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Angkor Christmas Special Day Tour: Expert Guide, Zero 5 AM Starts, Amazing Photos
The Angkor Christmas Special Day Tour packs four great temples, a monk blessing and a village palm cake stop into one calm private day that starts at 8:15, not at dawn, and still has you back at your hotel by 5.
Angkor Christmas Special Day Tour: Expert Guide, Zero 5 AM Starts, Amazing Photos
Angkor Christmas Special Day Tour 2026 and 2027: the ultimate easygoing day for couples, families and solo travelers who want soft light, thin crowds and zero rushing in Christmas week.
The Angkor Christmas Special Day Tour covers Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, a monk blessing, Preah Dak village and two quiet jungle temples in one private day. It starts at 8:15 AM, so you skip the sunrise scramble that makes Christmas week hard work.
A licensed guide rides with you the whole time, and the car waits with cold water and towels after every stop. The monk blessing, fresh coconut and palm cake tasting are already in the price. Lunch is the one meal you handle yourself, and your guide will point you to a good spot. If you want the easiest Siem Reap temple tour going, without a 5 AM alarm, this is it.
Highlights
- Angkor Wat at 8:15 AM, after the sunrise crowd has cleared out, with time to stand on the causeway and take it in.
- Angkor Thom at 10 AM, entered through the South Gate, with the faces of Bayon, the Baphuon pyramid and the Terrace of the Elephants.
- A monk blessing at a working pagoda, chanted over you by name, the way local families do it.
- Cold coconut in your hand and nothing on the schedule while the midday heat passes.
- Warm palm cakes straight off the grill in Preah Dak village, included in the tour price.
- Ta Prohm and Banteay Kdei after 2:30 PM, when the big groups have already headed back to town and the light turns soft and kind to cameras.
ANGKOR CHRISTMAS SPECIAL DAY TOUR: WHERE YOU GO AND WHAT YOU GET
Six stops, one private car, no rushing. Here is the route and the point of each place.
- Angkor Wat. The long galleries of carvings read like a stone comic book when someone explains them, and your guide does exactly that. You get the stories, the photo angles and the space to enjoy both.
- Angkor Thom. Jayavarman VII’s walled city holds Bayon and its 200 plus stone faces, the Baphuon pyramid and the Terrace of the Elephants. You get the empire’s greatest hits in one stop.
- A working pagoda. A monk blesses you with chant and blessed water. You get a moment of calm that most visitors never hear about, let alone experience.
- Preah Dak village. You get off the bus route and into a countryside street where palm sugar still cooks in big woks. The palm cakes come warm, and they come with the tour.
- Ta Prohm. Tree roots spill over the temple walls like something out of a movie set, because it was one. You get the famous jungle atmosphere while the paths stay walkable.
- Banteay Kdei. A quiet monastery most cars drive straight past. You get a soft landing for the afternoon, with cool corridors and almost nobody in them.
Angkor Christmas Special Day Tour Itinerary
Here is how the Angkor Christmas Special Day Tour unfolds, hour by hour.
8:15 AM. Angkor Wat. Your guide walks you through the galleries of carvings and explains the stories in the stone. Photos happen without anyone rushing you along.
10:00 AM. Angkor Thom. In through the South Gate, past the rows of giant faces on the wall, then Bayon, Baphuon and the Terrace of the Elephants.
11:45 AM. Monk blessing and a real break. You sit at a live pagoda while a monk chants, then drink cold coconut water in the shade while the hottest hour passes.
12:15 PM. Lunch near the temples, on your own account. Your guide knows a spot nearby with quick Khmer food, so the day keeps moving.
1:30 PM. Preah Dak village. An hour of slow time. Watch the village go about its afternoon, snack on local bites and try the palm cake, sweet with palm sugar and fresh off the grill.
2:30 PM. Ta Prohm and Banteay Kdei. Big tree roots grow through the walls at Ta Prohm. Banteay Kdei sits quiet nearby, and few groups bother with it.
5:00 PM. Drop off at your hotel. Cold towels in the car on the way, and the evening is still yours.
