Trip highlights
- 1Angkor Wat sunrise — world's largest religious monument
- 2Bayon temple faces
- 3Ta Prohm tree roots over ruins
- 4Phare Circus cultural performance
- 5Tonle Sap lake floating villages
Daily spend
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Day-by-day plan
Arrival & Old Market
Wednesday, December 1
Est. spend
$70
per person
🌅 Morning
Arrive Siem Reap International Airport
Siem Reap International Airport
Siem Reap Airport (REP) is 8km from town. Official taxi: $9 to town centre. Tuk-tuks from the airport: negotiate to $3–5. Visa on arrival: $30 for most nationalities, requires 1 passport photo. The e-visa (evisa.gov.kh, $36) is easier.
Hire a tuk-tuk driver for your entire temple visit period — $15–20/day for your own driver who will become invaluable for temple knowledge and timing.
☀️ Afternoon
Old Market (Phsar Chas) and Pub Street
Phsar Chas, Siem Reap
The Old Market is the tourist hub — silk scarves, Cambodian spices, silverware, and tropical fruit. Pub Street runs adjacent with restaurants and bars at every price point. Explore on foot — everything is within walking distance.
🌙 Evening
Apsara dance performance
Various venues, Siem Reap
The classical Khmer Apsara dance is a 1,000-year-old performance tradition showing stories from Hindu mythology. Several restaurants offer dinner with Apsara performance — the Koulen II restaurant has the most authentic presentation.
🍽️ Meals
Haven Restaurant
Cambodian/International · $20 · Trains at-risk youth in culinary and hospitality skills. The Khmer beef lok lak and fish amok are excellent. Profits go to the NGO.
Angkor Wat Sunrise
Thursday, December 2
Est. spend
$120
per person
🌅 Morning
Angkor Wat sunrise — 5am arrival
Angkor Wat, Siem Reap Province
The largest religious monument in the world (1.6km × 1.3km moat) — the reflection of the five towers in the northern reflecting pool at sunrise is one of the most photographed scenes on earth. Buy your 3-day pass ($62) at the Angkor Ticket Office the day before.
Arrive at 5am and walk to the pond on the north path (not the main western causeway) for the reflection shot. By 7am it's crowded. After sunrise, enter the main complex — the inner gallery bas-reliefs (800m of carved stone panels) require 2 hours to see properly.
☀️ Afternoon
Angkor Thom and the Bayon
Angkor Thom, Siem Reap Province
The walled capital city of the Khmer Empire (9km perimeter) — the South Gate with its 54 smiling face towers, and the Bayon temple in the centre with 200+ carved faces of the Bodhisattva (or King Jayavarman VII). The most atmospheric temple in Angkor.
The Bayon is best mid-afternoon when the light falls sideways on the face towers. The Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King nearby show the scale of Angkor Thom city.
🍽️ Meals
Mahob Restaurant
Cambodian · $15 · Traditional Khmer dishes in a garden setting near the temples. The fish amok (coconut curry steamed in banana leaf) is Cambodia's signature dish.
Ta Prohm & Remote Temples
Friday, December 3
Est. spend
$75
per person
🌅 Morning
Ta Prohm — tree roots over ruins
Ta Prohm Temple, Siem Reap Province
Deliberately left partly unreconstructed to show how the jungle reclaimed the temples — the strangler fig and silk-cotton tree roots growing over the stone walls are one of the most photographed sights in Asia. Used as a location in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001).
Go at 7am before the tour buses arrive — the forest atmosphere with bird calls and minimal people is extraordinary. By 10am it's shoulder-to-shoulder.
Banteay Srei — the pink sandstone jewel
Banteay Srei Temple, Banteay Srei District
35km north of Siem Reap — the 10th-century temple carved from pink sandstone with the most intricate decorative carving of any Angkor-era temple. The female figures and floral patterns are in extraordinary condition. Often called the 'Citadel of Women.'
Banteay Srei requires the Angkor pass but is 35km from the main complex — not all day passes cover it, check your ticket. The drive through the rural Cambodian countryside is itself an experience.
☀️ Afternoon
Preah Khan temple
Preah Khan, Siem Reap Province
One of the lesser-visited major temples of Angkor — a flat complex with a long colonnaded corridor, the Hall of Dancers, and an unusual double-storeyed pavilion. Far fewer tourists than the main circuit. The eastern entrance gallery is the best-preserved section.
