Angkor Wat
UNESCO World Heritage Site: Angkor (1992). The Largest Religious Monument In The World, Built By Suryavarman II In The Early 12th Century As A Hindu Temple To Vishnu And Later Turned Buddhist. Five Lotus Towers Rise Above A Moat And A Mile Of Carved Galleries. The Symbol Of Cambodia On Its Flag · Siem Reap, Siem Reap
Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world, built in the early 12th century by King Suryavarman II as a Hindu temple to Vishnu and turned Buddhist in later centuries. It sits about 6 km north of Siem Reap inside the Angkor Archaeological Park, behind a wide moat and a long sandstone causeway. Five lotus-bud towers rise in a quincunx over three nested levels, and the outer galleries carry about a kilometre of bas-reliefs, from the Churning of the Ocean of Milk to battle scenes, with thousands of Apsara dancers carved into the walls. The temple faces west, so most visitors crowd the lotus pond before dawn for the sunrise photo, and the cooler, quieter hours end by about 8 am. The steep upper level, Bakan, has a queue, a dress rule and an age limit. Shoulders and knees must be covered. Entry needs an Angkor pass from the ticket centre. Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm are separate places, covered on their own.
Angkor Archaeological Park, about 6 km north of Siem Reap town, reached by tuk-tuk or bicycle along the park road, Siem Reap, Siem Reap, Cambodia
The temple opens at dawn and closes in the late afternoon, with the upper level Bakan on a shorter schedule and sometimes closed for restoration, weather or when a daily visitor cap is reached, so confirm the current times at the gate. The Angkor pass is bought at the ticket centre on the road from Siem Reap, which opens before dawn and shuts in the late afternoon, and it is checked at the causeway. Nothing inside the temple is FREE for a foreigner without a pass. Viewing the moat and the front causeway from the outside road is FREE, and Cambodian citizens enter without a pass. There is no weekly closing day, but the upper level can be CLOSED at short notice, and Khmer New Year in April brings large local crowds.