Phnom Bakheng

Entrance to Bakheng (and Phnom Bakheng) is included when you book an Angkor Pass. Passes vary in duration—such as 1-day, 3-day, or 7-day options, depending on how long you will be staying in Siem Reap. Most Phnom Bakheng tours visit for sunset, which can mean arriving in mid-afternoon as numbers are limited. The views over Angkor Wat, under 1-mile (1.5-kilometers) away, are spectacular, and one popular one-day tour option begins with sunrise at Angkor Wat, visits Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm, and wraps up with sunset from Phnom Bakheng.

• Phnom Bakheng is a great choice for photographers and Instagrammers.

• Bring a long lens if you want to capture detailed shots of Angkor Wat.

• Phnom Bakheng is not wheelchair-accessible.

Phnom Bakheng is about a 5-mile (8-kilometer) drive north of downtown Siem Reap, about 1 mile (1.5 kilometers) north of the Angkor Wat temple complex. There’s no public transport in Siem Reap and car hire is expensive, so most travelers join a tour or hire a private driver.

Phnom Bakheng typically opens early, in plenty of time for sunrise, and closes soon after sunset. Sunsets are extremely popular and numbers are limited, so some travelers opt to enjoy the views at sunrise. Morning, after sunrise, is a beautiful and peaceful time to visit.

Yasovarman I built Phnom Bakheng to reflect Hindu beliefs about the universe. The seven levels of Phnom Bakheng represent the seven Hindu heavens, while there are a total of 108 towers around and below the central sanctuary on the top level—108 is a sacred number in Hinduism. Five levels of the temple have 12 towers each, which likely represent the zodiac.