Arrive in Siem Reap and settle in at the hotel. In the late afternoon, your guide will meet you in the hotel lobby, and you will depart by van to Tonle Sap Lake (approx. 30 minutes). This is the largest lake in South-East Asia, and it was the abundance of fertile soil, fish and other bounty from this great body of water that allowed the Khmer (Cambodian) empire to flourish, starting from more than 1200 years ago! Today, the lake is home to many communities that live in floating villages, an aquatic way of life that requires resourcefulness and harmony with the natural cycles of the lake. We will tour these villages and the mangrove-filled shores of the lake by boat, then take in a gorgeous sunset as it shimmers across the waters. Later, return to town for a delicious dinner of Khmer specialties.
Steung Siem Reap Hotel
DinnerAfter a bike fitting and briefing from your guide, you will depart by bicycle on a route that hits the highlights among the dozens of temples that lie among the great trees of the Angkor temple park. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor is home to the once-glorious capital cities of the Khmer Empire, whose powerful god-kings built lavish stone temples between the 9th and 15th centuries CE. Today, we discover Angkor’s most iconic sites by cycling along the manifold paths that pass by, lead to, and twist around the temples and ruins scattered across the plain. At the Bayon - a temple built as a microcosm of the heavens - we marvel at the rows of godly faces carved into the temple towers and peering sublimely in all cardinal directions. At Ta Prohm - brought to fame by the film “Tomb Raider” - we stumble across a tumbling façade of laterite and sandstone blocks draped by the massive roots of fig trees. And at Angkor Wat - the national symbol of Cambodia and the largest religious structure in the world - we stroll through the inner and outer courtyards decorated with excellently conserved carvings and bas-reliefs depicting Hindu myths, wars, life and death. We return to Siem Reap in the afternoon for some well-deserved downtime. Tonight, you can choose from the many dining options in Siem Reap. Be sure to ask your guide for suggestions!
Steung Siem Reap HotelBreakfast, Lunch
Ride 42kmAs the ideal sequel to the previous day, today’s focus will be getting further afield from the main sites at Angkor and leaving the touring masses behind. Departing Siem Reap by bike, we head north, initially on paved roads but soon transitioning to quiet dirt roads cutting through an expanse of rice fields and small villages. Along the way, we’ll pop into local houses for a close up look at some rural cottage industries, such as basket weaving and sugar palm production. Our ride ends at the 10th-century temple of Banteay Srey. Considered a jewel of Khmer artistry, Banteay Srey is renowned for its exquisite bas-reliefs carved into delicate, pink sandstone. We’ll have lunch at a local restaurant near the temple and then transfer back to Siem Reap, giving you the afternoon at leisure to relax by the pool, enjoy a massage, or explore the town of Siem Reap. For anyone with extra energy, you are welcome to skip the transfer and cycle back to Siem Reap instead (it is around 40 km along the main road). Dinner is again a chance to sample the eclectic offerings of Siem Reap.
Steung Siem Reap HotelBreakfast, LunchRide 50kmThis morning, we will cycle out of Siem Reap, passing through a different part of the surrounding countryside en route to a peaceful wooded area and the village of Roluos. It was here that earlier Hindu temples were built in the 9th century; they are elegant in their simpler design and serene surroundings. We explore the three main temples here: Lolei, Preah Ko, and Bakong, which still has an active Theravada Buddhist monastery on its grounds. Afterward, we’ll transfer back to Siem Reap where you can choose from a variety of lunch options. The afternoon is yours to enjoy as you wish: visit galleries, museums, or markets in town, or relax by the pool to unwind after your explorations. We will celebrate the many experiences of our journey with a farewell dinner and traditional Apsara dance performance.
Steung Siem Reap HotelBreakfast, LunchRide 38kmDepart for onward travels or continue your stay in Siem Reap. Please let us know if we can help with arrangements!
BreakfastDisclaimer: The adventure cycling tours we operate often go beyond the beaten track, and the countries where we ride are not always predictable. Due to these reasons, it is occasionally necessary to reroute or update itineraries. Our guarantee is that we will not change a trip unless for safety or to improve it. Our listed hotels are always accurate at the time of writing, but should we have to change any hotel, it will always be for a similar or better one.
