Angkor and the Rise of Southeast Asian Civilization

This 10-day tour will take you to the most important and impressive sites of the ancient civilizations of Cambodia, with an emphasis on the great Khmer Empire.

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Itinerary

February 2-11, 2026

Day 0 - Monday, February 2 - Arrival in Phnom Penh

Evening: Flights arrive in Phnom Penh
Transport to Okay Boutique Hotel
Overnight at Okay Boutique Hotel

Day 1 - Tuesday, February 3 - Recovery Day in Phnom Penh

We will get a slow start for people to get acclimated and begin recovering from jet-lag. The plan for this day includes:

Visit to the National Museum of Cambodia: 1-2 hour.
Possibly including a guided tour.
Nice dinner at a Cambodian restaurant.

Other Phnom Penh activity options:

Visit to the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum: $5/person
Visit to the Sosoro economic museum: $5/person

Overnight at Okay Boutique Hotel

Day 2 - Wednesday, February 4 - Day trip to Angkor Borei

Today we will get a sample of the ancient pre-Angkor kingdom of Funan by visiting the sites of Angkor Borei and Phnom Da, about 50 miles south of Phnom Penh, as well as the Angkor Borei site museum. We could also visit the 11th-century hilltop temple of Phnom Chisor (requires a climb up some stairs).
Back in Phnom Penh for dinner.
Overnight at Okay Boutique Hotel

Day 3 - Thursday, February 5 - Travel to Siem Reap

Today we drive from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, from which over the next three days we will explore the Angkor Archaeological Park.
Depart mid- morning with a stop for lunch in Kampong Thom.
Get settled into Angkor Paradise Hotel.
Dinner in Siem Reap with time to walk around the Old Market/Pub Street and river area.
Overnight at Angkor Paradise Hotel

Day 4 - Friday, February 6 - Small Circuit at Angkor

This is the first of three solid days in Siem Reap. Rather than attempting to see everything immediately, we will begin with the "Small Circuit," which covers the most impressive temples, including Angkor Wat, the enigmatic stone faces of Bayon Temple, the jungle-strewn temple of Ta Prohm, as well as Prasat Kravan,Ta Keo, Angkor Thom, and Phnom Bakheng. On this and the following day, we will save our legs by renting tuk-tuks (up to four people in each) to travel around the circuit.
Overnight at Angkor Paradise Hotel

Day 5 - Saturday, February 7 - Bantey Srei and the Large Circuit at Ankgor

This morning, our bus will take us to Bantey Srei temple, widely considered a jewel of Khmer art, about 15 miles northeast of Angkor Wat.
After lunch, we will visit additional temples in the Large Circuit. These include the Bat Chum, Sras Srang, Pre Rup, East Mebon, Ta Som, Neak Pean, and Preah Khan temples.
Overnight at Angkor Paradise Hotel

Day 6 - Sunday, February 8 - Free Day in Siem Reap

Things to do and places to see are numerous around Siem Reap. This is a day for people to choose for themselves what they would like to see from Siem Reap.
Some options

Angkor National Museum: $12/person
Preah Norodom Sihanouk Museum: $3/person
APOPO demining rats visitor center: $10/person
Siem Reap Food Tours: $75/person

Overnight at Angkor Paradise Hotel

Day 7 - Monday, February 9 - Outings to Koh Ker and Beng Melea

Today we ride our bus away from Siem Reap to two fascinating sites, Koh Ker and Beng Melea. Koh Ker is about a 75-mile ride to a remote ancient Khmer capital surrounded by tropical forest and featuring an impressive seven-tiered pyramid. Beng Melea, 25 miles east of Angkor, Is largely unrestored and dated only by its architectural style, with thick brush thriving amidst its towers and courtyards and many of its stones lying in great heaps.
Return to Siem Reap for dinner.
Overnight at Angkor Paradise Hotel

