Visiting Angkor was on my top 10 list for a long while now. It always fascinated me. So when I started planning a trip to South East Asia, everything else was optional, but not this.

Obviously, Cambodia is not just Angkor, it has wonderful people, bloody recent history, beautiful nature and many other Interesting things to visit for. Whenever you decide to travel here, this guide may be of help.

When to go to Cambodia?

Cambodia, like its neighbours doesn’t have distinct seasons. It’s always hot there. The only difference is that March and April bring even higher temperatures, May to November is a rainy season, and the best time for tourists to visit falls on the dry season, before it gets too hot – November to February.

As you would easily guess, the prices are higher in this season, and there are more tourists at the attractions, making them crowded. However, from what I know, you will hardly ever find a time, when these places are without tourists. Maybe on a day, when it’s pouring rain.

Anyway, if you don’t mind some rain, humidity and a bit more mosquitoes (always an important point to take into consideration), you are good to go in the rainy season. Otherwise, choose from the dry months. I particularly dislike the humidity of the rainy season, when you feel clothes sticking to you, as soon as you get out. So you won’t be surprised that I chose the dry season. On our 5-day trip, we got no rain whatsoever and hardly any clouds. This last was not that great, as it was reaaaally hot.

Visa for Cambodia

The country heavily depends on tourism. So it comes as no surprise that its visa policies are quite liberal. There are a handful of nationalities, which can travel without a visa. But citizens of most countries can easily get either e-visa or Visa on Arrival at the airports and land border crossing points. Either of the options – VoA or e-visa – are valid for 30 days.

Visa on Arrival for Cambodia

We opted for Visa on Arrival. For obtaining VoA you will simply need your passport, a passport sized photo and 30 USD in cash. Have the cash exactly, as they will be unhappy, if you give bigger denominations and want to get change from them. One girl gave 40 and the guy shouted at her “thirty, thirty”. Not sure, how they sorted it in the end, but to avoid hassle, bring exact amount.

If you don’t have a photo, I believe they scan it from passport for 1 USD.

I have heard about “misunderstandings”, meaning that travelers had to pay more. From what I get, it happens at the land borders, so be aware and diligent. At the Siem Reap airport everything was easy and straightforward, we didn’t encounter any difficulties.

We arrived to the Siem Reap international airport. There was a queue on the right for Visa on arrival, and on the left, for going through passport control. You give your passport, money and photo to the officer at the first window and move to the end. Your passport goes through the hands of about a dozen people and gets to you in the end with a visa in it. The processing took about 10-15 minutes. The officers were not too friendly, but quite quick. Once you have your visa, passport control is really fast.

Online Visa for Cambodia

There is another option for getting your visa in advance. Even though the visa on arrival is very easy and I wouldn’t go through online application, some people prefer getting the e-visa. They claim that this makes them feel safer and saves time, when arriving (even if only 10-15 minutes).

This option can be used at Phnom Penh and Siem Reap International airport and five land borders. Be sure to check at the e-visa official website if the border you are entering from is eligible. You will need to upload your passport and photo. The price is 30 USD +6 USD processing fee.

Make sure to use the official website, as there are numerous other websites, some of them scammers, which offer visa, but I wouldn’t suggest trusting them. I read too many stories on Tripadvisor from travelers, who were scammed.

Money in Cambodia

Cambodia is one of the few countries, which have linked their money to US dollars and use the USD and their currency interchangeably. Another such country I have travelled to was Lebanon. This rule makes life for tourists easier. You only need to bring the dollars and, as the locals prefer to be paid in dollars anyway, you don’t need to change much money (we exchanged none, just used the dollars and the small amount of riel we got, as change).

Payment by card may be accepted at some places, but you often need cash. Paying by cash is preferred by locals, so carry some cash with you to the restaurants, markets, etc. I also suggest to bring smaller USD denominations. We had a number of 10s and 20s and even 1s and that helped a lot, especially with tuk tuks, markets and other places, where they would have problems giving you change for bigger denominations. You may get the change either in USD or riel.

Another thing to keep in mind is that they may not accept your dollars, if the notes have any rip or are old. A couple of times they asked us to give another note instead of slightly battered one. To avoid this, do bring the notes in good condition.

You can get USD from ATMs as well. As far as I know, with a foreign card, the ATMs will not give you riels anyway, only US dollars.

If you are left with riel by the end of your trip, it will be useless outside the country, so spend it fully.

Safety and scams in Cambodia

Overall, if you do usual tourist activities and take very good care, Cambodia can be quite safe. However, there are a number of things you need to take into consideration.

I have recently read on a number of forums that the bag snatchings are becoming very common in Phnom Penh, and to some extent in Siem Reap, especially near the Pub Street, where the bag snatchers and thieves are most active. We did not notice any violence or theft in Siem Reap ourselves whether during the day or night, but, of course, that’s just our experience, which may be very different from others’. Either way, you should be careful. As anywhere in the region and many big cities, keep your bag close to your body and away from the street to make it difficult for the motorcyclists to snatch it. Be careful, as you normally would, especially if you are drinking.

Mosquitoes carry several diseases in Cambodia. Dengue virus is a risk everywhere in the region. There is very low risk of malaria in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, but there are certain areas in the country, where risk is higher. Definitely, bring mosquito repellent and be sure to apply it as often as needed. Read detailed information about the types of repellents here.

Transport in Cambodia

Intercity transport

Public transport in Cambodia is barely developed. The railway network is scarce. There are two lines running daily from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville (in the south) and Phnom Penn to Battambang (North). This last is supposed to be running to Poipet as well but it’s currently suspended. You can find more information on the official railway website.

Buses are the more common option for travelling between the cities. There are a number of tour companies offering bus rides. Taking into account, that the road accidents are very common, do choose a reputable company.

Lake Tonle Sap provides a water route. There are a number of speed boats and slow boats running on it. We haven’t tried taking speedboats, as I read numerous bad reviews about them. It looked like quite a dangerous undertaking to try.

You can also fly between the major cities or to/from other cities in the region.

Transport inside the cities

Inside the cities, you find no public transport, except for Phnom Penh, which recently got a new public bus system. Elsewhere you will have to use tuk tuks, taxis, Grab or other private transportation.

Grab works quite well in our experience. In Siem Reap, for instance, you have an option of ordering a car or a small rickshaw-type transport. This is, of course, somewhat cheaper than usual tuk tuks (unless you are a local or negotiate a lot, which we hate). However, if you have no wifi or mobile internet, just stop one of the tuk tuks. Make sure to arrange the price in advance and do haggle, as they always say more than it usually costs. Also, pay only after you have arrived to your destination, otherwise you may be scammed.

What to wear in Cambodia

In general, Cambodia is a conservative country. They normally wear lose clothing and frown upon short shorts and the tank tops. However, if you are visiting touristy places, you will find numerous people, wearing whatever they like. So choice is yours.

Of course, if you are visiting Angkor (and you must, because no trip to Cambodia would be complete without it ), there is a strict dress code. Read the post with detailed suggestions and photos on what to wear at this site.

In addition to this, even though the rules aren’t so strictly followed in temples around the country, to be respectful, you still would better cover your shoulders and knees. But in these wats you can be more lax, which is impossible in Angkor. I have entered a couple of them in shorts, as I was not planning on visiting wats that day and we just decided to. I also suggest to carry scarves, just in case, if you end up going to a place, where you may need to cover up.

In addition, unlike in Angkor, the currently working temples will require from you to take your shoes off. So bring socks, if you don’t like walking around barefoot.

Other tips for travelling to Cambodia

• As everywhere in the region, carry toilet paper and hand sanitizer everywhere.
• The toilets can be squat or a western version.
• Tap water is not drinkable. Some say that the water supply to Siem Reap and Phnom Penh has been recently taken care of and the water is drinkable. However, I wouldn’t risk getting sick.
• Do haggle everywhere possible from markets to tuk tuks. Of course, at restaurants and certain other places prices are fixed, but generally Cambodians, as their neighbours, love to haggle.
• Unfortunately, you will see a lot of children trying to sell you things or beg. You are normally advised, not to give money to them, as this supports the practice of using children for making money. These children should be at school.
• Being a tropical country, Cambodia is overly hot. Sun is very strong, so you better bring a sunscreen with you. You can also buy them at local shops, but as in most of SE Asia, they will have whitening agents and will be quite expensive. Also don’t forget your sunglasses.

