A Complete Guide to Angkor Thom (2025)
Having visited over half of the temples in Siem Reap, I ended up with a list of clear favourites. You might think the world famous Angkor Wat would come out at the top of the list, but here’s the thing. I loved its neighbour, Angkor Thom, so much more. I passed through this city every day over the course of 7 days and fell in love with everything it had to offer. From walking the walls of Angkor Thom in the morning to visiting the famous Bayon temple, this post will offer you a complete guide to Angkor Thom, the Great City of Angkor.
History
Angkor Thom, translating to “Great City,” was the last capital of the Khmer Empire built in the late 12th century by King Jayavarman VII. This temple complex covers nearly 10 square kilometers (Yes, it’s bigger than the Angkor Wat complex) and is one of the most iconic historical sites in Cambodia. It is located just north of the more famous Angkor Wat and serves as a testament to the empire’s grandeur and architectural genius.
As the capital, Angkor Thom was designed with remarkable symmetry, incorporating elements of Buddhist and Hindu mythology. The city was surrounded by a massive wall, with gates on each of its four sides, each adorned with massive stone faces, believed to represent the king himself (or the Hindu God Brahma as some may have it). I the middle of the city, lies the Bayon Temple, with a total of 216 faces staring down at you from all angles. Ya, totally not scary at all.
How to get to Angkor Thom
Situated less than 1 km away from Angkor Wat, this can be reached easily by your own vehicle, cab or a tuk tuk. We had rented out a motorcycle for the length of our stay in Cambodia, which really helped us visit Angkor Thom almost every day.
Any tours you take in Siem Reap will definitely include Bayon Temple in the list, as it is part of the Big 3, and will make a stop at one of the gates for a photo-op. However, many of the things mentioned in this guide are better done on your own.
Map of Angkor Thom
Here’s a map of Angkor Thom if you are a visual person like me. The N-S road and the W-E road intersect at the Bayon temple. Out of the 5 gates, South Gate, Victory Gate and the North Gate see the most traffic.
Entrance Fees and Timings
The entrance to Angkor Thom is included in the Angkor Pass. You can either go for a 1 day pass which costs 37 USD, 3 days pass which costs 62 USD and 7 days pass which costs 72 USD. You can buy it at the Angkor Ticket Office in Siem Reap or you can choose to book it online on their official site. You will be asked to show the ticket every time you enter any of the temples inside Angkor Thom.
There are no timings to visit the walls, though I wouldn’t suggest to walk the walls too early in the morning or after dark. The temples are usually open from 7:30 AM to 5:30 AM.
Things to see/do in Angkor Thom:
1. Walking the walls of Angkor Thom
Path to the top of the wall from the South Gate Dirt road that's easy to walk/ride on
One of my favourite memories of Siem Reap was walking the walls of Angkor Thom in the early hours of the morning. And it’s really not as hard as I thought it would be.
While you can choose to start in any of the 5 gates, it is easiest to do so from the South Gate. Not only is the path more clearly marked, but since it’s popularly used by the locals for cycling / walking, I found the road well trodden and free of spider webs.
The walls are 4 km on each side, so walking the full circumference (16km!) will take around 5-6 hours depending on your pace. The corners have Prasat Chrungs (or corner temples) where you can stop at for a respite. If you are short on time, you can choose to walk from one of the gates to a corner and back, which will be roughly 4kms. A leisurely walk here should take 1 – 1.5 hours.
Dirt trail that leads to the top of the Angkor Thom walls The path on top of the wall
I’ve been told the one at the south west and north east are the most well maintained ones, so if you don’t have the time to walk all the way around, you can choose to do just the South Gate – South West corner or North gate to North East corner.
2. Explore the 5 gates of Angkor Thom
Angkor Thom has 4 gates at the four cardinal directions – North Gate, East Gate (also called the Gate of the Dead), South Gate, West Gate and an additional 5th Gate at the East side called as the Victory Gate.
The five gates are topped by the massive figurehead of four smiling faces, flanked by a three headed elephant on either side. The causeway that crosses the moat has 54 Gods on one side and 54 demons on the other holding the body of the serpent – a scene depicting the Hindu myth of Samudra Manthana (translating to “The Churning of the Ocean), where the gods and demons use a serpent to churn the ocean to get the elixir of immortality.
Causeway at the Angkor Thom South Gate
South Gate: Perhaps the most popular of gates since it connects Angkor Wat to Bayon. The causeway and the moat is very well preserved and restored here. Expect a lot of crowd if you get here later in the day.
Angkor Thom West Gate Three headed elephants at the Angkor Thom West Gate Sunset at the Angkor Thom West Gate
West Gate: This is probably the gate with the least crowd whilst also being well preserved. This place is beautiful especially during sunset and is one of my favourite sunset spots in the city.
