The Grand Circuit of Angkor
The forgotten temples of the northeast

The Grand Circuit is often the second day at Angkor — a reward for visitors who take the time to stay more than one day. The temples that make up this circuit are less photogenic than the Bayon or Ta Prohm, but they are also less crowded, quieter, and provide a more intimate visiting experience. Some travelers prefer them to the Small Circuit.

The Sites of the Grand Circuit

1. Preah Khan — The Sacred City

Built in 1191 by Jayavarman VII to commemorate his victory over the Chams, Preah Khan served as a temple, monastery, and educational city (it housed, according to inscriptions, over 1,000 teachers and 100,000 officiants). It is the largest of the temples constructed by Jayavarman VII — a labyrinth of galleries, courtyards, and gopuras that spans 56 hectares.

Particularly remarkable: the hall of round columns, unique in Khmer architecture (the round columns are of Indian influence), and the two-story building in Greek style (probably a treasure depot). The access paths are lined with stone giants holding the body of the nāga.

2. Neak Pean — The Floating Island

Neak Pean (“the coiled nāgas”) is a temple-island in the middle of a large artificial baray. Built by Jayavarman VII, it represents the mythical lake of the Himalayas, Anavatapta, whose waters heal all diseases. Four secondary basins surround the central basin, connected by canals and adorned with animal figures (horse, elephant, lion, bull). In the rainy season, when the baray is full, the effect is striking.

3. Ta Som — The Fig Tree Gate

A small temple of Jayavarman VII, Ta Som is especially famous for its eastern gate, completely engulfed in the roots of a giant fig tree — one of the most photographed images in Angkor after Ta Prohm. Less frequented than the latter, Ta Som offers a more peaceful atmosphere to contemplate the same phenomenon of vegetation reclaiming its rights over stone.

4. Pre Rup — The Sunset

A mountain temple from the 10th century (961), dedicated to Shiva during the reign of Rājendravarman II. The name “Pre Rup” (literally “to turn the body”) refers to a funerary ritual — which led the EFEO to describe this monument as a royal crematorium, a hypothesis that is now nuanced. Its main interest lies in its silhouette of red bricks and sandstone at sunset and the panoramic view from its summit over the Cambodian plain and Tonlé Sap.

5. East Mebon — The Temple on the Island

Constructed in the middle of the eastern baray (now drained) in 952 by Rājendravarman II, East Mebon was originally surrounded by water on all sides, accessible only by boat. Today, it stands on a dusty mound, but its life-sized sandstone elephants, guarding each level, remain among the finest examples of Khmer art.

6. Banteay Samré

Banteay Samré is often overlooked in favor of its more famous neighbors — this is a mistake. A 12th-century temple dedicated to Vishnu, it is one of the best-preserved in the park, with an almost intact inner moat and finely sculpted bas-reliefs. Its smaller dimensions allow for an intimate visit, without the overwhelming scale of the larger temples.

Recommended Itinerary

What Other Circuits Don’t Show You

What sets the Grand Circuit apart is the quality of silence you will find there. Outside of high season, it is possible to visit Preah Khan one morning without encountering more than twenty people in the galleries. At Ta Som, you can sit facing the fig tree gate without having to wait your turn to photograph. Pre Rup at sunset gathers a few dozen visitors — compared to hundreds at Phnom Bakheng.

This is also the ideal day to begin deciphering Khmer iconography. The temples of Jayavarman VII (Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Ta Som) are all Mahayana Buddhist, while Pre Rup, East Mebon, and Banteay Samré are Hindu. Observing the differences in the sculpted figures — bodhisattvas vs Hindu gods — is a fascinating exercise in living archaeology.