Day 8 - Tuesday, February 10 - Banteay Chhmar as a day trip from Siem Reap

This will be our longest excursion from Siem Reap, but well worth it. This massive temple, with its satellite shrines and reservoir, is one of Cambodia's largest and least understood archaeological complexes of the Angkor period. It is full of artistic and architectural wonders. And if we can, we will have a meal in front of the temple with a traditional orchestra.
Overnight at Angkor Paradise Hotel

Day 9 - Wednesday, February 11 - Return to Phnom Penh

This morning we depart from Siem Reap on our way back to Phnom Penh. On the way, we will stop at the pre-Angkorian capital of Sambor Prei Kuk (believed to be the ancient Chenla kingdom). It's about 30-45 minutes from Kampong Thom town. We will arrive in Phnom Penh by the evening, the normal time for flights out.
Specific schedule:

Depart Siem Reap after breakfast and hotel check-out (9 am)
Arrive in Kampong Thom town for a short lunch (12 pm)
Depart for Sambor Prei Kuk at 12:30 - arrive at 1:15 or so 1-2 hours at Sambor Prei Kuk - depart around 3 pm
It's another 3-4 hours (traffic depending) back to Phnom Penh, so we will arrive around 7 pm and officially end the tour.

Participants who plan to depart the next day will need to book a hotel. If you choose our first Phnom Penh hotel, the Okay Boutique Hotel, we can help you arrange the booking.

About

An educational tour designed and organized by Archaeological Legacy Institute (ALI)

Guided by archaeologist Dr. Alison Carter of the University of Oregon, who studies the Angkor civilization and has undertaken fieldwork on Angkor since 2010, this 10-day tour will focus on the heartland of the Khmer Empire to introduce you to the most significant and impressive sites of ancient civilization in Cambodia. For most of the tour, after three days in Phnom Penh, we will stay in a very pleasant 4-star hotel in Siem Reap, near Angkor.

Our first full day in Phnom Penh will be slow-paced, including a visit to the modestly sized National Museum of Cambodia, a good place to begin experiencing the cultural history of this unique country. This place houses one of the world's largest collections of Khmer art.

On Day 2 we take a bus ride south of Phnom Penh to sample the pre-Angkor kingdom of Funan at Angkor Borei and its companion museum. Nearby, we will stop at the Khmer Kingdom hilltop temple of Phnom Chisor, one of the most photogenic places on our tour.

A big transition in our tour comes on Day 3, when we board our bus for the trip north to Siem Reap, near the Angkor complex, and from which we will spend the next three days exploring Angkor Archaeogical Park. One of the many monuments there, and the most impressive, is the highly popular site of Angkor Wat. We will spend every night for the rest of the tour in the 4.5-star Angkor Paradise Hotel, venturing out each day and returning to the same comfortable home away from home. One day will be purely free time to explore on your own. Most days, we will enjoy the services of a local guide who will complement our archaeologist-guide, Dr. Carter.

Outside the Angkor complex, while we stay in Siem Reap, our bus will deliver us to other very impressive sites, including Bantey Srei, Koh Ker, Beng Melea, and Banteay Chhmar. The last mentioned is one of Cambodia/s largest and least understood Angkorian archaeological complexes, full of artistic and architectural wonders. Beng Melea has special interest for another reason-it is largely unrestored and overgrown, as all the monumental sites once were.

Finally, on our last day, we drive south and back to Phnom Penh, making a stop at the pre-Angkorian capital of Sambor Prei Kuk, believed to represent the ancient Chenla kingdom. We will arrive in Phnom Penh in time for people to take late-night flights back home.

Total Price(double occupancy): $4100. Single supplement: add $200.

Registration fee: $1,500 to ALI by registration deadline of November 2, 2025. This amount is included in the total price above. Taking reservations now!

Costs not included: Personal travel insurance, airfare to and from Phnom Penh, gratuities for service providers (such as waiters, drivers, maids), and alcoholic beverages.

What IS included: All lodging, meals, private ground transportation, entry fees, evening lectures, and local guides.

Dates: February 2-11, 2026