The 10 Best Angkor Wat Temples to Visit with Kids
This week, we spent two full days exploring the temples of Angkor Wat, and in that time we managed to visit more than a dozen temples, including most of the larger, more popular temples as well as a few that were more off-the-beaten path.
Little Miss and Young Mister WorldSmith absolutely loved channelling their inner Indiana Jones and Lara Croft while clambering over the mussy rubble, under twisty vines, and between the massive strangler fig tree roots to explore each temple fully.
While none of these temples required any strenuous hiking or advanced climbing skills, we definitely wouldn’t recommend these for kids who aren’t strong walkers or stair climbers, as much of the fun of exploring these temples is climbing up, over, and around the crumbling ruins. Our kids are 5 and 7, and were totally fine managing on their own for the most part, though we did need to assist them on some very high and steep (and somewhat sketchy, safety-wise) sets of stairs at a couple of the temples.
You can check out our list of our top ten Angkor temples to visit with kids in the slideshow below.
To read more about our experience exploring the temples of the Angkor Architectural Park, click here.
Angkor Wat is the "crown jewel" of all the temples in the Angkor Architectural Park. There are great views of this enormous temple from both the front and back, so you can get gorgeous shots of both the sunrise and sunset. One thing to note is that most of the interior part of the temple is on the top floor and can only be accessed by a very steep staircase. Children under 12 are not allowed to use this staircase so unfortunately can't visit the upper floor of the temple.
Ta Prom is the largest and most popular of the "tree temples" — jungle temples that have been reclaimed by nature, with massive strangler fig trees growing overtop and around the buildings and rubble. The tree temples were our favourite, and Ta Prohm was without a doubt the most impressive of them all. This one is definitely not to be missed!
Bayon is one of the group of temples that make up Angkor Thom, and is known for the hundreds of intricate faces carved into every side of its many towers. Our kids loved discovering new faces around every corner and trying to count them all.
Ta Nei is a small tree temple hidden deep in the jungle down a narrow dirt track. This is one of the smaller, less popular temples, so if you visit it at the right time you can have the whole place to yourself. It was our favourite for "off-the-beaten-path" exploring.
Ta Keo is a massive sandstone temple built up into a five-tier pyramid. The stairs to the top are very steep, but the climb to the top is worth it.
Neak Pean is the only water temple we visited — it's in the middle of a large reservoir, and accessed via a long overwater boardwalk and short trek through the jungle. It's quite small and you are only able to view it from the water's edge, but it's worth the trip if only for the gorgeous peaceful setting.
Ta Som is a small tree temple located a short drive from Neak Pean. It isn't a large or impressive as Ta Prohm or as off-the-beaten-path and untouched as Ta Nei, but it does have intricate carved faces in its single tower, which makes it feel almost like a cross between Ta Prohm and Bayon, only smaller.
Preah Kahn is another one of the jungle temples, and it's one of the more popular temples that make up the "grand circuit" route. It's massive and labyrinthian and very interesting to explore from the inside. However, many of the strangler fig trees at Preah Kahn have been cut down or scaffolded recently to preserve the structures beneath them, and so it is no longer one of the better examples of tree temples at Angkor.
Pre Rup is a large pyramid-style temple, similar to Ta Keo, though not quite as intricate. If you can make it up the steep stone staircase to the top of the temple, you'll be rewarded by beautiful sweeping views of the surrounding area.