Where to stay · Siem Reap · Cambodia
Where to stay in Siem Reap
7 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Marcin Konsek, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Old Market and Pub Street. The tourist core: Psar Chas market, bar-lined Pub Street and dozens of Khmer restaurants. Best alternatives — families: Road to Angkor (Charles de Gaulle Boulevard).
Key facts
- First visit
- Old Market and Pub Street
- Families
- Road to Angkor (Charles de Gaulle Boulevard)
- Budget
- Old Market and Pub Street
- Nightlife
- Old Market and Pub Street
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Old Market and Pub Street | The tourist core: Psar Chas market, bar-lined Pub Street and dozens of Khmer restaurants |
| Families | Road to Angkor (Charles de Gaulle Boulevard) | Large resort hotels with big pools on the avenue leading to the temples |
| Couples | Kandal Village | Hup Guan Street's design shops, cafés and boutique hotels, a few minutes from the Old Market |
| Budget | Old Market and Pub Street | The tourist core: Psar Chas market, bar-lined Pub Street and dozens of Khmer restaurants |
| Luxury | Royal Gardens and Riverside | Colonial-era hotels, the Royal Residence and shady gardens along the Siem Reap River |
| Nightlife | Old Market and Pub Street | The tourist core: Psar Chas market, bar-lined Pub Street and dozens of Khmer restaurants |
| Food lovers | Kandal Village | Hup Guan Street's design shops, cafés and boutique hotels, a few minutes from the Old Market |
| Solo travellers | Old Market and Pub Street | The tourist core: Psar Chas market, bar-lined Pub Street and dozens of Khmer restaurants |
| Shopping | Kandal Village | Hup Guan Street's design shops, cafés and boutique hotels, a few minutes from the Old Market |
| Quiet stays | Wat Bo | Guesthouses, pool hotels and local restaurants east of the river around Wat Bo pagoda |
Siem Reap neighbourhoods in detail
$$ · Best for first-timers, nightlife, budget and solo travellers
Old Market and Pub Street
The streets around Psar Chas (the Old Market) and Pub Street hold the densest choice of restaurants, bars, massage shops and mid-range hotels in Siem Reap. Everything in town is walkable from here, tuk-tuk drivers wait on every corner, and the riverside path is a block away. Pub Street itself is closed to traffic in the evening and gets loud until late.
- Good
- Walk to restaurants, bars and markets; Wide range of hotels at every budget; Tuk-tuks always available
- Watch out
- Music and crowds late into the night; Touristy restaurants with inflated prices on Pub Street itself
- Nearby
- Psar Chas, Pub Street, Kandal Village, Siem Reap River
$$$ · Best for couples, shopping and food lovers
Kandal Village
Kandal Village is the small grid around Hup Guan Street just north-east of the Old Market, where Cambodian and expat designers run clothing boutiques, homeware shops, cafés and small restaurants. It is central but calmer than Pub Street, with several boutique hotels and pool villas tucked into the side lanes.
- Good
- Independent shops and good coffee; Quieter evenings within walking distance of Pub Street
- Watch out
- Small area with limited hotel choice; Some shops keep irregular hours
- Nearby
- Psar Chas, Royal Independence Gardens, Siem Reap River
$$ · Best for budget, couples, quiet stays and food lovers
Wat Bo
Across the river from the Old Market, the streets around Wat Bo Road mix family-run guesthouses, mid-range pool hotels and Khmer restaurants that cater more to locals. The 18th-century Wat Bo pagoda, with its painted Reamker murals, sits at the centre. It is a 10-minute walk to Pub Street but feels like a neighbourhood rather than a tourist strip.
