Temple stonework in Cambodia
Cliff-top UNESCO site

Preah Vihear temple

Travellers with a spare day and an appetite for the drive

Temples and ruinsType
In short

Preah Vihear is an 11th-century Shiva temple built along a north-south axis on the Dangrek escarpment, ending at a cliff that drops several hundred metres to the plain below. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. The setting is the most dramatic of any Khmer temple, and the remoteness keeps the crowds off it.

Checked

September 2026

Part of Heritage
At a glance

Visiting

Where
Preah Vihear province, on the Thai border, about 4 hours from Siem Reap
Status
UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed 2008
Time needed
A very long day trip, or an overnight in Sra Em
Access
Steep final approach; local transfer required for the last stretch
Check
This is a border area - confirm current access conditions before travelling

Questions travellers ask

Is it safe to visit?
It has been open to visitors for years, but it sits on a contested border. We check current conditions before we send anyone, and so should you.
Can I do it as a day trip from Siem Reap?
Possible but punishing - roughly eight hours of driving. An overnight nearby is the better plan.
Nearby

Also in Preah Vihear and the north

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The other capital

Koh Ker

Koh Ker was briefly the capital of the Khmer Empire in the 10th century, and its signature monument is Prasat Thom - a seven-tiered sandstone pyramid…

Where
Preah Vihear province, about 2.5 hours from Siem Reap
Status
UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed 2023
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Pre-Angkorian brick

Sambor Prei Kuk

Sambor Prei Kuk is a group of brick temple towers in Kampong Thom province, built in the early 7th century as the capital of the Chenla…

Where
Kampong Thom province, roughly midway between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap
Status
UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed 2017
Read more