Cycling the Angkor circuit is the best way to experience the temples — a 26-kilometre loop through the archaeological park that passes the major temples (Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm, Preah Khan) along shaded forest roads that are flat, well-maintained, and punctuated by the kind of roadside discoveries (smaller temples, village life, monkeys, lotus ponds) that tuk-tuk passengers miss entirely.
Bicycles are available for rent from every guesthouse and hotel in Siem Reap (about $2-5 per day), and the ride from town to the temple complex (about 7 kilometres) takes 20-30 minutes along a tree-lined road. The small circuit (Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom/Bayon, Ta Prohm) is about 17 kilometres and can be done in a day; the grand circuit (adding Pre Rup, East Mebon, Ta Som, Preah Khan, Neak Pean) is about 26 kilometres and makes a longer day.
The advantages of cycling over tuk-tuk are numerous: you move at a speed that allows you to notice the carved stone half-hidden in the forest, the naga balustrade running alongside the road, or the monks in saffron robes walking between temples. You can stop whenever something catches your eye. And the physical effort of cycling in tropical heat creates an intimacy with the landscape — the heat, the dust, the shade of the ancient trees — that air-conditioned transport deliberately eliminates.
Verified Facts
The small circuit is approximately 17 kilometres
The grand circuit is approximately 26 kilometres
Bicycle rental costs $2-5 per day
The ride from Siem Reap to the temples is about 7 kilometres
Get walking directions
Starting from Siem Reap town, various routes
