Angkor Wat Two Day Adventure Itinerary

Last Updated on January 26, 2026 by Charlotte

Experience the best of Angkor Wat with our two-day Tuktuk itinerary. This fast-paced itinerary is designed to beat the crowds and heat by visiting popular temples in the cool, early hours and shaded spots as the day warms up. After seeing so many spectacular temples in a day, it is common to get “templed out”. To build some flexibility into this itinerary, we denote an asterisk (*) to mark which temples we would cut if the itinerary needs to be shortened. In this post, we share our two-day Angkor Wat itinerary—carefully planned to help you beat the heat, avoid the crowds, and see the temples at their most magical.

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Day 1 Itinerary

Our Day 1 itinerary has an early start, watching the sun rise over the reflecting pools at Angkor Wat Temple. It then explores many of the temples that are commonly found in the “Small Loop” itineraries online. However, the Small Loop itineraries often skip over Banteay Kdei Temple, which was one of our favorite temples at Angkor Wat.

• Leave your hotel at 4:15 AM
• Return to your hotel around 1:30 PM
• Expect to walk up to 10 miles if you choose to explore the insides of the temples

Angkor Wat Sunrise

Leave early from your hotel to grab a good spot to watch the reflection of the sunrise over the five towers of Angkor Wat. The trick here is to arrive before the park technically opens to get a spot in front of one of the reflecting pools.

By 6:00 AM, the edge of the reflecting pool was already packed with people, and those who arrived later got a nice view of the back of other people’s heads instead of the temple.

If waking up before the crack of dawn does not sound fun to you, consider sleeping in and starting your itinerary ~7:00 AM with the Angkor Wat Front Complex.

Angkor Wat Front Complex

Just shortly after sunrise, take a leisurely walk around the front half of the complex. Most of the other tourists will still be trying to take their reflecting pool photos, leaving the front temple buildings uncrowded and prime for exploring.

Ta Prom

Arrive exactly at the 7:30 AM opening time to beat the crowds, and explore this famous temple being overcome by tree roots.

Victory Gate of Angkor Thom

Admire the beautiful Buddha face Avalokiteshvara or Lokeshvara. The four faces at the gate represent the four sublime states: Kindness, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy, and Equanimity.

Angkor Thom City

Baphuon Temple, Phimeanakas Temple, Terrace of Elephants, and Terrace of Leper King

These highlights of Angkor Thom are all within walking distance of one another. Begin at Baphuon Temple, before following the path over toward Phimeanakas Temple. On your way back to the main road, stop for a quick look at the Terrace of Elephants, and Terrace of the Leper King.

Bayon Temple

Bayon Temple is one of the more impressive temples in the Angkor Wat Archaeological Park. Bayon has winding passageways adorned with rich carvings depicting battles and daily life. If you’re lucky, you might spot a monkey family hanging around the ruins.

Ta Keo *

Optional Stop: A walk is required to view the temple from outside. Compared to the other temples, Ta Keo has fewer detailed carvings.

Banteay Kdei & Sras Srang

We especially enjoyed the feeling of Banteay Kdei, a quieter temple nestled in the shade of the forest. At the rear of Banteay Kdei, the path crosses to Sras Srang, which was a “personal swimming pool” for the king.

Angkor Wat Rear Complex *

Optional Stop: Exploring the rear complex of Angkor Wat will require a lot of walking and climbing of steep stone stairs.

• Visiting ~1:00 PM can be less crowded

Day 2 Itinerary

Day 2 starts off with an hour long drive to one of the more unique temples in the Angkor Wat Archaeological Park. It then makes several stops at sights on the journey back to the core area of the park. The temples Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Ta Som, and East Mebon are commonly found in itineraries called the “Big Loop.” However, the Big Loop itinerary skips Banteay Srei, which was one of our favorite temples from Day 2 due to its unique carvings and rosy pink sandstone.

• Leave your hotel ~7 AM
• Return to your hotel around 2:00 PM
• Expect to walk up to 10 miles if you choose to explore the insides of the temples and palace

Banteay Srei

While Banteay Srei is ~1 hour 10 minutes (37km away) from Siem Reap town, this temple is worth the journey. Banteay Srei is constructed from rosy pink sandstone and stands out from the other temples at Angkor Wat. Plan to arrive ~ 8:00 AM, when the sun colors the temple’s sandstone walls in a warm glow before the hoards of tourists arrive.

Cambodia Landmine Museum *

Optional Stop: This museum shares a heavy yet important subject which might be upsetting to some folks.

Only 13 minutes from Banteay Srei, the Cambodia Landmine Museum shares the history of landmines in Cambodia, and supports demining efforts. The entrance fee $5 per person, and proceeds go to help orphans of mine explosions, demining efforts, and to restore land to safety.

Banteay Samre

East Mebon

Pre Rup *

Optional: Just view and take photos of Pre Rup from the outside.

Pre Rup and East Mebon are known as twin temples, and they are very similar architecturally.

Ta Som *

Optional Stop: You could skip this one if you are feeling tired. Ta Som Temple used to have a very distinctive tree that grew over one of the walls, but that tree has since been cut down as it was damaging the temple.

Neak Pean Island *

Optional Stop: Could be hot and crowded depending on the day. The water level at this temple is also variable depending on the season. We skipped this site to spend more time at Preah Khan.

Preah Khan

Preah Khan was one of our favorite temples in all of Angkor Wat. This expansive temple has bridges that enter across a moat, and meandering passageways that lead to a unique two story library. Even better, there is a “secret room” that houses a carving of a Khmer Queen. After a half hour of searching, we could not find the secret room on our own and asked a security guard for directions.

North Gate of Angkor Thom *

Optional: Stop for photos or admire during the drive-by. The lighting is best for photography in the afternoon.

South Gate of Angkor Thom

Bakheng Mountain Sunset *

Optional Stop: Bakheng Mountain is a popular spot to view the sunset as this temple stays open late, until 7:00 PM.

Our Favorite Temples

Day 1: Ta Prom, Bayon Temple, and Banteay Kdei

Day 2: Preah Khan, Banteay Srei, and the South Gate of Angkor Thom

Tips for Personalizing Your Two-Day Angkor Wat Itinerary

Hire a Local Guide

Two days is simply not enough time to see everything in Angkor Wat. Outlining your priorities and sharing them with your TukTuk driver or guide before your visit can help to optimize your route and the amount of time spent at each temple. A good local guide or private TukTuk hire can make your trip to Angkor Wat an unforgettable experience. We explored with Mr. Kat from Tuktuk Cambodia on TripAdvisor and had a fantastic time thanks to Mr. Kat’s expert knowledge.

Identify Your Priorites

Your itinerary and temple priorities could be different depending on whether you are aiming to get that perfect photo, or if you want to appreciate the cultural history of the individual temples. Everyone’s priorities at Angkor Wat will be different. For example, if you aren’t too keen on waking up at 3:30 AM to sit in a crowd of people in the dark for a few hours, perhaps you could skip the Angkor Sunrise.

Tailor Your Trip to Your Level of Fitness

Exploring inside the temples, towers, and ruins of Angkor Wat can be physically challenging to those who are not accustomed to climbing a lot of stairs, or scrambling over rocks. Add on the tropical heat and intense sun, and you might burn yourself out physically on your first day of exploring. Despite the fear of missing out, it is okay to skip some temples given your energy levels and mood.

Inspired to Visit Cambodia?

Check out our post “Your Adventurous Guide to Angkor Wat” to find information on how to plan your trip to Cambodia and Angkor Wat.