Please, let me know if I missed something or if you had a different experience.

<p>The post Useful tips for planning your trip to Cambodia first appeared on Hit the Road Ket.</p>

If you are wondering how many days should you spend in Angkor Archaeological Park, first consider how much you love exploring old temples. If you like it, then I suggest at least 3 days. Many people will tell you that “temple fatigue is real”, that you should take it easy and that you may get bored after a couple of days. Maybe it is true for some, but we definitely loved all of it and I would have done even more, so it depends on your personality and how excited are you about climbing temples and visiting ruins.

Based on what we have seen and done, I have come up with this thorough 3-day Angkor itinerary to help you plan your visit. Certainly, you can play with this itinerary, leave out some temples to make it more relaxed or squeeze in even more. You can also do it in different order, than we did, but always keep in mind to find less crowded times for the most famous temples and to group the nearby temples together. Also, don’t forget to allocate enough time to the bigger temples, in order not to regret afterwards.

If you need the tips and information about transport, entrance passes, see my complete Angkor planning guide.

Wondering what to wear at Angkor? See my guide on dress code for women

Read my Cambodia travel guide for visa, money and safety tips.

Whatever your travel style and preferences, my step-by-step 3-day itinerary of the Angkor Archaeological Park will help you make the most of your time and hopefully allow you to beat the crowds at least sometimes.

But if you have only 1 day in Angkor, here is the itinerary for you.

How to Avoid Crowds at Angkor

Before I start, I want to give you some tips that may help you find some places slightly less crowded, than usual. I won’t create the expectation that you will have any of the major temples quiet. But in this case every little bit helps

Whichever mode of transportation you choose, you have an option of following the route set out on maps, which most tour groups follow. These routes are done that way, because they make the shortest driving time in-between the temples and is somehow easier for drivers. However, if you, like us, hate too many tourists, especially the screaming tour groups (they are not always avoidable unfortunately), you may want to switch up that schedule a bit.

If you don’t like tuk tuks and prefer a private car with a guide, GetyourGuide offers a 3-day tour with Floating Village included.

Every guide you read suggests to arrive early to beat the crowds, but the problem is that nowadays everyone reads those guides and, as most temples open at 7.30, they get crowded immediately after. So unless you are the first to enter, chances of having a quieter morning are slim. Try to avoid most crowded temples in the morning hours, especially from 8am to 12am. They are the most packed with tour groups. Especially the temples, with which the relevant circle tours start (they are called Small Circuit and Large Circuit and have set route for everyone).

My major tip is to visit lesser visited temples, particularly the ones at the end of usual tours, first. Then go to the most crowded of places, like Bayon and Ta Prohm around lunchtime, when most people go for, well, lunch We did this at Ta Prohm, which is one of the most crowded spots and it really paid off. I don’t think you can have Angkor Wat even slightly less crowded any time of day, so just accept that you will enjoy it, while being around so many other people. It still is absolutely worth it.

Top 12 Must See Temples at Angkor

Of course, opinions may differ on which temples a person may like. But there are the best temples at Angkor according to my experience, that absolutely can’t be missed.

• Bakong
• Bayon
• Baphuon
• Ta Prohm
• Pre Rup
• East Mebon (loved the elephants)
• Angkor Wat
• Banteay Kdei
• Preah Khan (one of my favourites)
• Banteay Samre (this one surprised me)
• Thomanon
• Ta Nei

Angkor Temples You Can Skip, if you are Short on Time

While the whole Angkor complex is amazing and if you have time you should visit them all, we as travelers are very limited with our time sometimes. Plus, some of us like slower travel. Therefore, if you have to choose, the following temples can be skipped.

• Phnom Bakheng
• Srah Srang
• Ta Som
• Neak Pean
• Ta Keo
• Lolei
• Preah Ko
• Kbal Spean
• Leak Neang
• Prasat Kravan
• Krol Ko
• Phimeanakas
• Terrace of the Elephants
• Terrace of the Leper Kings
• Chau Say Tevoda Temple

I will describe them all in my itinerary below.

Day 1 Angkor Itinerary

This is how to spend your first day, if you are following my 3-day Angkor itinerary. This day will be dedicated to some of the most visited sites. They will certainly be crowded, but they are popular for a reason, they really are amazing. So Enjoy your time and explore thoroughly.

Sunrise at Angkor Wat

If you choose to go for sunrise, expect to pay about 5-10 USD over the daily price to your tuk tuk driver.

Depending on what time of the year you are visiting, sunrise is at different times. When we visited by the end of December, it was at about 6.30. So plan relevantly, if you want to catch the beautiful rays over Angkor Wat.

Most people suggest to go as early as possible to get a good spot exactly at the edge of water and not have crowds in front of you. Ask your driver, what time that would be and arrive as early, as you can.

To be honest, we are not morning people and besides, having seen all the photos of the Angkor Wat sunrise, it didn’t appeal to us much. We thought it would simply tire us without giving much benefit, so we never got there early enough for the sunrise. We did head out before 7.30 every day though, to arrive as early as possible and not to lose time.

Whether you see the sunrise at Angkor Wat or not, I don’t suggest visiting this temple in the morning, directly after the sunrise crowds enter it. You better leave it for later in the day, when it becomes at least slightly less crowded.

Phnom Bakheng

Whether you will watch sunrise at Angkor Wat or not, the temple you will be exploring in the morning can be Phnom Bakheng. The temple is located on a hill, which means that you will have to walk some 10-15 minutes uphill to get there. It’s not easy to get lost, as there is only one main road leading to the temple. 

This is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, but normally people visit rather for the sunset views, than for the temple itself. Crowds flock here by 4pm and onwards. For sunset, only 300 people are allowed up on the temple itself, so the rest of the crowds just stay down on the hill. We didn’t want to fight for those 300 spots or spend hours just waiting for sunset.

So we decided to head there in the morning, when you find only a couple of people wandering around the site. It’s nice and quiet in the morning. I had heard a lot about amazing views from the temple and I guess I had high expectations. I read that Angkor Wat is visible from here, so wanted a nice view, but it is hardly, if at all visible far in the distance. So keep in mind that the views are not as amazing, as you would expect from this elevated hill, but still worth seeing (I doubt it’s worth waiting for sunset with the crowds though). 

At the entrance of the hill, tourists ride elephants. This unfortunate practice of treating elephants badly exists all around the region and hopefully, it will be eradicated soon.

Angkor Thom

Next area you will head to is Angkor Thom. This is a huge space with several temples you will be seeing. All of these are close to each other and you will walk among them after your driver drops you off. The name literally means the Great City. This was the center of the Angkor city. The royal palace was located here but almost nothing is left of it. The city is surrounded by a huge moat, with causeways leading to each of its gates. There are 54 figures lined in rows along the causeways.

Terrace of the Leper King

Don’t start with Bayon, as your driver would suggest, as it will be extremely crowded in the morning, unless you get there first thing at 7.30am (we arrived at 8am on one of the days and it was already terribly packed). Instead, start with smaller sites, with which people finish their walk. Go to Terrace of the Leper King first.

The Terrace of the Leper king is located at the north side of Angkor Thom. Isn’t it a strange name? there are two ideas to explain the name: one – that the king Jayavarman VII (whose statue stands outside on top. This is not original, it’s a replica) was a leper and built hospitals in Khmer empire, second – that when the statue of Yama, god of death, was found, it looked like it had leprosy. Do walk around the inner walls. The walls are lined with numerous small reliefs.

