Angkor Thom Wall Trail

Dogs Unknown

Features Views

This hike is about 8 miles long with no elevation gain other than when you have to descend the wall to cross a road. It's a well shaded trail, perfect for a midday hike to avoid the sun and crowds. It should be noted that this hike can be broken into several sections because your tuk tuk driver can meet you at any gate. To that point, you can start this loop hike from any gate, making a shorter or longer hike as you desire.

This is a great trail to hike to avoid the crowds and heat of the day. This is an easy loop hike after having your tuk tuk driver drop you off at Angkor Thom South Gate and waiting for you there. From the road, ascend the wall on the right of the South Gate (from inside Angkor Thom). Once on the wall, you can hike a short way back to the South Gate for a seldom seen look of the gate. Turn back along the wall and travel west.

You eventually reach a point where the wall trail turns north. Here, there is a small but awesome ruin called Chrung Temple - Southwest. Continue north until you reach the West Gate. This gate is seldom visited and the only one that have a dirt road passing through it. It is a great spot for photos. Descend the wall trail to cross the road and re-ascend continuing north until the trail makes another right turn. This location has another seldom visited ruin called Prasat Chrung - Northwest. After the turn continue east until you reach the North Gate. Again, descend to the road, cross the road and back up onto the wall.

Continue east until you reach a small temple called Prasat Chrung - Northeast. The temple is nice to explore. The trail turns right here and travels south. This is a very beautiful part of the trail. This is a shorter section because the Victory Gate is not part of the four direction gates. When you reach the Victory Gate, descend the trail to the right and back onto the wall after crossing the road again. This section is only 1.7 miles long.

After a short distance you approach the Gate of the Dead (East Gate). This gate does not get many visitors because the road through the gate ends in the forest just east of the gate. An interesting fact about the road through the Gate of the Dead--it is the original road from 800 years ago. Descend to the right onto the road and hike back up on the south side of the gate.

Continue traveling south until you reach Prasat Chrung - Southeast, also known as the Hendrix Temple. Turn right around the temple and hike west. This is another great section of the trail. As you approach the South Gate, you have great views of the moat and the South Gate Bridge. Once at the South Gate, descend to the right and onto the road where, hopefully, your tuk tuk driver is waiting.