ANGKOR · SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA
Angkor Sunset Bike Tour.
My private ride.
A half-day private bike tour through the backroads of Angkor with Cambodia Backroads: jungle trails, a wooden plank bridge, ancient reservoirs and moats, and sunset from the top of the Angkor Thom wall.
PRIVATE TOUR · CAMBODIA BACKROADS
RIDDEN NOVEMBER 2025 · SIEM REAP
THE SHORT VERSION
What is a private Angkor sunset bike tour?
A private Angkor sunset bike tour is a guided half-day ride through the Angkor Archaeological Park. I booked mine with Cambodia Backroads in Siem Reap and rode with guide Kanha Phum, following trails and backroads through Angkor before finishing at sunset.
I had already visited the most Angkor temples on earlier trips, so this time I wanted to experience pathways and backroads between them. The Angkor site is massive. A bike is an efficient way to cover it, it gets you onto trails that cars can’t use and that would be tedious to walk, and it’s good exercise to boot.
Is an Angkor bike tour worth it?
Yes. The moments I remember most happened on the ground, between the sites: a gate in the jungle with nobody else there, monkeys at the coconut stand, a baby water buffalo beside the road. In a car, the usual site, drive, site routine feels disjointed in retrospect. On a bike, the entire journey is the experience.
The one drawback of a sunset ride is that, once the sun goes down, you ride back in the dark. It was worth it.
Angkor sunset bike tour details
BOOKED WITH
Cambodia Backroads, private custom tour
GUIDE
PICKUP
About 2:30 PM by private car from my hotel, Golden Temple Boutique
ON THE BIKE
About 3:00 to 6:30 PM, stops included
INCLUDED
Mountain bike fitted to your height, helmet, bottled water, car transfers
TERRAIN
Flat with some challenging areas. Dirt, gravel, wood planks and paved road
SUNSET
About 5:35 PM in late November
ANGKOR PASS
Not needed for my route, as we didn’t enter any temples*
*Most Angkor bike tours run one to two days and do go inside the temples, so plan on an Angkor Pass.
Why cycle Angkor
The journey
is the experience.
Angkor’s temples are spread across forest, reservoirs and moats. On a bike you see the landscape that connects them, at a pace that lets you stop whenever something catches your eye.
Paths cars can’t use.
Dirt, gravel and wood-plank trails link the sites. A mountain bike comes in handy. Families with kids can stay on the paved paths.
Faster than walking.
The park is too big to walk comfortably in an afternoon. On a bike you cover it easily and still take in everything along the way.
Moments you’d miss.
Wildlife beside the road, statues in the bushes, flooded forest along the trail. From a car window you’d pass right by.
ANGKOR BIKE TOUR ROUTE
15:00 – 18:30 / INDOCHINA TIME
Three and a half hours
between the temples.
Not every stop, just the moments that made the ride. Times are from my phone.
15:40 / BANTEAY KDEI SOUTH GATE
A temple gate to ourselves.
Kanha picked me up by private car at my hotel, the Golden Temple Boutique (a great place to stay, by the way), and drove us to the bike shop closer to the Angkor complex to gear up. Kanha keeps his own bike there. They have plenty to choose from and picked one for my height and frame, then checked and adjusted everything before we set off.
We rode city streets toward Angkor at a brisk pace, which suited me. That’s the advantage of a private tour: you aren’t limited by the slowest rider in a group. Soon we were off the road and on a dirt trail to the first stop, the south gate of Banteay Kdei. It’s small and picturesque, off the main road, and we were the only ones there.
PRIVATE MEANS YOUR PACE. TELL YOUR GUIDE IF YOU WANT TO PUSH.
16:12 / REST STOP NEAR TA KEO
Cold coconut, curious monkeys.
From there we rode forest paths past Ta Keo. After about an hour on the bike we took a rest stop at a roadside stall. I had my favourite: a fresh, cold coconut for a dollar.
A family of monkeys was hanging around behind the shop. One of them was drinking from a leftover cup. Looks like they needed a break too.
A COLD COCONUT IS ABOUT $1. KEEP YOUR DRINKS CLOSE NEAR THE MONKEYS.
16:32 / THE WOOD PLANK BRIDGE
Over the river on planks.
Back on the trails, we crossed a wooden plank suspension bridge over the river. It’s very well built, sturdy and fun to cross on a bike, and Kanha filmed me riding over.
