Our favourite Cambodia tours and excursions

Get an insider’s perspective on daily life in Cambodia with our hand-picked, hands-on experiences, each one designed to get you beneath the surface of the local culture.

What do we mean by “experience”? Well, what we don’t mean is cookie-cutter walking tours and ticking off TripAdvisor’s top-ten list. These experiences will take you inside the lives of ordinary Cambodians, putting you in touch with the culture through some of its most extraordinary people.

We get it — not everyone is a fan of guided day tours. Maybe that’s you. But then again, maybe you just haven’t been on a really great one yet. If that’s the case, let us be the ones to persuade you — because a tip-top tour or a hands-on cultural experience can absolutely make your vacation.

People are the key — we can’t stress that enough. We’ve combed the country for the most knowledgeable and engaging guides, and we’re rigorous about ensuring that the experiences we support benefit local communities. What’s more, we only ever recommend experiences we’ve tried and loved ourselves.

Take our bike tour of the Battambang countryside, for example. Sure, anyone can just rent a bike and go. But would you be able to visit cottage industries to see the craftspeople at work? Would you get to hear the local legend about that quiet, rural temple? Or be able to ask the village silk weaver how she does it? These are the little differences between a good experience and a great one; between seeing Cambodia and really experiencing it.

Irrawaddy dolphin spotting

Recognisable by their distinctive snub-noses and enigmatic smiles, the largest population of Irrawaddy dolphins in the world lives in the Mekong, where — if you’re lucky — you might spot their little dorsal fins dancing about above the water not far from the village of Kampi.

With just 92 left in the wild, this may be your last chance to see them — though we certainly hope not. Thankfully, conservationists have teamed up with fishermen to run low-volume dolphin-spotting tours, which supplement local incomes and motivate the conservation of these critically endangered (and strikingly cute) creatures.

Angkor Thom scavenger hunt

If you like exploration with a purpose, it’s time to channel your inner Indiana Jones and unlock the secrets of Angkor Thom.

Armed with nothing but a map, some clues, and your camera, you’ll start at the South Gate, where remarkable statues depicting mythological demons and gods line the fifty-metre walkway. As you solve each riddle, you’ll be drawn into the heart of this ancient Khmer city, uncovering the stories behind the Terrace of the Leper King and the enigmatic faces of the 54 Bayon towers as you go. Once you’ve captured eleven photos, it’s time to meet up with your guide to find out if you completed your quest!

Walking with elephants in Mondulkiri

Gargantuan and yet surprisingly sensitive, an elephant can crack a peanut shell without breaking the seed and react to the touch of a feather on their leathery hides.

The Mondulkiri Project rescues these highly intelligent animals from exploitation in logging and tourism,and provides them with a safe and happy retirement while educating the local community on elephant welfare. One thing you definitely won’t be doing is riding them – which is good. You can appreciate something without trying to ride it. You will be able to walk with them through the forest: a profoundly humbling experience.

Phare, The Cambodian Circus

When it comes to Phare, “circus” barely begins to cover it. This is world-class performance art — telling the stories of Cambodian legend and history through ambitious choreography, spine-tingling live music, and almost terrifying acrobatics that’ll have you gripping the edge of your seat.

As if that weren’t enough, it’s also a social enterprise that provides a vocation for disadvantaged young people, helping to fuel a Cambodian cultural renaissance in the wake of the Khmer Rouge. We know circus might not be high on your Cambodia bucket list but trust us: just go!

Sambor Prei Kuk

Imagine stumbling upon a crumbling brick tower half-devoured by the roots of a strangler fig, accompanied by nothing but the whoops and chirps of the rainforest.

This isn’t Angkor — this is Sambor Prei Kuk, an ancient city much older, more mysterious, and (for some of us) more lovely than the more famous temples to the west. Constructed around 1,200 years ago by the Hindu civilisation of Chenla, it was recently named Cambodia’s third World Heritage Site. What’s most amazing is how many people unknowingly zoom past on the highway instead of stopping, meaning you can have these tumbledown ruins almost to yourself.

Insider Experience: Contemporary art tour of Battambang

We already loved Battambang for its sleepy, colonial-era town centre and charming rural surrounds, but did you know that it’s also the beating heart of Cambodian contemporary art?

This tour will take you inside the country's post-Khmer Rouge cultural revival, introducing you to the local artists and curators who are driving it forward. In one art café, you’ll sip award-winning coffee at a screening of short films. Later, you’ll visit a local artist’s studio for a one-to-one discussion of his work. For us, Battambang’s wealth of little galleries, studios and quirky exhibition spaces make it one of the most exciting destinations in the country.