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One proven day plan puts you on the water at 8:00 AM, back at the pool by lunch, and in front of a live Apsara show by night.
Zero planning stress, two tours, and the hottest hours of the day spent resting instead of sweating.
The Lake and The Apsara full day tour gives you water, culture, and rest in one plan that already works. And that is exactly why The Lake and The Apsara full day tour exists as one bookable day, not two separate bookings fighting over your calendar.
Think of the package as three gifts in one. First, the lake at its kindest hour, before the glare turns brutal, with a private boat and our guide, who narrates without over-narrating. Second, the hottest stretch of the Cambodian afternoon handed back to you, poolside, with nothing to decide. Third, a golden-crowned evening of classical Apsara and folk dance over a Khmer buffet, with the tuk-tuk already paid for. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before start, kids from age 4, groups capped at 8 or fully private. One more thing worth knowing: the flooded forest peaks late July to early March, and from March 1 to July 31 we swap to Chong Khneas with a sunset run instead.
On The Lake and The Apsara full day tour, you will shop a working Khmer market while our guide translates, tasting snacks you had no name for before today.
You will board a private boat and cruise the fishing village of Kampong Phluk on Tonle Sap, Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater lake, which swells to about 12,000 square kilometers in the wet months. Paddlers get their reward too: a small rowboat under the drowned trees, two adults per boat, if the season allows. There is a village monastery to visit with shoulders and knees covered, where donations are welcome and never pushed. The hotel break hands you hours of nothing at all, and believe us, that is a feature.
The night brings the Khmer buffet, classical Apsara plus folk dances, and a tuk-tuk ride home with the air still warm around you.
Our guide meets you in the lobby with cold water and a paper map. The van has working aircon. You are on the road in under five minutes.
Rice paddies out both windows, sugar palms along the way (Cambodia’s national tree, by the way). You get 30 to 40 minutes to wander and taste. Bring small bills.
Restroom stop, quick briefing, and board. Boats here are private, so no waiting for strangers, and life jackets wait under the seats.
The channel runs between houses on stilts 8 to 10 meters tall. Laundry dries over your head. Locals use ladders in the dry months and boats in the wet ones. For $5 per person you can switch to a small rowboat, two adults per boat, and paddle 30 to 40 minutes through the flooded forest. Nine out of ten guests who take it call it the best part of the day. Our take? Take it.
A short, respectful stop. Cover shoulders and knees, and ask before pointing a camera anywhere close to monks.
Nap in the van. You have earned it, and you are back before happy hour on Pub Street.
Your hotel becomes base camp for the hottest stretch of the day. Pool, nap, spa, laundry, a late lunch, all of it without a single decision. Here is why the break beats a packed schedule: Cambodian afternoons are the stillest, hottest hours, and both halves of this plan start and end at the same lobby. So the pause costs nothing, fits neatly between the two pickups, and cuts every minute of midday travel out of the equation. You arrive at dinner rested, not wrecked.
A driver collects you from the same lobby for the dinner show, and we confirm the exact pickup time when you book, so check your voucher. Dinner is a lavish buffet of classic Khmer dishes, with drinks available for purchase. Then the stage lights come up: classical Apsara dance plus a set of lively folk dances, the kind of night that makes the morning feel like the warm-up act. The tuk-tuk drops you back at your hotel afterward, round trip included in the price.
Apsara is Cambodia’s classical dance form, built on slow hand gestures, arched backs, and golden crowns. The style grew out of the royal court, and the Royal Ballet of Cambodia holds a UNESCO listing for the tradition. At a dinner show in Siem Reap you watch the graceful classical Apsara plus folk pieces, all in one sitting.
Where it runs. Siem Reap town for the pickups, the hotel break and the dinner restaurant, plus Angkor Archaeological Park for the temple morning.
Total day. About 18 hours, from the 4:15 am pickup to the drop off around 9:30 pm. Yes, that is a long day. The hotel break in the middle is what makes it work.
