Cambodian temple and countryside at golden hour
Capital, Countryside, Temples & Coast - 12 Days

Grand Cambodia

The complete Cambodia experience in one journey: the royal capital, a pre-Angkorian homestay, Angkor and the remote Koh Ker temples, Battambang's countryside and the island of Koh Rong.

12Days 5Regions 2Homestay nights 24 hrReply time
In short

What this trip is

Grand Cambodia is a 12 day, 11 night private tour that begins and ends in Phnom Penh. It takes in the capital, two nights in a community homestay near Sambor Prei Kuk, Angkor Wat at sunrise, Beng Mealea and Koh Ker, a full Battambang day with the bamboo train and the bat caves, and two nights on Koh Rong. It is the itinerary for travellers who want the whole country in one trip.

  • 1

    Every landscape in one trip

    Capital, rice plain, temple forest, the second city and an island - the five Cambodias, in an order that makes geographic sense.

  • 2

    The homestay is not a token night

    Two nights with a family near Sambor Prei Kuk, with the temples of the first Khmer capital at dawn and dusk and village work in between.

  • 3

    It ends on the beach

    Eleven nights is a lot of temples. Finishing on Koh Rong is the reason most guests arrive home rested rather than wrung out.

Highlights

What you will actually do

01 - The first capital Farmers with an ox cart on a rural road in Cambodia

Sambor Prei Kuk & two homestay nights

The UNESCO-listed brick temples of seventh-century Ishanapura, rice farming, palm sugar making and local crafts, with a village family as your hosts.

UNESCO siteCommunity homestayAll meals
02 - The empire Angkor Wat reflected in water at sunrise, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Angkor, Beng Mealea & Koh Ker

Sunrise at Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm and the Bayon, then a day north to the jungle temple of Beng Mealea and the Koh Ker pyramid.

Sunrise startJungle templeKoh Ker pyramid
03 - The second city and the sea Powder sand and palm trees on a tropical beach

Battambang & Koh Rong

The bamboo train, Wat Ek Phnom, rice paper and rice wine makers, bats pouring from Phnom Sampov at dusk - then two nights on the island.

Bamboo trainBat exodusIsland finish
Day by day

12 days / 11 nights, hour by hour

Every timing below is a starting point, not a rule. Tell us your flights and we rebuild the shape of the trip around them.

Day 1

Arrival in Phnom Penh

Airport meet-and-greet, hotel check-in and an evening river cruise.

Boats on the Mekong at sunset, Cambodia
On arrival

Meet and greet

Transfer to your hotel.

Evening

Sunset river cruise

Where the Mekong and Tonle Sap meet.

Day 2

Phnom Penh city discovery

The royal quarter, the museum and the markets.

The Royal Palace riverfront, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Morning

Royal Palace & Silver Pagoda

On foot, with your guide.

Midday

National Museum

Khmer sculpture in context.

Afternoon

Wat Phnom & Central Market

The founding hill and the Art Deco dome.

Day 3

Phnom Penh to Kampong Thom

North to the homestay, with two stops.

Farmers with an ox cart in the countryside, Cambodia
En route

Prasat Kuha Nokor

An 11th-century temple beside the road.

En route

Phnom Santuk

Pagodas and reclining Buddhas on a sacred hill.

Evening

Check in with your homestay family

Near Sambor Prei Kuk, with dinner cooked by your hosts.

Day 4

Sambor Prei Kuk & village life

The pre-Angkorian capital and the village around it.

Silhouette of an ancient temple, Cambodia
Morning

The three temple groups

North, central and south, in the forest.

Afternoon

Rice farming, palm sugar & crafts

Whatever the season is doing.

Evening

Second homestay night

Dinner with the family.

Day 5

Kampong Thom to Siem Reap

Three hours, with a stone-carving village en route.

A carved stone Buddha - Khmer craftsmanship, Cambodia
En route

Stone-carving village

Where temple restoration craft is taught.