DestinationsCambodia
Tour MeetsAngkor
Fly in toSiem Reap International Airport (REP)
Group Size2-16 riders
Water bottleSupport vehicleGuide(s)Meals (as indicated)AccommodationBike and helmetSnacks and drinks
International flightsDomestic flightsAirport pick upAirport drop offVisa feesAlcoholTips
We ride a total of 130 km as a group, quite evenly distributed across three days of cycling. Experienced SpiceRoads cycle guides set an even pace. Day 1, arrival day, you will travel by van and boat to see Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake in South-East Asia and cradle of the Angkorian civilization, and visit the communities that live in its floating villages. On Day 2, we ride through the heart of the Angkor temple complex, mainly on smoothly paved roads under impressive trees, with stops at the most significant temples along the way, including Ta Prohm, Bayon, and of course, Angkor Wat itself. Day 3 brings us a contrasting experience of cycling into the open farmland to experience authentic country life, much of which is on gravel country roads, with plenty of tarmac sections. Day 4 again delivers a mix of road surfaces as we make our way to the earlier Roluos temple group, nestled among pleasant groves of trees with small villages around the fringes.
Suitability: Although we ride on a wide range of trails, many of which are off-road, this tour is suitable for anyone with basic fitness and bike handling skills. We stop often to visit points of interest and sample some of the local food. The routes are very flat, with essentially no elevation gain. Regardless of your fitness level, it is essential to continuously drink plenty of water, as both the cycling and the touring off the bike can be very hot and humid. Our support vehicle follows close behind with plenty of refreshments.
Biking Conditions: The roads are tarmac, broken tarmac, or firmly-packed gravel and dirt paths, and there are no technical mountain bike sections. While much of the route is on quiet countryside roads with minimal traffic, we will be regularly sharing the roads with other vehicles, including cars, motorbikes, and buses. We generally ride rain or shine, but based on the guide’s discretion or your level of comfort, modifications to the planned route can be made. It’s all part of the adventure!
Arrive in Siem Reap and settle in at the hotel. In the late afternoon, your guide will meet you in the hotel lobby, and you will depart by van to Tonle Sap Lake (approx. 30 minutes). This is the largest lake in South-East Asia, and it was the abundance of fertile soil, fish and other bounty from this great body of water that allowed the Khmer (Cambodian) empire to flourish, starting from more than 1200 years ago! Today, the lake is home to many communities that live in floating villages, an aquatic way of life that requires resourcefulness and harmony with the natural cycles of the lake. We will tour these villages and the mangrove-filled shores of the lake by boat, then take in a gorgeous sunset as it shimmers across the waters. Later, return to town for a delicious dinner of Khmer specialties.
Steung Siem Reap HotelDinnerAfter a bike fitting and briefing from your guide, you will depart by bicycle on a route that hits the highlights among the dozens of temples that lie among the great trees of the Angkor temple park. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor is home to the once-glorious capital cities of the Khmer Empire, whose powerful god-kings built lavish stone temples between the 9th and 15th centuries CE. Today, we discover Angkor’s most iconic sites by cycling along the manifold paths that pass by, lead to, and twist around the temples and ruins scattered across the plain. At the Bayon - a temple built as a microcosm of the heavens - we marvel at the rows of godly faces carved into the temple towers and peering sublimely in all cardinal directions. At Ta Prohm - brought to fame by the film “Tomb Raider” - we stumble across a tumbling façade of laterite and sandstone blocks draped by the massive roots of fig trees. And at Angkor Wat - the national symbol of Cambodia and the largest religious structure in the world - we stroll through the inner and outer courtyards decorated with excellently conserved carvings and bas-reliefs depicting Hindu myths, wars, life and death. We return to Siem Reap in the afternoon for some well-deserved downtime. Tonight, you can choose from the many dining options in Siem Reap. Be sure to ask your guide for suggestions!
