Hotels near Phnom Bakheng at Sunset

Phnom Bakheng predates Angkor Wat by two centuries. Built around the year 900 for Yasovarman I as the state temple of the first capital at Angkor, it stands on a 65-metre hill and once carried 108 subsidiary towers arranged around a five-tier pyramid. The climb from the road takes 15 to 20 minutes on a graded path that switches back through forest.

APSARA caps the upper terrace at 300 people and hands out numbered passes at the base from mid-afternoon, so the queue forms well before the light turns. From the top you look southeast across unbroken canopy to the five towers of Angkor Wat, and west over the West Baray reservoir. The site closes at 19:00 and rangers begin clearing the terrace at 18:30. Bring a torch: the descent path is unlit and uneven.

Pro Tip: Arrive by 16:15 in high season to be sure of a terrace pass. If the count is already full, the West Baray or Srah Srang reservoir give you an easier sunset with no climb, no queue and a clear water horizon.