One day in Siem Reap

Day by day

1. Day 1: Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm

   Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm, Phnom Bakheng and Bayon and Angkor Thom, then Phare, The Cambodian Circus in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Angkor Wat

      For sunrise, stand by the northern reflecting pool (left of the causeway), then go straight inside while most of the crowd heads to breakfast. Allow 3–4 hours.

   2. Late morning

      Ta Prohm

      Arrive soon after the temples open or late in the day; by mid-morning tour groups queue for photos at the best-known tree. Allow 1–1.5 hours.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Fish amok

      Khmer restaurants around the Old Market and Wat Bo; most cooking classes in town teach it.

   4. Afternoon

      Phnom Bakheng

      Climb it in the early morning instead of at sunset for the same view with a fraction of the people. Allow 1 hour.

   5. Late afternoon

      Bayon and Angkor Thom

      Visit the Bayon in the early morning or late afternoon, when side light brings out the faces; climb to the upper terrace to stand among them. Allow 2–3 hours.

   6. Evening

      Phare, The Cambodian Circus

      Book a seat near the front for the acrobatics; arrive early to eat at the on-site café.

Before you go

• Angkor Wat: Buy your Angkor Pass online or at the official ticket centre before the first morning; it carries your photo and is checked at temple entrances.
• Phnom Bakheng: Numbers on the summit are capped at sunset; arrive well before sunset if you want to get in.
• Phare, The Cambodian Circus: Shows can sell out in the December–February high season; reserve a day or two ahead.

If it rains

• Swap in Angkor National Museum (Road to Angkor (Charles de Gaulle Boulevard)): Visit on your first afternoon to make sense of the temples, or use it as a midday break from the heat.
• Swap in Artisans Angkor (Old Market and Pub Street): Take the free workshop tour before shopping; prices are fixed and higher than the market, but quality is consistent.
• Swap in Cambodia Landmine Museum (Road to Banteay Srei): Read the personal stories on the walls; they make the visit more meaningful than the hardware alone.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 8–11 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 11.3 hours in December to 12.9 hours in June.

Getting between stops: Tuk-tuk. A tuk-tuk (remork) and driver hired for the day is the classic way to tour the temples, following the small circuit, the grand circuit or a custom route; drivers wait at each temple.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Siem Reap
• 3 days in Siem Reap

Questions travellers ask