In a nutshell
- At Angkor, you won’t just visit the famous Angkor Wat temple — you’ll typically explore several temples. This guide covers everything you need to know for a great visit.
- In one day, you can cover five to seven of the most impressive temples — more than enough for a first look at this incredible ancient city.
- Our top recommendation: book a private tuk-tuk driver with a ready-made route. You can still adjust it to suit your interests.
- Prefer a guide who explains everything along the way? We recommend the Angkor Wat sunrise tour with a guide — our personal favorite.
What You Need to Know Before Visiting Angkor
Angkor Wat is the largest temple complex and one of the most famous landmarks in the world — and THE highlight of any Cambodia trip.
But the temple itself is just one part of the sprawling ruined city of Angkor.
When you visit, you won’t just see the Angkor Wat temple — you’ll typically explore several temples throughout Angkor.
What you absolutely need to know before visiting Angkor Wat:
- Of the 1,000 temples, around 20 are truly worth seeing.
- If a first overview is enough for you, set aside one full day for Angkor. In that time, you can cover about five to seven temples.
- The best way to explore Angkor is with a private tuk-tuk or as part of a guided tour.
- Whichever option you choose, you’ll need to buy your ticket in advance yourself. There are 1-day, 3-day, and 7-day passes available.
- You should definitely go to Angkor Wat for sunrise. Sunset is beautiful too, but not a must.
- Angkor is six kilometers from Siem Reap. Getting there is easy and the tourist infrastructure is excellent.
Angkor Wat fits perfectly into a Southeast Asia itinerary — for example, during a Thailand trip, a Vietnam itinerary, or a Laos itinerary.
How to Visit Angkor: On Your Own or with a Tour?
You can explore Angkor in two ways:
- Independently on your own ➞ We recommend a private tuk-tuk driver
- Guided tour with a guide ➞ We recommend a sunrise tour
Generally speaking, you’ll spend the entire day in Angkor, or at most head back to your hotel in Siem Reap for a short break.
Here’s a closer look at both options, plus more essential travel tips for visiting Angkor Wat.
Exploring Angkor on Your Own with a Tuk-Tuk Driver
We explored Angkor on our own and would do it exactly the same way again. The best approach is to book a private tuk-tuk driver for the day.
Advantages of visiting on your own
- You can create your own route or customize suggested routes.
- You decide what time you want to visit each temple.
- You can take everything in at your own pace without being talked at.
- You can read up on only the information that actually interests you — before or after your visit.
How to book your private tuk-tuk driver
We recommend booking a private tuk-tuk driver through GetYourGuide. Here’s why it makes sense:
- No price negotiating required
- A ready-made route is included
- You can still adjust the route to suit your interests
With the tour, you can choose between two routes. They’re similar to the one we took, and you can tweak them a bit to match your priorities.
Book a private tuk-tuk driver with a ready-made route on GetYourGuide
There is one downside: you have to choose between sunrise and sunset. But we have a solution:
The evening before, take a Grab taxi from your hotel to Phnom Bakheng Temple at 4:30 PM for sunset (your ticket is already valid from 5 PM the day before). You can also book a Grab for the return trip.
Alternatively, you can do this on the same day as your tour.
Extra tip: Our private driver at Angkor Wat
We found a tuk-tuk driver on the ground in Siem Reap and spent the whole day completely on our own terms — from sunrise to sunset.
We only recommend this if you’d like to follow our route (further below) or feel like putting together your very own personal route.
Our tuk-tuk driver was Mr. Hok. You can simply message him on WhatsApp. He’s super reliable, speaks enough English to get by, and always had a bottle of water ready for us.
Mr. Hok’s WhatsApp number: +855 17535210
Including a tip, we paid 35 US dollars for the whole day — which we think is very fair.
Private tuk-tuk drivers are not guides! So they won’t give you any on-site information about the temples.
You’ll need to read up online or in a travel guide. There’s also the app Visit Angkor.
To use the app, you’ll need internet access in Cambodia — an eSIM is a great solution. You can find more information in our eSIM guide for travel.
