Self-Launched Angkor Temples: 6 Days in Siem Reap, Independent
6 days · Siem Reap, Cambodia
About Cambodia Travel & Tours charges £657
No-markup version: ~£389 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of About Cambodia Travel & Tours' 6-day private Angkor highlights tour — same temples, same sunrise, same floating village and Phnom Kulen day, but done on your own timetable using a guesthouse base, a bicycle or a locally rented tuk-tuk, and self-booked guided walks where you want a storyteller. Cambodia's Angkor Archaeological Park is genuinely easy to do independently: buy the pass at the official ticket office, hire a tuk-tuk driver by the day for roughly £15-22, and use GetYourGuide for a small-group sunrise tour on day 2 if you want context. Costs are backpacker/budget-traveller estimates, not quotes.
Day-by-day
Arrive Siem Reap and get your bearings
Siem Reap
Land at Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (the new one, about 50km east of town) and take a shared airport van or Grab/taxi into the centre — budget around £6-9 for the trip, or check whether your guesthouse offers a cheap pickup. Skip the private orientation drive: instead, settle into a guesthouse in Wat Bo or the Old Market area, then walk the riverside, the Royal Independence Gardens and Wat Bo Pagoda on foot for free. In the late afternoon head to the Angkor ticket office (Angkor Enterprise, on Apsara Road) to buy your pass — a 3-day pass costs US$62 (~£49) and is valid over 10 days, which is exactly right for days 2-4. Buy it after 5pm the day before and you get a free sunset entry, so time it for that. Eat at a local Khmer spot near Pub Street's edges (Khmer curry and rice ~£2.50-3.50).
🚌Shared airport van ~£7 (50km from new Siem Reap Angkor International Airport); everything else on foot
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel near Wat Bo / Old Market, ~£14-16/night
- →Shared airport van or taxi transfer
- →Self-guided walk of riverside, Royal Gardens and Wat Bo Pagoda
- →Buy 3-day Angkor pass at Angkor Enterprise ticket office (US$62)
Sunrise at Angkor Wat, then Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm
Angkor Archaeological Park
Beat the crowds: arrange with your tuk-tuk driver the night before for a 4:45am pickup (full-day tuk-tuk hire is US$18-25 / £15-20 — split between two people it's half that). Watch sunrise from the reflection pool on the north side of Angkor Wat, then go straight into the temple as it opens — the inner galleries and bas-reliefs are far quieter before 7am. If you want a storyteller, book a GetYourGuide small-group sunrise tour (~£25-35) which covers Angkor Wat plus Angkor Thom; otherwise read the free audio guide or a cheap PDF guidebook. Cycle or tuk-tuk on to Angkor Thom: Bayon's face towers, Baphuon, Phimeanakas, the Terrace of the Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King are all inside the same walled city. Stop for lunch at one of the simple restaurants opposite Banteay Kdei (~£3-4), then do Ta Prohm (the jungle-strangled one), Banteay Kdei and finish at Sras Srang's royal bathing pool. Back in town by late afternoon — cold beer and a massage (~£5) if you've got the energy.
🚌Full-day tuk-tuk hire ~£17 (split with a friend), or bicycle rental ~£2/day for the fit
🛏Same guesthouse, ~£14-16/night
- →Sunrise at Angkor Wat reflection pool
- →Angkor Wat inner galleries and bas-reliefs
- →Bayon, Baphuon, Phimeanakas, Terraces of the Elephants and Leper King
- →Ta Prohm, Banteay Kdei, Sras Srang
Banteay Srei, the small temple loop and Pre Rup sunset
Angkor Archaeological Park (north and east)
This is a longer day out — the tuk-tuk driver will quote US$25-30 (~£20-24) for the Banteay Srei loop, because it's 35km out. Start early and go straight to Banteay Srei, the pink sandstone 'citadel of women' with the finest carvings in Angkor — it's small and gets packed from 9:30am, so get there for opening. On the way back take in Banteay Samré, Neak Pean (the island temple in the middle of a reservoir), Ta Som (with the tree growing through its gate) and the long monastic corridors of Preah Khan. Break for lunch at a local restaurant near Preah Khan (~£3-4). In the afternoon stop at a roadside Khmer village to see palm sugar being boiled down — drivers will pull in if you ask, and it's free (buy a cone of palm sugar for 50p). Finish at Pre Rup for sunset over the rice fields with the temple's brick towers in silhouette. Read up on the Angkor Empire's water engineering before you go; it makes Neak Nean and Pre Rup click into place.
