The history of Angkor Thom
Angkor Thom, which translates to “Great City,” was the last capital of the Khmer Empire, built in the late 12th century by King Jayavarman VII. The complex covers nearly 10 square kilometres which is actually bigger than the Angkor Wat complex. It sits just north of Angkor Wat and tells you more about how the Khmer empire functioned as a city.
As the capital, Angkor Thom was designed with remarkable symmetry, blending Buddhist and Hindu mythology. The city is ringed by a massive wall with a gate on each of its four sides, every one crowned with enormous stone faces, believed to represent the king himself (or, depending on who you ask, the Hindu god Brahma). At the very centre sits Bayon Temple, with 216 faces gazing down at you from every angle. Totally not unsettling at all.
Angkor Thom vs Angkor Wat: what’s the difference?
I think this needs some clarification, since this trips up a lot of first-timers: Angkor Wat is a single (enormous) temple, while Angkor Thom is an entire walled city containing many temples: Bayon, Baphuon, the royal palace and many more. They’re less than 1 km apart and both covered by the same Angkor Pass, so you can visit both of them with the same ticket. I just happen to think the Great City is the more magical of the two.
How to get to Angkor Thom
Sitting less than 1 km from Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom is easy to reach by car, taxi or tuk-tuk and is roughly a 20-minute tuk-tuk ride from Siem Reap. We rented a motorcycle for our whole stay in Cambodia, which made popping into Angkor Thom almost daily wonderfully easy.
Any organised tour in Siem Reap will include Bayon Temple (it’s one of the “Big Three”) and usually stops at one of the gates for a photo op. But honestly, many of the best things in this guide, the walls, the quieter gates, are far better done on your own, at your own pace.
Map of Angkor Thom
For the visual people like me: the north–south and west–east roads intersect right at Bayon Temple. Of the five gates, the South Gate, Victory Gate and North Gate see the most traffic.
Entrance Fees and Timings
Entry to Angkor Thom is included in the Angkor Pass:
| Pass | Price (USD) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 day | $37 | A whirlwind Big Three visit |
| 3 days | $62 | Most travellers |
| 7 days | $72 | Temple obsessives (hi! 👋) |
Buy it at the Angkor Ticket Office in Siem Reap or online on the official site. You’ll be asked to show it each time you enter a temple inside Angkor Thom.
There are no fixed timings for the walls, though I wouldn’t recommend walking them too early before dawn or after dark (it gets scary). The temples themselves are generally open 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM.
Things to see and do in Angkor Thom
1. Walking the walls of Angkor Thom
One of my favourite memories of Siem Reap is walking the walls of Angkor Thom in the early morning, with no one around.
You can start from any of the five gates, but the South Gate is easiest: the path is clearly marked, and because locals use it for cycling and walking, it’s well-trodden and (blessedly) free of spider webs.
Each wall is 4 km long, so the full circumference is 16 km, about 5–6 hours at a leisurely pace. The corners hold Prasat Chrungs (corner temples) where you can pause for a breather. Short on time? Walk from one gate to a corner and back, roughly 4 km, or 1–1.5 hours. You can also rent bicycles and cycle on top of the walls.
I’ve been told the southwest and northeast corners are the best-preserved, so if you can’t do the full loop, walk South Gate → southwest corner or North Gate → northeast corner.
2. Explore the 5 gates of Angkor Thom
Angkor Thom has four gates at the cardinal points: North, East (the Gate of the Dead), South and West, plus a fifth on the east side, the Victory Gate.
Each gate is topped by the now-iconic four smiling faces and flanked by a three-headed elephant on either side. The causeway crossing the moat is lined with 54 gods on one side and 54 demons on the other, holding a serpent, depicting the Hindu myth of Samudra Manthana, the Churning of the Ocean, where gods and demons churn the sea for the elixir of immortality.
South Gate: the most popular, as it connects Angkor Wat to Bayon. The causeway and moat are beautifully preserved and restored. Expect crowds later in the day.
West Gate: probably the least crowded and still well preserved. It’s gorgeous at sunset and one of my favourite sunset spots in the city.
Victory Gate: on the east side, this is the gate you pass through for temples like Thommanon and Ta Nei. It’s the most photogenic of the lot, the trees frame it perfectly, and one of the best sunrise spots in the city.
East Gate (Gate of the Dead): the least visited, with little to no traffic since it doesn’t connect to any modern road. The faces are less preserved, so most people skip it. But the overgrown trees and the abandoned, mystical aura make it one I’d urge you not to miss.
North Gate: the route to Preah Khan and the northernmost temples. Less famous, but it does see a fair bit of vehicle traffic.
3. Visit the famous Bayon Temple
One of Siem Reap’s Big Three, Bayon is the central monument of Angkor Thom. The roads from all four gates meet here, and standing at the centre you can’t help but marvel at the symmetry the ancient Khmers built into the entire city.
Bayon is huge – budget at least an hour, even with the upper level closed. The first level has stunning bas-reliefs of war, rural life and Hindu myths; the second holds several lingas. (Access to the third level, which once put you face-to-face with the giant carved faces, is no longer allowed.)
It’s hugely popular and gets crowded in the morning, as people arrive straight from sunrise at Angkor Wat. Timings: 7:30 AM–5:30 PM to enter the temple, though you can wander the grounds any time. Watch your belongings as there are plenty of monkeys here.
Seeing Bayon for the first time is an almost out-of-body experience. Your brain just cannot fathom what your eyes are seeing. Do not miss this on your Cambodia trip.
4. Visit the other famous temples and palace inside Angkor Thom
You’ll want at least a full day at Angkor Thom given the sheer number of temples. Don’t miss:
- Baphuon Temple – dubbed the world’s largest jigsaw puzzle. Unmissable.
- Prasat Preah Palilay – a temple with a tree growing straight out of it; one of my favourites in the whole complex.
- Phimeanakas – the royal palace temple, right near Bayon.
- Terrace of the Elephants – fronting the royal palace, with its enormous elephant carvings.
- Terrace of the Leper King – beside the Elephant Terrace, with some of the most intricate carvings in Angkor.
- Suor Prat – a group of 12 towers opposite Bayon.
- Preah Pithu group – five temples near the royal palace.
5. Find the Prasat Chrungs on top of the walls
You’ve seen the temples inside the city but what about the ones on the walls? Don’t leave without walking up to the Prasat Chrungs, the corner temples at the four corners of Angkor Thom. Picture climbing an ancient rampart and stumbling onto a crumbling temple swallowed by jungle. It will make you feel like you’re Lara Croft.
If you can’t do all four, the southwest and northeast corners are the best-preserved.
Tips for visiting Angkor Thom
- Buy the Angkor Pass online – far more convenient than a physical pass; just show it from your phone.
- You can do Angkor Thom in a single day if you’re short on time, but a relaxed pace is better.
- Wear loose, comfortable clothing. Cambodia is hot year-round (and shoulders/knees covered for temples).
- Carry sunscreen, a hat and bug spray. The midday sun is no joke.
- Beat the heat: start early, take the afternoon off in the A/C, and head back out just before sunset.
- For the gates without crowds, visit before 7 AM. The light is better and the faces will be all yours.