🍽️ Meals
Sugar Palm, Siem Reap
Cambodian · $20 · Chef Kethana Dunne's restaurant preserving traditional Khmer recipes. The beef samlor (soup) and Cambodian banana flower salad are things you won't find elsewhere.
Tonle Sap Lake & Phare Circus
Saturday, December 4
Est. spend
$90
per person
🌅 Morning
Tonle Sap floating village
Tonle Sap Lake, Siem Reap Province
The Tonle Sap is Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake — and home to floating villages of thousands of people who live, work, and school on the water. The Kompong Khleang village is the most authentic and least touristic. Boat tour: $20 per person.
Kompong Khleang (40km from Siem Reap) is better than the closer Kompong Phluk — it's a real working community rather than a tourist set-piece. The floating school and church are operating buildings.
☀️ Afternoon
Artisan Angkor workshop visit
Artisan Angkor, St 6, Siem Reap
The Artisan Angkor workshops train Cambodian craftspeople in traditional silk weaving, stone carving, and lacquerware. The work preserves techniques that were almost lost during the Khmer Rouge period. Tours are free; shop purchases directly support the artisans.
The silk scarves and lacquer boxes are the best quality souvenirs in Siem Reap — and the prices are fixed and fair.
🌙 Evening
Phare Circus performance
Phare Circus, Sok San Rd, Siem Reap
Phare, The Cambodian Circus, is a social enterprise that trains street children in circus arts — acrobatics, music, and theatre. The performances tell Cambodian stories and are genuinely extraordinary. One of the best evenings in Siem Reap.
Book online at pharecircus.org — tickets $18–38 depending on seating. Evenings performances at 8pm. All profits fund Phare's schools for underprivileged children.
🍽️ Meals
Cooks in Tuk Tuks food tour
Cambodian street food · $25 · Evening food tour by tuk-tuk visiting 5 local street food stalls. Cricket snacks, banana blossom salad, and proper Khmer BBQ.
Sunrise Balloon & Departure
Sunday, December 5
Est. spend
$60
per person
🌅 Morning
Angkor Sunrise balloon or final temple
Balloon Angkor, near Angkor Wat access road
The tethered helium balloon over Angkor Wat rises to 200m for a bird's eye view of the entire Angkor complex at sunrise — extraordinary scale visible only from the air. Rides: $15 for 8 minutes. Departs from a field near the Angkor Wat road.
Early morning (6–7am) is best for the light. The balloon is tethered (not free-flying) — perfectly safe. Not available in high winds.
☀️ Afternoon
Airport transfer
Siem Reap International Airport
Siem Reap Airport is 8km from town. Allow 2.5 hours before international departure. Tuk-tuk to airport: $5.
🍽️ Meals
Blue Pumpkin, Pub Street
Cambodian/Café · $8 · Best coffee and pastries in Siem Reap. The second floor has comfortable seating and good WiFi for last-minute admin before the airport.
Before you go
📅 Best time to visit
November–March: dry season, good light for photography, cooler temperatures (25–32°C). April–October: hot and humid, the rainy season creates spectacular greenery around the temples. The Tonle Sap is at its highest (and most impressive) October–November.
🛂 Visas
Visa on arrival: $30 USD for most nationalities (bring 1 passport photo). E-visa (evisa.gov.kh): $36, approved within 3 business days. Easier than the visa on arrival queue.
💱 Currency
US Dollars are the de facto currency in Cambodia alongside Cambodian Riel. Most prices are quoted in USD. ATMs dispense USD. The Riel is used for small change (4,100 KHR = $1).
🆘 Emergency numbers
police: 117
ambulance: 119
tourist police: 012 969 999
💬 Things you won't find in a guidebook
- The Angkor Archaeological Park 3-day pass ($62) is the best value and allows flexibility — you don't need to use all 3 days consecutively.
- Hire a tuk-tuk driver for the full temple period — a good driver adds enormous value through knowledge of temple timing, light conditions, and hidden spots.
- The Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh (3.5h bus from Siem Reap) are essential historical context for Cambodia — emotionally challenging but important.
One thing worth not skipping
A 5-day trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia without insurance is a gamble. Medical emergencies, cancelled flights, lost luggage — cover yourself before you leave.
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