Visiting Angkor on a Guided Tour with a Guide
Visiting Angkor Wat with a guide can make your trip a bit more relaxed and a lot more informative.
Advantages of visiting Angkor Wat with a guide
- You’ll be shown corners you never would have found on your own.
- You’ll get on-site context about everything you’re seeing.
- The only thing you need to sort out yourself is your tickets — nothing else.
- You can choose between group tours and private tours.
Our recommended guided tours through Angkor
There are plenty of guided tours through Angkor, whether in a group (great for solo travelers) or privately.
Here are four guided tours we would book ourselves. You can usually choose between a group and a private option.
Sunrise tour with breakfast: Our favorite! The tour goes counterclockwise, helping you avoid the worst of the tourist crowds.
Sunset tour with lunch: If you prefer sunsets and don’t want to wake up before dawn — this way you won’t be exhausted during the day.
2-day tour with sunrise and sunset: Perfect if you can’t decide, have more time, and want to see several temples anyway.
Angkor tour with an English-speaking guide: A great pick if having a guide who speaks your language fluently is important to you. Includes sunset.
Note: No matter which guided tour you book, you always have to purchase your Angkor ticket yourself in advance!
Angkor Wat Tickets and Costs
For your visit to Angkor, you’ll need the Angkor Pass, which comes in three flexible options. Here’s a quick overview:
| Pass Type | Number of Visits | Price (USD) | Valid from Purchase Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1‑Day Pass | 1 Day | $ 37 | Usable within 5 days |
| 3-Day Pass | 3 Days | $ 62 | Usable within 10 days |
| 7-Day Pass | 7 Days | $ 72 | Usable within 30 days |
The passes are flexible: With the 3-day pass, for example, you don’t have to use the three days consecutively — you can take a day off in between.
How to Buy Your Angkor Wat Ticket
We recommend buying your Angkor Pass online through the official website or even more conveniently through the Angkor Pass app, so your ticket is always on your phone.
To purchase, you’ll need to register in advance and pay by credit or debit card. We bought our tickets one day in advance, which is plenty of time.
Alternatively, you can buy the pass in person at the ticket office in Siem Reap (open in Google Maps). In theory, you can do this on the same day.
Good to know: There’s no single checkpoint in Angkor. Staff members are stationed in front of each temple to check and scan your ticket.
Our tip: Your Angkor ticket is already valid from 5 PM the day before your official visiting days — so you can catch sunset over the temples the evening before you officially start.
Which Temples in Angkor Should You Visit?
Especially if you’re visiting Angkor on your own and planning your own route, you’ll need to decide which temples you actually want to see.
Below we give you a curated mix of the most popular, most impressive, and our personal favorite temples in Angkor.
Our tip: Even if you’re planning a guided tour, we recommend checking that the most important highlights are included.
The Most Important Temples of Angkor
| Angkor Wat | The largest and most famous temple, full of intricate details. |
| Ta Prohm | Ruins entwined by tree roots – the setting from Tomb Raider. |
| Bayon | Temple with many towers and over 200 smiling faces. |
| Phnom Bakheng | Popular hilltop temple known for stunning sunsets. |
Our Other Favorite Temples of Angkor
| Ta Nei | A hidden and enchanting jungle temple off the beaten tourist path. |
| Ta Som | A peaceful jungle temple with carvings and an enchanting atmosphere. |
| Baphoun | A massive temple mountain with a long history and great views from the top. |
Also Highly Worth Seeing: More Angkor Temples
| Preah Khan | Large, winding temple complex with roots and halls. |
| Pre Rup | Brick pyramid temple with a beautiful sunset view. |
| Banteay Kdei | Small Buddhist temple with fine stone carvings. |
| Banteay Srei | Small temple known for its fine pink sandstone reliefs. |
| Bakong | Oldest temple in the Roluos complex, pyramid-shaped. |
| East Mebon | Temple on a former island with elephant statues. |
| Terrasse der Elefanten | Wall with elephant and lion reliefs used for parades. |
Our Independent Route
We explored Angkor on our own and simply soaked in the temples as we went. We can wholeheartedly recommend our route and the temples we chose.
