Outdoors · Siem Reap · Cambodia
6 best outdoor things to do in Siem Reap
Parks, viewpoints and open-air sights for the dry, bright days.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Ta Prohm, Preah Khan and Neak Pean. Together the 6 picks below take roughly 7–9 hours across 4 areas; 1 is free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 6
- Free entry
- 1
- Time to see them all
- 7–9 hours
- Areas
- Angkor Archaeological Park, Grand circuit and West of Angkor Thom
Outdoors in Siem Reap
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Religious site · Angkor Archaeological Park
1.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.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Kids
- Nature
- Photo spot
Religious site · Grand circuit
2.Preah Khan
Enter at the east and walk the full axis to the west gate; ask your driver to wait at the far side.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Nature
- Architecture
- Off the beaten path
Religious site · Grand circuit
3.Neak Pean
Combine it with Preah Khan, a few minutes away, and visit in the late afternoon for soft light over the water.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Nature
- Photo spot
- Off the beaten path
Viewpoint · Angkor Archaeological Park
4.Phnom Bakheng
Climb it in the early morning instead of at sunset for the same view with a fraction of the people.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
Waterfront · West of Angkor Thom
5.West Baray
Rent a hammock hut on the southern shore, order grilled fish and fruit, and watch the sunset over the water.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
- Food
Garden · Royal Gardens and Riverside
6.Royal Independence Gardens
Come around dusk to see the fruit bats take off and the shrine at its busiest.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Angkor Archaeological Park | Ta Prohm and Phnom Bakheng | 1–1.5 hours + 1 hour |
| Grand circuit | Preah Khan and Neak Pean | 1–1.5 hours + 45 minutes |
| West of Angkor Thom | West Baray | 2–3 hours |
| Royal Gardens and Riverside | Royal Independence Gardens | 45 minutes |
Booking and timing
Of these 6, 1 free, 1 low cost, 4 mid-priced. Book ahead for Phnom Bakheng. The longest visit is West Baray; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Phnom Bakheng: Numbers on the summit are capped at sunset; arrive well before sunset if you want to get in.
How to fit them into 2 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Angkor Archaeological Park and Grand circuit): Ta Prohm → Phnom Bakheng → Preah Khan → Neak Pean, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (West of Angkor Thom and Royal Gardens and Riverside): West Baray → Royal Independence Gardens, at least 3 hours.
The best months to be outside
- January: highs of 32°C (90°F), about 1 rainy days, very busy crowds. Dry, sunny and pleasant, with relatively cool mornings; this is peak season and sunrise at Angkor Wat is very crowded.
- December: highs of 30°C (86°F), about 2 rainy days, very busy crowds. The coolest and driest month and one of the busiest; book hotels early for Christmas and New Year.
- February: highs of 34°C (93°F), about 1 rainy days, busy crowds. Still dry and clear, with heat building through the month; crowds ease slightly after Chinese New Year.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Kandal Village — Hup Guan Street's design shops, cafés and boutique hotels, a few minutes from the Old Market
- Wat Bo — Guesthouses, pool hotels and local restaurants east of the river around Wat Bo pagoda
- Royal Gardens and Riverside — Colonial-era hotels, the Royal Residence and shady gardens along the Siem Reap River
- Road to Angkor (Charles de Gaulle Boulevard) — Large resort hotels with big pools on the avenue leading to the temples
More of Siem Reap
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Siem Reap?
Ta Prohm. Founded by Jayavarman VII in 1186 as a Buddhist monastery, Ta Prohm was deliberately left partly to the jungle when the temples were cleared, so silk-cotton and strangler fig roots pour over its galleries and doorways.
+Which of these are free in Siem Reap?
Royal Independence Gardens.