Cambodia's UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and What to See at Each

Cambodia has four properties on the UNESCO World Heritage list, spread across a thousand years of Khmer building and four provinces. Angkor is the one everyone knows; the other three are quieter, older or harder to reach. Here is each of them, with Banteay Srei — which sits inside the Angkor inscription rather than beside it — kept separate because it is worth the trip on its own.

1. Angkor Wat, the monumental heart of the empire

Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world, built in the early 12th century under King Suryavarman II and dedicated first to the Hindu god Vishnu before becoming a Buddhist temple. Seen from the air, the towers rise in a tight cluster above the galleries, with the forest starting immediately behind the outer wall. The wider Angkor site was inscribed in 1992.

2. Banteay Srei, the carvings

Banteay Srei is a 10th-century temple dedicated to Shiva, and unusual in that it was commissioned by royal officials rather than by a king. It is small, and it is known for the density of its pink sandstone carving — the reason it is often called the jewel of Angkor. From above you can see how compact it is: a moated rectangle with a short causeway in. It falls under the 1992 Angkor inscription.

3. Sambor Prei Kuk, the pre-Angkorian capital

Once known as Isanapura, Sambor Prei Kuk in Kampong Thom was a 7th-century capital and holds some of the earliest surviving temples in Cambodia, including distinctive octagonal towers. The brick still carries carved figures in its niches, with vegetation growing out of the upper courses. Inscribed in 2017.

4. Preah Vihear, on the escarpment

Built between the 9th and 12th centuries, Preah Vihear is a Shiva sanctuary laid out along a dramatic axis some 800 metres long, climbing the edge of the Dângrêk Mountains. The photograph catches it at dawn with cloud sitting below the escarpment — successive courtyards and stairways stepping up the ridge. Inscribed in 2008.

5. Koh Ker, the capital that lasted twenty years

After a disputed royal succession, King Jayavarman IV left Angkor and established a new Khmer capital at Koh Ker in 928 AD, where he built the stepped pyramid of Prasat Thom. From directly above, the pyramid reads as a set of concentric squares in a clearing, with forest closing in on every side. The most recent of the four, inscribed in 2023.

Planning around them

Angkor Wat and Banteay Srei are both within reach of Siem Reap and are usually done over two or three days on the same pass. Sambor Prei Kuk sits off the road between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, which makes it easy to fold into a transfer. Preah Vihear and Koh Ker are further north and generally need their own day, often combined.

If you are building a temple itinerary, our guide to the lesser-known temples around Siem Reap covers what to add once the main circuit is done.

Explore more places on The Map Cambodia.

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