Angkor & the Temples
Tuk-Tuk, Car, Bicycle or E-Bike: How to Get Around Angkor (2026)
A tuk-tuk runs $18 to $25 for a small circuit day, a bicycle $2 to $5, an e-bike about $10. What each costs at Angkor and which one suits which traveler and month.
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The way you move around Angkor decides what kind of day you have more than which temples you pick. A tuk-tuk with a driver who waits is the right answer for most visitors, a car is the right answer in April, and a bicycle or e-bike is the right answer for a minority who will ride in the morning and stop at noon.
The search results for this question are mostly driver websites quoting their own prices and blogs written from one trip in one month. They do not say that the honest price for a tuk-tuk day is $18 to $25 and not the $10 to $15 still published, that car quotes vary widely, that the e-bike is a better answer than the scooter for most independent travelers, or that the month matters more than the vehicle. This guide prices each option, sets out the distances, and says which works for which traveler. The pass that every option needs is in the Angkor Pass guide.
Prices, hours and transport times below were checked against operator websites and official sources in October 2026.
The Month Decides Before the Vehicle Does
The temples are open from 5:00 a.m. or 6:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and the light is good at both ends. The heat is the variable. The average daily high in Siem Reap is 30.6°C in December, 31.7°C in January, 34.9°C in March and 35.8°C in April. Between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. from March to May, every open vehicle is a hot wind, and a bicycle is a test.
So the real choice is between two shapes of day. The first is a morning in the park from 5:00 a.m. or 6:00 a.m. to about 11:00 a.m., then lunch and a pool, then perhaps a sunset. In that shape, every vehicle works, the bicycle and e-bike are at their best, and the tuk-tuk ride through the forest at 7:00 a.m. is cool enough for a jacket in January. The second shape is a full day from sunrise to 5:00 p.m., the classic circuit. In that shape, the bicycle fails by noon and the car earns its price.
Pick the shape first, then the vehicle. The best time of day for each Angkor temple helps with the first decision, and the rest of this guide with the second.
The Distances
The park is flat and the distances are modest. From the Old Market:
- To the Road 60 ticket office: about 4 km, 15 minutes by tuk-tuk. Only needed if the pass was not bought online.
- To Angkor Wat: about 7 km, 15 to 20 minutes by tuk-tuk.
- The small circuit, Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and the Bayon, Ta Prohm, Banteay Kdei and back: about 17 km on top of the ride from town.
- The grand circuit, Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Ta Som, East Mebon and Pre Rup: a 26 km loop before the ride from town.
- Banteay Srei: a little over 30 km north of town, 40 to 60 minutes by tuk-tuk.
- Phnom Kulen: 48 km north, 1.5 to 2 hours by car, and not possible by tuk-tuk.
A cyclist doing the small circuit from town rides about 30 km. A cyclist doing the grand circuit rides about 40 km. Both are flat, and both are hot by 10:00 a.m. The order of the loops is explained in the small circuit versus grand circuit guide.
Vehicles With a Driver
Tuk-tuk with a driver
The honest verdict: the right vehicle for most visitors on most days. A Siem Reap tuk-tuk is either the classic remork, a covered carriage pulled by a motorbike, or a three-wheel auto rickshaw. Either seats two adults comfortably, or two adults and two small children facing each other. The driver waits at each temple, knows which gate to drop you at and which to collect you from, and many drivers keep cold water in a cooler. There is no official tariff. Most 2026 reports and driver price lists give $18 to $25 for the whole vehicle for a small circuit day. The grand circuit runs $25 to $30, a day that adds Banteay Srei $25 to $35, and a 4:30 a.m. sunrise pickup about $5 more. A morning from dawn to noon costs close to a full day, because the driver loses the day either way. Drivers entering the park must be licensed and wear identification. Book through the hotel desk or a driver you met in town the day before, and agree the stops, the start time and the total. The limitation: it is open to the dust, the exhaust of the coach in front and the midday heat, and from March to May the 11:00 a.m. ride home is the hardest part of the day.
Car with driver
The honest verdict: the right choice from March to May, for Banteay Srei and Phnom Kulen, and for families of four or more. An air-conditioned sedan or SUV with a driver who waits. Quotes vary more than for tuk-tuks. 2026 reports give $35 to $60 for a day in the park. One Siem Reap directory still lists $20 to $30, a figure no other 2026 source matches. A car with an English-speaking licensed guide is listed at $45 to $50 a day. A car for Phnom Kulen costs $50 to $70, and a van $60 to $80. The limitation: the car isolates you from the park. The forest between Ta Prohm and Banteay Kdei is one of the pleasures of Angkor, and it passes as a view through a window. In December, the tuk-tuk is cooler, cheaper and better.
