Phnom Bakheng: the First Temple Mountain and Its Sunset

A Temple Older Than Angkor Wat

Yasovarman I, who reigned from 889 to 910, built Phnom Bakheng as the state temple of his capital, Yasodharapura. That makes it a creation of the end of the 9th century, more than two hundred years before Angkor Wat was begun in the 12th. The hill stands about 1.5 km to the north-west of Angkor Wat.

If you want the full story of the better known neighbour, the Angkor Wat guide covers it, and the Bayon temple guide covers the face towers inside Angkor Thom.

How High Is Phnom Bakheng?

Sources give two figures and both are worth knowing. Wikipedia's infobox puts the summit at 79 m above sea level, and the same article says the temple stands about 65 m above the surrounding plain. The Khmer Empire article on Wikipedia gives about 60 m above the plain, so expect a short but real hill climb rather than a mountain trek.

The temple itself is a tiered sandstone pyramid on the hilltop. Five sanctuaries in a quincunx pattern crown the top level, and about 108 smaller towers were originally arranged around the tiers, many of which have not survived.

Towers and Conservation

Five sanctuaries crown the top level and about 108 smaller towers were originally arranged around the tiers. The World Monuments Fund has worked with the APSARA National Authority at the site since 2004. The walk up from the road takes about half an hour, according to Wikivoyage, and no climbing is allowed after 17:30, so a sunset visit means setting off in good time.

The dress code of the other Angkor temples applies here too: shoulders covered and long trousers or a long skirt, with a scarf over bare shoulders not accepted.

Counting the Towers

Wikipedia says 108 small towers were originally arrayed around the temple and most have since collapsed. It also gives Jean Filliozat's count of 104 smaller towers on the lower four levels, placed so that only 33 can be seen from the centre of any side. Just Siem Reap repeats the 104 and 33 figures.

The site also did not stay in use for long: World Monuments Fund records that the temple was abandoned a few decades after it was finished.

The Project So Far

The World Monuments Fund began work here in 2004 with a grant of $550,000, and a Conservation Master Plan followed in 2007. Conservation of the east half of the central temple was completed in 2019, and in 2023 the fund began work on the west half and a visitor centre. More than $5 million has gone into the hill so far, and more than 100 local workers are employed on the project.

Closures During the Works

Journey Cambodia reports that Tower 15 was fully restored in early 2025 and that some areas of the temple are sometimes off-limits while work proceeds. This is an operator's account rather than an APSARA notice, so check on arrival which paths and stairways are open.

A Built Mount Meru

World Monuments Fund describes the seven-level stepped pyramid as a representation of Mount Meru, the mythical centre of the Hindu universe. The five sandstone sanctuaries on the top platform stand in a quincunx, one in each corner and one in the middle, and they stand for the five peaks of Meru. Guardian lions line the terraces.

An Astronomical Calendar in Stone

The 108 small towers around the tiers were linked to the four lunar phases by the scholar Jean Filliozat, and Paul Wheatley called the temple 'an astronomical calendar in stone'. Wikipedia gives 108 as the original number and says most have since collapsed. A later Buddhist layer sits on top of all this: World Monuments Fund records a 16th-century attempt to build a large seated Buddha around the central shrine, since dismantled, and Wikipedia notes a reclining Buddha carved on the west side.

Built Early, Abandoned Fast

Yasovarman I (r. 889-910) built Phnom Bakheng as the state temple of his capital Yasodharapura, well before Angkor Wat. World Monuments Fund notes the site was abandoned only a few decades after it was completed.

The 17:30 Rule

You are not allowed to climb Phnom Bakheng after 17:30, per Wikivoyage. That is earlier than the park-wide closing time of 6:30 PM that the official Angkor Enterprise ticket page gives for entry, so this hill closes its climb before the rest of the park shuts. The climb itself takes about half an hour, per Wikivoyage, so arrive with enough time to walk up, find a spot on the tiers, and settle in before the light goes.

Wear shoes with a grip for the climb.

What Time Is Sunset?

Sunset moves across the year in Siem Reap between roughly 5:34 pm and 6:35 pm. Sunrise-sunset.org gives 5:56 pm on 15 January, 6:14 pm on 15 March, 6:32 pm on 15 June, 6:35 pm on 15 July, and 5:39 pm on 15 December. The earliest sunset of the year falls at 5:34 pm on 19 November and the latest at 6:35 pm on 9 July.

In the months when the sun sets around 5:34 pm, the 17:30 climbing cut-off falls close to sunset, so start the climb well before it.

The View

The sun does not set over Angkor Wat when viewed from Phnom Bakheng, per Wikivoyage. Angkor Wat lies about 1.5 km to the south-east, so you look down on its silhouette and its towers against the evening sky, but the sun itself drops elsewhere on the horizon. It is still a wide, open view over the plain and the forest.