Victory Gate: This is the gate on the east side of the city and the gate you need to pass through to visit temples like Thommanon and Ta Nei.
This is the most photogenic gate of the lot. I love how the trees frame the gate perfectly. This is also one of the best sunrise spots in the city.
Gate of the Dead Sunrise at the Gate of the Dead 
East Gate or the Gate of the Dead: This is the least visited gate of them all and the one that sees little to no traffic since it doesn’t connect to any of the modern-day roads. The faces are also less preserved than the others, so not many take the trouble to visit this gate. But the overgrown trees and the abandoned look of the place add such a mystical aura to this place that I would highly recommend that you don’t skip this.
How to reach here: If you take the road which is on the east of Bayon, you will reach this gate eventually. But be aware that the road is a mud road and quite bumpy and scary at places, especially in the early morning with no one around. If you want to avoid the bumpy ride you can also take a shortcut from Victory Gate and reach here via a dirt trail which is much easier. Just follow the signs near the Victory Gate.
North Gate: This is the gate you would take to go to Preah Khan and other northern most temples in Siem Reap. While this is not so popular, this does see a fair bit of vehicular traffic.
3. Visit the famous Bayon Temple
One of the Big Three temples in Siem Reap, Bayon Temple, is the central monument in the city of Angkor Thom. The roads from the four gates intersect at the Bayon, making you marvel at the symmetry with which the ancient Khmer people designed this entire city.
The temple is huge, and requires a minimum of 1 hour to fully explore, even with the upper levels closed to visitors. The first level when you enter has stunning bas-reliefs of war, rural life and several Hindu myths. You will find several lingas in the second level. Entry to the third level which takes you level with the faces is no longer allowed.
Since it’s a popular site to visit, it gets pretty crowded especially in the morning, as people come here after catching the sunrise at Angkor Wat.
Timings: 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM to enter the temple. However, you can enter the temple grounds at any time. There are plenty of monkeys around this temple so be careful with your belongings.
This temple has an almost otherworldly feel to it when you see it for the first time and is a sight that is not to be missed when you are in Siem Reap.
Bayon Temple at sunset A closeup of the Bayon Temple Bayon Temple
4. Visit the other famous temples and palace inside Angkor Thom
Baphoun Temple Prasat Prea Palilay
You would need at least one full day to explore Angkor Thom, due to the sheer number of temples inside it. While you are here, be sure to keep some time aside to visit:
- Baphoun temple: Deemed the biggest jigsaw in the world, this is a temple that’s not to be missed while in Angkor Thom.
- Prasat Prea Palilay: A temple with a tree growing out of it. One of my favourites in the complex. the trees growing out of the temple makes it look so beautiful!
- Phimeneakas temple: The Royal Palace situated right near Bayon.
- Terrace of the Elephants: Located in front of the royal palace, this iconic monument showcases huge elephant carvings.
- Terrace of the Leper King: Located just beside the Terrace of the Elephants, this is some of the most intricate carvings that are not to be missed.
- Suor Prat: Group of 12 towers located opposite Bayon.
- Preah Pithu group: Group of 5 temples located near the royal palace.
5. Visit the Prasat Chrungs on top of the Angkor Thom walls
Okay, so you have visited all the temples inside the city. But what about the temples on the city walls? When visiting Angkor Thom, don’t forget to take a walk on the walls and visit the Prasat Chrungs or corner temples at the four corners of the city. Imagine walking up on ancient wall and coming across rundown temples taken over by the jungle. Makes you feel like Lara Croft.
If you don’t have time to visit all four, visit the most preserved ones at the South West or North East corner.
Notes/Tips
- Buy the Angkor Pass online. It is so much more convenient, no need to carry around a physical pass and you can just show your ticket from your phone anywhere.
- If you are short on time, you can squeeze in the entire Angkor Thom in a single day.
- Be sure to wear loose, comfortable clothing since it’s hot in Cambodia all throughout the year.
- Carry sunscreen and a hat to protect yourself from the sun. A bug spray comes in handy as well.
- Plan your days so that you have the afternoons off to rest under the A/C in your hotel. Get an early start to avoid the heat. You can head back out just before sunset.
FAQs
What are the must-see attractions inside Angkor Thom?
Key highlights include the Bayon Temple, Baphuon, Phimeanakas, Terrace of the Elephants, and Terrace of the Leper King.
How much time is required to see Angkor Thom?
Keep aside at least a day if you want to fully see Angkor Thom. If you are short on time, you can skip a few and just visit the main attractions in a few hours.
How can you reach Angkor Thom from Siem Reap?
Angkor Thom is just a 20-minute tuk-tuk ride from Siem Reap, and less than 2km away from Angkor Wat.
What is the best time to visit Angkor Thom?
The temples inside Angkor Thom are open from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM. The gates are best visited in the early mornings before 7 AM if you want to avoid the crowd.
