A cool, green day away from the temples, with a swim
Phnom Kulen National Park is a sacred sandstone plateau 48 km north-east of Siem Reap where Jayavarman II declared himself universal monarch in 802, the event traditionally seen as the founding of the Khmer Empire. Visitors come for the reclining Buddha of Preah Ang Thom, the riverbed carved with lingas and the waterfalls, where you can swim. Entry costs $20 for foreigners, is not covered by the Angkor Pass, and the one-way road up closes around 11:00 am.
September 2026
Photo: Jean-Pierre Dalbéra from Paris, France, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
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Phnom Kulen National Park protects the sandstone plateau north-east of Siem Reap where, in 802, Jayavarman II declared himself universal monarch and founded the Khmer Empire. Today Phnom Kulen is Cambodia’s most sacred mountain, with a giant reclining Buddha, a riverbed carved with a thousand lingas and waterfalls you can swim beneath.
For Cambodians, Phnom Kulen is a pilgrimage, and at weekends and on holidays the mountain fills with families who come to pray, bathe in the holy river and picnic by the falls. For visitors it is a welcome change from the temples: cooler air, green forest, and the chance to swim.
Kulen means “lychee” in Khmer, and the plateau is still dotted with lychee orchards. In Angkorian times it was called Mahendraparvata, the mountain of the great Indra. Its sandstone quarries supplied many of the great temples of Angkor, and its rivers feed the Siem Reap River that once filled the city’s reservoirs.
The reclining Buddha carved into the top of a huge sandstone boulder, reached by a steep stair from the pagoda below. It is the most sacred site on the mountain.
Just below the pagoda, the clear, shallow river flows over rows of carved lingas and yonis, and images of Vishnu. Pilgrims bottle the holy water to take home.
Two main falls: an upper fall 4 to 5 metres high and around 25 metres wide, and the main fall 15 to 20 metres high, with a pool beneath where you can swim.
The “elephant pond”, with large elephants carved from the rock in the forest. A walk or motorbike ride from the main sites; ask your guide.
Brick towers and temple-mountains from the time of Jayavarman II, such as Rong Chen, lie scattered in the forest. Most need a local guide and a good pair of shoes.
Banteay Srei, the finest carved temple of Angkor, lies about 25 kilometres from the park. Kbal Spean, another riverbed of carvings on the western slopes, is a separate site.
| Entry fee | $20 for foreign visitors; free for Cambodians |
|---|---|
| Angkor Pass | Not valid. Phnom Kulen is managed separately and charges its own fee |
| Where to buy | At the ticket office at the foot of the mountain, or through your tour operator or hotel |
| What it covers | Preah Ang Thom, the river of lingas, the waterfalls and the main trails |
| Road up | One-way, uphill in the morning only. Reach the ticket office by about 10:30 am, as the upward road closes around 11:00 am |
| Road down | One-way, downhill from around midday |
| Distance | 48 km from Siem Reap, 1.5 to 2 hours by car; the final climb takes about 20 minutes |
| Time needed | A full day, or most of one |
Getting there. The drive from Siem Reap runs north through rice fields and villages, past the turning for Banteay Srei, before the road climbs through forest to the plateau. A private car or van is the most comfortable way to go. A tuk-tuk is possible but slow, dusty and tiring on the steep final section, so we do not recommend it for a day trip.
The road rules and fees are set locally and can change, so confirm them before you set out. Most important of all: do not arrive late, or you will not be allowed up.
The waterfalls are at their fullest in the rainy season, roughly from July to November, when the forest is lush and the pools are deep. In the dry months, particularly March to May, the flow can shrink to a trickle, but the Buddha and the carvings are easier to see in the clearer, lower river.
Phnom Kulen is a holy mountain, and the river is sacred to both Buddhists and Hindus. Visitors are warmly welcome, but please treat it as a place of worship as well as a beauty spot.
Kulen fits naturally with Banteay Srei and, for keen walkers, the carvings of Kbal Spean. If you want to go deeper, overnight homestays and guided hikes on the plateau are possible, and our adventure experiences include longer walks. For the nearby temples, see Beng Mealea, which also lies at the foot of the Kulen hills.
We plan Phnom Kulen around the road rules and the crowds, with an early private car, a guide who knows the pilgrimage and a stop at Banteay Srei on the way back. It is part of our Siem Reap Green Journey and our Cradle of the Khmer itinerary, and can be added to any Siem Reap stay. Ask us to build the day for you.
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