The highlights of our route:
- Sunrise at Angkor Wat temple
- A super relaxed driver
- Counterclockwise route (different from most tours)
- Sunset at Phnom Bakheng temple
Our Custom Angkor Route with Timestamps
| Time | What |
|---|---|
| 4:30 AM | Hotel pickup |
| 5:00 AM | Angkor Wat temple for sunrise |
| 7:00 AM | Ta Prohm |
| 8:30 AM | Breakfast |
| 9:30 AM | Ta Som |
| 10:15 AM | Preah Khan |
| 11:30 AM | Ta Nei |
| 12:00 PM | Bayon |
| 12:45 PM | Baphoun |
| 1:15 PM | Terrace of the Elephants |
| 1:30 PM | Return to Siem Reap, lunch and pool break |
| 4:45 PM | Hotel pickup |
| 5:30 PM | Phnom Bakheng for sunset |
Our Custom Angkor Route on a Map
For a clear overview, we’ve plotted our route on a map.
For perfect planning, we also recommend saving all the temples and the breakfast spot in Google Maps. It’s one of our favorite apps for trip planning.
Alternative: We originally chose Ta Som temple because of its gate overgrown with massive tree roots. The tree has since been removed. The temple is still beautiful, though! A great alternative would be Pre Rup — it’s just a short distance away.
A Few Extra Tips for Your Visit
- Choose a counterclockwise route to avoid the tourist crowds — at least partially.
- Don’t take your breaks at the same typical times as everyone else — that’s exactly when the temples are emptiest.
- In front of Angkor Wat there are two ponds — these are the classic sunrise spots. Most tourists stand in front of the right-hand pond, but we think the view from the left-hand pond is more beautiful, and it’s quieter too.
- Arrive at Bakheng temple early enough if you want a good spot for sunset. We got there an hour before sunset and snagged the last space.
Where to Stay Near Angkor Wat
There’s no accommodation in Angkor itself — tourists aren’t permitted to sleep in the ruined city.
However, you’ll find a huge range of hotels near Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, with something for every budget.
Our absolute top pick is The Moon Residence. We stayed here for a total of five nights during our time in Siem Reap.
The rooms have an elegant, warm Asian-modern style with lots of wood elements. We felt right at home.
Our personal highlight, though, was the beautiful pool area — we spent two hours there relaxing every single day. The best part: for $1.50, the pool bar serves the most delicious mango smoothies.
You can also order breakfast at the bar in the morning, or have lunch and dinner there. The food is seriously good.
Here are a few more hotels we considered as alternatives to The Moon Residence and would also happily book.
Good and affordable
Better
Luxurious
Our tip: Make sure your hotel in Siem Reap has a pool — you’ll be grateful for it after a long day in the heat.
Where Is Angkor Wat? Map Overview
The ruined city of Angkor, with its famous Angkor Wat temple, is located in northwestern Cambodia, near the city of Siem Reap.
This is where you’ll find the main tourist hub. There are countless hotels, restaurants, and an international airport.
Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, is just over 300 kilometers from Siem Reap. The journey takes about five to seven hours by bus or minivan.
For better orientation, we’ve marked Angkor Wat on the Cambodia map below.
Getting to Siem Reap and Angkor Wat
To reach Angkor Wat, you first need to get to Siem Reap. There are no direct flights from most Western countries to Siem Reap.
Occasionally, there are direct flights from various European hubs to Phnom Penh. From there, you’ll need to continue on to Siem Reap.
If you want to book a through connection to Siem Reap, you’ll need to make at least one stopover — often in Bangkok or Dubai, and occasionally in Vienna or Istanbul. We can also personally recommend a three-day stopover in Singapore.
Search for flights to Siem Reap on Skyscanner
Many travelers combine Cambodia and Angkor Wat with a larger Southeast Asia itinerary.