🚌Full-day tuk-tuk to Banteay Srei ~£22 (split between two ~£11 each)
🛏Same guesthouse, ~£14-16/night
- →Banteay Srei carvings
- →Banteay Samré, Neak Pean, Ta Som, Preah Khan
- →Village palm sugar demonstration
- →Sunset at Pre Rup
Tonle Sap floating village and the Roluos Group
Tonle Sap / Roluos / Siem Reap
Skip the operator's private boat and instead book a shared boat trip to Kompong Khleang or Kompong Phluk through your guesthouse or a hostel tour desk — shared seat-in-boat trips run about US$20-25 (~£16-20) including transport and entry, versus far more for a private charter. Kompong Khleang is the more authentic, less touristed option; go in the morning for the market activity on the water and the stilted houses (in dry season you'll see the 10m stilts in full). Back in town, hire a tuk-tuk for a couple of hours (~£8) to the Roluos Group — Bakong, Preah Ko and Lolei, the earliest Angkorian temple mountain and worth a quiet hour. Later, wander the Royal Residence Park and Wat Bo Pagoda yourself, and visit the Artisans d'Angkor workshop (free entry, a good place to buy silk and stonework at fair prices rather than a commission-driven souvenir stop).
🚌Shared boat trip incl. transfer ~£18; short tuk-tuk to Roluos ~£8
🛏Same guesthouse, ~£14-16/night
- →Shared boat trip to Kompong Khleang or Kompong Phluk floating village
- →Roluos Group: Bakong, Preah Ko, Lolei
- →Royal Residence Park and Wat Bo Pagoda
- →Artisans d'Angkor workshop (free)
Phnom Kulen: River of a Thousand Lingas and the waterfall
Phnom Kulen National Park
Phnom Kulen is the sacred mountain where the Khmer empire was founded and needs its own separate entry ticket — US$20 (~£16), paid at the park gate (the Angkor pass doesn't cover it). There's no public bus, so the realistic budget option is to join a shared day trip from a Siem Reap hostel/tour desk (~£20-28 including ticket and transport) or split a tuk-tuk/car for the day (~£30-35 total, £15-18 each). Go early: climb to the mountaintop monastery with its reclining Buddha, walk the short jungle trail to the River of a Thousand Lingas where carvings sit in the riverbed, then head to the two-tier waterfall. Bring swimwear — swimming in the lower pool is free and one of the best cool-offs in Cambodia. Stop at Poeng Ta Kho viewpoint for the views and look at the stilt homes of the villages on the drive out (in dry season you'll see them in full). Lunch is simple fried rice/noodles at the park stalls (~£3). Back in town mid-afternoon; evening at the Old Market or a cheap Khmer BBQ.
🚌Shared Phnom Kulen day trip ~£24 (incl. US$20 park entry)
🛏Same guesthouse, ~£14-16/night
- →Reclining Buddha at Phnom Kulen monastery
- →River of a Thousand Lingas
- →Phnom Kulen waterfall swim
- →Poeng Ta Kho viewpoint
- →Village stilt houses drive
Market morning and departure
Siem Reap
Last morning: a slow breakfast, then the Old Market (Psar Chas) or the more local Psar Leu for coffee, fruit and gifts — much cheaper than airport shops. If you have a late flight, one cheap option the group tour doesn't offer is a half-day countryside bike ride through the rice paddies around Wat Athvea (~£3 bike hire). Get to the airport in good time — the new Siem Reap Angkor International Airport is roughly 50km away and the drive takes about an hour, so allow buffer. Shared van ~£7 or Grab ~£12-15.
🚌Shared airport van ~£7; allow 60-75 min for the 50km transfer
🛏Checkout (no overnight cost)
- →Old Market and Psar Leu browsing
- →Optional countryside cycle
- →Shared van to Siem Reap Angkor International Airport
Self-launched vs. About Cambodia Travel & Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | About Cambodia Travel & Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£389 | £657 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £268 per person (41%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more About Cambodia Travel & Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£389
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Angkor Temples: 6 Days in Siem Reap, Independent cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £389 per person for 6 days in Siem Reap, Cambodia. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with About Cambodia Travel & Tours?+
Yes — About Cambodia Travel & Tours charges around £657 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £389 — a saving of roughly £268 (41%) per person.
How long is the Siem Reap, Cambodia trip?+
This itinerary runs 6 days, covering 6 day-by-day stops through Siem Reap, Cambodia.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, adventure, budget trip through Siem Reap, Cambodia, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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