Grand Tour of Cambodia
Bespoke Holiday Itinerary / Experience Tour

This holiday takes in Cambodia in detail. Discover the essential highlights away from the crowds and uncover some hidden gems that most tourists miss. From the Angkor Temples to the remote northeast and back down through the capital Phnom Penh to the sleepy seaside towns of the South, this is the best way to get a sense of Cambodia’s remarkable contrasts.

Highlights include:

• Exploring the secrets of the incredible Angkor temples with your private expert guide.
• Discovering authentic local countryside-life whilst enjoying picnics and waterfalls in the remote north and east.
• Visiting the fantastic Elephant Valley Project in the forests of Mondulkiri.
• Ambling around the colonial relics in Battambang and Kep.
• Getting caught up in the atmosphere of the bustling capital Phnom Penh.

As with all of our suggested itineraries, we can tailor-make your holiday to suit your budget, style and expectations. Find out about our exclusive ‘Journey Planner’ here.

Your personalised quotation with Experience Travel Group will include.

• International Flights (which can be omitted from your quotation if you prefer)
• Accommodation as described
• Privately guided tours and transfers 
• Original Experience Travel Group "Signature" experiences 
• Full financial protection (full ABTA and ATOL bonding)
• Meals as described
• 24 hour in-country backup whilst away
• Your own dedicated travel expert in the UK 

For more on our pricing policy read here. 

Day 1 – Depart the UK

Depart the UK.

Day 2 – Siem Reap

You will be met by your guide when you arrive at the airport. The rest of the day can be spent at leisure or you can begin your exploration of Angkor including sunset at a quiet temple surrounded by countryside.

Day 3 – Siem Reap

Today you will start your exploration of the Temples of Angkor.  Our Signature Tour of Angkor is always changing to ensure you enjoy the optimum experience of this remarkable area.  A typical day will include an early start for sunrise at a quiet temple followed by a picnic-breakfast at Banteay Srey, famous for its stunning pink hue. You could stop at the small but lovely Banteay Samre temple and a Land Mine Museum before heading back to your hotel to relax then visit the great city Angkor Thom late afternoon.

Day 4 – Siem Reap

This morning you will have the option to visit the magnificent Angkor Wat for sunrise. The earlier you rise the better - the complex can get quite busy at sunrise so to arrive when the moon and the stars are still out is ideal, . Return to your hotel to relax and have lunch. In the afternoon you will visit the Roluos temples, some of the earliest permanent structures built by the Khmer. In the afternoon take a boat ride out onto the Tonle Sap lake to visit some undiscovered floating villages.

Day 5 – Battambang

Transfer by road to the colonial market town of Battambang stopping en route to visit Phnom Sampeou, a 100-meter-high mountain topped with a pagoda and three natural caves. You will continue to Battambang and arrive in time for lunch.

Day 6 – Battambang

Enjoy a full day tour of Battambang with your guide, it's is full of French colonial era charm. You will have a chance to explore arguably the best street food in the country and the bustling central market, as well as a disused Pepsi factory, abandoned in 1975 and left largely untouched ever since. The tour will end with a sunset ride on the wonderfully imaginative and quirky bamboo train - a flat, homemade bamboo platform placed on rail wheels and then powered by an outboard motor.

Day 7 – Phnom Penh

Drive from Battambang to Phnom Penh. Upon arrival, you will check-in to your hotel and have the rest of the day at leisure.

Day 8 – Phnom Penh

Enjoy a full day tour of Phnom Penh, starting at Security Prison 21 (Tuol Sleng), the former high school infamously used as an execution centre during the Khmer Rouge regime. A visit to Tuol Sleng and the Killing Fields is a very disturbing experience for many, and guests should be forewarned as to the extent and graphic nature of such a visit. You will then continue on to the Killing Fields, and if desired you can take an audio guide of the area with fascinating facts, personal accounts and true stories about the Cambodian genocide. After lunch head back to the city, stopping en route at the Russian market. In the downtown area, visit the National Museum, the Royal Palace and Noradom Boulevard followed by a cyclo tour of the busy central area. Finish the day with a drink on a stylish river-front rooftop.

Day 9 – Kratie 

This morning you will start your journey into Cambodia’s rural northeast. Visit a local village where the brave can sample the local delicacy – deep friend tarantulas! Continue on towards Kratie, stopping at the charming riverside port town of Chhlong. This sleepy town has some lovely French-colonial architecture and makes for a lovely place to stroll along the riverside. Then take a short ferry ride across the Mekong River to your hotel, where the rest of the day can be spent at leisure.

Day 10 – Kratie 

This morning you will explore the island of Koh Trong, a large and flat sandbar in the middle of the Mekong River. This quaint island has some unique cultural sites and is a fantastic opportunity to see authentic rural Cambodian life. The island is best explored by bike, with an easy loop that covers most of the island.

After lunch, take a short ferry ride across the river and drive for about 30 minutes to Kampi, which is one of the best spots to see the famous Irrawaddy dolphins. You will board a simple wooden long-tail boat to cruise quietly up and down the river looking for the dolphins.

Day 11 – Sen Monorom

This morning you will leave Kratie and drive to Sen Monorom, known by some as the "Switzerland of Cambodia". A scenic and naturally beautiful part of rural Cambodia, there are ethnic minority villages to be explored as well as waterfalls, local markets and rolling grass fields. Visit the Bou Sra waterfall where you can enjoy a scenic picnic lunch, and if the weather is nice you can swim too.

Day 12 – Sen Monorom

Spend a full day at the fantastic Elephant Valley Project, a centre dedicated to the preservation and protection of elephants, the forest and the Bunong ancestral lands and traditions. There is no elephant riding here; it is all about the elephants learning to be elephants again after being mistreated. Whilst every day differs in this incredible nature project, a typical day may consist of walking alongside a small herd of elephants; watching them socialise, eat healthy and nutritious food and take baths. It's a long day with an early start around 7:30am and you will get back to your hotel in time for dinner, however it is an incredibly unique and emotional experience that is not to be missed!

Day 13 – Phnom Penh

This morning, if desired, you can head out into the beautiful countryside around Sen Monorom for some light trekking, exploring the waterfalls, valleys and local villages. If interested, you can also visit a local rubber plantation. You will then begin your journey by road back to Phnom Penh.

Day 14 – Kep

Drive to Kep, a small town founded in 1908 during the French colonial period. Today it is a widely known for its fresh seafood (particularly crab), traditional restaurants and surrounding natural beauty, complete with rice paddies and water buffalos. Here you can relax at the unique Knai Bang Chatt resort.

Day 15, 16 and 17 – Kep

Enjoy three days at leisure in Kep.

Day 18 – Fly home

Today you will be transferred from Kep back to Phnom Penh to catch your flight home.