Group size. Maximum 15 travellers in the small group version, in an air conditioned minibus. Private is available on request if you want the guide to yourself.
Guide. A licensed English speaking guide for the temple morning, the same person from your hotel door to the Southern Gate of Angkor Thom. Our team also runs tours in German, Spanish, French and Italian, so say the word at booking.
Vehicle. Air conditioned minibus for small groups, private car or minivan for private bookings. Cold water and cool towels come with both, and the reviews mention those towels more than anything else.
Hotel break, 1:30 pm to 5:15 pm. A day use room at your Siem Reap hotel, with shower, air conditioning and pool access. Lunch at the hotel is included. Book the overnight version and the room becomes yours for the night instead.
Evening transfer. Round trip by tuk tuk from your hotel, included in the Apsara leg. It is a three wheeled ride, not a bus, and it is part of the fun.
Dinner. A buffet dinner of traditional Khmer dishes at the partner restaurant in Siem Reap, included in the price. Vegetarian dishes sit on the same line. Drinks are extra and paid at the table.
The performance. Classical Apsara dance pieces and Cambodian folk dances, performed live with a music ensemble. The show starts around 7:30 pm and runs about two hours.
Children at the dinner. Children aged 5 to 11 usually pay a reduced rate and under 5 are often free, depending on the restaurant. We confirm the exact child rate when we book your table.
Children at the temples. Under 8 years old are not permitted on the Angkor Wat sunrise tour. That rule comes from the park, not from us.
Angkor temple pass. US$37 for a one day pass, US$62 for three days and US$72 for seven. Paid to Angkor Enterprise, not to Journey Cambodia. Buy it online before you fly and skip the counter queue at 4:50 am.
Package from. US$41 per person for the small group sunrise tour plus the Apsara dinner and transfers, before the hotel break and the temple pass. Private versions start higher.
Booking lead time. 48 hours gets you the best guide choice. From November to March the sunrise slots go first, so book earlier in peak season.
Our price covers all of the following:
✅ Hotel pickup and drop-off in Siem Reap for the morning run.
✅ An English-speaking guide, with other languages on request.
✅ Bottled water on the van, plus refill top-ups for your own bottle.
✅ The air-conditioned vehicle and the private wooden boat, life jackets included.
✅ The Rolous Market stop and the countryside drive with photo pauses.
✅ The round-trip tuk-tuk transfer for the evening show.
✅ The Khmer buffet dinner at the Apsara venue.
What stays outside the price? The $5 rowboat, drinks at dinner, and tips, so carry a little cash for those three.
Packing for The Lake and The Apsara full day tour is a 10-minute job the night before. Here is the list:
And one rule for the hotel safe: passports, spare cash, and airline tickets stay behind.
Terms & Conditions
Journey Cambodia’s Terms & Conditions
Cancellation Policy
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Good Reads and Helpful Resources
• Secure your temple access with our complete guide: Get Your Angkor Ticket Now
• Stay updated on the latest travel requirements: Cambodia Entry Rules
• Plan your comfort breaks and dining options: Angkor Archaeological Park facilities
• Budget smart for this spectacular jungle temple: Beng Mealea Entrance Fee
• Access pricing for the remote pyramid temple: Koh Ker Temple pass
• Waterfall and temple combo ticket information: Kulen Mountain Ticket
• Complete your digital arrival process before flying: Cambodia e arrival card
$43
The Lake and The Apsara full day tour stacks two of Siem Reap’s proven favorites into one plan: a morning boat trip on Tonle Sap, then a Khmer buffet dinner with a live Apsara show. You leave at 8:00 AM, cruise past stilted houses at Kampong Phluk, and (for $5 extra) paddle a rowboat through the flooded forest. The middle of the day stays free on purpose. You rest at the hotel while the heat peaks, then a tuk-tuk collects you at night for dinner and the dance. One day, two tours, and the whole thing ends back at your own bed. That is why The Lake and The Apsara full day tour keeps winning over families and couples who hate wasted hours.
$39
