Self-Launched Angkor Wat & Phnom Penh Adventure

Fly into Siem Reap International Airport (REP). Skip the pricey airport transfer and grab a tuk-tuk to your guesthouse for around $3–5 — drivers are plentiful just outside arrivals. Check in, get your bearings and head to Pub Street or the Old Market area for a cheap, delicious Cambodian meal. If you arrive early enough, rent a bicycle (~$2/day) or hire a tuk-tuk and do a quick sunset spin around the outer moat of Angkor Wat — entry is not required to view it from outside. Pick up your Angkor Pass in advance online or at the Angkor Enterprise ticket office (1-day $37, 3-day $62) — a 3-day pass is great value if you want flexibility. Arrange for a tuk-tuk driver for your temple days; ask your guesthouse for a recommendation or negotiate directly with drivers outside (~$15–18/full day). Don't forget to apply for your Cambodia e-Visa in advance at evisa.gov.kh (~$36 USD) and complete the free Cambodia e-Arrival Card at arrival.gov.kh within 7 days before arrival.

🚌Tuk-tuk from airport to guesthouse (~£3). Walk or cycle around town.

🛏Mad Monkey Siem Reap, Onederz Hostel, or a budget guesthouse near Pub Street — expect to pay £10–16/night for a private room with en suite

• →Arrive at Siem Reap Airport and tuk-tuk to guesthouse (~£3)
• →Explore Pub Street and Old Market area for street food dinner
• →Purchase Angkor Pass online or at the ticket office (3-day pass ~£28)
• →Arrange tuk-tuk driver for temple days (~£12–15/day)

Start early (around 7am) to beat the heat and crowds. Your pre-arranged tuk-tuk driver will take you around the major temples of Angkor Thom, including the magnificent Bayon with its iconic stone faces, Baphuon, the Elephant Terrace and Phimeanakas. Continue to the jungle-wrapped Ta Prohm (the 'Tomb Raider temple') — one of the most atmospheric sites in all of Southeast Asia, where ancient tree roots engulf the stone walls just as they did when the temple was rediscovered. Head to Banteay Kdei and the nearby Sras Srang reservoir before the midday heat peaks. Grab lunch at one of the local restaurants just outside the temple zone (~£2–4 for a proper Cambodian meal). Book a guided group tour for the day via GetYourGuide or Klook (Angkor temples group tour with English-speaking guide from ~£18pp) if you'd prefer structured commentary, or simply arm yourself with a good guidebook and your tuk-tuk driver's local knowledge. Return to the hotel by 4–5pm, freshen up and explore Siem Reap's Night Market in the evening.

🚌Pre-arranged tuk-tuk for the day (~£12–15)

🛏Mad Monkey Siem Reap or equivalent budget guesthouse (~£10–16/night)

• →Angkor Thom — Bayon, Baphuon, Elephant Terrace (~included in pass)
• →Ta Prohm (jungle temple) — free with Angkor Pass
• →Banteay Kdei and Sras Srang reservoir
• →Optional: Book GetYourGuide/Klook guided Angkor group tour (~£18pp)
• →Siem Reap Night Market in the evening

Set your alarm — this is the highlight. Arrange with your tuk-tuk driver the night before to pick you up at 5am to reach Angkor Wat before sunrise (~5:30–6am depending on season). Watch the sun rise over the iconic five towers reflecting in the lotus pond — one of the great travel experiences in Southeast Asia. Entry is included in your Angkor Pass. Spend another hour or two exploring the extraordinary bas-relief galleries and upper terraces of Angkor Wat itself, then return to your guesthouse for breakfast. Check out and head to the airport. Fly Siem Reap to Phnom Penh with Cambodia Angkor Air or Lanmei Airlines — flights typically cost £40–65 and take around 50 minutes. Book in advance via Skyscanner for the best prices. Alternatively, take the express bus (~£7–10, around 6 hours) with Giant Ibis or Mekong Express if you prefer to save money and enjoy the scenery. Check in to your Phnom Penh guesthouse near the riverfront and spend the evening strolling the Sisowath Quay, grabbing dinner at one of the riverfront restaurants.

🚌Tuk-tuk to airport (~£5), domestic flight Siem Reap–Phnom Penh (~£50 avg)

🛏Mad Monkey Phnom Penh, The Frangipani Villa, or equivalent riverfront budget guesthouse (~£12–18/night private room)

• →Angkor Wat sunrise visit (~5am, included in Angkor Pass)
• →Explore Angkor Wat bas-reliefs and inner galleries
• →Tuk-tuk back to guesthouse for breakfast and check-out
• →Fly Siem Reap to Phnom Penh (~£45–65 with Cambodia Angkor Air or Lanmei)
• →OR Giant Ibis / Mekong Express bus (~£7–10, ~6 hours) as budget alternative
• →Riverfront stroll along Sisowath Quay in the evening

A full and emotionally significant day in Cambodia's capital. Start at the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda (entrance ~£7), a stunning complex of Khmer-style buildings housing a priceless collection of royal artefacts, sacred Buddha statues and the famous Emerald Buddha. From there, take a short tuk-tuk ride to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21) (entrance ~£5) — a former high school that was converted into a brutal detention and torture centre by the Khmer Rouge between 1975 and 1979. It is a deeply sobering but essential visit. Book an optional audio guide or a local guide on-site for deeper context. After lunch, tuk-tuk out to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek (~£5 entry including audio guide), around 15km south of the city — allow 1.5–2 hours here. The audio guide is exceptional and deeply moving. Return to the riverfront for the evening. Phnom Penh's restaurant and bar scene along the river is lively — try Khmer barbecue or fish amok (Cambodia's national dish) at one of the local restaurants.

🚌Tuk-tuk between all sites throughout the day (~£8–12 total)

🛏Mad Monkey Phnom Penh or equivalent budget guesthouse (~£12–18/night)

• →Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda (~£7 entry)
• →Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum / S-21 (~£5 entry)
• →Killing Fields of Choeung Ek (~£5 entry incl. audio guide)
• →Khmer barbecue or fish amok dinner on the riverfront
• →Optional: Book a Phnom Penh city guided tour via GetYourGuide (~£15–20pp)

Enjoy a final Cambodian breakfast at a local café — try nom banh chok (Khmer noodles) from a street vendor for under £1. Depending on your onward flight, you may have time for a final wander along the riverfront or to pick up last-minute souvenirs at the Russian Market (Psar Tuol Tom Poung). Tuk-tuk to Phnom Penh International Airport (~£5–8) for your departure. If continuing to Ho Chi Minh City (as per the original Exodus itinerary), book a budget flight in advance with Cambodia Angkor Air, Vietnam Airlines or Vietjet (~£45–80). Alternatively, the Mekong Express bus from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City takes around 6 hours and costs ~£12 — a great budget option if you're not in a rush.

🚌Tuk-tuk to airport (~£6). Flight to Ho Chi Minh City (~£60 avg) or bus (~£12).

🛏N/A — departure day

• →Street breakfast — nom banh chok from a local vendor (~£1)
• →Optional: Russian Market browse for souvenirs
• →Tuk-tuk to Phnom Penh International Airport (~£6)
• →Fly to Ho Chi Minh City (~£50–80) OR Mekong Express bus (~£12, ~6hrs)