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Angkor temple guide

Preah Khan

A vast temple-monastery and Buddhist university built by Jayavarman VII to honour his father, with long vaulted corridors that feel like a maze.

A city within a temple

Preah Khan was built in 1191 on the site of Jayavarman VII’s victory over the Cham. Its name means “Sacred Sword”. More than a temple, it was a city and a centre of learning: inscriptions mention over a thousand teachers and nearly a hundred thousand people supporting it.

Unlike Ta Prohm, it was partly restored, but trees still grow from its walls and it keeps a romantic, half-ruined feel.

What to look for

  • The long east–west axis: stand in the centre and look down a corridor of doorways, each slightly smaller than the last.
  • The two-storey building: its round columns are unlike anything else at Angkor, and nobody is quite sure what it was used for.
  • Hall of Dancers: lintels carved with rows of dancing apsaras.
  • Garudas: giant bird-men holding serpents, spaced along the outer wall.

San’s tip

“Preah Khan is the temple guests remember as their ‘surprise favourite’. Take your time here. It is shady, and you will often have whole sections to yourself.”

More Angkor temples

Silhouette of Angkor Wat and palm trees at sunrise with the sky reflected in the pond

Day 1 of the tour

Angkor Wat

The largest religious monument on earth and the symbol on Cambodia's flag. Built as a Hindu temple to Vishnu and later used by Buddhists, it is still an active place of worship.

Best time: Sunrise (around 5:30–6:15 AM), then explore before the midday heat

Giant smiling stone face on a tower of Bayon Temple

Day 1 of the tour

Bayon Temple

The state temple of King Jayavarman VII at the exact centre of the walled city of Angkor Thom, famous for the serene giant faces carved on its towers.

Best time: Morning, before about 10 AM, when the faces are side-lit

Giant strangler fig roots growing over a stone gallery at Ta Prohm temple

Day 1 of the tour

Ta Prohm

A Buddhist monastery built by Jayavarman VII and left largely as it was found, with giant silk-cotton and strangler fig trees growing out of the stones.

Best time: Early morning or around midday, when big groups are at lunch

Ready to explore Angkor with San?

Message San with your dates and hotel. He usually replies within an hour, and same-day tours are often possible.

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