TEMPLES & SHRINES · GUIDED
This is the shortlist you would send a friend: 15 guided temple tours worth the money, each with its price, its start time and the one thing to know before the gate.
Start with hotel pickup or meet at Onederz Siem Reap for an eight-hour temple circuit. Choose sunrise or sunset, then visit Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm, and Banteay Kdei with an English-speaking guide such as Mr. T, Sen, David, or Chanthy.
“David was absolutely amazing, I loved the sunset tour with him! I learned a lot and would not hesitate to book with David again.”
Visit four Ayutthaya temple ruins from Bangkok in seven hours, with an English, German, Thai, or Japanese-speaking guide. Guides such as Paul, AJ, Philip, and Jum are known for clear history talks and good humor. The tour includes air-conditioned transport, temple entry, and a Thai buffet lunch on selected options.
“Wonderful day! Our guide Paul was lovely, very knowedlegable and gave good insights in Thai history and culture. Good balance of jokes and information, great at keeping the strucutre and pace. highly recommended. Thanks Paul”
Ride from central Athens along the Athenian Riviera to Cape Sounion, then spend 90 minutes near Poseidon’s Temple before sunset. An escort, air-conditioned coach, photo stop, and audio guide in six languages are included. Entry to the temple costs extra.
“Tour was an amazing experience and George was very funny and made the travel very informative and entertaining”
Spend 9 to 10 hours visiting Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bayon, Ta Prohm, and Phnom Bakheng with an English-speaking guide such as Nick, Vone, or Sayon. Expect temple stories, jungle paths, cold water, air-conditioned transport, and a sunset climb. The $15 tour excludes the temple pass and meals.
“John was very good in explaining everything. Furthermore i lost my airpods in one of the store. Using his local friends he helped me in finding and giving it back to them. And also he took some great photos. Definitely worth trying this”
Start at 4:30 am for sunrise at Angkor Wat, then visit Ta Prohm, Ta Keo, and Angkor Thom by air-conditioned minivan. An English-speaking guide such as Sam, Sok, Vone, or Sary explains the temples, takes photos, and provides water. The group is limited to 12 people.
“We liked it. It was a good group, driver, and guide. The guide was attentive and took the time to explain.”
Spend five hours with an English-speaking guide such as Sunday, Betty, CK, or Guitar, visiting Bangkok’s Grand Palace, Wat Pho, and Wat Arun. The small group, capped at 10 people, includes the river boat and water, but temple admission fees are paid separately.
“The tour was incredible. Betty was friendly, funny and very knowledgeable! It was a really hot day and Betty was very focused on our safety the whole time, making sure we always had plenty of water! It was the perfect start for our trip to Thailand!”
Start around 4:30 am for sunrise at Angkor Wat, then tour Ta Prohm, Bayon, Angkor Thom, and Srah Srang with an English-speaking guide. Small groups reach 15 people, and guides such as Pal, Sak, Chhay, and Yuth add history, photo tips, and local insight. The temple pass costs $37 extra.
“Our guide Sauron Pal was extremely helpful! Together with our driver Nao the service is impeccable. Couldn’t recommend more!”
Start around 4:30 a.m. for sunrise at Angkor Wat, then explore Bayon, Ta Prohm, and Banteay Kdei with a private English-speaking guide. Guides such as Se, Sopha, Sa, Curly, and Samuth are praised for temple knowledge, photos, and flexible pacing. Transport, water, and cold towels are included.
“Wonderful tour with our excellent guide Mare. He is extremely knowledgeable, his English is great, he was able to take us to special places for our comfort and photos, and we loved his personality. We learned so much from Mare about the 4 temples we visited. We highly recommend this tour and Mare as its guide!”
Walk through Bangkok’s Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew with a guide such as Sun, Tank, Fern, or Jack. Expect about 2 to 3 hours of temple art, royal history, Emerald Buddha views, photo stops, and helpful advice on dress, shade, and nearby sights.
“Angie was a very knowledgeable guide and took some great photos - thank you!”
Start before dawn for Angkor Wat’s sunrise, then spend the morning at Bayon, Ta Prohm, Ta Keo, and other ancient sites. An English-speaking guide such as Vone, Sok, Nick, or Ho Heang explains the carvings, faith, and Khmer history. Expect an air-conditioned minibus, small group, cold water, and a long day.
“lovely trip with Ho Heang. very knowledgeable and took time to explain everything thoroughly and check if we had questions. Temples absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately a very hot day so we were all a bit wilted by the end.”
This five-hour Phuket tour pairs Karon Viewpoint and Wat Chalong with a cashew stop, local snacks, Saeng Tham Shrine, and Old Town’s Sino-Portuguese streets. Guides such as Tang, Pat, Molly, and Eve bring useful cultural context, while hotel pickup and drop-off keep the day simple.
“The views were beautiful. Also Eve as our tour guide was wonderful and very engaging/knowledgeable. I would highly recommend.”
Meet your English or Chinese-speaking guide at Tha Tian Pier for a three-hour walk through Wat Pho and Wat Arun. Expect detailed temple stories, time for photos, coconut water, and helpful guidance with Thai Buddhist customs. Guides such as Nancy, Sun, Jack, and Tee are praised for warmth and clear explanations.
“It was an amazing tour! Well worth time to learn from local knowledge.”
Leave Siem Reap around 4:15 AM for Angkor Wat sunrise, then explore Ta Prohm, Angkor Thom, and Bayon with an English-speaking guide such as Pal, Bun, Sak, or Sok. Expect a small-group van, temple history, photo help, bottled water, cool towels, and a separate $37 Angkor Pass.
“What an amazing day with Sal and our driver Vicket. Everything just fell into place ...perfect weather, no mosquitoes and a stunning predawn and sunrise. Sak is without a doubt one of the most knowledgeable tour leaders I have ever encountered and, although he was not feeling 100%, he did not let it impact on our tour of Angkor Wat. This tour truly exceeded my expectations and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Siem Reap.”
Walk Chiang Mai’s Old City with an English-speaking guide such as Nana, TomTam, or Nuttaya, visiting Wat Chedi Luang, teak-built Wat Phan Tao, and Wat Phra Singh. Expect Buddhist and Lanna history, temple etiquette, photo stops, and plenty of shoe removal for $16 plus entrance fees.
“Our guide Nuttaya was extremely knowledgeable and gave us a very informative tour of 3 of Chiang Mai’s most famous temples. Highly recommend this walking tour for learning more about the history of the city and Buddhism. Kob koon kaa 🙏”
Visit Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bayon, and Ta Prohm in six to seven hours with an English-speaking guide such as Phy, Nak, Wat, or San. Hotel pickup, tuk-tuk or minivan transport, cold water, and drop-off are included. You pay the $37 park pass separately.
“This tour of Angkor went perfectly. There were 4 of us with Seth our lovely guide. He was kind and caring, ensuring that we stayed safe (lots of steps and places to fall down) and gave us rest/water breaks. We saw the 3 main famous areas aRead more”
Sunrise, sunset, on foot or by tuk-tuk.
