with the Save Elephant Foundation. It protects…
The Roluos Group is a set of 9th-century temples about 12 km east of Siem Reap, at the site of Hariharalaya, the first capital of the…
Theam's House, also called Theam's Gallery, is the home, studio and gallery of Cambodian artist Lim Muy Theam on the edge of Siem Reap. Set in…