Terrace of the Elephants

Next to this is the Terrace of the Elephants. This was used, as a platform for the king to look over his army. The name comes from elephants carved on its walls. You will see elephant trunks here. To be honest, this one was underwhelming for me. I had seen some photos of elephants from Angkor and, for some reason, expected them to be here. Those elephant statues you can find at all 4 sides of East Mebon. Will put photos below

Phimeanakas Temple

If you walk away from the main road, you will get to Phimeanakas Temple. This one is not accessible, as it is quite dangerous to climb it I suppose. The building does need to be strengthened. You can walk around it and get the idea though.

The temple is interesting because of the story around it. A 13^th century Chinese diplomat called it a golden tower. According to him, there lived a nagini, a deity woman with the serpent’s body. If the king didn’t go up the tower every night to sleep with her, a misfortune would befall his kingdom. No clue, what the misfortune would be though If the nagini didn’t appear, the king would die. Hm, would you want to be that king?

Baphuon

Now for the bigger hits. Next stop is Baphuon. I didn’t really expect much from this temple, but it surprised us a lot. As many temples in the area, this was originally a Hindu temple (dedicated to Shiva), which was converted to Buddhist in later years. The temple needed a thorough renovation, so in 20^th century it was basically dismantled and put back together.

At the back you will find the lying Buddha carved in the stone of the main building. The Buddha is quite huge and you may not even notice it, unless you have a keen eye. It stretches all through one side of the building.

Baphuon was very picturesque for us. We took tons of photos in it’s galleries surrounding the main buildings on all levels. I think we spent about an hour just walking around those galleries. It was nice and quiet. They are really beautiful and I advise you to explore more thoroughly and not just climb to the highest point

Bayon

Finally, arrive to Bayon temple. Yes, this is the one with faces It shouldn’t be as crowded in the afternoon, as it is in the morning right after it opens. When we passed it around 2 pm, it was quite all right there, compared to the morning. So head there appr. at 1pm, during lunchtime, when most people go for lunch.

This temple stands exactly in the middle of Angkor Thom and was built in the 12^th century. When you enter Bayon, you may not be too impressed, but the upper level will impress you with the smiling faces carved in stone. There are 54 towers with faces here, as the  54 provinces of the Khmer empire. They are not buddha faces, as some people think, they depict bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. People think that that’s what saved them from the crackdown of Khmer rouge on all buddha statues.

However, do also walk around the lower level, you will find interesting bas reliefs, the galleries and some hidden spots to explore.

This is also the temple, outside which you will find many monkeys. They don’t seem aggressive, but they look for food. So if you have any food on you, make sure it’s locked. Murat had nuts in the outside pocket of the backpack and the monkey jumped on it to get it. Here it is munching on the nuts he scavenged

Overall, we spent about 4.5 hours in Angkor Thom. When we got out, our driver said, he had been waiting a while and thought we got lost, as most people only take 2-3 hours. I do think that that would be too little time.

Angkor Wat

After you walk around Angkor Thom, you can head back to the Angkor Wat. This temple is obviously the most famous and most visited. If nothing else, all tourists visit it. So, as a result, it’s always extremely crowded. But even more so during the sunset and sunrise times, when everyone is here trying to get that perfect photo. We tried to go in the late afternoon, when it was slightly less crowded than in the morning or sunset hours.

Allocate at least 2.5 hours here, but I would suggest more like 3+, if you want to explore less visited parts and just enjoy it. We told our driver we would be back after 2.5 hours and by the end we did feel rushed. Of course, we like to enter many different buildings and towers, where you find only a couple of people. So, if you just want to explore main areas, 2 hours may be enough.

Angkor Wat is a Hindu temple and constitutes the single largest religious monument. I don’t guess it needs much introduction, as it is on the flag of Cambodia and very well known worldwide. Most people enter from the west side, which offers nice views of the complex. You will cross the sort of bridge over the moat and end up inside. After this you can walk around the complex or go inside. Btw, if you choose to walk around, you will find almost no people. Once inside, before going to the central areas, I suggest to see the small buildings in the courtyard. You can climb and see some of these remote parts, and there will be max. 1-2 people wandering around, like us

Once in the main area, one of the most popular spots full of tour groups and tourists are the galleries, such as Battle of Lanka gallery, Battle of Gods gallery and several others. You can walk through them and marvel at the bass reliefs depicting scenes from Ramayana and other Hindu stories. Next to them, you will find smaller courtyards as well.

Angkor Wat also serves, as a working temple, which I didn’t know before going. So you will find monks praying there and conducting ceremonies.

When you get to the middle courtyard, which is located in the heart of the temple, you will see people queueing for going up the tower. I have heard that people have waited for a couple of hours for this. Not sure, if that’s the case in the mornings, but in the late afternoon in December, we only waited about 10-15 minutes before it was our turn to go up. It was worth the short wait, as the views from up there were nice. Besides, you will find 4 different statues of Buddha from sitting to reclining, etc.

Overall, don’t forget to stop and admire this magnificent place.

If you are much faster in exploring these temples and don’t want to enter the less visited parts, you can include other temples too. However, if you have at least three days, I do suggest, you give more time to each and enjoy the experience, instead of rushing around from one temple to the next.

Best Sunset Spots at Angkor

Many people watch sunset at Angkor Wat and it is beautiful, but so very crowded. This temple is open late for sunset hours.

Another most popular spot (if not THE most popular), is Phnom Bakheng. But if you decide to go there, arrive very early, preferably before 4pm to be able to be among the 300 people, who are let on the temple.

Another popular option for the sunset is Pre Rup. This temple is less crowded than Angkor Wat and also open late, so you can catch sunset here even outside winter time, when sun sets later in the day.

If you are visiting in winter, you have a lot of options, given that the sunset is earlier. Most temples close at 5.30 pm, while the sunset was at around 6pm in winter, when we visited. So we had an opportunity to catch the sunset at different temples on different days. The light was really amazing, notwithstanding which temple you choose. 

After a long day of exploring, I don’t suggest to eat around Angkor, due to the high prices. Bring your own snacks for the day and head to Siem Reap in the evening to find cheap and tasty food places and coffee shops.

See the list of food and coffee places here.

Day 2 Angkor Itinerary

Day 2 of this Angkor temples itinerary focuses on lesser-visited sites.

Start your day early, as usual. As I already explained, it’s not a great idea to go according to the route the tuk tuks suggest, as these are the most crowded spots. Instead, go in the opposite direction or make your own route. I do suggest to start from farther and then move towards the major temples by afternoon.

Banteay Samre

This temple is often overlooked and is not on the usual route list. It’s located farther to the East. But I believe it’s worth a visit. You may still find some tour groups, but it is far less busy, than most other temples. If you are lucky, it will be really quiet.

This temple has interesting architecture, and in a way reminded of Angkor Wat. At the time of discovery in 20^th century, it was taken over by jungle, but unlike some of the temples, like Ta Prohm, the trees didn’t grow through the buildings. So currently, it is well preserved and provides great opportunities for photography.

East Mebon

I remember this temple, particularly because of the elephant statues. They are located in all four corners and at two levels, so as far as we saw, there are 8 of them. If you ask me, it is worth visiting mainly for them

To go back to history, it was built in the 10^th century to honor the parents of the king Rajendravarman.

Pre Rup

The unique feature of Pre Rup is its color. It is another Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva and built at the same time, as East Mebon. It is built in the shape of pyramid with, surprise surprise, very steep steps You can walk around on each level, which is a rather nice experience to look over the views and to just be alone, as most people just go up and down, without exploring any other parts.

Across the road from Pre Rup is Prasat Leak Neang and you can have a look at it, if you have time. It’s rather small and you don’t need more than 5-10 minutes there.

Banteay Kdei

This is another one of my favourite temples. It is cute, far less crowded than the major temples, basically all day and is magnificent. Make sure to walk around many small courtyards, most of which you can have only to yourself. Then head to the farthest part of the temple to this huge magnificent tree with the temple in the background. Overall, the temple offers many photo opportunities.

Unfortunately, parts of it deteriorated significantly. Be careful and don’t enter the closed off places, the signs are there for your safety.