Steung Siem Reap HotelBreakfast, LunchRide 42kmAs the ideal sequel to the previous day, today’s focus will be getting further afield from the main sites at Angkor and leaving the touring masses behind. Departing Siem Reap by bike, we head north, initially on paved roads but soon transitioning to quiet dirt roads cutting through an expanse of rice fields and small villages. Along the way, we’ll pop into local houses for a close up look at some rural cottage industries, such as basket weaving and sugar palm production. Our ride ends at the 10th-century temple of Banteay Srey. Considered a jewel of Khmer artistry, Banteay Srey is renowned for its exquisite bas-reliefs carved into delicate, pink sandstone. We’ll have lunch at a local restaurant near the temple and then transfer back to Siem Reap, giving you the afternoon at leisure to relax by the pool, enjoy a massage, or explore the town of Siem Reap. For anyone with extra energy, you are welcome to skip the transfer and cycle back to Siem Reap instead (it is around 40 km along the main road). Dinner is again a chance to sample the eclectic offerings of Siem Reap.
Steung Siem Reap HotelBreakfast, LunchRide 50kmThis morning, we will cycle out of Siem Reap, passing through a different part of the surrounding countryside en route to a peaceful wooded area and the village of Roluos. It was here that earlier Hindu temples were built in the 9th century; they are elegant in their simpler design and serene surroundings. We explore the three main temples here: Lolei, Preah Ko, and Bakong, which still has an active Theravada Buddhist monastery on its grounds. Afterward, we’ll transfer back to Siem Reap where you can choose from a variety of lunch options. The afternoon is yours to enjoy as you wish: visit galleries, museums, or markets in town, or relax by the pool to unwind after your explorations. We will celebrate the many experiences of our journey with a farewell dinner and traditional Apsara dance performance.
Steung Siem Reap HotelBreakfast, LunchRide 38kmDepart for onward travels or continue your stay in Siem Reap. Please let us know if we can help with arrangements!
BreakfastDisclaimer: The adventure cycling tours we operate often go beyond the beaten track, and the countries where we ride are not always predictable. Due to these reasons, it is occasionally necessary to reroute or update itineraries. Our guarantee is that we will not change a trip unless for safety or to improve it. Our listed hotels are always accurate at the time of writing, but should we have to change any hotel, it will always be for a similar or better one.
The bikes you will be riding are well-known makes of hybrid or mountain bikes.
We also have E-Bikes available for hire, but they are limited in number & size - please send an email to us to check on availability.
Basic spares and tools are carried by the guide and on the support vehicle, though we cannot guarantee having spares for every conceivable problem. Carrying a basic tool kit, a spare tube and a pump while riding is recommended.
Wearing a helmet is required on all our biking adventures and is non negotiable. If you do not wear a helmet you will not be allowed to cycle. Your tour leader is trained in first aid and emergency rescue, but to a large degree you must be responsible for your own safety while riding. It is therefore compulsory that you take out travel insurance that will cover you for a mountain biking tour.
You will be led by a local English-speaking guide and if the group is 9 people or more we will add another guide to the tour. All our guides are well informed in the history, culture and religions of the area where you are biking and are skilled at passing that knowledge on to you. Your guide is also medically trained and an experienced cyclist, able to handle most minor repairs en route.
For certain border crossings (including airports), you can also obtain a visa online through e-visa. There is a 3-day processing time and you'll need a scanned copy of the passport. Not all border crossings accept the e-visa. Please check this port of entry page which provides a list of which checkpoints support the e-Visa service.
Currently, e-visa is not applicable for any land crossings on Spice Roads multi-country tours that enter Cambodia from either Vietnam or Thailand. A visa-on-arrival must be purchased when entering Cambodia during these tours. For visa-on-arrival, the cost is 35 USD and it needs to be paid in cash. It is important that the USD are in good condition - i.e. no visible tearing, creasing, crumpling, or scribbling - so please only bring new and crisp USD bills to avoid any issues upon entry. We recommend using only USD or KHR currencies to ensure acceptance and avoid unfavourable exchange rates.
Electronic arrival card: All passengers travelling to Cambodia by flights into Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, and Sihanoukville airports must now submit an electronic arrival card before entering the country. This 'Cambodia e-arrival card' can be completed prior to arrival (no more than 7 days before arrival) via the official website or through Apple's App Store and Google Play Store.
Those entering Cambodia by land crossing or boat will still use the traditional paper-based forms issued at the border.
We recommend that you visit a travel medical doctor and ask about the following vaccinations: typhoid, polio, tetanus and hepatitis A. A certificate for Yellow Fever is required when arriving from an infected area within six days.
Cambodia has two distinct seasons - wet and dry. The dry season usually lasts from October to April. The wet season starts in May until September. Within each season there are variations in temperature. The coolest being 24C around November/December and hottest hitting 35C around April/May.