Here are the most common travel options from Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam.
| Origin | Best Mode of Transport | Duration | Where to Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phnom Penh (Cambodia's capital) | Group minivan | About 5 to 7 hours | Book connection on 12Go |
| Bangkok (Thailand) | Airplane | About 1 to 1.5 hours | Check flights on Skyscanner |
| Luang Prabang (northern Laos) | Airplane | About 1.5 hours (not daily) | Check flights on Skyscanner |
| Don Det (southern Laos) | Group minivan | About 9 to 11 hours | Book connection on 12Go |
| Hanoi (northern Vietnam) | Airplane | About 1.5 to 2 hours | Check flights on Skyscanner |
| Saigon (southern Vietnam) | Airplane | About 1 to 1.5 hours | Check flights on Skyscanner |
More Travel Tips for Your Angkor Wat Visit
To make your visit to Angkor truly memorable, here are three important pointers.
#1 When Is the Best Time to Visit Angkor Wat?
Cambodia’s dry season, from November to February, is generally considered the best time to visit Angkor Wat.
During this period, you have the best chance of good weather. Temperatures sit between 77 and 86°F (25–30°C), it rarely rains, and humidity is low.
One big advantage: the chances of catching a truly beautiful sunrise and sunset are highest during these months.
The downside: dry season is also peak season, which means Angkor can get really crowded.
We visited Angkor at the beginning of the rainy season, in June, and honestly really enjoyed it. We got lucky with the weather and had a gorgeous sunset, but a somewhat overcast sunrise.
There were also far fewer tourists than during peak season — at four out of eight temples we were completely alone. Pretty cool!
Another bonus of the off-season: hotel prices in Siem Reap are significantly lower.
#2 Etiquette and Rules in Angkor
During your visit to Angkor, it’s important to behave respectfully and follow a few key rules.
- Your clothing should cover your shoulders and knees (this applies to both men and women). Transparent clothing is also not permitted.
- You may not photograph monks without permission, and avoid using a flash near sensitive reliefs or murals.
- You should speak quietly, especially inside temples and during ceremonies.
- You are not allowed to climb on the temples or ancient walls.
- Don’t touch, scrape, or take anything — not even small stones.
- Take your trash with you.
- Drones are only permitted with authorization.
#3 Restaurants & Restrooms in Angkor
There’s a good chance you’ll spend the whole day in Angkor, so here’s a quick rundown on food and facilities.
Restaurants in Angkor
There are many restaurants and food stalls in Angkor, most of them run by locals. You’ll find the highest concentration around the major temples.
Most spots serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner — generally simple Cambodian dishes, fruit shakes, and coffee.
Not all restaurants are marked on Google Maps. We’d done some research beforehand and discovered on the ground that there was far more choice than we expected.
Our tip: We still recommend thinking ahead about when and where you want to eat. We looked up Chita’s Café (open in Google Maps) in advance and had breakfast there as part of our route. Highly recommended.
Note: On a full-day guided tour, your guide will typically take you to a set restaurant, so you don’t need to worry about this at all.
Restrooms in Angkor
There are several public restroom facilities in Angkor for visitors. To our surprise, they were modern and genuinely clean during our visit.
Most facilities are located near the major temple complexes.
You can also just let your tuk-tuk driver or guide know when you need a stop — they’ll generally know where the nearest good restroom is.
Our tips: The public restrooms are usually cleaner and more modern than the ones at restaurants. They’re also marked on Google Maps.
Our Verdict: Is a Visit to Angkor Wat Worth It?
Absolutely! Angkor is one of the coolest places we’ve ever been — and even one day was enough to leave us completely speechless. Our personal highlights were the sunrise over Angkor Wat and the Ta Prohm temple.
Ta Prohm is one of the coolest filming locations in the world. It was such a surreal feeling to stand in the exact spot where Angelina Jolie filmed Tomb Raider.
A small but memorable highlight was also the tuk-tuk ride through Angkor — cruising through such a historically rich place feels genuinely surreal.
That’s why we strongly recommend visiting by tuk-tuk. We can vouch for both our driver Mr. Hok and the Angkor tuk-tuk tour with route on GetYourGuide.
That said, we totally understand if you’d rather have on-site commentary from a really great guide. In that case, we highly recommend booking the Angkor sunrise tour.