Motodop
The honest verdict: the cheapest vehicle with a driver, for solo travelers who travel light. A motodop is a motorbike taxi, with the passenger riding pillion behind the driver. A 2026 rate list gives $8 to $12 for a day in the park. The driver waits and knows the route like a tuk-tuk driver. The limitation: one passenger, no shade, no luggage space, and a helmet that may or may not fit. In the rainy season, the afternoon storm arrives with nowhere to hide.
Grab and PassApp
The apps work in Siem Reap and remove the negotiation in town, where a 2 km ride meters at about $1.50 and a cross-town ride costs $2 to $3. A ride to the park entrance costs about $3 to $5. The limitation is the return: app drivers do not wait, coverage inside the park is patchy, and drivers entering the park must be licensed. Use the apps to get to the park for a short visit and arrange a driver for anything longer. The getting around Siem Reap guide covers the apps and town fares.
Riding Yourself
Three options put you in charge of the route and the stops, at the cost of the heat. All three need the pass bought in advance or a stop at Road 60, and all three are morning vehicles from March to May.
Bicycle
The honest verdict: the best way to experience the park, for a fit traveler who rides from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and stops. Bicycles rent for $2 to $5 a day from hostels and rental shops in town, and some hotels lend them. The ride from the Old Market to Angkor Wat is about 7 km on flat road, and the park roads between temples are shaded by forest for long stretches. A bicycle changes the park from a sequence of gates into a place: you stop where you want, you hear the forest, and you reach Ta Prohm by the east gate without a driver’s schedule. Lock the bike at each temple. Buy the pass online, because the Road 60 office adds about 3 km. The limitation is the heat and the distance together. The small circuit from town is about 30 km and the grand circuit about 40 km, and after 10:00 a.m. from March to May the road surface is hot enough to feel through the soles. Cyclists should hold a seven-day pass and ride mornings only. Countryside routes outside the park are in cycling around Siem Reap.
Electric bicycle
The honest verdict: the best compromise for active travelers who are not keen cyclists. An e-bike rents for about $10 a day, according to a May 2026 report, which is the only dated source. It turns the 7 km from town and the 26 km grand circuit into easy riding, keeps the freedom of the bicycle, and removes most of the effort that makes the return ride hard at 11:00 a.m. Some rental shops deliver to hotels. The limitation: battery range varies with the model, the rider’s weight and how much assistance is used, so ask the shop how far a full charge goes and plan inside it. An e-bike with a flat battery on the grand circuit is a heavy bicycle. It is still an open vehicle in the sun.
Scooter
The honest verdict: in a grey zone, and rarely the best choice. Angkor Enterprise’s FAQ says visitors may ride a scooter in the park. Siem Reap province has banned scooter rental to foreigners since 2002 and repeated the ban in 2017, allowing only bicycles and e-bikes. The ban is rarely enforced, and rental shops in town rent by the day. The freedom is the same as an e-bike, with more range. The limitations are serious. Travel insurance commonly excludes motorbike accidents without a valid motorcycle license, so read the policy first. The road from town carries coaches and trucks, and the 5:00 a.m. sunrise run is in the dark. For a visitor without motorcycle experience, the e-bike reaches the same temples with less risk.
What Works by Profile
First-time visitors
A tuk-tuk with a driver for every temple day. The driver solves the gates, the order and the parking, and the first visit has enough to think about. The Angkor Wat sunrise guide covers the 4:30 a.m. pickup.
Families
A tuk-tuk for two adults and two small children, two tuk-tuks or a car for larger families. Hold children under five on a lap, because tuk-tuks have no belts. A car seat does not exist in a tuk-tuk, and cars arranged by hotels do not supply them. Angkor with kids covers the temples and the timing.
Active couples
A bicycle or e-bike for two mornings, a tuk-tuk for the sunrise and for Banteay Srei. A seven-day pass costs $10 more than the three-day and lets the mornings stay short.
Solo travelers on a budget
A bicycle on the small circuit, a motodop or a shared tuk-tuk for the grand circuit. The tuk-tuk price is per vehicle, so sharing with another traveler from the hostel halves it.
Older travelers and limited mobility
A car with driver, and a licensed guide who knows the shortest walks from the car park. The walks inside Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm and Preah Khan are long, and the steps at the Bakan, Pre Rup and Phnom Bakheng are steep. Hiring a licensed Angkor guide covers what a guide adds.
