How Much Does It Cost to Visit Koh Ker?
Know the real Koh Ker budget before you book: the $15 temple pass, honest ride costs, and a simple comparison trick that saves you the most.
How much does it cost to visit Koh Ker? I hear this question every single week in my Siem Reap office, and the short answer is pleasingly small: a $15 entrance pass, a ride that runs about $50 to $90 round trip, and roughly $10 more for food. The full answer takes a little longer, because your total swings with how you travel, which tickets you already hold, and whether you add a guide. As a tour planner who sends guests up this road weekly, I can show you exactly where the money goes and where it doesn’t need to. Koh Ker rewards a clear-eyed budget: the surprises come from wrong assumptions, not from high prices. Nearly every overpayment I see traces back to one mix-up, and I’ll fix that for you in the next few paragraphs.
Practical answer: As of September 2026, Angkor Enterprise lists the Koh Ker Temples Park 1-day pass at $15, with access to 10+ temples, including the seven-tier Prasat Thom pyramid. Beng Mealea sits separately at $10, so travelers pairing the two sites should count $25 in admission before transport. The pass is bought on site at the entrance booth, which opens at 7:30 am, and card readers can fail, so bring $15 in cash. Always recheck official prices close to your travel dates, because ticket policies can change.
Koh Ker Entrance Fee
The $15 fee buys single-day access to the whole archaeological complex. Angkor Enterprise, the official ticketing body, sells it as the Koh Ker Temples Park 1-day pass covering 10+ temples. That includes Prasat Thom, the famous seven-tiered pyramid, plus Prasat Pram with its giant tree roots, Prasat Neang Kmao, and more than 180 structures scattered across the site. Kids under 12 walk in free.
Here is what matters about buying it:
- On site only. There is no advance online purchase for the Koh Ker pass. The booth sits at the entrance, about 110 km from Siem Reap.
- Cash first. Card readers exist but the connection at the booth is unreliable. Bring $15 in cash plus a little backup.
- Hours. Site entry runs 6:00 am to 6:30 pm, but the ticket window itself opens at 7:30 am. Arrive then for cooler weather and open light.
Check the official Angkor Enterprise ticket page to confirm before you travel, and read our full Koh Ker entrance fee guide for the same details plus photo timing.
Fast fact: there is no half-day or sunset-only ticket. Everyone pays $15 no matter how long they stay, so the smart play is to give the site at least three hours.
Is Koh Ker Included in the Standard Angkor Pass?
No. This is the mix-up I mentioned, and it costs people real money every day. The standard Angkor pass covers the temples inside the Angkor Archaeological Park, and since January 2020 it has also included Beng Mealea. It does not include Koh Ker, which stays on its own separate ticket system.
| Pass type | Price (USD) | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| 1-day Angkor pass | $37 | 50+ temples in the park, including Beng Mealea |
| 3-day Angkor pass | $62 | Same coverage, any 3 days within 7 |
| 7-day Angkor pass | $72 | Same coverage, any 7 days within 30 |
| Koh Ker pass | $15 | 10+ temples at Koh Ker, sold separately |
| Beng Mealea pass | $10 | Beng Mealea alone, only if you hold no Angkor pass |
The good news: if you already hold any Angkor pass, your Beng Mealea admission is paid. Your added cost for the Koh Ker day drops to $15 plus transport. For the full picture on the jungle ruin, see our Beng Mealea entrance fee page.
Transportation Costs
Koh Ker sits about 107 km northeast of Siem Reap, a drive of roughly two to two and a half hours each way. The road is sealed for most of the distance, with a rougher final stretch before the temple. That distance shapes every transport price.
Your realistic options:
- Private car or taxi. $50 to $90 round trip depending on car class and driver. This is the DIY standard, and it works fine for couples or small families.
- Small-group tour. Roughly $50 to $65 per person with transport included. The best call for solo travelers, because the per-person cost collapses.
- Tuk-tuk. Not practical at this distance. Two and a half hours each way on an open road leaves you tired before you see a single stone.
- Self-drive scooter. Cheap to rent, but the final stretch is rough. I only suggest it for experienced riders.
Plan on an early start. A 5:30 am to 6:00 am departure puts you at the pyramid with soft light and most tour vans still behind you. Timing questions like this are covered in our guide on whether you can visit Koh Ker and Banteay Srei in one day.
Driver vs Guided Tour Costs
Here is where the gap between a driver-only day and a guided day shows up, and it’s smaller than most people assume. A private car with a driver runs $50 to $90 for the vehicle. You then buy your own $15 pass, find your own lunch, and walk with a phone or a guidebook. It works. It also leaves the story of Koh Ker on the ground: why a capital city rose here, why it fell within a generation, and what those giant carvings actually mean.
