Visit Siem Reap
Siem Reap and Angkor, checked and dated
Detailed, regularly checked advice on visiting Siem Reap and Angkor: what to book ahead, what the heat and the rain will do to your plans, and what is worth your time.
Browse Siem Reap by topic
Angkor & the Temples
The Angkor Pass, the sunrise, the small and grand circuits, Ta Prohm, Bayon and Banteay Srei: which temples deserve the heat and which do not.
10 in-depth guides
Day Trips & Beyond Angkor
Beng Mealea, Phnom Kulen, Koh Ker, the Tonle Sap villages and Battambang: what each day costs, how long the road is, and when to leave.
4 in-depth guides
Areas & Neighborhoods
Old Market and Pub Street, Wat Bo, Sok San, the riverside and the resort strip: what each part of town feels like and who should sleep there.
3 in-depth guides
Getting There & Around
The new airport 50 km out of town, the e-Visa, the bus from Phnom Penh, flights from Bangkok while the land border is closed, and what a tuk-tuk ride should cost.
6 in-depth guides
Food & Drink
Amok done properly, Khmer kitchens by neighborhood, street food on Road 60, cooking classes and the honest truth about Pub Street.
4 in-depth guides
Culture, Arts & Evening Shows
Phare, Apsara dance, shadow puppets and the dinner shows compared, plus the museums that explain the temples and the country.
4 in-depth guides
Nature, Wildlife & Tonle Sap
The lake in both seasons, the bird sanctuary, elephants without riding, cycling through rice fields and the sunset hill nobody visits.
2 in-depth guides
Itineraries
Hour-by-hour plans for one, two, three and five days, built around the 5 a.m. start, the midday heat and the 6 p.m. light.
5 in-depth guides
When to Visit & Weather
Month by month: the heat of April, the rains that empty the temples, the December crowds and what the Tonle Sap does in between.
3 in-depth guides
Family Travel
Siem Reap with children: which temples hold their attention, the stairs, the heat, the pools and what to do when it rains.
2 in-depth guides
Budget, Money & Practical
What a day costs, dollars and riel, the scams that still work, tipping, SIM cards, pharmacies and what to pack.
2 in-depth guides
Nightlife & Bars
Pub Street for people who would rather not, the bars away from the noise, the night markets and live music.
1 in-depth guideAlso: Hotels & Where to Stay, Shopping & Markets, Responsible Travel.
Latest from Siem Reap
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Siem Reap in the Rainy Season: Why Some Say It Is the Best Time (2026)
From June to October Angkor sees about 1,500 foreign visitors a day against 4,700 in January. How the afternoon storms work and which rainy months are worth it.
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Siem Reap Weather by Month: Heat, Rain and What It Does to Your Plans (2026)
April averages 35.8°C, September 288 mm of rain, December 20.7°C at dawn. Twelve months of Siem Reap weather, with the hours each month leaves for temples.
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Tonle Sap Floating Villages: Kampong Phluk vs Kampong Khleang vs Chong Kneas (2026)
Kampong Phluk at an hour, Kampong Khleang at 90 minutes, Chong Kneas at 25: which Tonle Sap village to pick by month, what each boat costs and what floats.
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Phnom Kulen: Waterfall, Reclining Buddha, the River of 1000 Lingas and the $20 Ticket (2026)
Phnom Kulen runs one way up from 7:00 to 11:00 a.m. and costs $20 outside the Angkor Pass. The order to see the Buddha, the lingas and the falls, month by month.
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Beng Mealea: The Jungle Temple, the New Ticket and How to Get There (2026)
Beng Mealea sits 75 to 90 minutes from Pub Street with its own $10 ticket. The rebuilt walkway, the tuk-tuk or car decision and the day trips it fits into.
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Siem Reap Scams: Baby Formula, Temple Guides, Tuk-Tuk Detours (2026)
A $25 formula tin, a $274 fake Angkor Pass, a $40 sack of rice for a school: the scams that still work in Siem Reap in 2026, what each costs and how to decline.
Angkor Tourism Guide
Long-form guides to one city and the temples around it: the Angkor Pass and the 5 a.m. start, the neighborhoods, the heat, the rains, the shows, the lake and the day trips. Figures are traced to the organizations that set them and each guide shows the month it was last checked. How these guides are written.