Angkor Christmas Special Day Tour Pricing
Skip the 5 AM wake up and see Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom with the faces of Bayon, a monk blessing, palm cakes in Preah Dak, then Ta Prohm and Banteay Kdei in the soft afternoon light. Pricing is based on the total number of travelers in your private group, with the total tour price and approximate price per person shown below.
| Group size | Tour price per group | Price per person |
|---|---|---|
| 1 traveler | $160.00 | $160.00 |
| 2 travelers | $190.00 | $95.00 |
| 3 travelers | $240.00 | $80.00 |
| 4 travelers | $280.00 | $70.00 |
| 5 travelers | $325.00 | $65.00 |
| 6 travelers | $360.00 | $60.00 |
| 7 travelers | $385.00 | $55.00 |
| 8 travelers | $400.00 | $50.00 |
| 9 travelers | $405.00 | $45.00 |
| 10 travelers | $430.00 | $43.00 |
Please note: Prices are based on the total number of travelers in your private group. The Angkor Pass and lunch are not included in the tour price. The monk blessing, fresh coconut drink and the Preah Dak palm cake tasting are included. For groups larger than 10 travelers, please contact us for a custom quotation.
Pickup and Drop Off
Your driver collects you at your Siem Reap hotel in the morning, early enough to reach Angkor Wat by 8:15. Tell us your hotel when you book and we confirm the exact pickup time the day before. The same vehicle stays with you all day, so your bags, water and towels ride along all day long.
At the end, the car drops you back at your hotel around 5:00 PM, traffic permitting. Christmas week adds congestion to the roads into town, so treat the return time as close rather than exact.
Included
- Private car or van with air conditioning and your own driver.
- A licensed guide who speaks English for the whole day.
- Cold bottled water all day, plus cold towels after each temple stop.
- The monk blessing at the working pagoda.
- A fresh coconut drink per guest.
- The Preah Dak snack stop, palm cake tasting included.
Tour Exclusions
- The Angkor temple pass. Buy it online ahead of Christmas week, since the ticket booths run busy too.
- Lunch and any extra food or drinks outside the list above.
- Personal spending, shopping and souvenirs.
- Gratuities for the guide and driver, if you are happy with the day. Never required, always appreciated.
What to Bring
- Your Angkor temple pass, or the e ticket on your phone.
- Light clothes that cover shoulders and knees. The pagoda and the temples both enforce this.
- Shoes you can walk in for a few hours. The ground gets hot and uneven.
- A hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. Shade inside the temples is patchy.
- Some cash in small bills for lunch, cold drinks and souvenirs.
- A camera or a phone with free space. You will use it.
Additional Information
- Book early. Christmas week dates go first, and private guides get claimed fast. A message with your dates locks yours in.
- Photographers, the afternoon block is your friend. Ta Prohm’s roots sit in even light after 2:30 PM, and Banteay Kdei is usually empty enough to set up a shot.
- The 8:15 start is a choice, not a compromise. Sunrise visits get the crowds and the fog on the glass of the crowds. You get the temple, the story and the space.
- Kids handle this day well. The long break in the middle means nobody melts down by lunch.
- Want more after dark? The Phare Cambodian Circus evening pairs perfectly with this tour, and the Sacred Circuit Bike Tour covers the temples for travelers with an extra day.
The Angkor Christmas Special Day Tour exists because the best of Angkor should not cost you a 5 AM alarm or a day of racing. You see the four temples that matter, you get blessed, you eat warm palm cakes in a village most visitors skip, and someone else handles every minute of the logistics. Christmas week in Siem Reap fills up fast, so send your dates and the team will hold your day.
Cancellation Policy
- Full refunds are issued for cancellations made with at least 24 hours’ notice.
- Non-refundable: Cancellations made within 24 hours or no-shows will not receive a refund.
- Amendments: Changes must be communicated at least 24 hours in advance.
- Refund Processing: Refunds will be issued within 7 business days.
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Southeast Asia Journeys designs authentic, thoughtfully planned trips across Cambodia and the wider region, backed by dependable local support from arrival to departure. Experience the magic of an Angkor Wat sunrise, then travel further with knowledgeable local guides, comfortable transport, and personal service tailored to your journey.