Photographers
A tuk-tuk for the sunrise and sunset days, when the driver’s knowledge of the gates and the closing sweeps matters, and a bicycle for the middle mornings, when stopping anywhere is the point. The Angkor sunset spots guide has the closing times.
Heat, Rain and the Ride Home
From November to February, an open vehicle is the pleasure of the day. The 5:00 a.m. tuk-tuk ride in December and January is cold enough for a light jacket, and the morning on a bicycle is the best riding in the country.
From March to May, everything changes after 10:00 a.m. The rule that every guide on this site repeats is the one that matters here: nothing outdoors between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. A cyclist should be back in town by 11:00 a.m. A tuk-tuk passenger should be in the hotel pool by noon. The car’s air conditioning is the only thing that makes the 1:00 p.m. ride tolerable. The hot season guide covers the rest of April.
From May to October, the afternoon storm arrives most days, often between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., with clear mornings. Tuk-tuks carry roll-down plastic sides that keep most of the rain out. A cyclist or scooter rider caught on the grand circuit at 3:00 p.m. waits under a temple roof for an hour. The rainy season guide explains why the mornings make up for it.
By Situation
You have one day
Tuk-tuk with a driver from 4:45 a.m.: sunrise at Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and the Bayon, Ta Prohm, back by 1:00 p.m., and Pre Rup at 4:30 p.m. if energy remains. About $20 to $30 with the sunrise surcharge.
You have three days and like to ride
Day one by tuk-tuk for the sunrise and small circuit. Day two by e-bike or bicycle on the grand circuit from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Day three by tuk-tuk or car to Banteay Srei.
You are here in April
Car for the full days, tuk-tuk only for short morning visits, no bicycle after 10:00 a.m. The extra cost of the car is the best money spent in hot season.
You are traveling alone
A motodop or bicycle for the park, a tuk-tuk for the sunrise. Ask the hostel desk about sharing a tuk-tuk for the grand circuit.
You want Banteay Srei and Phnom Kulen
A car. Tuk-tuks reach Banteay Srei but cannot climb the Kulen road, which runs one way upward from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The Banteay Srei guide has the morning.
What It Actually Costs
Prices in US dollars for the whole vehicle unless stated. No official tariff exists for any of these, so the ranges come from 2025 and 2026 price lists and reports.
| Option | Cost | Includes | Does not include |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuk-tuk, small circuit day | $18 to $25 | Driver, waiting, water in some | Angkor Pass, tips, meals |
| Tuk-tuk, grand circuit day | $25 to $30 | Driver, waiting | Angkor Pass |
| Tuk-tuk, day with Banteay Srei | $25 to $35 | Driver, waiting | Angkor Pass, Landmine Museum $7 |
| Sunrise pickup surcharge | About $5 | 4:30 a.m. start | |
| Car with driver, park day | $35 to $60 | Air conditioning, waiting | Angkor Pass, guide |
| Car with English-speaking guide | $45 to $50 a day | Driver and guide | Angkor Pass |
| Car to Phnom Kulen | $50 to $70, van $60 to $80 | Driver | $20 Kulen ticket |
| Motodop, park day | $8 to $12 | Driver | Helmet quality, shade |
| Bicycle | $2 to $5 a day | Bike, sometimes a lock | Water, repairs |
| Electric bicycle | About $10 a day | Bike, charged battery | Range guarantees |
| Grab or PassApp to the park | About $3 to $5 one way | Ride | Waiting, return |
| Licensed guide, English | $30 to $50 a day | Guide | Transport, pass |
The Angkor Pass costs $37, $62 or $72, and is never part of a driver’s price. Change under a dollar comes in riel at about 4,000 to the dollar, and torn notes are refused. A tip for a driver who waited well at the end of a long day is customary and not fixed. The Siem Reap daily budget puts these figures into a full day.
What Other Guides Get Wrong
- “A tuk-tuk costs $15 a day.” That was the long-standing headline price. Most 2026 reports give $18 to $25 for the small circuit, and the grand circuit, Banteay Srei and sunrise starts all cost more.
- “Cycle the whole park in a day.” The grand circuit is 26 km before the ride from town, and the full loop from the Old Market is about 40 km. From March to May, nobody should be on a bicycle after 10:00 a.m.
- “Car or tuk-tuk is a matter of budget.” It is a matter of month. In December the tuk-tuk is the better vehicle at any budget. In April the car is.
- “The driver includes the pass.” The pass is sold only by Angkor Enterprise, online or at the Road 60 office, and drivers stop there. It is never in the day rate.