Sunset Alternatives

Wikivoyage calls Phnom Bakheng very crowded. It names Pre Rup as a popular sunset spot over the countryside. Pre Rup was dedicated in 961 or early 962 by Rajendravarman and its pyramid rises about 12 m on a base 50 m square, per Wikipedia.

The sunset option of the Angkor Wat Private Tuk-Tuk Tour covers Pre Rup, East Mebon, Ta Som, Neak Pean, Preah Khan and Phnom Bakheng. A private tuk-tuk for a full day of Angkor runs about $20 per Wikivoyage's Siem Reap page, a bit more for sunrise or sunset itineraries.

Elephant Rides: What They Cost and Why to Skip Them

An elephant ride down the hill costs US$15 per person, per Wikivoyage, which advises avoiding them for animal welfare reasons. Walking down is the alternative.

The Walk Up and the Dark Walk Down

Most people approach from the east gate on the Angkor Thom side, and Where's Ben Been puts the walk from that gate to the base at about 20 minutes. Journey Cambodia describes a 15 to 20 minute uphill walk on an unpaved road, with steep and uneven stairs near the top, and advises bringing a flashlight for the way down because it is dark after sunset. Wikivoyage allows half an hour for the climb.

Just Siem Reap adds that many tuk-tuks queue at the bottom in the evening, so it can pay to let the crowds thin before descending. As for sunrise, Where's Ben Been claims the sun rises over the Angkor Wat towers from here at the equinox, but that claim appears only on that blog, so treat it as a possibility rather than a promise.

The Tomb Raider View

Wikipedia notes that the view of Angkor Wat from the top of Phnom Bakheng appears in the film Tomb Raider, in the scene where Lara Croft looks through binoculars on arriving in Cambodia. Angkor Wat lies about 1.5 km to the south-east of the hill. Just Siem Reap suggests 1 to 2 hours at the temple.

Where Else to Watch the Sunset

Journey Cambodia names Pre Rup, Srah Srang, Phnom Bok and the Angkor Wat moat as backups when Phnom Bakheng is too crowded. Wikivoyage separately lists Pre Rup, a pyramid about 12 m high dedicated in 961 or early 962, as a popular sunset spot over the countryside. The comparison of Angkor Wat tours from Siem Reap shows which full-day itineraries finish on the hill and which finish elsewhere.

Tours That End on the Hill

If you would rather not manage the crowd timing alone, several catalog tours finish the day at Phnom Bakheng, the tuk-tuk tour only on its big-tour sunset option. The figures below are the listing prices plus the Angkor Pass each tour says you pay on top, taken from the tour cards.

The Cap on the Top Platform

World Monuments Fund says that since 2011 a joint policy with the APSARA National Authority has limited the number of visitors allowed on the top platform during sunset. The exact number is not published on an official page. Where's Ben Been puts it at 300 people at a time, and Journey Cambodia also quotes 300, though it says both '300 at once' and '300 per day' in different places, so treat the figure as unconfirmed.

Expect a queue on the stairs and a wait for your turn at the top.

Arrival Times by Season

Journey Cambodia advises arriving by 3:30 PM in November to January, 4:00 PM in February to April and 4:30 PM in May to October. It also lists Phnom Bakheng's hours as 5:00 AM to 7:00 PM, which sits oddly beside the official park window of 5:00 AM to 6:30 PM on angkorenterprise.gov.kh, so plan around the official closing time. Climbing stops at 17:30 per Wikivoyage, so on any day when the sun sets after that you will want to be up top before the cut-off rather than at the base.

Getting Down After Dark

The walk down happens in the dark, so bring a flashlight. Just Siem Reap notes that many tuk-tuks queue at the bottom and it pays to wait for the crowds to thin before you head down. An elephant ride down costs US$15 per person per Wikivoyage, which advises against it for animal welfare reasons.

Comparing the Itineraries

The Angkor Wat Full-Day Tour with Sunset is the simplest fit for this page: a 9-hour small-group day of at most 13 people that runs Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, the Bayon and Ta Prohm, then finishes with sunset at Phnom Bakheng. Pickup is 9:10 AM to 9:30 AM. The listing puts your total at $51, the $14 price plus the $37 pass.

The Angkor Wat 2-Day Tour spreads the temples over two days and closes day two with the same sunset, at $34 per person plus the pass, a stated total of $96. For a longer stay, the Angkor Wat 3-Day Tour is a private three-day itinerary that includes Phnom Bakheng on day one, priced at $241.75 per person with the $62 three-day pass added at checkout, giving $303.75.

What the Prices Leave Out

Read the pass line before you book any of these. The full-day tour and the two-day tour tell you to buy your pass on angkorenterprise.gov.kh or at the ticket office, the three-day tour has the guide take you to buy it on day one, and the private tuk-tuk tour states no amount at all. Lunch is extra on the full-day and two-day tours, paid at a local restaurant, and lunches on the three-day tour cost from about US$5 per dish.

If you would rather build your own day, the homepage sections on what a tour costs and the Angkor Pass and going on your own break the numbers down.