Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world, and the reason Siem Reap exists at all. Built in the 12th century under King Suryavarman II, it was the capital of the Khmer Empire at its height, and it’s the single reason the modern town developed at its current scale. Everything else in Siem Reap - the hotels, the restaurants, the airport - sits in the temple’s orbit. What it is The temple’s five towers, built as a Hindu monument dedicated to Vishnu, rise above a wide moat and were later absorbed into Buddhist worship - it’s one of the rare Angkor sites that has never been fully abandoned.

Seven days is enough to see the whole Angkor picture: both circuits, all three far temples on their own separate tickets, a Tonlé Sap village, and a genuinely slow, heat-adjusted pace rather than a sprint. Buy the 7-day Angkor Pass ($72, any 7 days within a 30-day window) from Angkor Enterprise, and treat the far temples as a separate budget line, since none of them are covered by it. Day 1 Ease in with the Angkor National Museum for background on the Khmer Empire, then browse Psar Chas, the Old Market, in the afternoon.

Six days gives you the full spread of Angkor: both circuits at a relaxed pace, the two big far temples on their own separate tickets, an ethical Tonlé Sap village, and enough slack to work around the midday heat. Buy the 7-day Angkor Pass ($72, any 7 days within a 30-day window) from Angkor Enterprise, and set aside a day for Beng Mealea and Koh Ker, which need their own tickets regardless of your pass.

Five days lets you do both circuits at a relaxed pace, add an ethical Tonlé Sap village, and still reach Beng Mealea, one of the far temples outside the standard Angkor Pass. Buy the 3-day Angkor Pass ($62, any 3 days within a 10-day window) from Angkor Enterprise, and keep the other two days for the town and the far temple, which needs its own separate ticket. Day 1 Ease into town with the Angkor National Museum for background on the Khmer Empire, then spend the afternoon at Psar Chas, the Old Market, browsing souvenirs and street food.

Four days gives you room to do Angkor properly and add a Tonlé Sap village and a countryside day without rushing. Buy the 3-day Angkor Pass ($62, any 3 days within a 10-day window) from Angkor Enterprise - the office or ticket.angkorenterprise.gov.kh - and save your fourth day for the parts that don’t need it. Day 1 Ease in with the Angkor National Museum for context on the Khmer Empire before you see the temples themselves.

Three days is the sweet spot for a first Angkor trip - enough time for both circuits, Banteay Srei, and a slower morning in town without feeling rushed. Buy the 3-day Angkor Pass ($62, usable on any 3 days within a 10-day window) from Angkor Enterprise before you start, not from anyone selling tickets outside the temple gates. Day 1 Start at Angkor Wat for sunrise, then spend the morning inside the temple itself.

Two days is tight for Angkor, but it covers the essentials if you buy the right pass and start early. This plan uses the 1-day Angkor Pass ($37) on day one and the Small and Grand Circuits split across both mornings, since the far temples need more time than two days allow. Before you land: the new Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport (SAI) sits 45-75 minutes from town, so build that transfer into your first-day timing rather than planning to hit the temples right off the plane.

Siem Reap exists because of Angkor. The town sits next to the Angkor Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the former capital of the Khmer Empire, and almost everything a visitor does here orbits the temples a few kilometers away. This guide covers what actually changed recently, what the temple tickets cost, and how many days to give the place. Getting there The airport situation changed in 2023. The old in-town airport (REP) closed to commercial traffic, and all flights now land at the new Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport (SAI), roughly 45-75 minutes southeast of town depending on traffic.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Phnom Penh sits at the Chaktomuk confluence, the point where the Mekong, Tonle Sap, and Bassac rivers meet, and that river geography is still the shape of the city today: the riverside is where the Royal Palace, the National Museum, and most visitors’ hotels sit, while the harder history is a short tuk-tuk ride south.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Seven days is honestly more than Phnom Penh’s own sights can fill, so this version spends the first five days on the city and its closest day trips, then hands days six and seven to an overnight on the coast.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Six days is honestly beyond Phnom Penh’s own marquee list, so this version fills days four through six with day trips rather than pretending the city itself has more to offer. With less time, drop to the 5-day plan ; with more, the 7-day version swaps the final day trip for an overnight to the coast.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Five days is honestly where Phnom Penh’s own city core runs out of marquee sights, so this version leans on two day trips to fill days four and five rather than inventing more central stops.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Four days covers Phnom Penh’s city core in full and adds room for one day trip. This version sends day four to Koh Dach (Silk Island), the closest and easiest option; swap it for Oudong, the former royal capital about 40km northwest, if hilltop stupas interest you more than silk weaving.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Three days is the first-timer sweet spot for Phnom Penh: two days for the Palace and the memorials, plus a third for the markets and the riverside. With less time, drop day three and use the 2-day plan ; with more, the 4-day version adds a Koh Dach day trip on top of this same spine.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Two days covers Phnom Penh’s essentials and nothing more: the Royal Palace and National Museum on day one, then a deliberately unhurried day two for Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek. This isn’t a light itinerary emotionally, and it isn’t meant to be rushed alongside sightseeing elsewhere.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Phnom Penh’s core fits comfortably into two days: the Royal Palace, National Museum, and Wat Phnom on day one, then a deliberately sober day two for Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek, the two Khmer Rouge memorial sites most visitors come to see.