Angkor Wat 1-day itinerary

Wake at 4:30am for the experience of a lifetime. Arrive at Angkor Wat by 5am to secure a spot at the reflecting pools for the iconic sunrise silhouette — the five lotus-bud towers against a sky shifting from purple to gold is one of the most photographed moments on earth. Buy a 1-day pass ($37) at the ticket office (opens 5am, card accepted). After sunrise, explore the temple complex — the bas-reliefs stretching 800 metres depicting Hindu mythology are staggering in detail.

Tuk-tuk to Angkor Thom, the ancient walled city. Enter through the South Gate — a dramatic causeway lined with stone gods and demons pulling a giant naga serpent. Bayon temple at the centre has 216 serene stone faces carved into 54 towers — every angle reveals another mysterious smile. Continue to the Baphuon pyramid temple, the Terrace of the Elephants, and the Terrace of the Leper King. Lunch at one of the local stalls near Angkor Thom ($3–5 for rice and curry).

Visit Ta Prohm — the "Tomb Raider temple" where giant strangler fig and silk-cotton trees have consumed the sandstone ruins. Roots cascade over doorways and through walls creating the most photogenic temple in the complex. Then head to Pre Rup for sunset — this 10th-century pyramid temple offers panoramic views over the jungle canopy as the sky turns orange. Return to Siem Reap for dinner on Pub Street — fish amok ($4) and Angkor beer ($1).