You can head out and explore all the different countries and culture Southeast Asia has to offer, or you can spend your time getting to really know all Cambodia has to offer. Cambodia is so much more than just temples. As we often say, “you’ll love the temples, but you’ll fall in love with Cambodia.”
If you and your family are ready to fall in love with Cambodia, take this tour throughout the highlights of this incredible country. Enjoy the city and shopping in Phnom Penh, discover the wonders of the Angkor temples, and relax on the beaches in the south.
Day 1 Phnom Penh: Arrival
Arrive on your flight in Phnom Penh where you will be met by an air conditioned van and driver and will be transferred to your hotel.
Meals Included: None
Overnight at The Kabiki Hotel – 1 Superior Twin Room with an Extra Bed
Day 2 Phnom Penh: Royal Palace and National Museum
This morning take a tour of the Royal Palace, which to this day is still the royal residence. See the amazing royal collection and the beautiful architecture before heading to the National Museum, where you will be taken around by a trained museum guide who will show you some wonderful pre-Angkorean pieces as well as a number of special pieces from the temples. Return to your hotel for lunch or have your guide drop you off in town where they can help you find a good spot for lunch. Remember to take a look at our Cheat Sheet which lists a number of our favorite restaurant recommendations!
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight at The Kabiki Hotel – 1 Superior Twin Room with an Extra Bed
Day 3 Phnom Penh: The Killing Fields and Markets
This morning, head to the Tuol Sleng Prison Museum where your guide will explain the history of the Khmer Rouge and walk you through the different museum displays. After watching the movie they show every day, continue on to the Choeung Ek Memorial, the site of one of the country’s many killing fields, where a memorial stupa and shallow pits remind visitors of the thousands killed under the Pol Pot Regime. There is an excellent audio headset on site which includes firsthand survivor stories, accounts from guards, traditional music, as well as a guided tour of the site. We recommend using this thoughtful and well-produced audio tour as most visitors to the Choeung Ek Memorial use the personalized headset tours, leaving the somber grounds quiet allowing for introspection. Your JW guide will be on hand if you would prefer to explore the site with them or have any additional questions after you have completed your audio tour. Return to your hotel for lunch or have your guide drop you off in town where they can help you find a good lunch spot. Remember to take a look at our Cheat Sheet which lists a number of our favorite restaurant recommendations!
After lunch your guide will take you to central market, reported to be the biggest domed market in the world, and to the famous Russian Market where everything from souvenirs to car parts is on sale. Enjoy a shopping spree or just browse along with the locals out doing their shopping.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight at The Kabiki Hotel – 1 Superior Twin Room with an Extra Bed
Day 4 Siem Reap: Arrival, Orientation Tour and Phare Ponleu Selpak Circus
This morning you will be transferred to the airport by your guide and driver for your onward flight – Cambodia Angkor Air K6101 departing Phnom Penh at 11:30 & arriving in Siem Reap at 12:10. When you arrive at the airport in Siem Reap, you will be met by a Journeys Within representative just outside the airport exit doors and will be driven to the main part of town for a quick orientation tour. You will be given a quick introduction to the city, and the Journeys Within representative will point out the main roads, markets, some recommended restaurants and Wat Bo, before dropping you off at your hotel to check in.
This evening you will be treated to a unique performance by the Cambodian Circus, also known as the hugely talented Phare Ponleu Selpak from your VIP seats. Literally translated as ‘’the brightness of the arts’’, this Artistic and Social Center has been running as a non-profit association since 1994, and was founded by a group of young ex-refugees from Battambang Province. With your reserved VIP seats, there is no need to wait in line your seat is reserved for you! Sitting in the center of the big top tent, you will witness some remarkable acrobatics and visual arts while supporting one of Cambodia’s most inspiring projects. Performances start at 8:15pm.
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Overnight at Unique Boutique Cambodia Hotel – Family Suite
Day 5 Siem Reap: Angkor Wat With Tethered Balloon Ride and Angkor Thom
This morning, head to Angkor Wat with your guide in an air-conditioned car. Explore this majestic temple throughout the morning while it is still cool and has fewer tourists. End the morning with an exciting tethered balloon ride, giving you access to some spectacular views over the temples. Return to your hotel for lunch or have your guide drop you off in town where they can help recommend a good place to eat lunch. Remember to take a look at our Cheat Sheet which lists a number of our favorite restaurant recommendations!
