Kulen Mountain and Beng Mealea Temple Full-Day Tour
Kulen Mountain and Beng Mealea Temple Full-Day Tour: Skip the Angkor Crowds and See Two Sacred Sites in 9 Hours
See the Reclining Buddha at Phnom Kulen, swim the temple waterfall, then wander Beng Mealea jungle ruin. This 9-hour Siem Reap shuttle day trip fits small groups, history lovers, and travelers who want to skip the Angkor crowds.
USD 30 per adult, hotel pickup at 7:40 AM, English guide, waterfall swim and jungle temple walk, drop-off by 5:30 PM
Phnom Kulen is the sacred mountain where the Angkorian empire began in 802 AD, and Beng Mealea is the unrestored jungle ruin Hollywood chose for blockbuster backdrops. Pair them in a single shuttle day and you get Cambodia’s hilltop wilderness without fighting the temple crowds at Angkor Wat. Hotel pickup, an English-speaking guide, and chilled water come standard at USD 30 per adult. Two park tickets, USD 20 for Kulen and USD 10 for Beng Mealea, are paid in cash at the gate.
Highlights
- Reach the Phnom Kulen plateau before the one-way road reverses to downhill traffic at noon
- Stand beneath the Great Reclining Buddha carved from living sandstone inside Wat Preah Ang Thom
- Step past a thousand roped-off Shiva lingas, refreshed by pilgrims who pour sacred water across each stone
- Cool off in the lower pool at the Kulen waterfall, fed from Cambodia’s highest point
- Roam Beng Mealea, the unrestored jungle temple chosen for blockbuster backdrops
- Refuel with real Khmer food on the country road between sites, paid on your own tab
- Round-trip shuttle with one guide, two sacred stops, and no Angkor-pass math
Two of Cambodia’s lesser-visited sacred sites in one full-day shuttle trip.
Your USD 30 tour fare covers the shuttle service. Entrance tickets and lunch are paid separately on the day, in cash.
NOTE: For Beng Mealea, you can purchase your ticket online in advance through the official Angkor Enterprise ticket portal.
Bring cash for the other entrance fee and lunch.
Locations Visited
Phnom Kulen Plateau. Sandstone tabletop 487 meters above the floodplain, about 50 kilometers north of Siem Reap. USD 20 per adult in cash at the gate covers the whole mountain for the day.
Valley of View Point. Cliff-edge pull-off ten minutes up the mountain. Five to ten minutes for photos over the jade lowlands stretching toward the Tonle Sap.
One Thousand Lingas. Riverbed a short stair below the pagoda, with Hindu lingam carvings worn smooth by a thousand years of flow. Twenty to thirty minutes for the full upstream walk.
Great Reclining Buddha. Eight-meter stone Buddha carved from one living rock, sheltering inside a 16th-century Khmer pagoda. Fifteen to twenty minutes inside.
Phnom Kulen Waterfall. Two tiers with a combined 15-meter drop, swimming open in the lower pool and closed at the sacred upper tier. Thirty to ninety minutes, swimsuit worn under your clothes.
Country Lunch Stop. Khmer family kitchen on the rural road between sites. USD 4 to 7 per person for a plate with rice, paid to the kitchen in cash.
Beng Mealea Temple. 68 kilometers east of Siem Reap, unrestored 12th-century ruin hiding inside the jungle near Pong Tboek village. USD 10 per adult in cash at the gate, or scan any valid Angkor Pass and walk in free.
KEY DETAILS
- Tour price: USD 30 per person
- Pickup window: 7:40 AM to 8:10 AM from your hotel Tour
- Tour start: 8:30 AM Tour
- Tour end: About 5:00 PM to 5:30 PM Tour
- In the tour price: Hotel pickup and drop-off, English-speaking guide, water, and cold face towel
- Paid at the sites: Kulen ticket USD 20 - Temple pass USD 37
- Not in the tour price: Meals, personal spending, tips.
Kulen Mountain Waterfalls and Banteay Srei Temple Tour takes you from Siem Reap to Phnom Kulen viewpoint, 1000 Lingas, Reclining Buddha, waterfalls, and Banteay Srei in one full day. The tour price is USD 30 per person. Kulen ticket and temple pass are paid separately. Hotel pickup, drop off, English speaking guide, water, and a cold towel are included.
Duration
9 hours
Max People
10 / 12 people
Pick Up
Your Hotel
Min Age
12+ Years
Tour Type
Shared Tour
Locations Visited
Valley viewpoint at Phnom Kulen, River of 1000 Lingas, Reclining Buddha, Kulen waterfalls, Beng Mealea Temple
Price Includes
- Pickup and drop-off at your hotel
- Transportation by air-conditioned vehicle
- English-speaking tour guide
- Bottled water and cold face towel
- Local taxes
Price Excludes
- Kulen Mountain entrance ticket: USD 20 per person, paid in cash at the park gate
- Beng Mealea entrance ticket: USD 10 per person, paid in cash at the gate. A valid Angkor Pass is accepted in place of the Beng Mealea ticket.
