To learn about Cambodia’s recent past, we join a specialist guide to tour the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21), once a secondary school and later a Khmer Rouge interrogation and detention centre. The visit continues at the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, where a memorial stupa containing more than 8,000 skulls stands as a record of the atrocities committed here. We then turn to present-day city life with time at Central Market, an art deco landmark whose domed hall leads to aisles stacked with clothes, jewellery, and local snacks. In the afternoon, moto-remorks (Cambodian tuk-tuks) take us through the city to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, home to a floor laid with more than 5,000 silver tiles and a collection of detailed Buddha images. The day ends at Preah Ang Dong Ker, a riverside shrine where local people gather before dusk, followed by a gentle walk along the waterfront, watching the city stir into action with food vendors and glowing lanterns. Those who have prebooked the optional sunset river cruise on the Mekong will enjoy that this evening. Accommodation: Aquarius Hotel & Urban Resort (or similar) Upgrade to a junior suite today – speak to your sales representative for more details

Leave Phnom Penh and travel (five hours excluding stops) to Battambang. Along the way, we pause in the riverside pottery city of Kampong Chhnang, venturing into local workshops to meet the artisans and learn the clay-shaping techniques used here for generations. Arriving in Battambang, we find a town of French elegance, friendly Khmer people, and beautifully preserved colonial-era architecture. Late afternoon, drive to Phnom Sampeou (Ship Mountain) to experience one of Cambodia’s great natural spectacles. A gradual walk leads to shrines and small caves near the summit, where views stretch across the countryside. As the light fades, we return to the base of the mountain to watch the remarkable stream of bats leaving the cave system to feed in the fields − a magical phenomenon lasting several minutes. Accommodation: Classy Hotel (or similar) Upgrade to a deluxe room today – speak to your sales representative for more details

Start today with a hands-on cooking class revealing the secrets and techniques behind traditional Khmer dishes. It begins with a guided walk through a local market, where your teacher-cook explains common herbs, pastes, and spices before helping you select ingredients for the session. Back in the kitchen, you prepare and cook several dishes, then enjoy them for an early lunch. In the afternoon, we drive to Siem Reap, the small city that serves as the base for visiting Angkor – a World Heritage site that’s generally considered the most important archaeological complex in Southeast Asia. If time allows, we stop at the Angkor Silk Farm, where staff walk us through the full process from mulberry cultivation and silkworm raising to dyeing and weaving. Accommodation: Daco Hotel (or similar) Upgrade to a deluxe pool-view room today – speak to your sales representative for more details

Wake before dawn for an extra-special first taste of the Angkor complex, visiting Angkor Wat, the most famous temple, for sunrise. Its western orientation makes it a rewarding place to watch the sky brighten and a magnificent way to begin our exploration, while the cooler early morning period, before the large crowds, provides the best conditions for visiting this iconic structure. After, we continue our journey of discovery, heading through the South Gate of Angkor Thom, framed by giant carved faces and lined with figures holding the semi-divine Nāga serpent. Around 9am, we head back to the hotel for breakfast. Refuelled, return to the site and step inside Angkor Thom, the Great Royal City, we visit the Bayon temple, famous for its towers topped with serene stone faces, before walking through Ta Prohm, where tree roots weave through towers and galleries in remarkable shapes. A short visit to a local pagoda concludes the day. Here, Buddhist monks lead a private blessing ceremony, gently tying red strings around our wrists: a gesture of goodwill for the journey ahead. We finish with sunset at a viewpoint recommended by our tour leader, who chooses the best location depending on the season. Accommodation: Daco Hotel (or similar) Upgrade to a deluxe pool-view room today – speak to your sales representative for more details

An extra morning to explore Angkor allows us more time to venture even deeper into this vast, magnificent complex. We transfer one hour from our hotel to Banteay Srei, a temple often admired for its fine, deeply carved pink sandstone, work so detailed that archaeologists believe highly skilled craft specialists were involved. On our return transfer (one hour) to Siem Reap, we stop after about 20 minutes to visit the Cambodia Landmine Museum, founded by Aki Ra, who has spent decades clearing landmines across the country. Exhibits provide vital context for Cambodia’s post-conflict recovery, and the museum also supports children affected by past ordnance. Back in Siem Reap, and after time for lunch, we browse the Made in Cambodia Market, where artists and craftspeople sell responsibly produced textiles, ceramics, and artwork – the perfect spot to pick up authentic souvenirs made by local people. After, you’re free to further explore the shops and markets of Siem Reap or head back to the hotel for an afternoon pool dip. Accommodation: Daco Hotel (or similar) Upgrade to a deluxe pool-view room today – speak to your sales representative for more details

Take an early breakfast and leave the hotel around 8am for our scenic two-hour drive through the beautiful Cambodian countryside to Phnom Kulen, a mountainous national park important to Khmer spiritual history, arriving ahead of the crowds. We start at the River of a Thousand Lingas, where carvings in the sandstone riverbed symbolise blessings for the waters flowing toward Angkor. The route continues to a reclining Buddha carved directly from the summit rock, before reaching the waterfalls, an inviting place to cool off (bring swimwear if you plan to swim). A picnic lunch is served in a riverside hut, giving us time to take in the forest surroundings before returning to Siem Reap for a relaxed afternoon. Accommodation: Daco Hotel (or similar) Upgrade to a deluxe pool-view room today – speak to your sales representative for more details

You’ve watched sunrise at Angkor Wat, witnessed the magnificent bat exodus in Battambang, and stood beside ancient carvings in Phnom Kulen National Park, but now it’s time to begin your return journey home. Alternatively, if you’d like to extend your adventure, speak to your sales representative to discuss our large range of extension options.