Meals are included as per the itinerary where B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner. Most meals are local and feature noodles, rice, curries, and soups. Cambodian cuisine is a mixture of Thai, French and Chinese dishes and we make sure you can sample a wide variety. Any special dietary requirements can also be catered for as well. Please let us know at the time of booking.
Keeping you completely hydrated is a job we take very seriously. Cold water, some energy-restoring local fruit, and soft drinks are included in the tour price while riding. Soft drinks and other beverages during meals are not included. Beer is freely available everywhere but is NOT included in the price.
SpiceRoads does not require you to pay a surcharge for traveling alone. We will arrange for you to share accommodation with another traveler of the same gender and if we can not match you up we will provide a single room at no extra charge. If you prefer not to share a single supplement is payable to guarantee your own room. The cost of the single supplement is listed above.
We recommend that you tuck away a few extra dollars, perhaps US$20, for incidentals.
Thai baht and US dollars are widely used in Cambodia, especially in larger cities and towns. In smaller towns and villages, Cambodian riels are usually preferred. There are ATMs in most areas, however, machines dispense US dollars. The guides will be able to show you where the ATMs are. Spend riel before departing as no one will exchange them for you once you leave.
If this is the tour for you here's what you need to do to confirm your place:
Just complete our online booking form or send your booking details offline (email or post), and we will confirm your participation. No deposit is needed to confirm your place on a SpiceRoads tour.
You are advised to read our Booking Conditions in full before you make your payment and should you require further clarifications of any of the conditions below, please email us or call our office.
There is a minimum number of participants (usually 2) required to enable the trip to go ahead. Once the minimum number is reached, the trip status will change from 'Available' to 'Guaranteed to Depart'. Once a trip is guaranteed to depart you are free to book your flights and make other travel arrangements. If the trip status is ‘Limited’ will mean we have only a small number of spaces available for booking. If you are unsure about the trip status, please email us or call our office.
From the tour page, click the 'Book Now' link. All departures for this tour will appear, just select the date you'd like to travel. For the next steps, you'll need to know the names of the people travelling. If you wish you can also provide extra details such as passport numbers, height (for bike hire), or you can add that later by logging into Manage My Trip (we'll set up an account for you automatically if you don't already have one). Our system will contact you from time to time to fill in the missing information, as it will be required before departure. However, if the trip that you are booking offers a child discount, you will have to fill out the date of birth of each rider (so we can calculate the appropriate discount).
If you are having any problems please send us an email, or give us a call (+66 026 3295) and one of our travel specialists will assist you with your booking.
Just call us or send an email indicating which trip you want to join and we will happily send you a list of questions and process your booking for you.
We do not require a deposit or full payment to book a place for you on a tour.
The balance of the tour’s cost (final invoice) will need to be paid 60 days before the departure date with fees for any bicycle rental(s), single supplement(s) and extra hotel nights.
In the case where a booking is made when there are less than 60 days until the tour departure date, the tour’s cost should be paid in full within 72 hours of receiving an invoice from SpiceRoads. Payment can be made by credit card using our online payment gateway or by bank transfer. When making payment online you will need to confirm that you have read these booking conditions during the "checkout" process, which equates to agreeing to the terms of services and stipulations as indicated in this document.
In all cases, tour fees need to be paid “in full” before participation in a tour. No person(s) will be allowed to join a tour without fully settling their invoice and receiving a confirmation number from SpiceRoads.
The exception can be made for last-minute miscellaneous fees that can be paid locally (visas, additional local hotel bookings, etc.) can be settled on the day of arrival.
If the tour is cancelled or postponed by SpiceRoads because we didn't make the trip numbers and the tour can’t run, we will make a full cash refund (by bank transfer or on your credit card).
If the tour is cancelled for any other reason, including due to Covid related travel restrictions, we will give you a full credit (with no deductions for admin or any other small-print item) to use on any SpiceRoads tour with no time limit. (Exceptions being flights, special permits and other non-refundable items and these will be advised when booking the trip).
Before paying for your tour, you can cancel your booking with no charge and up until 40 days before departure, you can change your booking to another travel date or move your booking onto another SpiceRoads tour with no charges.
If you need to cancel after you have made full payment, please see our cancellation policy.
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