- Good
- Good-value hotels with pools; Local restaurants and morning noodle stalls; Easy walk to the centre
- Watch out
- Dark side streets at night; Fewer bars and shops
- Nearby
- Wat Bo, Royal Independence Gardens, Psar Chas
$$$$ · Best for luxury, couples and quiet stays
Royal Gardens and Riverside
North of the centre, the Royal Independence Gardens, the King's Siem Reap residence and the 1932 Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor give this stretch of the river a stately feel. Hotels here are mostly upmarket, and the riverside paths are pleasant for an evening walk. It is on the way to the temples, saving a few minutes each morning.
- Good
- Calm, green surroundings; Closer to the temple road; Riverside walking paths
- Watch out
- Expensive; A short tuk-tuk ride to most restaurants
- Nearby
- Royal Independence Gardens, Angkor National Museum, Wat Preah Prom Rath
$$$ · Best for families, luxury and first-timers
Road to Angkor (Charles de Gaulle Boulevard)
Charles de Gaulle Boulevard and the roads around it run north from the Angkor National Museum towards the Angkor Pass checkpoint. This is where the big resort hotels sit, with large grounds, pools and kids' facilities, and it is the closest place to stay for early sunrise starts at Angkor Wat.
- Good
- Shortest ride to the temples; Big pools and family rooms; Quiet at night
- Watch out
- Little within walking distance; Tuk-tuk needed for dinner in town
- Nearby
- Angkor National Museum, Angkor Wat, Phnom Bakheng
$ · Best for budget, solo travellers and nightlife
Sok San Road
Sok San Road and the lanes off Taphul Road west of Sivatha Boulevard are Siem Reap's main backpacker area, with dorm hostels, pool parties, cheap guesthouses and street-food carts. It is about 10 minutes on foot from Pub Street and the Angkor Night Market.
- Good
- Lowest room rates in town; Easy to meet other travellers; Walkable to the centre
- Watch out
- Noisy bars and hostel parties; Basic rooms
- Nearby
- Angkor Night Market, Pub Street, Psar Chas
$$ · Best for quiet stays, couples and families
Sala Kamreuk
Sala Kamreuk is a residential area of narrow lanes, gardens and small villa hotels a short tuk-tuk ride south-east of the Old Market. Stays here feel more like a quiet retreat, with pools set in tropical gardens, while still being within about 10 minutes of Pub Street.
- Good
- Peaceful, green setting; Good-value villas with pools
- Watch out
- Unlit lanes at night; Need a tuk-tuk for most outings
- Nearby
- Wat Bo, Psar Chas, Phsar Leu
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Old Market and Pub Street | $$ | Psar Chas, Pub Street, Kandal Village, Siem Reap River |
| Kandal Village | $$$ | Psar Chas, Royal Independence Gardens, Siem Reap River |
| Wat Bo | $$ | Wat Bo, Royal Independence Gardens, Psar Chas |
| Royal Gardens and Riverside | $$$$ | Royal Independence Gardens, Angkor National Museum, Wat Preah Prom Rath |
| Road to Angkor (Charles de Gaulle Boulevard) | $$$ | Angkor National Museum, Angkor Wat, Phnom Bakheng |
| Sok San Road | $ | Angkor Night Market, Pub Street, Psar Chas |
| Sala Kamreuk | $$ | Wat Bo, Psar Chas, Phsar Leu |
Getting to your hotel
Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport (SAI), which replaced the old airport beside town in 2023, lies roughly 40–50 km east of Siem Reap. Allow about an hour by taxi or pre-booked hotel transfer; shuttle buses also connect the airport with the town centre.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Siem Reap for first-time visitors?
Old Market and Pub Street. The streets around Psar Chas (the Old Market) and Pub Street hold the densest choice of restaurants, bars, massage shops and mid-range hotels in Siem Reap.
+Where should families stay in Siem Reap?
Road to Angkor (Charles de Gaulle Boulevard): Shortest ride to the temples.
+Which area of Siem Reap is best for a budget stay?
Old Market and Pub Street ($$): The tourist core: Psar Chas market, bar-lined Pub Street and dozens of Khmer restaurants.