- “Scooters are banned at Angkor” or “scooters are fine.” Both are half right. Angkor Enterprise’s FAQ allows visitors to ride one in the park. The province has banned rental to foreigners since 2002, a rule repeated in 2017 and rarely enforced. Insurance and experience matter as much as the rule.
- “An app ride is the cheap way to do the temples.” It is the cheap way to get there. The return from inside the park is the problem, and drivers in the park must be licensed.
Where to Go Next
The pass, the Road 60 office and the 4:45 p.m. sunset rule are in the Angkor Pass guide. The order of the temples on the two loops is in the small circuit versus grand circuit guide, and the longest tuk-tuk ride in the park is the subject of the Banteay Srei guide. For rides in town, the getting around Siem Reap guide covers the apps and fares, and how many days Angkor needs settles how many of these days to book.
Addresses, hours, prices and transport times checked against operator websites and official sources in October 2026. Hours change seasonally and prices change often. Confirm anything time-critical with the operator. Found an error? Tell us and the guide's review date will be updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to get around Angkor?
For most first-time visitors, a tuk-tuk with a driver who waits at each temple. It costs $18 to $25 for the vehicle on a small circuit day, seats two adults comfortably, is cooler than it looks at 7:00 a.m., and the driver knows the order of the temples and the gates. A car is better from March to May and for any day north to Banteay Srei or Phnom Kulen. A bicycle or e-bike suits fit travelers with a seven-day pass who ride in the mornings. A scooter is allowed, but travel insurance often does not cover it without a motorcycle license.
How much does a tuk-tuk cost for Angkor Wat for a day?
There is no official rate. Most 2026 reports and driver price lists give $18 to $25 for the whole vehicle for a small circuit day covering Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm. The grand circuit runs $25 to $30, a day that adds Banteay Srei $25 to $35, and a 4:30 a.m. sunrise start about $5 more. A morning from dawn to noon costs close to the full day. The price is for the vehicle, not per person, and never includes the Angkor Pass. Agree the stops, the start time and the total before leaving.
Can you cycle around Angkor Wat?
Yes, and the park is flat. Angkor Wat is about 7 km from the Old Market, the small circuit adds 17 km and the grand circuit is a 26 km loop. Bicycles rent for $2 to $5 a day in town and electric bicycles for about $10. The limits are heat and distance, not difficulty. Ride from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., carry two liters of water, lock the bike at each temple and be back in town before noon from March to May. A three-day pass suits two cycling mornings and a tuk-tuk day for Banteay Srei.
Is an e-bike a good way to see Angkor?
It is the best compromise for active travelers who are not keen cyclists. An electric bicycle rents for about $10 a day, according to a May 2026 report, and turns the 7 km from town and the 26 km grand circuit into easy riding. You still get the morning air, the forest roads and the freedom to stop. The limits: battery range varies with the bike and the rider, so ask the rental shop how far a full charge goes and plan the grand circuit inside it. It is still an open vehicle in the midday sun, so the 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. rule applies.
Should I hire a car or a tuk-tuk for Angkor?
A tuk-tuk from November to February, a car from March to May. The tuk-tuk is open, so it catches a breeze in the cool season and lets you see the forest roads between temples. In April, when the average high is 35.8°C, the air-conditioned car is worth the extra money for the ride home at 11:00 a.m. A car also wins for Banteay Srei by car in hot weather, for Phnom Kulen, which tuk-tuks cannot climb, and for families of four or more. Car quotes run $35 to $60 a day in 2026 reports.
Can I use Grab or PassApp to get to Angkor Wat?
Yes, for a one-way ride to the park. Both apps work in Siem Reap, and a ride from town to the Angkor Wat area costs about $3 to $5. The problem is the return. App drivers do not wait, coverage inside the park is patchy, and drivers entering the park must be licensed. A traveler who takes an app tuk-tuk to Angkor Wat at 5:00 a.m. can end up negotiating with whoever is at the gate at 9:00 a.m. For a full temple day, a driver who waits is worth the difference.
Can tourists rent a scooter in Siem Reap for the temples?
Angkor Enterprise's FAQ says visitors may rent and ride a scooter in the park. Siem Reap province, however, has banned scooter rental to foreigners since 2002 and repeated the ban in writing in 2017. It is rarely enforced, and shops in town still rent by the day. Three things to weigh. Travel insurance commonly excludes motorbike accidents without a valid motorcycle license, so check the policy before renting. The traffic leaving town toward the park includes coaches and trucks, and the road is shared with cyclists and tuk-tuks in the dark at 5:00 a.m. And an electric bicycle reaches the same places without the license question. For most visitors who want independence, the e-bike is the better choice.