🛕 Phnom Bakheng
ភ្នំបាខែង
Province
Siem Reap
Era
Early Angkorian
Difficulty
🟡 Moderate
Crowds
👥👥 High
Key Facts
Built: 9th–10th century (907 AD)
Built by: King Yasovarman I
Religion: Hindu
Entry Fee: Angkor Pass
Time Needed: 1–1.5 hours (including hike)
UNESCO: ✅ World Heritage Site
The hilltop temple mountain offering the most famous sunset views over Angkor Wat and the Western Baray.
Phnom Bakheng is a Hindu temple built atop a natural hill (65 meters above the surrounding plain), making it one of the highest points in the Angkor area. It was the state temple of the first Angkorian capital, Yasodharapura. The temple originally featured 109 towers — a symbolic representation of the cosmic Mt. Meru with its surrounding universe, arranged to create a calendar in stone. Today it is most famous as Angkor's premier sunset viewpoint, with panoramic views of Angkor Wat's silhouette against the western sky. Due to severe overcrowding and conservation concerns, visitor numbers are now limited to 300 people on the summit at any time.
Background
Phnom Bakheng is a temple mountain at Angkor, originally a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, built at the end of the 9th century during the reign of King Yasovarman (r. 889–910). It was once the main temple in the Angkor region and the central architectural feature of the new capital Yasodharapura. Standing atop a steep hill 65 m above the surrounding plain, it is a symbolic representation of Mount Meru, built as a pyramid of seven levels representing the seven heavens, with five sandstone sanctuaries in a quincunx at the top. It was later converted into a Buddhist temple. Today it is a popular spot for sunset views of Angkor Wat, and the large number of visitors makes it one of the most threatened monuments of Angkor.
Adapted from the Wikipedia article “Phnom Bakheng” (revision 1376615917, retrieved 19 October 2026), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; text condensed and edited.
Print references cited by the Wikipedia article:
- Coedès, George (1968). Walter F. Vella (ed.). The Indianized States of Southeast Asia. Trans. Susan Brown Cowing. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-0368-1
- Goloubev, Victor. Le Phnom Bakheng et la ville de Yasovarman. Bulletin de l'EFEO (Paris), 33 (1933): 319-344
Highlights
- ✦ Sunset views over Angkor Wat
- ✦ Hilltop panoramic vistas
- ✦ First capital's state temple
- ✦ Calendar in stone (109 towers)
- ✦ Elephant rides discontinued for conservation
Best Time to Visit
Late afternoon for sunset (arrive by 4 PM to secure access)
Visitor Tips
- 💡 Limited to 300 visitors on summit — arrive early
- 💡 The climb takes 15-20 minutes up the steep trail
- 💡 Not accessible for those with mobility issues
- 💡 Sunrise here is less crowded and equally beautiful
Nearby Temples
13.4243°N, 103.8555°E
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