Across the road is the lake Srah Srang. It is a 10^th century lake, which is a nice spot to sit a while and chill. You can also just peek and leave, as we did, as it didn’t impress us much.

If you have time and wish to, you can also include Prasat Kravan in your itinerary. This is a small temple south from the road you are on and wouldn’t make too much of a detour. But it’s not that exciting to be honest, so with three days, I would skip it altogether.

Ta Prohm

Next on our itinerary is the most picturesque temple of all in my opinion. Ta Prohm, often called the Tomb Raider temple, is one of the three most popular, along with Angkor Wat and Bayon. It was deserted for centuries and, as a result, was taken over by trees.

Some people will suggest coming here very early, at the opening time of 7.30am. We didn’t do this, but judging from what happened at Bayon in the morning, I doubt this advice is still a way to avoid crowds. Instead, we went during lunchtime, before 13.00.

When we first entered, at 1pm, we thought the temple was crowded, but after 14.00 or so, we understood what crowded means. It became so full of people that it was often difficult to pass. That made us realize that coming at lunchtime was a great idea, at least we could walk around and not have several dozens of tour groups blocking all views.

Keep in mind, that the most crowded parts of the temple are in the middle, the parts with narrow paths, where you should get lost. However, it’s not too easy to get lost, as during the busy times, guards will only let you walk in one general direction. You simply can’t walk back, which is honestly annoying, but understandable. So if you come here at lunchtime, head to these areas first and leave exploring the outer circle, along the walls, for later.

That said, I guess no crowds would make me not love this temple. It isn’t just the one tree, you see a photo of everywhere. If you ask me, you should allocate at least 2 hours to this amazing place and find all those trees growing out of buildings, trust me they are many. You will find amazing picturesque spots, a number of trees peeking out of the buildings. It gives such a mysterious and amazing feeling. Pictures definitely don’t do it enough justice.

Ta Keo

After Ta Prohm, it’s difficult to be amazed by anything, but keep exploring the many different things Angkor has to offer you. Ta Keo may not be the most amazing, but it certainly is worth a stop on your itinerary. What I remember it with most, is it’s veeery steep stairs. Any stairs at Angkor are difficult to climb, but these were exceptional

Btw, at Ta Keo you will have outer courtyards to yourself, so if you want some peace and quiet, walk around there.

Ta Nei

Most people skip this temple altogether. But I wouldn’t recommend doing so, unless you are completely short on time.

The temple is just a short 5-minute ride on a dirt path from the main road. It is one of the temples, which are partly in ruins. The inner parts of the temple are not easily accessible, for this you should go all the way to the back, as there is only one entrance. Inside, you will have to hop over huge stones to walk around. This temple just gives a different feel with its serene and quiet atmosphere.

We met literally no one, while exploring it, only by the end of it, a small group came.

Thomanon

Go back to the main road and head to Thomanon. It’s an interesting temple, often used for some events. During our visit, they were setting up for an evening event. Seemed like they were planning to bring busloads of people to watch a show here. The tables said, bus 8, bus 15, etc. Even though, I am sure, the temple would be lovely lighted, the whole idea of having an event here for making money looked bizarre and unsettling.

We visited this temple at the time, when sun started setting and the light was great, so we got a couple of lovely photos with sunset light.

Across the road from Thomanon is the Chau Say Tevoda temple. It is far less interesting than the former, but worth a look, as it’s just next door.

After this, to go back to Siem Reap, you will have to pass through the Victory gate. In the evening, it’s quite free, so you can stop and have a look. We did this at one of the times, passing through.

Another gate you can see, would be the East gate, which has dirt road in front and not located on the main road, where all tuk tuks pass. If you can, definitely head there, as it provides excellent photo opportunities.

I guess it is enough for the day, as you probably got very tired You can head to Siem Reap and have some amazing food and coffee or walk around Pub Street (see the link above).

Day 3 Angkor Itinerary

Rolous Group

Start your day with visiting the Rolous group. These three temples are the oldest in Angkor and are located slightly away from others.

I suggest to go to Bakong first, as people start with smaller ones. Probably this will guarantee you having Bakong all to yourself. We visited it in the late afternoon and there were only a few people wandering around, which is surprising, as it’s a beautiful temple. Although with Angkor offering so much diversity, I suppose people don’t prioritize Rolous group.

Bakong

As I mentioned, Bakong was one of my favourite temples, not least because of its amazing history and because it’s not often visited, giving you a possibility to enjoy it in quiet. Bakong temple was built in the 9^th century (probably 881) and served, as an official royal temple of the capital of the Khmer Empire, called Hariharalaya, which was located here. Don’t worry, if you can’t pronounce that name, I know I can’t The name of the city was devoted to the god Hari Hara, the combined representation of Vishnu and Shiva. Interestingly, in Georgian language hariharad means when you do something superficially and quickly. I doubt these words have any connections, but it’s quite surprising.

The center of the Empire was moved to the north of Siem Reap to Angkor soon after, by the ed of the 9th century.

Bakong is dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. The main building is built in the five-storey pyramid form. Like Angkor Wat and many other temples, Bakong is surrounded by moats. There are various smaller temples between the moats.

In addition to Bakong, there are two more temples of importance in the Rolous group. You can skip them, if you are short on time, but they are worth a short visit and they are extremely close to Bakong.

Preah Ko

Preah Ko was the oldest among the Rolous group built in 879. Its name can be translated, as sacred bull. It is built as 2 rows of 3 towers each. You will find Shiva’s images everywhere.

Prasat Lolei

Prasat Lolei was the last to be built among the three temples here and is dedicated to Shiva. It used to be on an island of a now dry baray – a water reservoir. Lolei consists of 4 towers built in respect of the parents and grandparents of the king Yasovarman I.

After you are done with the Rolous group, you can head to Banteay Srei. It will take about an hour to drive.

Banteay Srei

This temple is located North-East to the main Angkor area. Its name translates, as Citadel of women or citadel of beauty. It’s a very interesting temple built in the 10^th century and also dedicated to God Shiva (as so many other temples ). The temple is small with the Angkor standards. However, it stands out, because it’s built with red sandstone. This fact and its beautiful statues and carvings made it very popular among tourists. Therefore, the temple is very crowded, especially in the morning hours. During the afternoon though, there were not so many people there.

You cannot enter some of the areas, as they are trying to preserve them. However, you can wander around and explore most of the grounds. Literally all walls depict interesting stories, mainly from the Hindu religion, particularly popular being Ramayana. There are also two libraries and a sanctuary here. Do marvel at the beautiful carvings and note the details.

I was particularly fascinated by seeing the monkey-headed statues guarding the temple. They were really a wonderful sight. But keep in mind that these statues are not originals, but replicas. Some of them were stolen, others were moved to the Phnom Penh museum or elsewhere allegedly for protection.

Note: At this temple area you will find quite clean(ish) toilets (for Angkor standards), unlike in other areas. So use this opportunity, when you are there

Ta Som

Afterwards, head back to the main Angkor area. Start this part with Ta Som. This temple is particularly well-known for its huge fir tree located at the Eastern entrance. This is a 12^th century temple. Little is known about its history or what was it dedicated to. I heard that it would not be crowded, and we could walk around quietly. But that wasn’t the case. It was rather crowded and at the famous tree, we couldn’t get even one proper shot. Either way it’s a nice little temple and worth visiting.

Neak Pean

In translation the name means entwined snakes. The temple is different and interesting in a sense that it is located on an artificial island. It was one of my least favourites though. If you have little time, you can skip this one.

The temple was built in the 12^th century. The place was originally designed to heal the visitors, whoever bathed in the ponds. It is said to represent the mythical lake located in the Himalayas – Anavatapta. In the middle of the pond stands the sanctuary and two serpents encircle it.

To get to the central pond and this sanctuary itself, you will have to pass through the marshlands through a narrow wooden walkway, where you can hardly pass the people walking the other way. There are tons of insects around here. It also is very hot, as there are no shadows. Make sure to put a lot of insect repellent and sunscreen.