- Meals
- Personal expenses and souvenirs
- Tips for the driver and guide (customary, never required)
Kulen Mountain and Beng Mealea Temple Tour Itinerary
Kulen Mountain → Beng Mealea → Siem Reap
- 7:40 a.m. – 8:10 a.m. Pickup at your Siem Reap hotel in an air-conditioned vehicle
- 8:30 a.m. Tour departs the city. A short coffee stop is available en route, on your own tab
- 10:00 a.m. Arrive at the Phnom Kulen park gate. Pay the USD 20 ticket per person in cash, then climb the one-way mountain road in convoy before the uphill direction closes
- 10:30 a.m. Valley of View Point. Wide-angle photos over the jade-green lowlands stretching toward the Tonle Sap
- 11:00 a.m. Wat Preah Ang Thom. Walk inside the 16th-century pagoda housing the Reclining Buddha, then descend to the riverbed studded with one thousand lingas
- 12:30 p.m. Phnom Kulen waterfall. Slide down to the lower tier for a swim, a shaded rest, or a packed snack
- 1:30 p.m. Drive down the mountain. The downhill direction opens once the morning uphill queue clears, usually just after noon
- 2:15 p.m. Country-road lunch stop at a small Khmer eatery. Chicken curry and fish amok are local favorites
- 3:00 p.m. Arrive at Beng Mealea. Pay the USD 10 ticket per person, or scan a valid Angkor Pass at the gate
- 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Guided walk through the unrestored ruin. Catwalk planks cross flooded courtyards, and your guide points out early lotus-bud carvings that prefigure Angkor Wat style
- 4:30 p.m. Depart Beng Mealea for the return drive
- 5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Drop-off at your Siem Reap hotel
Dress Appropriately!
Respect the ancient religious grounds when you visit them. Wear a shirt that can cover your shoulders, and trousers or knee-length pants or skirts are permitted.
Our Signature tours
- Itinerary planning
- Fantastic local guide
- Luxurious minivan
- Small group
- Suitable for solo travelers
- All comforts on board
Location
- Kulen Mountain Waterfalls
- Beng Mealea Temple
Kulen Mountain and Beng Mealea Temple Full-Day Tour
PICK UP
Free hotel pickup covers central Siem Reap from Pub Street and the Old Market to Wat Bo, Wat Damnak, and Sivatha Boulevard. Guesthouses inside town and resorts near the airport confirm pickup on request.
DROP OFF
Drop-off at the same hotel, a sister hotel, or any central Siem Reap address you name. Drop-offs inside Angkor Archaeological Park, at remote resorts, or across the river are confirmed by the booking team in advance.
THINGS TO BRING
- Strong walking shoes with real grip, because Beng Mealea stones are uneven and often damp
- Hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses for the open plateau at the top of Kulen
- Swimwear, a quick-dry towel, and a change of clothes for the waterfall pool
- Modest attire for both sacred sites: covered shoulders and knees at the Reclining Buddha pagoda, and trousers or knee-length skirts at Beng Mealea. A light scarf solves most wardrobe checks
- Cambodian riel or small US dollar bills for the two park tickets, paid in cash at the gate
- A reusable water bottle. Bottled water is on board, and the upper pool stays cleaner when you skip plastic
ADDITIONAL INFO
- One-way road on Phnom Kulen. Cars drive up between sunrise and roughly 11 a.m., then drive down from around noon. Missing the uphill window means no Reclining Buddha and no waterfall that day. The schedule above works inside the uphill window.
- Best season. Dry season from November through April serves up clear carvings and easy walking. Wet season from May through October brings the waterfall to its fullest flow and fewer tour buses, though Beng Mealea planks turn slick after a heavy rain.
- Drive time. Siem Reap to Beng Mealea runs about 80 kilometers and 90 to 120 minutes on the rural road, depending on traffic at the Phnom Kulen junction. The Beng Mealea to Phnom Kulen leg runs 30 to 45 minutes.
- Dress code. Shoulders and knees must be covered at any active pagoda. Sandals pass in town but struggle on uneven stone.
- Currency. The Angkor Pass photo does not work at Kulen, which only honors the local USD 20 ticket. Bring one USD 20 note and one USD 10 note per adult. Exact change speeds the queue.
- Fitness level. Moderate. Expect gentle stairs, a few short climbs, and a wet limestone path. Anyone comfortable on a half-day jungle walk finishes strong.
How do we roll?
Please note that if you wish to book a tour for the same day or the next day, please call us directly at +855 (0)98 55 55 18 to be sure we have available seats for you. Our contact forms are only intended for bookings made at least 24 hours before the start of the tour.
- First, select either a shared tour with a guide or a private tour with or without an optional tour guide.
- Fill in the contact form fields as detailed as possible (if you have missing information such as the hotel/room details, don’t worry, you can email us later at booking@siemreapshuttle.com).
- You will receive a confirmation email within 24 hours. If not, please contact us directly at booking@siemreapshuttle.com.
See our How We Roll page to learn about the general rules of thumb for visiting the temples. We encourage all our guests to follow these rules, as the authorities enforce them, and we cannot make exceptions.
The Kulen Mountain Waterfalls and Banteay Srei Temple Tour is the kind of day that starts with a mountain road and ends with pink stone glowing in the late light. One minute you are by carved river rock. A little later, water is crashing at the falls. Then the temple walls step in, neat as lace cut from stone. That shift from wild to still is what makes the page hard to leave and the trip hard to pass up.
Unique Modern Van!
Travel in clean, modern vans with cool air, roomy seats, and a quiet ride from your hotel to every stop. They keep the day easy, so you can sit back, stay fresh, and enjoy the road to Kulen waterfalls and Beng Mealea Temple.
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