A quieter second day at Angkor, with trees and ruins to explore
Preah Khan is a large 12th-century temple just north-east of Angkor Thom, dedicated in 1191 by King Jayavarman VII to his father. It served as a temple, Buddhist university and royal city, and today it is a partly ruined complex of long galleries, trees growing through the stone and a unique two-storey columned building. It is covered by the Angkor Pass and is much quieter than Ta Prohm, with most visitors spending one to two hours.
September 2026
Photo: Jakub Hałun, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Preah Khan is a vast, atmospheric 12th-century temple just north-east of Angkor Thom, built by King Jayavarman VII in honour of his father. Part monastery, part university and part royal city, Preah Khan has the tumbled galleries and strangling trees of Ta Prohm with a fraction of the crowds, and a long central corridor of doorways that seems to run on forever.
If you have loved Ta Prohm but found it busy, Preah Khan is the answer. It is larger, flatter and far quieter, with just enough restoration to walk through safely and enough ruin to feel like exploration. It sits on the “grand circuit” loop, so many first-time visitors miss it altogether.
A causeway lined with gods and demons holding a serpent crosses the moat, echoing the gates of Angkor Thom. The outer wall is guarded by 72 giant garudas grasping serpents, set at regular intervals.
North-east of the centre stands a building with round columns and an upper floor, unlike anything else at Angkor. Its purpose is still debated; one idea is that it held a sacred relic.
A pillared hall on the east side with friezes of dancing apsaras along its lintels. It is easy to imagine music and dance filling the space.
The main sanctuary now holds a bell-shaped stone stupa, added centuries later in place of the original statue. Holes in the walls may once have held bronze plates.
In the outer enclosures, silk-cotton and fig trees grow out of the galleries. One famous tree wraps a wall near the eastern entrance, and several gateways are held together by roots.
Graceful female guardians survive in niches along the walls, alongside the outlines of seated Buddhas chiselled away by later kings, a reminder of Angkor’s religious shifts.
Preah Khan is laid out along a long east to west axis, with shrines to Shiva to the north and Vishnu to the west, and ancestor shrines to the south. The most rewarding way to see it is to walk the whole axis in one direction and meet your driver at the other end.
| Ticket | Covered by the Angkor Pass: 1 day $37, 3 days $62, 7 days $72 |
|---|---|
| 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, reported as 6:00 am to 6:30 pm; confirm locally |
| Time needed | An hour for the main axis, up to two hours to explore |
| Access | Mostly level but with uneven stone, high thresholds and low doorways |
Preah Khan is quiet for most of the day, which is its great appeal. Early morning is particularly lovely, when birdsong fills the forest and light slants through the doorways. Late afternoon is also good, and it fits neatly before a sunset at Pre Rup on the grand circuit.
The trees shade much of the temple, which helps in the hot months from March to May. In the green season from June to October the moss is bright and the moat fills, though paths can be muddy. November to February offers the most comfortable walking weather.
Preah Khan lies a short drive beyond the North Gate of Angkor Thom, on the grand circuit. From central Siem Reap it takes roughly 25 to 35 minutes by tuk-tuk, depending on your route. It is an easy bike ride from Angkor Thom along shaded roads.
Most visitors see Preah Khan on their second day, combined with Neak Pean, Ta Som, East Mebon and Pre Rup. It also works as an afternoon add-on after a morning at Banteay Srei.
East of Preah Khan lies the Jayatataka, a great reservoir 3.5 kilometres long that Jayavarman VII dug beside the temple. At its centre sits Neak Pean, a small shrine on a round island surrounded by four pools, reached by a wooden walkway across the water. It was probably a place of healing, where water flowed through carved spouts into the pools.
From Neak Pean the grand circuit continues to Ta Som, with its face-tower gate strangled by a fig tree, and on to the East Mebon and Pre Rup, a favourite sunset spot.
We love sending our guests to Preah Khan on a second day at Angkor, when they are ready for something quieter and wilder. Our guides plan a one-way walk through the temple and time it for the gentle morning light. You will find it in our Siem Reap Slow Travel and Hidden Temples Heartland journeys. Send us an enquiry and we will plan your temple days around you.
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