If you are visiting Neak Peak, include Krol Ko in your itinerary. It is located just across the road from the entrance to Neak Pean. It is not well preserved and basically jungle took over, but it’s worth seeing for this reason alone. The temple was built in the 12^th century. Despite the fact that Neak Pean was very crowded during our visit, we were the only ones at Krol Ko, which also gave it that much more charm.

Nearby are also Banteay Prei and Prasat Prei. These two are located close together, they are very small and little preserved. You can have a look, but they don’t need much time.

Preah Khan

I left one of my favourites for the last. However little time you have, I definitely recommend visiting this temple (I have included it in the 1-day itinerary as well). It is quite big and you need at least 2 hours to explore it, if you are like us

Preah Khan has four entrances and is surrounded by the moat. It would be best to tell your driver to drop you off at the East entrance and wait for you at the West entrance, or you can make your way back, if you like and are not lazy.

This is another 12^th century temple. Its name can be translated as royal sword or holy sword. It was very charming for us not the least because of all the old trees growing through the buildings, beautiful corridors, the libraries, Garuda statues, and so much more.

The temple was left unrestored for a long while and its restoration works were only dedicated to preservation. This makes it even more charming and authentic. Some areas are off limits, as they are dangerous.

Interestingly, the main temple was Buddhist, while the smaller ones were dedicated to Shiva. It served not only as a temple, but also as the living royal city and as a university. Hence, there were two libraries. There is also a beautiful two-storey design building with columns. Some believe it served as a library, however no one knows for sure. There is also a beautiful Hall of Dancers.

Near the West entrance you will find a number of trees growing from the ruins, just like at the Ta Prohm. One of the trees has the shape of an elephant trunk. There were people playing with it As you get outside, you will find even more beautiful vision of the trees hugging the buildings.

So stay here for the golden hour and till the closing time. It will be stunning.

Your third day at Angkor is over. You can still head to one of the open temples to watch the sunset or simply head back to Siem Reap for some food and rest.

Read my full Siem Reap food and coffee guide here.

Suggestions for additional days

If you have more than three days and are up to explore more, you have several options.

Kbal Spean

It is located in Kulen hills about 30-40 minutes’ drive from Banteay Srei. You can combine your visit to these two sites, if you are visiting both during your trip. The Angkor ticket includes it, even though I read otherwise previously.

Once you get to the entrance by Tuk Tuk, do take into account that you will need at least an hour to walk 1500 meters to the archaeological site itself. It is sometimes flat walk, sometimes a climb. The walk, well, rather a hike is not too difficult though. At the parts, where it would be complicated, there are stairs. Of course, you can do it faster, if you don’t stop anywhere, but we took our time. There is a sign every 100 meters, which will let you keep track of your progress. We were the only ones walking on the path and encountered a couple of people only rarely. 

On the way, just before getting to the river, we encountered a couple of dogs, which were aggravated and barking. We waited a while and then proceeded cautiously. We managed to get in and out safely.

The river you will be walking to is known, as the river of 1000 lingas. The thing that if most interesting is the rock relief carvings in the river. These are various Hindu mythological stories. Walk around and find the different carvings in and around the river.

During the dry season, when we visited, the water in the river is hardly running. As I have seen from the photos, during the rainy season, it is more beautiful, as you see carvings through the river. However, walking up would be more complicated on the wet ground.

Koh Ker

Out of the farther temples, which I would love to have visited, Koh Ker is number one. It is located 120 km east from Siem Reap in the Kulen area (2.5 hour drive from Siem Reap). It was the capital of the Khmer empire in the 10^th century. In this area relatively lately, they discovered a number of temples (at least 180), many of which are no longer standing. The Koh Ker – a pyramid style temple is the most fascinating among the still standing ones. Another is Prasat Bram (or Prasat Pram), which is known with its beautiful tree-covered structure.

Other notable Temples

Beng Mealea is another popular temple. It is quite out of the way, east of the Angkor main area. It can be combined with a visit to Koh Ker. It is one of the least restored temples. It’s said to be built before Angkor Wat in the 12^th century. There aren’t too many tourists visiting it, given its distance. The site is also included in the Angkor Pass.

Another temple somewhat farther, South of Siem Reap is Phnom Krom. We didn’t visit it, however, I heard it has nice views over the surrounding areas and the Tonle Sap lake. This site is included in the Angkor pass as well If you head there, you may want to combine the visit with Chong Khneas, as it’s very close. It’s a lake area with village on water. However, this last is very expensive at 20USD, just like Kampong Phluk.

Other temples include Banteay Chhmar and Preah Vihear. Both are very far away, near the border with Thailand, but not close to each other.

<p>The post Angkor Wat: Ultimate 3-day Itinerary and Travel Tips first appeared on Hit the Road Ket.</p>

Not everyone has so much time though, so I came up with this detailed 1-day Angkor Wat itinerary, which will allow you to maximize your time and see at least the main highlights.

If you have 3 or more days in Angkor, check my detailed 3-day Angkor itinerary here.

If you need the tips and information about transport, clothes and entrance passes, read my complete Angkor planning guide here.

While for the information and tips on when to visit Cambodia, visa procedures, money and safety, see my Cambodia travel guide here.

Whichever mode of transportation you choose, you have an option of following the route set out on maps, which most tour groups follow. The so-called small circuit doesn’t include all temples you could visit in 1 day. So if you want to get most out of your day, here is the best Angkor itinerary for one day. Keep in mind that for this non standard itinerary, you would have to go for a private tour and tuk tuk drivers may ask to be paid more than standard.

The Temples Not to be Missed

• (Maybe) watch sunrise at Angkor Wat – Sunrise time varies by season
• Bayon and Baphuon (2.5 hours) – 7.30-10.00
• Preah Khan (1.5 hours) – 10.30-12.00
• Ta Prohm (2 hours) – 12.30-14.300
• Angkor Wat (2-3 hours) – 15.00-17.00
• Pre Rup (1-2 hours and watch sunset) – sunset time varies by season

If you are much faster in exploring these temples and don’t want to peek into every book and cranny, like we did, you can include other temples too – like Ta Som. However, I wouldn’t recommend doing this much in one day. My suggested route is ideal, if you want to see the best of Angkor in one day without feeling completely rushed

The 1-Day Angkor Pass

You can buy your ticket either at the ticket office or online. If you are planning to buy at the ticket office, I strongly suggest getting the pass the previous day, as mornings can be crowded, especially for 1-day passes. Besides, there is a perk of buying your ticket the day before – you are allowed to visit the still open temples for the sunset, as they allow this with the next day’s ticket after 5pm. Alternatively, you can purchase your ticket online and directly head to Angkor with your printed ticket.

See the detailed information on entrance passes here in my complete Angkor guide.

If you opt for going for a sunset visit the day before your visit, you will be choosing from among Angkor Wat, Phnom Bakheng or Pre Rup (see the information below).

Sunrise at Angkor Wat?

If you choose to go for sunrise, expect to pay about 5-10 USD over the daily price to your tuk tuk driver. Alternatively, you can book a sunrise Angkor Wat tour here, which will include guaranteed timing.

Depending on what time of the year you are visiting, sunrise is at different times. When we visited by the end of December, it was at about 6.30. So plan relevantly, if you want to catch the beautiful rays over Angkor Wat.

Most people suggest to go as early as possible to get a good spot exactly at the edge of water and not have crowds in front of you. Ask your driver, what time that would be and arrive as early, as you can.

To be honest, we are not morning people. Besides, having seen all the photos of the Angkor Wat sunrise, the idea didn’t appeal to us much. We thought it would simply tire us without giving much benefit, so we never got there early enough for the sunrise.

We did head out before 7.30 each day, to arrive to the sites as early as we could.

Whether you see the sunrise at Angkor Wat or not, I don’t suggest visiting this temple in the morning, directly after the sunrise crowds enter it. You better leave it for later in the day, when it becomes at least slightly less crowded.