Fun Fact: Did you know that Ayutthaya in Thailand was inspired by the architecture of Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm, Bayon, and other temples? Since we’d already visited Ayutthaya, our time at Angkor felt even more fascinating!
Frequently Asked Questions About Angkor Wat
What is the history of Angkor?
From the 9th to the 15th century, Angkor was the capital of the Khmer Empire and one of the largest and most significant urban centers in the world.
Its kings built hundreds of temples — including Angkor Wat — as centers of religious and political power.
After its decline around 1431, the city fell into obscurity and was later swallowed by the jungle, until it was rediscovered by Western explorers in the 19th century.
A few more key facts:
- Total area: over 1,000 square kilometers
- More than 1,000 temples, shrines, and structures
- The most significant archaeological site in Southeast Asia
- Originally Hindu, later increasingly shaped by Buddhism
- Not a Wonder of the World, but a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- The temple Ta Prohm served as a filming location for Tomb Raider
What's the deal with the Small and Grand Circuit?
Maybe you’ve already read about the Small Circuit and Grand Circuit somewhere else.
These routes were introduced to efficiently connect the most important temples, manage visitor flow, and make the archaeological park more accessible — especially for tuk-tuk and bicycle tours.
The Small Circuit (short loop, approx. 17 km) leads to the most famous temples like Angkor Wat, Bayon, and Ta Prohm, and is ideal for a first visit.
The Grand Circuit (approx. 26 km) extends the route to include less-visited temples like Pre Rup, Ta Som, and Preah Khan.
Both tours typically start at the south gate of Angkor Thom and are easily doable in one day by tuk-tuk.
For our route, though, we didn’t stick to either circuit. Your tuk-tuk driver may try to get you to commit to just one, but don’t let that happen.
It’s totally doable to combine the two circuits — which is exactly why we don’t think they’re all that important to follow strictly.
The circuits make more sense if you have more than one day at Angkor. In that case, your days could look like this:
- Day 1: Small Circuit
- Day 2: Grand Circuit
- Day 3: Exploring Angkor by bike
Can you visit Angkor by bike or scooter?
You can explore Angkor by bicycle, but it’s really only worth it if you’re planning to spend at least three days there. That way, you can mix in some cycling. You won’t be able to cover all the major temples in one day by bike.
Technically, you could also ride a scooter through the temples — but there are rumors that tourists aren’t actually allowed to do so. To be safe, we’d recommend you simply don’t risk it.
What should you wear to Angkor Wat?
You should cover your shoulders and knees — light, breathable clothing that’s also respectful works best. Both men and women need to follow this dress code, and transparent clothing isn’t permitted.
How long does it take to visit Angkor Wat?
For the Angkor Wat temple alone, most visitors need about two to three hours, depending on their level of interest and how many photos they take.
We spent about an hour inside the temple itself — not counting the time we spent watching the sunrise beforehand.
Is Angkor Wat better in the morning or the evening?
In the morning you’ll enjoy a more pleasant climate, better light for photos, and the chance to catch the sunrise. The tradeoff is that mornings also tend to be busier, with more visitors around.
Do you have to walk a lot in Angkor?
Yes — despite the tuk-tuk rides between sites, you’ll still do a lot of walking. The grounds of popular temples like Angkor Wat and Bayon are vast, and many temples have uneven steps and paths.
That said, there are also smaller temples where you don’t need to walk much at all — Ta Nei is a good example.
Is Angkor Wat safe?
Yes, Angkor Wat is considered safe. Just watch out for the heat, uneven paths, and keep an eye on your valuables.
Where can you watch the sunset in Angkor?
Phnom Bakheng is the classic sunset spot — and honestly, we found the sunset there really beautiful! Even during the off-season, though, it was seriously crowded, so arrive early.
Other popular sunset spots in Angkor include:
- Pre Rup: a popular hilltop temple with sweeping panoramic views
- Srah Srang: a quiet spot by the water with beautiful atmospheric light
- Angkor Wat from the back: a view of the temple bathed in warm evening light, though without the setting sun behind it
