Angkor Wat Sunrise
The largest religious monument on earth, a twelfth-century temple-mountain of five lotus towers behind a wide moat, best seen as the sun rises behind it. Opens at 5:00; bring an Angkor Pass bought online or the day before.
Cambodia
Siem Reap & Angkor
Siem Reap is the riverside town at the gate of Angkor, the vast capital of the Khmer Empire and one of the great archaeological sites on earth.
A few kilometres north of the town’s markets, cafes and colonial shophouses, hundreds of temples rise from the forest: Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world, glowing at sunrise behind its moat; the walled royal city of Angkor Thom, where the giant stone faces of the Bayon smile from every tower; and Ta Prohm, where silk-cotton and fig trees have wrapped their roots around the galleries. Further out lie the rose-pink carvings of Banteay Srei, the sacred waterfall and riverbed carvings of Phnom Kulen, the jungle ruins of Beng Mealea and the stilt villages of the Tonle Sap lake. Back in town, the evenings belong to Phare, the Cambodian circus, to night-market food and to tuk-tuk rides through the rice fields. This guide books the tours and tickets worth booking, explains the Angkor Pass and its timing rules, and shows how to fit the temples into a first trip.
Don't miss
Angkor Wat Sunrise
The largest religious monument on earth, a twelfth-century temple-mountain of five lotus towers behind a wide moat, best seen as the sun rises behind it. Opens at 5:00; bring an Angkor Pass bought online or the day before.
Phare, the Cambodian Circus
Siem Reap’s best night out: young Cambodian artists combining acrobatics, theatre, live music and dance under a big top, with a social mission behind every show. Nightly at 20:00, plus 17:00 matinees on some days.
Angkor Thom and the Bayon
The walled royal city of King Jayavarman VII, entered through giant face-towered gates, with the Bayon and its serene stone faces at its heart, plus the Baphuon and the Terrace of the Elephants.
Ta Prohm by Bike
The jungle temple where giant silk-cotton and fig roots grip the galleries, reached on a guided bike tour along shady dirt paths that also takes in Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and the Bayon.
Things to do in Siem Reap & Angkor
Angkor Thom and the Bayon
The walled royal city of King Jayavarman VII, entered through giant face-towered gates, with the Bayon and its serene stone faces at its heart, plus the Baphuon and the Terrace of the Elephants.
Ta Prohm by Bike
The jungle temple where giant silk-cotton and fig roots grip the galleries, reached on a guided bike tour along shady dirt paths that also takes in Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and the Bayon.
Banteay Srei and the Grand Circuit
The small, rose-pink sandstone temple of the tenth century with the finest carving at Angkor, visited on a top-rated, good-value join-in day tour that adds five temples of the Grand Circuit.
Phnom Kulen Waterfall Day Trip
The sacred mountain where the Khmer Empire was born, with a jungle waterfall, a riverbed carved with a thousand lingas and a hilltop reclining Buddha, on a hugely popular join-in day trip with a picnic lunch.
Beng Mealea and Koh Ker Day Trip
A full day to two remote temple sites: Beng Mealea, a vast jungle-swallowed temple of tumbled stone, and Koh Ker, the tenth-century capital with its seven-tiered pyramid, on a top-rated join-in tour with lunch.
Tonle Sap Floating Village Sunset Tour
Ride pillion on a classic Vespa through the countryside to Kompong Pluk, a village of houses on towering stilts on the edge of the Tonle Sap lake, then take a boat out to watch the sun set over the water.
Phare, the Cambodian Circus
Siem Reap’s best night out: young Cambodian artists combining acrobatics, theatre, live music and dance under a big top, with a social mission behind every show. Nightly at 20:00, plus 17:00 matinees on some days.
Siem Reap Evening Food Tour
An evening of Khmer food with a local guide and no more than eight guests: night-market barbecue, spring rolls, braver bites for the curious, a hidden bar and a nightcap of Cambodian rice spirit at the Sombai liqueur house.
Siem Reap Countryside Sunset Vespa Tour
A four-hour pillion ride on a classic Vespa through the villages around Siem Reap, with stops at a local market, a Buddhist temple, a lotus pond and farms, and a drink in the rice fields at sunset.
Where to stay
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
$$$$Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor
Old French Quarter
Siem Reap’s grand hotel since 1932, facing the royal gardens in the Old French Quarter, with a 35-metre pool, Raffles Spa, the Elephant Bar, afternoon tea and about 15 acres of gardens.
Rates on Expedia →
$$$Jaya House River Park
River Road
A 36-room boutique hotel beside the Siem Reap River on the road to Angkor, with two pools, a spa, the Trorkuon Khmer restaurant, a plastic-free ethos and free airport pickup on stays of two nights or more.
Rates on Expedia →
$$$FCC Angkor by Avani
Old French Quarter
An 80-room hotel built around a former French governor’s residence on Pokambor Avenue, next to the Royal Residence and shaded by banyan trees, with a pool, a spa, a gym and the Scribe bar.
Rates on Expedia →
$$Viroth’s Hotel
Wat Bo
A 35-room mid-century modern boutique hotel on a leafy street in the Wat Bo area, beside the river and a few steps from the Old Market, with a 20-metre pool, a spa and vintage-car temple tours.
Rates on Expedia →
$Lub d Siem Reap
Wat Bo
A big, sociable budget stay in Wat Bo with an outdoor pool, a bar and restaurant, private rooms and dorms, free parking and events like cooking classes, a three-minute drive from Pub Street.
Rates on Expedia →Siem Reap & Angkor guides
First Time in Siem Reap and Angkor: Passes, How Many Days and What to Book
The practical primer for a first visit to Siem Reap and Angkor: how the Angkor Pass works in 2026, how many days to plan, what to book ahead, getting around by tuk-tuk and how to fit in the day trips.
Where to Stay in Siem Reap: The Best Areas and Hotels for Visiting Angkor
Where to stay in Siem Reap: the Old French Quarter by the Royal Gardens, Wat Bo across the river, and River Road on the way to Angkor, with the best hotel in each for every budget.