Angkor Thom (2-3 hours)

Bayon

Yes, this is the one with faces. Arrive to Bayon temple as soon as it opens at 7.30. Usually, it gets very crowded starting from 8am and absolutely so from 9am.

This temple stands exactly in the middle of Angkor Thom and was built in the 12^th century. When you enter Bayon, you may not be too impressed, but the upper level is fascinating with the smiling faces carved in stone. There are 54 towers with faces here, as the  54 provinces of the Khmer empire. They are not Buddha faces, as some people think. They depict Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. People think that this fact saved them from the crackdown of Khmer rouge on all Buddha statues.

However, do also walk around the lower level, you will find interesting bas reliefs, the galleries and some hidden spots to explore. 

Bayon is also the temple, outside which you will find many monkeys. They don’t seem aggressive, but they look for food. So if you have any food on you, make sure it’s locked. Murat had nuts in the outside pocket of the backpack and the monkey jumped on it to get it. Here it is munching on the nuts he scavenged

Baphuon

Next stop is Baphuon. I didn’t really expect much from this temple, but it surprised us a lot. As many temples in the area, this was originally a Hindu temple (dedicated to Shiva), which was converted to Buddhist in later years. The temple needed a thorough renovation, so in 20^th century it was basically dismantled and put back together.

At the back you will find the lying Buddha carved in the stone of the main building. The Buddha is quite huge and you may not even notice it, unless you have a keen eye. In this photo the head is on the left side and it stretches all through the building.

Baphuon was very picturesque for us. We took tons of photos in it’s galleries surrounding the main buildings on all levels. They are really beautiful, and I advise you wander around and not just climb to the highest point

Overall, we spent about 4.5 hours in Angkor Thom, as we added other temples too. So if you have time, check out the Terrace of the Leper Kings, Terrace of the Elephants and the Phimeanakas.

For a 1-day itinerary, you can visit only Bayon and Baphuon and spend about 2-3 hours, before heading to other temples.

Preah Khan (1.5 hours)

However little time you have, I definitely recommend visiting this temple. It is quite big and you need at least 2 hours to explore, if you are like us

It has four entrances and is surrounded by the moat. It would be best to tell your driver to drop you off at the East entrance and wait for you at the West entrance, or you can make your way back, if you like and are not lazy.

This is another 12^th century temple. Its name can be translated as royal sword or holy sword. It was very charming for me, it has the old trees growing through the buildings, beautiful corridors, the libraries, Garuda statues, etc.

The temple was left unrestored for a long while and its restoration works were only dedicated to preservation. This makes it even more charming and authentic. Some areas are off limits, as they are dangerous.

Interestingly, the main temple was Buddhist, while the smaller ones were dedicated to Shiva. It served not only as a temple, but also as the living royal city and as a university. Hence, there were two libraries located here. For instance, some believe this beautiful two-storey design building with columns served as a library, however no one knows for sure. There is also a beautiful Hall of Dancers.

Near the West entrance you will find trees growing from the ruins, just like at the Ta Prohm. One of the trees has the shape of an elephant trunk. There were people playing with it As you get outside the West entrance, you will find even more beautiful vision of the trees hugging the buildings.

Ta Prohm (2 hours)

Next on our itinerary is the most picturesque temple of all in my opinion – Ta Prohm. Often called the Tomb Raider temple, this is one of the three most popular, along with Angkor Wat and Bayon. It was deserted for centuries and, as a result, was taken over by trees.

Some people will suggest coming here very early, at the opening time of 7.30am. We didn’t do this, but I doubt this advice is still a way to avoid crowds. Instead, we went during lunchtime, before 13.00.

When we first arrived, at 1pm, we thought the temple was crowded, but after 14.00 or so, we understood what crowded means. It became so full of people that it was often difficult to pass. That made us realize that coming at lunchtime was a great idea. At least we could walk around and not have several dozens of tour groups blocking all views, like later on after lunchtime.

Keep in mind, that the most crowded parts of the temple are in the middle, the parts with narrow paths, where you should get lost. So if you come here at lunchtime, head to these areas first and leave exploring the outer circle, along the walls, for later.

That said, I guess no crowds would make me not love this temple. It isn’t just the one tree, you see a photo of everywhere. If you ask me, you should allocate at least 2 hours to this amazing place and find all those trees growing out of buildings, trust me they are many. You will find amazing picturesque spots, a number of trees peeking out of the buildings. It gives such a mysterious and amazing feeling. Pictures definitely don’t do it enough justice.

Angkor Wat (2-3 hours)

After Ta Prohm, you can head back to the Angkor Wat. This temple is obviously the most famous and most visited. All tourists coming to Angkor visit it. So, as a result, it’s always extremely crowded. But even more so during the sunset and sunrise times, when everyone is here trying to get that perfect photo. We tried to go in the late afternoon, when it was slightly less crowded than in the morning or sunset hours.

Allocate at least 2.5 hours here, but I would suggest more like 3+, if you want to explore less visited parts and just enjoy it. We told our driver we would be back after 2.5 hours and by the end we did feel rushed. Of course, we like to enter many different buildings and towers, where you find only a couple of people. So, if you just want to explore main areas, 2 hours may be enough.

Angkor Wat is a Hindu temple and constitutes the single largest religious monument. I don’t guess it needs much introduction, as it is on the flag of Cambodia and very well known worldwide. Most people enter from the west side, which offers nice views of the complex. You will cross the sort of bridge over the moat and end up inside.

After this you can walk around the complex or go inside. Btw, if you choose to walk around, you will find almost no people. Once inside, before going to the central areas, I suggest to see the small buildings in the courtyard. You can climb and see some of these remote parts, and again, there will be no one here, or 1-2 people wandering around, like us The below is the photo from such area, where we were the only ones.

Once in the main area, one of the most popular spots full of tour groups and tourists are the galleries, such as Battle of Lanka gallery, Battle of Gods gallery and several others. You can walk through them and marvel at the bass reliefs depicting scenes from Ramayana and other Hindu stories. Next to them, you will find smaller courtyards as well.

Btw, Angkor Wat also serves, as a working temple, which I didn’t know before going. So you will find monks praying there and conducting ceremonies.

When you get to the middle courtyard, which is located in the heart of the temple, you will see people queueing for going up the tower. I have heard that people have waited for a couple of hours for this. Not sure, if that’s the case in the mornings, but in the late afternoon (a few days before New Year), we only had to wait about 10-15 minutes. It was worth the short wait, as the views from up there were nice. Besides, you will find 4 different statues of Buddha from sitting to reclining, etc. The tower also has nice views.

Overall, don’t forget to stop and admire this magnificent place. Enjoy the moat around it, get gorgeous views and just simply get lost.

Pre Rup (1-2 hours)

This temple is somewhat different from others due to its color. It is another Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva and built at the same time, as East Mebon (in the 12^th century). It is built in the shape of pyramid with, surprise surprise, very steep steps You can walk around on each level, which is a rather nice experience to look over the views and to just be alone, as most people just go up and down, without exploring any other parts.

The golden hour and sunset light at this temple is beautiful, therefore, it’s the best part of Angkor to enjoy sunset without huge crowds.

Best Sunset Spots in Angkor

You have 3 main options open for the sunset time:

• Many people watch sunset at Angkor Wat and it is beautiful, but so very crowded.
• Another most popular spot (if not THE most popular), is Phnom Bakheng. But if you decide to go there, arrive very early, preferably before 4pm to be able to be among the 300 people, who are let on the temple. (You can find out more about this temple in the 3-day itinerary).
• Another, less crowded option for the sunset (and the one I recommend) is Pre Rup.

Where to Eat after Visiting Angkor

I don’t suggest to eat around Angkor, due to the high prices. Bring your own snacks for the day and head to Siem Reap in the evening to find cheap and tasty food places and coffee shops. See the list here.

<p>The post Visiting amazing Angkor Wat: Best 1-day Itinerary first appeared on Hit the Road Ket.</p>

Below is the essential information and tips to make your visit to Angkor easier and enjoyable.

