Private Siem Reap Floating Village Tour
A private half day on the Tonle Sap with your own guide, to Kampong Khleang or Kompong Phluk, your choice. Go in the morning, back at your hotel by about 1pm, or leave at 3pm and finish with sunset on the lake. You pay one price for the whole group. The village boat is not included: $20 a person, paid to your guide on the day. 5% of every booking is set aside for schools and clean water in village communities around Siem Reap.
from $95 Book this tour Chat on WhatsApp
Your itinerary
- 8:00amHotel pickup and the drive out through rice fields, with stops for buffaloes and a local market on the way
- 9:00amAt the landing, the boat into Kompong Phluk, about 30 minutes along the channels between the stilt houses. Around 10 to 20 minutes in, we stop at a local pagoda and other places along the water
- 10:00amWet season only, at Kompong Phluk: a small paddle boat through the flooded forest, rowed by a woman from the village ($11 per boat, one or two people)
- 10:30amTime in the village, with your guide explaining daily life on the water
- 12:00pmBoat back to the landing
- 12:45pmBack at your hotel, or carry on to other villages
Price
| Vehicle | Guests | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Private A/C Minivan | Up to 6 adults | $165 |
| Private A/C SUV | 2 adults + 1 child | $150 |
| Private Tuk-Tuk | Up to 3 adults | $130 |
| Solo traveller (tuk-tuk) | Just you | $95 |
Six of you in the minivan is about $28 each. Private guided tours here run $49 to $110 per person.
Flying solo? We've got you. One person, your own private guide, a fairer price.
Cold towels, water and beverages included. One flat price for the whole group, not per person. Not included: the village boat, $20 per person, paid to your guide on the day.
“We loved the tour so much that we did it all again the following day and explored the floating village and lake.”
Nothing to pay now. Book your date and your tour is confirmed straight away by email. You pay your guide and driver in cash on the day, in US dollars or riel. Cancelling is free. We just ask that you let us know 48 hours before.
$6.50 of this booking goes to village schools & clean water
That 5% comes out of what your guide and driver earn. Your price stays the same. They give it because Siem Reap is home. Everything else goes straight to them, which is also why a private local guide costs you less than the big operators. So far we've given books and pens to children and to a small school. We believe no donation is too small. Most of the time the kids are so happy and grateful to get them.
Meet the community
Kampong Khleang is the largest of the floating villages and one of the least touristy. More than 10,000 people live there, in stilt houses on tall legs, with boats where you would expect streets. They fish and live their whole lives on the water.
Or Kompong Phluk, if you prefer
Kompong Phluk is the closer option, about 45 minutes from town, known for its towering stilt houses and the flooded forest. In the wet season a woman from the village rows you through it in a small paddle boat, $11 per boat for one or two people, paid to her in cash. It sees more visitors than Kampong Khleang but takes less of your day. Same tour, same price, just tell us which one when you book, or let your guide pick based on the season.
Kampong Khleang
Kampong Khleang is about 60 to 75 minutes from town, so the morning runs about 30 minutes longer. On the way we stop at local pagodas, a school, villages and farms, so the drive is part of the day. There is no paddle boat at Kampong Khleang; that ride is only at Kompong Phluk, and only in the wet season.
The sunset trip
If you'd rather sleep in, go in the afternoon. We pick you up at 3pm and follow the same route. After the village, the boat heads out onto the open Tonle Sap and waits there while the sun goes down over the water. Same price as the morning.
- 3:00pm, hotel pickup
- About 4:00pm, the boat into the village
- Around 5:30pm, out on the open lake for sunset
- About 7:00pm, back at your hotel
Sunset comes a little earlier from November to January, so your guide moves the times to match. Pick the 3pm sunset pickup when you book the tour.
When the water is high, and when it is not
The lake changes this trip a lot. From about August to December the Tonle Sap rises under the houses and into the trees, and the boat takes you right up to the houses. By March to May it has drained so far that roads underwater half the year are dry enough to walk on. The houses stand on their long legs over dry ground, and the forest ride at Kompong Phluk stops running. It is still a working village, daily life is easier to see, and some guests prefer it. Tell us your dates and we will tell you what to expect that week.
What your price covers
Your guide, your driver and vehicle, cold towels, water and drinks for the drive. Not included, paid on the day: the boat into the village, $20 a person to your guide, and at Kompong Phluk the paddle boat, $11 per boat for one or two people, paid to the woman rowing.
The tour price is per group, so it shrinks as more of you come. Four of you in the A/C minivan pay $165 for the tour plus $80 for the boat, $245 in total, or about $61 each. At Kompong Phluk the paddle boat adds $22 for the four of you (two boats).
Where the 5% goes
5% of this booking is set aside for village schools and clean water in the Siem Reap countryside. So far it has gone on books and pens, given to children and to a small school.
Want the full picture first, including which village to skip and why? Read our floating village guide.
What guests say about Sitha
These are from his years guiding for other Siem Reap operators. The company is new; your guide is not. Before us, Sitha also guided 100+ guests for luxury hotels like Sofitel and Phum Baitang.
“Sitha is a great tour guide! He is very knowledgeable about Angkor Wat and other temples in the Siem Reap area. We learned a lot from him, both about the temples and about daily life in Cambodia!”
Caitlin W
TripAdvisor, Jan 2025
“Engaging, super knowledgeable and absolutely flexible and responsive to the requirements of our group, he really made the week for us. I can't recommend his work highly enough!”
Alexandra H
TripAdvisor, Jan 2025
“Sitha was a fantastic guide with excellent English... always punctual and thoughtful, very knowledgeable and giving interesting and useful information without bombarding you with it. I would thoroughly recommend Sitha as your guide in Siem Reap.”
Andreea E
TripAdvisor, Jan 2025
Read all his reviews on TripAdvisor (from his time with Angkor Trips)
Common questions
Is the floating village visit ethical?
Yes. We take you to a working village, Kampong Khleang or Kompong Phluk, where people live their whole lives on the water, and 5% of your booking is set aside for village schools and clean water around Siem Reap.
Which village do you visit, Kampong Khleang or Kompong Phluk?
Your choice, same price either way. Kampong Khleang is bigger and further out, so it sees fewer tourists. Kompong Phluk is closer to Siem Reap and has the paddle boat ride through the flooded forest, which Kampong Khleang does not. Unsure? Tell us your dates and your guide will recommend one based on water levels and crowds.
How much is the floating village tour?
$95 solo, $130 by private tuk-tuk (up to 3 adults), $150 by private A/C SUV (2 adults and 1 child) or $165 by private A/C minivan (up to 6 adults). That covers your guide, driver and vehicle for the whole group. The boat is not included: $20 a person at either village, paid to your guide on the day. At Kompong Phluk the paddle boat through the forest is $11 per boat (one or two people), in cash, paid to the woman rowing.
Is it worth going in the dry season?
Yes, if you know what you are getting. From about March to May the lake drops far below the houses, so the stilt houses stand over dry ground and you see more of the village on foot than from the water. The paddle boat at Kompong Phluk cannot get through the forest then. August to December is when the water is high. With the water down, daily life is out in the open, and some guests prefer it. Tell us your dates and we will tell you what that week looks like.
Can I combine it with the temples?
Yes. Many guests pair a half-day floating village visit with a temple day. Ask us and we'll plan it around you.
Want more time in Angkor?
One day is a taste. Slow it down and see the temples most tourists never reach.