Evening

Apsara dance performance

With dinner in Siem Reap.

Day 6

Angkor Wat sunrise & the small circuit

The central day of the trip.

Angkor Wat reflected in water at sunrise, Cambodia
4:40 AM

Angkor Wat sunrise

Breakfast afterwards.

Morning

Ta Prohm

The jungle temple.

Afternoon

Angkor Thom & the Bayon

The walled city and its faces.

Day 7

Beng Mealea & Koh Ker

A long day north to the remote temples.

Temple ruins wrapped in jungle, Cambodia
Morning

Beng Mealea

The jungle temple, largely unrestored.

Afternoon

Koh Ker

Prasat Thom's pyramid and Prasat Krahom.

Day 8

Siem Reap to Battambang

Three scenic hours through rice country.

A rail line running through the countryside, Cambodia
Morning

The drive

Past rice fields and small market towns.

Afternoon

The colonial old town

At leisure, on foot.

Day 9

Battambang in full

The city, its crafts and its caves.

A path through green rice fields, Cambodia
Morning

Bamboo train & Wat Ek Phnom

The norry, then the 11th-century temple.

Afternoon

Rice paper & rice wine makers

In the villages around the city.

Dusk

Phnom Sampov & the bats

Millions of them, leaving the cliff.

Day 10

Battambang to Koh Rong

The long transfer south to the sea.

Powder sand and palm trees on a tropical beach, Cambodia
All day

Via Phnom Penh by flight or road to Sihanoukville

Whichever shape suits your budget and time.

On arrival

Speedboat to Koh Rong

About 45 minutes.

Day 11

Koh Rong at leisure

Beaches, snorkelling, or simply relaxing.

Turquoise water off a white-sand beach, Cambodia
All day

Nothing scheduled

Island-hopping and snorkelling arranged on the day.

Day 12

Koh Rong to Phnom Penh & departure

Boat, road and home.

Aerial view of a tropical island beach, Cambodia
Morning

Boat and private transfer

To Phnom Penh.

To suit

Drop-off at Techo International Airport

Timed to your flight.

No surprises

What is included, and what is not

Included

  • Private air-conditioned vehicle with professional driver throughout
  • Licensed English-speaking guide for all touring days
  • Airport meet-and-greet and all transfers
  • Accommodation as listed, with daily breakfast
  • All homestay and farm-stay meals
  • Meals specified in the itinerary
  • Boat and speedboat transfers as listed
  • Drinking water and cold towels in the vehicle

Not included

  • International and domestic flights unless added as an upgrade
  • Cambodian visa fees
  • Angkor Pass and Koh Ker entrance fees - can be included on request
  • Meals and drinks not specified in the itinerary
  • Travel insurance
  • Tips for guides and drivers
  • Personal expenses and optional activities
Answers

Grand Cambodia questions, answered

Is twelve days too long in Cambodia?
No - it is the length at which the country stops being a temple circuit. You get the capital, a village, three temple regions, the second city and an island without a single rushed day.
Can the itinerary be shortened?
Yes. Dropping Koh Ker or Battambang makes it ten days; dropping the island makes it nine. Every package can be shortened, extended or combined.
How do we get from Battambang to the coast?
Either by flight via Phnom Penh, which saves most of a day, or by road to Sihanoukville. We quote both and recommend the flight on this itinerary.
What is the homestay like?
A private room in a family house near Sambor Prei Kuk, simple and clean, with shared bathrooms and all meals cooked by your hosts.
Go deeper

Experiences inside this trip

All experiences
Heritage experiences in Cambodia Temples & Angkor

Heritage

Sunrise at Angkor Wat and the temples of the Khmer Empire.
Village experiences in Cambodia Homestays

Village

Homestays, rice-field cycling and the Bamboo Train.
Island experiences in Cambodia Beaches & isles

Island

Koh Rong beach escapes, snorkelling and island hopping.
Compare

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Grand Cambodia 12 days / 11 nights · Private Enquire