For detailed information on when to visit Cambodia, visa procedures, money, safety, see my complete Cambodia travel guide.

General Facts about Angkor

Many people call the site Angkor Wat after its most famous temple, but actually it isn’t one temple, it’s a huge city expanding on 400 sq. km. and full of over a thousand Buddhist and Hindu temples still standing. The city of Angkor was the capital of Khmer empire and flourished from 9^th to 15^th centuries before its decline by the hands of Ayutthaya kingdom and subsequent invasions.

Currently, Angkor Wat is a national symbol. It is even depicted on the national flag of the country.

Thousands of tourists visit this UNESCO world heritage site every day. So you will always be among the crowds, whenever you visit. You might be lucky and visit at the time, when some temples aren’t that overcrowded, but most popular ones are always full. However, most tourists don’t visit lesser known temples, so you may find some quiet spots.

Best Time to Visit Angkor

While Cambodia has hot climate all year round, the main thing you need to consider is the rainy/dry seasons.

May to November is the rainy season, which means there may be showers at any time throughout the day. This also brings higher humidity and more mosquitoes. Hence this period is low season with fewer crowds.

Dry season – particularly the winter months – is the most popular period. It may still rain but unlikely. We visited in December and got no rain whatsoever. It was consistently hot and sunny with less humidity than in rainy season.

Mosquitoes are an issue in any period, but rainy season brings more of them. Either way, you need to bring your mosquito repellent.

As for the best times of day to avoid crowds – that’s quite difficult to do. My main suggestion is visit one of the most popular temples during lunch time. We visited Ta Prohm and 1pm and it was so much quieter. In just an hour it started heaving with tourist groups. Besides second half of the day is slightly quieter compared to early morning at Angkor Wat or Bayon temples. 

How Long do you Need for Visiting Angkor?

Of course, it all depends on your interests and pace.

Most tourists actually visit for a day, just go around the major temples – Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm and leave thinking they saw everything. To be honest, I don’t think that is a great way to see this amazing and huge place, for which you travelled maybe even thousands of kilometers. In one day you will hardly see anything. Also, a couple of famous temples don’t really give an idea of what others look like. Many temples are so different from each other, with some unique features, quiet places, awesome carvings, etc. etc.

I do suggest to allocate at least 3 days to Angkor, unless you don’t like visiting temples and historical sites and get bored of them easily. Here is my step-by-step 3-day itinerary for your visit.

However, if you have limited time and want to cram as much as possible in a day, here is the best 1-day itinerary.

I personally was really fascinated by this place. We had 4 days and we did visit the major things on my list. During those 4 days we were out most of the day from early morning.

If you like to spread out your visit and do it slowly, then you can even spend a week or more here.

You can also combine visiting Angkor with other activities in and around Siem Reap, like going to Tonle Sap lake, or visiting the temples and museums at Siem Reap itself.

Where to Stay in Siem Reap

To visit Angkor, you will have to stay nearby, as it’s a huge archaeological site without accommodation options. Most people stay in Siem Reap, which seems to be fully catered to tourists visiting Angkor.

Siem Reap is quite small, particularly the central areas. The airport is very close, some 15 minutes’ drive from the city center. I suggest to stay close to the main areas, where the restaurants, coffee shops and markets are concentrated, as it will make your evenings much easier. I chose a hotel farther from the center, which meant that every evening we had to catch a tuk tuk to take us to the hotel and we paid 3 USD each time.

You have a number of options, from hostels to airbnbs and hotels. Keep in mind that mosquitoes and gecko lizards are very common here. When we arrived to the hotel, the room was full of mosquitoes, which wasn’t a pleasant thing, as we had to spray the room, then get out and wait. Choose a hotel, which takes better care of these issues, so that you don’t have to after a long flight or a long day out.

Angkor Ticket Options 

You have 3 options for Angkor tickets, based on the time you have here:

• The 1-day pass costs 37 USD. This ticket can be used within 5-day period from purchase.
• The 3-day pass costs 62 USD. You don’t have to use it on consecutive days, just 3 days in 10-day period.
• The 7-day pass costs 72 USD. It doesn’t have to be used on consecutive day and should be used in one month period.

Prices are current as of 2026.

You can either buy the tickets at the ticket office or online.

Buying Angkor Tickets at the Ticket Office

If you are buying at the ticket office, you will need to get them before heading to Angkor, as the ticket office is not located near the temple complex. It’s in Siem Reap, at this location. US dollars and cash are the preferred payment method, but you have an option of paying by card. You will get change only in Cambodian Riel.

The ticket office is open from 5am to 5.30pm, so if you want to save time, buying your ticket on the day of your visit is not the most efficient way. Usually, there are queues in the mornings and it may shorten your precious time at Angkor. You can buy your ticket the previous day or even a couple of days in advance.

To get a ticket bring your passport along. They will take a photo of you at the ticket office and prepare the tickets for you.

Keep in mind, they won’t sell you a ticket, unless you are dressed appropriately.

Buying Angkor Tickets Online

Alternatively, you can buy your tickets online. This is the official Angkor ticket office website. There are a couple of authorized third party vendors as well, but they charge extra fees.

For getting tickets online, you will need to have a digital photo at hand, which you need to upload. It should be good resolution, in order for the platform to recognize your face.

The advantage of the online ticket is that you don’t need to go anywhere to pick the physical tickets up. You will receive online tickets and can download and print yourself.

Whichever option you choose for buying tickets, you need to keep these tickets on you at all times, as you will be asked to show them, while entering each temple. The officers will stamp the ticket in the morning the first time you are entering a temple and it will show that it is used for the day. We bought a 7-day pass and used them over 4 days, so we got 4 stamps for each day.

If you lose your ticket, you won’t get any refund and will need to buy a new one to get admission.

People suggest that if you buy at 5pm before the day you want to start using the pass (whether 1, 3 or 7-day), you can get a bonus sunset visit. I am not sure about this, as we didn’t try.

What to Wear at Angkor

The rules at Angkor on clothes you are supposed to wear, are quite strict.

Check my detailed Angkor dress code guide.

Transport to Get Around Angkor

Angkor is very spread out and walking around is simply impossible. You do need some sort of transportation.

If aren’t afraid of heat, you can choose the bicycles. However, that would make your visit much slower and tiring, as you have to walk a lot inside the temple grounds anyway. Certainly this is the cheapest option, as the bicycles can be hired for 5 USD or even lower.

If you are a confident driver, you can hire a motorcycle as well. I am not sure about the prices for this though.

Most people hire either tuk tuks or cars for visiting the many temples. Tuk tuks are the most common option and you will be seeing them on the streets far frequently. If you have a lot of time, you can just negotiate with a tuk tuk driver on the street.

Air conditioned cars are a relatively more expensive option, but they may be more comfortable, than tuk tuks because of air conditioning. Cars are far rarer in the city. We hardly ever saw them, there are mostly motorcycles and tuk tuks around.

If you want a peace of mind and are short on time, you can book your driver and, if you wish, a tour guide in advance. This option will allow you to read the reviews in advance and be sure that you have everything planned and don’t need to look for drivers in the city. On the other hand, booking in advance always means a small surcharge compared to negotiating with the driver on the spot. 

Angkor Touring Options

To explore Angkor Archaeological Park can either hire only a driver or consider a guided tour. You don’t need a guide, unless you prefer to get explanations at each temple. We chose to only hire a tuk tuk driver.

1-Day Tour Options

Multiple-Day Tour Options

If none of the provided options appeal to you, you can book a driver for the first day and talk to them to arrange the subsequent days.

We chose to simply speak with our tuk tuk driver that the hotel sent to pick us up from the airport. We did like him, so we arranged to go with him. On the first day he drove us, but on the second day he sent someone, who didn’t speak a word of English. That was challenging, so for the third day, we spoke to our Grab driver and hired him instead.

Angkor Itinerary Planning

One thing I didn’t know was that the drivers have their own itineraries for visiting the city.