Our Banteay Srei, Beng Mealea and Koh Ker small group tour runs $65 per person (down from $79), for 10 hours with a maximum of 12 guests. That price covers your professional English-speaking guide, an air-conditioned van with driver, hotel pickup and drop-off in Siem Reap, cold water, cool towels, a seasonal fruit and palm cake tasting, and a Khmer lunch at a local family restaurant. You still pay the $15 Koh Ker pass and, if needed, the Angkor pass on your own, so you see exactly what every dollar buys.
| Option | Price (USD) | What’s covered |
|---|---|---|
| Private car, driver only | $50 to $90 per car | Transport only. Pass, lunch and guide are extra |
| Small-group tour | $65 per person | Guide, van, pickup, water, tastings, lunch. Passes extra |
| Private guided full day | $90 to $115 per person | Private guide and car, flexible pace, lunch usually included |
Which one suits you? Solo travelers and couples wanting easy company should take the small-group Koh Ker tour. Larger families or photographers who want to control every minute should pay for the private car and guide. Both routes land at the same pyramid; the difference is who tells you its story along the way.
Food and Other Expenses
Once tickets and transport are settled, the remaining costs are light:
- Lunch. A local Khmer meal runs $5 to $10. On the small-group tour, this line drops to zero.
- Water and snacks. $3 to $5 for the day. Your guide will keep bottles cold in the van.
- Tips. $3 to $5 for the guide and $2 to $3 for the driver is the normal range in Siem Reap.
- Extras. Sarong rental at the site, souvenirs, and bottled drinks add $5 to $10 if you let them.
Add it up and your total extras land between $10 and $25 per person. Small bills in US dollars are standard here; our guide to using US dollars in Cambodia explains the accepted notes if you want the details.
Koh Ker + Beng Mealea Ticket Costs
If your plan pairs the pyramid with the jungle ruin, the math for how much does it cost to visit Koh Ker changes slightly. Beng Mealea is a separate ticket, so your admission total depends on what you already hold.
| Combination | Ticket total (USD) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Koh Ker alone | $15 | Travelers doing other Angkor days |
| Koh Ker + Beng Mealea, no Angkor pass | $25 | A standalone remote-temple day |
| Koh Ker + Beng Mealea, with Angkor pass | $15 | Pass holders, since Beng Mealea is included |
| Koh Ker + a full Angkor day | $52 | A 1-day pass at $37 plus the $15 Koh Ker pass |
That $25 standalone combo keeps the day affordable even without any Angkor pass. For route logic on which sights to pair, read our guide to what temples to combine with Beng Mealea, and time your visit with our notes on the best time to visit Beng Mealea temple.
How to Compare Tour Prices Properly
When someone asks me how much does it cost to visit Koh Ker, I flip the question. The real question is: what does the price you’re quoted actually include? Cheap quotes in Siem Reap usually win by leaving things out.
Run every quote through this checklist:
- Passes. Does the price include the $15 Koh Ker pass? If not, add it. A $40 quote plus $15 in passes equals $55.
- Lunch. Included or extra? Local meals run $5 to $10, so it shifts the real total.
- Group size. A 25-person van is a different day from a 12-person group. Ask.
- Water and towels. Free bottles after every stop are normal, not a luxury.
- Guide credentials. Licensed English-speaking guides cost more for a reason.
- Cancellation. Free cancellation up to 24 hours protects you when plans slip.
Do the math in one column and the differences become obvious. Our guide to comparing prices for multi-site temple tours walks through the numbers, and our list of reputable companies for all-inclusive remote temple day trips tells you who to trust.
Related Reading
- Best time to visit Beng Mealea temple builds the crowd-timing case for pairing the jungle ruin with your Koh Ker morning.
- What temples should you combine with Beng Mealea ranks route options by drive time and ticket logic.
- Compare prices for multi-site temple tours shows the difference between a cheap quote and a cheap real total.
Your Next Step
How much does it cost to visit Koh Ker? For me, the honest answer is that money was never the real cost. The real cost is a rushed day that pushes you 220 km round trip for ninety minutes at the pyramid. I have watched travelers do exactly that, and it is the one thing I try to save every guest from. The fix is simple: give the day its full ten hours, carry $15 cash for the pass, and decide your combo before you leave Siem Reap.
Three actions, right now: check the official Angkor Enterprise prices for your dates, pick your ticket combo from the tables above, and book your transport or tour before the driver market fills up in high season. If you would rather have the route, timing, and budget handled end to end, tell me your dates on our customize page and I will build your Koh Ker day around your pace. That is the part of this job I still enjoy most, and it costs nothing to ask.
More Resources from ASEAN ANGKOR GUIDE
- Banteay Srei, Beng Mealea and Koh Ker small group tour
- Koh Ker entrance fee guide
- Beng Mealea entrance fee guide
- Compare prices for multi-site temple tours
- Reputable all-inclusive remote temple day trips