16:38 / NORTH BARAY + PREAH KHAN
Ancient water, hidden statues.
We stopped along the North Baray for water shots. Centuries after it was dug, the reservoir still holds water.
Next we followed a trail along the Preah Khan moat. Carved statues are tucked away in the bushes along the way, including giant garudas on the outer wall. This isn’t your typical mountain bike ride.
THE MOAT TRAIL SHOWS YOU PREAH KHAN WITHOUT GOING INSIDE.
17:09 / ANGKOR THOM
A baby water buffalo by the road.
We made our way back to the main road and rode through the North Gate into Angkor Thom. Just inside, a baby water buffalo was grazing a few metres off the road, so I stopped for photos. These are moments you’d mindlessly pass by in a car.
17:22 / ANGKOR THOM WEST GATE
The West Gate
turns gold.
Right before sunset, the low sun lights up the west face of the gate, its four carved faces and the guardian figures on the causeway. Time for some requisite tourist photos before heading up onto the wall.
Riding through the Angkor Thom West Gate was rather surreal, imagining what life was like when people passed through this same gate some 800 years ago.
FIELD NOTES
Sunset on the
Angkor Thom wall.
From the West Gate we rode along the top of the Angkor Thom wall to a sunset viewpoint on the ridge at the southwest corner.
A sunset viewpoint
you reach by bike.
The top of the wall is a sandy track between tall grass and old laterite blocks, with the moat on one side and the forest of the old city on the other. There was another group of three or four cyclists at the viewpoint, but I got my turn for photos and a beautiful sunset. Thankfully the weather was great that day.
AFTERGLOW
Stay a few more minutes.
The sky kept changing for a good fifteen minutes after the sun went down.
THE PROOF
Riding into the sunset.
Kanha took the photos of me, at every stop.
1+1
private tour: one rider, one guide
3½
hours on the bike, stops included
$1
for a fresh, cold coconut
0
temple tickets needed for my route
18:10 / THE RIDE BACK
The one downside: riding home in the dark.
After sunset we got back on the main road toward the bike shop. That’s the one not-so-positive thing about a sunset ride: once the sun is down, you’re riding at night, on roads shared with cars and scooters. The main road past Angkor Wat has streetlights, and we had helmets on.
It was worth it. I was dropped back at my hotel soon after. Thanks to Kanha and Cambodia Backroads for a memorable excursion.
BEFORE YOU GO
What I’d tell a friend.
Go private if you can.
A private tour moves at your pace and lets you shape the route. Ask for trails and backroads if, like me, you’ve already seen the main temples.
Decide on the Angkor Pass.
I didn’t need one because I wasn’t going inside any temples. Most Angkor bike tours run one to two days and do go inside, so check with your tour company.
Plan for the dark.
A sunset ride ends with a night ride back. Keep your helmet on and stay close to your guide on the road.
Remember to tip your guide accordingly.
Frequently asked QUESTIONS
Angkor bike tour FAQ.
Is a bike tour of Angkor worth it?
Yes. Cycling gets you onto trails cars can’t use, covers the huge site efficiently, and turns the journey between temples into the main experience.
Do you need an Angkor Pass for a bike tour?
You need one to go inside the temples. My private ride stayed on the trails and outside the temples, so I didn’t need one. Most Angkor bike tours do go inside, so plan on buying a pass.
How long is a sunset bike tour at Angkor?
Mine was a half day: pickup at about 2:30 PM, on the bike from about 3:00 PM, sunset around 5:35 PM in late November, and back at hotel at about 7:15 PM.
How hard is cycling at Angkor?
The terrain is mostly flat. There are some challenging parts where you might get off the bike. The surfaces vary between dirt, gravel, wood planks and paved road, so a mountain bike helps. The pace on a private tour is up to you.
Can kids do an Angkor bike tour?
There are many routes. Groups with kids will likely stay on the paved paths for comfort.
Where can you watch sunset at Angkor by bike?
I watched it from a viewpoint on top of the Angkor Thom wall at the southwest corner, after riding out through the West Gate.
What’s included in a private Angkor bike tour?
On my tour with Cambodia Backroads: private car pickup and drop-off at my hotel, a mountain bike fitted to my height, a helmet, bottled water and my guide, Kanha Phum.
Private or group bike tour?
Private, if it fits your budget. You set the pace and the route instead of waiting for the slowest rider.