• The so called small circle starting at Angkor Wat and ending with the Temple of Leper King.
• The big circle – I already forgot which one they had first on the list for this. 
• Some combination of Banteay Srei and Roluos group.

If you are booking a private tour, you will be able to change this sequence. For this, you should negotiate in advance, and may end up paying 5 USD more per day. 

Of course, you can go with their schedule and sequence of temples, which most people do. But exactly because most people do it, you will be at the temples, when they are the most crowded. 

My itineraries below are arranged as optimally as possible to allow you to avoid crowds.

Here is the best 1-day itinerary of the Angkor Archaeological Park.

Here is the best 3-day Angkor itinerary.

Tips for Visiting Angkor with a Tour/Driver

Most tuk tuk drivers will have water bottles kept cold with ice, which was a savior for us on several occasions.

They normally will pick you up from your hotel in the morning at an arranged time and bring you to each temple on your itinerary. They wait for you at the entrance of each temple. At the end of the day, they will drop you off at your hotel or wherever you tell them in Siem Reap.

Each time you leave the tuk tuk driver, he will tell you, where he will be waiting for you. If he doesn’t, do ask, as they may stand a bit farther from the entrance, or it may be preferable for you to find them at the other gate.

Also, make sure to get the photo of the tuk tuk number and get the phone number from your driver. You may have difficulty finding them after you get out of the temples. I recommend having a good mobile data plan in order to be able to contact your driver.

Book your Cambodia E-SIM here.

If you are unable to contact your driver, you can ask any of the tuk tuk drivers around to help you. They will contact your driver, as they are used to helping each other out. We had to do this on a couple of occasions, when we couldn’t find our driver.

Angkor Opening Hours

Most temples open at 7.30am and work till 5.30pm. There are a couple, which open earlier for sunrise. As far as we found out, these are Angkor Wat and Srah Srang. Not sure about others. There are also a few, which open for sunset – Pre Rup, Phnom Bakheng and Angkor Wat.  I couldn’t find any official information online and had to ask on the spot.

Where to Eat Near Angkor Wat

In general, food in Cambodia is quite cheap, even compared to its neighbours – for instance, Thailand. However, the food places in Angkor area are more expensive. Most people ask their tuk tuk drivers to take them to a lunch place and they end up at expensive places, where the drivers get a free meal, when they bring tourists. So if you definitely want to eat in this area, do your research. Another option would be to bring food with you. We did take nuts and other snacks with us after a big breakfast. We would then get back to Siem Reap and eat dinner by 5-6pm.

Restaurants to Try in Siem Reap after Visiting Angkor

Keep in mind that most Siem Reap restaurants cater to tourists, so don’t be disappointed with that. Here is the list of relatively cheaper and good places:

Try Me Restaurant – First of all, I will start with our favourite. We loved everything about it – the vibe, the prices, the very tasty food and a welcoming service. We tried a few dishes, mainly the ones with rice. Do go here, it won’t disappoint you.

My Little Cafe Madam Moch Khmer Restaurant

Monsoon Asia Fusion bistro – This restaurant is more on the expensive side. The food was good, but pricier than other places on this list.

Best Coffee in Siem Reap after Visiting Angkor

Below I am listing the best, but not extremely cheap cafes to go for coffee in Siem Reap. Most of these cafes also offer food, so do check them out, even when you are hungry.

Brown Coffee – a big and modern café with air conditioning, which may be a breathe of air after a long day at Angkor. The coffee and cakes are very tasty, although the prices are not that low. I do suggest the opera cake.

Footprint cafe – this one is on the other side of the river. It’s a very cute café with an amazing concept of helping local communities. It has a great atmosphere with a lot of books. The service is also wonderful.

Brother Bong café – another cafe on the other side of the river. It has nice vibes and good coffee.

Gelato Lab – on the Pub Street for nice ice-cream

The Little Red Fox Espresso Cafe

Bayon Pastry School

The Source Cafe

Other Essential Tips for Visiting Angkor

• Bring sunscreen and sunglasses with you.
• Toilets are quite an issue around the area, they are only at certain spots, sometimes not too close from temples. So if you pass by one, use it, as you won’t know, when you find another one.
• Carry your toilet paper and hand sanitizer with you.
• If you hire a tuk tuk, they will usually have water bottles kept cold with the ice they buy in the morning. However, if you are doing cycling or walking a lot, then you should bring water with. It’s very hot and you will be dehydrated.
• Have some snacks for the times, when you won’t easily find the food places.

Have you visited Angkor recently? Do you have more tips? I would be happy to hear about your experiences.

<p>The post Angkor Wat Travel Guide: Practical Tips and Itineraries first appeared on Hit the Road Ket.</p>

Either way, better be prepared before you go, as near the temples, the clothes tend to get very expensive for the tourists, who need to buy them on the spot.

The dress code I will explain below applies to all major temples within Angkor Archaeological Park near Siem Reap.

If you’re planning your visit, read my complete Angkor planning guide here.

What to Wear at Angkor Temples

The main restriction for clothes at Angkor is that your shoulders and knees must be covered. Here is what’s not allowed:

• Shorts not covering the knee,
• Short dresses,
• Sleeveless tops,
• Tank tops.

Keep in mind that these restrictions do apply to men, as well as women.

The acceptable attire includes trousers, long skirts or long shorts covering the knee. For tops, you should wear either short or long sleeve clothes, nothing sleeveless. Let’s go through them one by one.

Bottoms to Wear at Angkor

For the convenience purposes, trousers can be more comfortable. For me though, even when they were thin, they overheated me. You have an option of buying the very common elephant style trousers at the markets. You will find many people wearing them. But personally I don’t like them and they don’t suit me. Of course, if you like them, go for it, they look very comfy.

Maxi or midi dresses can be a great idea. I found that the skirts were more comfortable in heat than trousers. Of course, there’s one more thing to consider is the climbing, which was slightly complicated with the skirts I was wearing. I would put the skirt up to make it easier to climb. We didn’t have time for shopping and I hate browsing markets, so I was glad I came prepared.

The skirts you are wearing can have slits. There are no rules against them. That’s great, as long skirts aren’t really my style, so slits gave at least some respite.

I don’t recommend leggings at all, as they will be simply too hot.

Tops to Wear at Angkor

Tops should cover the shoulders. There are no rules about décolleté, I was fine with V-necks as well. But still be careful with this, as if the clothes are considered too revealing, it would be flagged. Any simple t-shirt will work fine. Another option is to wear a sleeveless top and just throw a scarf on – I have seen that scarves are considered fine.

Best Materials to Wear at Angkor

Given that Cambodia has a very hot tropical climate, you would be better off, if you wear linen or other breathable material, as you won’t be suffocating in heat. On the other hand, I did wear thin synthetic clothes and they were fine.

Whatever you wear, I advise to choose bright colors. They will look much better on photos. One day I wore a bright blue skirt and it looked great with the backgrounds, another day, I had a black and white striped skirt on and it looked far duller. See the photos and decide yourself.

Accessories to Bring to Angkor

That brings me to the major item that can help you in Angkor – scarf. The scarves really are very useful and you can make them work with many outfits. I did wear a sleeveless top one day and put a scarf around me. It looked quite cute and very much acceptable. But make sure that it doesn’t slip off your shoulders to avoid problems.

A scarf can also be a fashion accessory, it may lighten up your outfit.

A hat also wouldn’t be a bad idea to shield you from the sun and it may look lovely on the photos. I had a sun hat with me, but unfortunately I lost it, when it flew off during the tuk tuk ride.

Best Shoes to Wear at Angkor

You can wear whatever type of shoes you like. There are no rules about it. But I do suggest to wear covered shoes with support, as you will be walking in very dusty places and will be climbing stairs and stones a lot. I wasn’t able to walk easily in my flats, so I woke sneakers instead.

Wearing sandals would make climbing steep stairs and uneven surfaces difficult to navigate. But so many people did wear slippers and sandals, so it depends on your preferences.

<p>The post What to wear at Angkor: Dress Code Rules and Outfit Tips first appeared on Hit the Road Ket.</p>