In the afternoon head to Angkor Thom, the famous walled city, and see the many temples within its borders, including the fascinating Bayon temple with its many magnificent faces smiling out.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight at Unique Boutique Cambodia Hotel – Family Suite
Day 6 Siem Reap: Banteay Srei, Other Temples and JWOC Art Class
This morning, set off with your guide to Banteay Srei, the intricately carved temple located just 30km beyond Angkor Wat. As you head back towards town, you can stop at Banteay Kdei and Ta Prohm, two of the prettiest temples in the complex, where you can enjoy climbing through these smaller unique structures. Return to your hotel for lunch, or have your guide help you find a good spot for lunch in town. Remember to take a look at our Cheat Sheet which lists a number of our favorite restaurant recommendations!
Sunday afternoons are special at Journeys Within Our Community. We hold our art class for local students at 2:30pm – a no-pressure class where anyone is invited to come, play games, sing songs and do a simple and rewarding art project. Volunteers are great for this class; we break the students into groups and as a volunteer you can join a group and help the little ones with scissors and other tricky tasks and give the older students encouragement and attention. It is fun for the whole family and a great way to get involved and see our project in action. You will have a chance to meet with our scholarship students and gain a greater understanding about the work we do within our community.
Please arrive at 2:20pm before the lesson starts so the teacher can explain the project and you can get oriented. The class runs until 4pm.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight at Unique Boutique Cambodia Hotel – Family Suite
Day 7 Siem Reap: Quad Bike Adventure Tour and Blessing Ceremony
You will be met at your hotel at 6:30am and taken to the quad bike base. Here you will be given a short safety course before heading out for about four hours through the back roads of Siem Reap. Enjoy strikingly beautiful views of the rice fields and villages as you make your way through the countryside. Stop along the way at a number of interesting sites such as a local monastery, an everyday market, as well as a temple rarely visited by other visitors. Return to the base around lunchtime, and you will be transferred back to your hotel by tuk-tuk.
Your guide will take you to an active Wat where you should change to clothes you can get wet in as here you will experience the ceremony “Srouch Tec”, which roughly translates into “pour water”. A monk will chant in ancient Pali as he splashes water over you, washing away your sins and bad luck so you can start fresh and by being a good person can increase your good luck.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight at Unique Boutique Cambodia Hotel – Family Suite
Day 8 Siem Reap: Kayaking Tour
Experience a unique Journeys Within day kayaking on the Tonle Sap Lake. You will set out around 8am and drive for about an hour before boarding a boat for a 40 minute ride to one of the lake villages. Here the homes are built on stilts because, while in the dry season the surrounding area is dry, in the rainy season it is flooded and so they rise above the water level. You will arrive at the local home that stores the canoes and after a short safety briefing, head off with your guide who will lead you through waterways, flooded forests and out into the Tonle Sap Lake where you can take a dip if you wish. After you’ve explored for a bit, wind your way back through the village, taking in local life in this watery environment before returning to a local home for some lunch and a leisurely boat and car ride back to town.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Unique Boutique Cambodia Hotel – Family Suite
Day 9 Siem Reap to Kep
Your driver will meet you at your hotel for your private transfer to the airport, where you will arrive in time for your onward flight – Cambodia Angkor Air K6100 departing Siem Reap at 07:05 & arriving in Phnom Penh at 07:45. Arrive in Phnom Penh where you will be met by an air conditioned van and driver and will be transferred to Kep, a journey which should take around 2 ½ hours. Once you arrive, you have the afternoon free to relax and enjoy the beach.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight at Veranda Natural Resort – Deluxe Family Retreat Room
Day 10 – 13 Kep: Days at Leisure
You have four days free to explore on your own.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight at Veranda Natural Resort – Deluxe Family Retreat Room
Day 14 Kep to Phnom Penh: Departure
Your driver will meet you at your hotel and drive you back to Phnom Penh, a journey which should take around 2 ½ hours. You will be transferred to the airport in time for your onward flight.
Meals included: Breakfast
Tour Rate: $6,010.00 for a family of four travelers (2 adults & 2 children)
Price includes:
- Air tickets Phnom Penh – Siem Reap – Phnom Penh
- Boat tickets as specified above
- Accommodation as specified above
- Air-conditioned car/van with driver
- Licensed English speaking guides
- Tours and admission fees as mentioned above
- Meals as specified in itinerary, including water
Price excludes:
- Personal expenses
- Visa fees
- Airport tax
- Drinks (except water) and meals not mentioned in itinerary
- Tips
