Cycling Cambodia Tour: 9-Day Itinerary from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh

Welcome to Siem Reap, the gem of Cambodia known for its charming small city and the magnificent temples of Angkor Wat. We’ll meet today after lunch at 2:30 pm in our hotel for a quick bike fitting and our inaugural ride through the countryside. Our ride takes us out to the flat, red dirt roads of the Siem Reap countryside, where we’ll cycle past bright green rice paddies and through small villages. You are sure to receive a wave, enthusiastic greetings, and a genuine smile from local children or townspeople. At the end of the ride, we’ll enjoy our first traditional Khmer meal together at a village home. This is a foodies’ dream and always delicious, you will not find more authentic Khmer cuisine and you get to dive right in on your first night!

Rise and shine! We’ll make our way in darkness to Angkor National Park for the mystical experience of witnessing the sunrise over Angkor Wat. If we’re lucky, the brilliant pinks and oranges of the sky will illuminate the towers of the main temple spectacularly. Once the sun is in the sky and the crowds of tourists have dispersed, we’ll make our way through the Angkor Wat temple complex by foot and on two wheels, stopping along the way for a private breakfast. We’ll cycle hidden dirt tracks through the jungle of this national park to well-known temples such as Bayon and Ta Prohm, as well as some lesser known structures. After some time to rest from the day’s excursion in the afternoon, we’ll make our way to a show put on by the Phare Circus. This talented troupe of acrobatic performers always put on an entertaining show, complete with impressive stunts and an interesting backstory.

This morning we’ll set off on our bikes to the Woman’s Temple, Banteay Srei. This 10th-century place of worship is known for the intricate carvings found in its ruins, and the ride out of town to this remote structure will provide an interesting day of cycling. Once we’ve explored the temple’s grounds, we'll take a look at Kbal Spean and it's ancient carvings etched out of the riverbed. The waterway is referred to as the 'River of a thousand Lingas' and the water is said to be made holy as it passes over these sacred artworks.
Following our river trek, we'll ride to the nearby ACCB Wildlife Conservation Centre and tour the facility. Here we'll see enormous birds, cheeky langur monkeys, gibbons and more, and you can often hear hornbills overhead. After a full day of exploring we'll spare your legs from the long return journey with a transfer back into town.

This morning we’ll hop on a plane for a short ride to Cambodia’s capital: Phnom Penh. 
Welcome to Phnom Penh! Cambodia’s capital city, Phnom Penh sits at the confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers, and was once considered one of the most beautiful cities in the Orient. Despite its recent, turbulent history, it still retains much of its former colonial charm. Wide, tree-lined boulevards and colonial-era buildings reflect the city’s glory days and add to its allure, where Asian and Western traditions meet in a fascinating way.
Before the tour begins, enjoy lunch along the riverfront. After lunch, begin a short tour of the city via Cyclo, a favoured mode of transport in Phnom Penh.
Begin the tour with a visit to the 19th century Royal Palace and its Silver Pagoda, named for the over 5,000 heavy silver tiles that cover its floors. The temple is renowned for its marvellous collection of Buddhas cast in gold, silver, crystal, and bronze.
The National Museum, next on the list, is not far from the Royal Palace. Built in traditional Khmer style, it houses the world's foremost collection of ancient Khmer artistic, archaeological, and religious artifacts from the 4th to the 13th centuries. Displayed in its halls are over 5,000 pieces of the Kingdom’s unique archaeological heritage. The National Museum is of interest not only for its contents, but also for safe housing thousands of bats living in its Khmer style roof.
Return to the hotel to relax after this afternoon’s tour. Dinner this evening will be served at Romdeng, an NGO restaurant where former street children are taught the principles of hospitality. The restaurant is located in a restored colonial building with an atmospheric garden right in the city center.

Begin the day exploring Cambodia’s recent dark history on a visit to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. The audio headset guide provided is available in 15 different languages and gives some harrowing but informative stories from survivors and liberators of the camp. Visiting the fields is a grim, but important visit that provides unique insights into the current state of Cambodia.
After the visit, transfer on to a local temple and begin riding toward Tonle Bati, a recreation area where the Khmers like to spend their leisure time. The region also houses an Angkorian-style temple, which remains largely intact.
Continue the cycle on towards Phnom Chisor. Climb to the top of the mountain to explore the well-preserved ruins of a 10th century Angkorian temple. Enjoy an amazing view over the typical Cambodian countryside.
As the day wraps up, head in to Takeo, a small town that is truly Cambodian in every sense. Enjoy a simple but tasty dinner at a local restaurant. Observing the small city life is quite interesting, as basically anything beyond imagination happens here in terms of transportation, market life and business. Prepare for the hundreds of children shouting their “hellos” as the last few kilometres of the trip come to a close.

After breakfast, transfer about one hour into the countryside for the day’s starting point. Start the tour heading towards Kep, Cambodia’s prestigious seaside resort of the 1960s, which is quickly returning to its former fame. The small town offers reminders of the country’s past and a growing choice of activities to choose from, including island trips, a national park visit, and the famous crab market.
Upon reaching the outskirts, keep an eye out for decaying 1960s villas and the royal residence, reminders of Kep’s heyday as a high society seaside retreat abandoned during the Khmer Rouge. After arriving at the hotel, enjoy some delicious seafood and a pleasant rest.
 

Strike an easy pace today to cover the distance between Kep and Kampot. On the way, stop and visit one of the many pepper farms in this area. Kampot is known for its premium quality pepper that used to be essential for French chefs in the 1960s.
Rising up from the low lying plains of this area is the mountain of Phnom Chhnork. Inside this cave is a 7th century temple. After visiting, cycle a bit further to the Steung Keo River, and follow it along the dusty roads to Kampot proper. This charming riverside town with magnificent surroundings is still dominated by French colonial architecture and the people are very open and friendly.
This evening, take some time to stroll through town and choose one of the many local restaurants and have a drink at one of the charming riverside bars.

Transfer this morning to the iconic Bokor Mountain, once an abandoned French hill station. Well known among locals and historians, it is home to several ruins from the French colonial days. Modern development is taking away from some of the historic parts of the park, but a fine view can be seen over the ocean and towards Vietnam amongst a cooler climate.
Begin cycling from the Yeay Mao statues toward the top of the mountain for about 11 kilometers. The destination at the top is a small waterfall, famous among the local population. Cool off a bit here before turning back once more for the best part of the day: the descent.
Turn back and enjoy a breezy way down to the Yeay Mao statues. For those who have good experience with technical descents, carry on another twenty-two kilometres to the bottom of Bokor.
After lunch at the bottom of the mountain, it’s time to transfer back to Phnom Penh

Take some time to enjoy Phnom Penh this morning. Guide and driver will be available to transfer to the airport for the departing flight.