Koh Ker Tours

• Hotel Pick-up: 7:40 am to 8:10 am
• Departure: 8:30 am
• Drop off: 6 pm

Koh Ker Temple is abandoned to the forests of the north of Siem Reap, the ancient capital of the Angkorian empire (from AD 928 to AD 944).

You’ll be hungry after that long drive, so settle into one of the restaurants nearby, and dig into some traditional Cambodian curries, soups, and stir-fries.

Dress Appropriately!

Respect the ancient religious grounds when you visit them. Wear a shirt that can cover your shoulders, and trousers or knee-length pants or skirts are permitted.

Location 

Koh Ker

How do we roll?

Please note that if you wish to book a tour for the same day or the next day, please call us directly at +855 (0)12 200 073 to be sure we have available seats for you. Our contact forms are only intended for bookings made at least 24 hours before the start of the tour.

• First, select either a shared tour with a guide or a private tour with or without an optional tour guide.
• Fill in the contact form fields as detailed as possible (if you have missing information such as the hotel/room details, don’t worry, you can email us later at (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
• You will receive a confirmation email within 24 hours. If not, please contact us directly at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
  See our How We Roll page to learn about the general rules of thumb for visiting the temples. We encourage all our guests to follow these rules, as the authorities enforce them, and we cannot make exceptions.

See our How We Roll page to learn about the general rules of thumb for visiting the temples. We encourage all our guests to follow these rules, as the authorities enforce them, and we cannot make exceptions.

Koh Ker City (928-944 AD)

How do I get from Siem Reap to Koh Ker?
Koh Ker Lost Archeological Site can be found 120 kilometers northeast of Siem Reap.

The pleasant trip from Siem Reap to Koh Ker takes around two hours and passes through good roads. Along the route, you will see glimpses of cashew and banana plantations, as well as impressive rice fields and local villages.

At this location, overgrown trees tangle untrampled across thousand-year-old structures.

When you reach the top of a pyramid built in the Mayan style with seven levels, you will see a green and vivid landscape stretching out in front of you.

Why travel so far to see Koh Ker?

The mountains of Dangrek, Kulen, and Tbeng may be seen in the background of the jungle setting of Koh Ker.

Koh Ker is nearly as huge as the Angkor complex, spanning 81 square kilometers over its entirety; yet, due to its more distant location, it has suffered greater damage and pillage over the course of its history.

If you go at the right time of year, you might find the ruins hidden in the foliage and thick vegetation, but at other times of the year they might be completely visible amongst the bare trees.

• Koh Ker is one of the temple locations from the Angkor period that has received the least amount of research.
• Since Koh Ker has just been half excavated, there is a good chance that you will discover something that has been hidden.
• Since much of the information researchers had gathered about the place during the Khmer Rouge was destroyed, the location is essentially indecipherable.

Koh Ker incredible facts – 4 reasons to go now!

• Archaeological Site Koh Ker is located in northern Cambodia and is approximately 75 miles from the ancient city of Angkor and the city of Siem Reap.
• In this jungle-covered area, there are only a few people.
• In an 81-square-kilometer protected region, researchers discovered almost 180 sanctuaries.
• Tourists can only see approximately a dozen of the many sanctuaries concealed in the forest because the entire area hasn't been completely defined.

When was the Koh Ker temple built?

Koh Ker most likely served as Jayavarman IV’s state temple when it was the capital of the whole empire (928–944 AD). 

The Khmer monarch, Jayavarman IV, moved the capital to ChokGargyar, which has since become Koh Ker.

Jayavarman IV established his new capital and resided there for twenty years. Even though he was responsible for constructing numerous religious monuments devoted to Hinduism, this city only existed for a total of 20 years. After his passing, there was an instantaneous decision to give up on it. It is unclear why his successor, King Rajendravarman II, decided to relocate the capital back to Angkor, but he did so.