If you’re going to Siem Reap or even Cambodia, you’re probably heading there to see the Angkor Wat temples. We can’t blame you! It’s proclaimed the 7th wonder of the world. It’s on the UNESCO World Heritage site. Angkor Wat is also the world’s largest religious monument. Not to mention, it’s impressive AF to visit. And let’s be honest, we could probably have a great time playing Capture-the-flag or hide-and-seek there! But before you go, here are our best tips to know before visiting the Angkor Wat temples.
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Best tips to know about visiting the Angkor Wat temples
Most hotels or tour groups will split up the visits into 2 sections: The big tour and the small tour. They are called this way because of the distance that separates the temples from each other.
Instead of going on a tour, our best tip would be to hire a tuk-tuk driver for the day. If you take him for more than one day, you might even get a discount! He will take you to all the temples you want to see. If you get a group of 4 people to split the fee, it really doesn’t end up costing you much.
Another one of the best tips we learned is that the order of visits matters. That’s why we recommend starting with the big tour first and ending with the small tour. This way, you keep the larger and more impressive temples for the end. We do however suggest doing both tours – the temples you will see are quite different, and you’ll experience the full magnitude and beauty of every single temple.
The big tour vs the small tour
The big tour, or grand circuit, usually spans over 26 kilometers and will take you to Preah Khan, Preah Neak Pean to the Eastern Mebon, Ta Som and Preah Rup. Although these temples are smaller to visit, the distance between them is much longer. However, doing the big tour will take less time than doing the small tour.
The small tour includes the main temples, starting at Angkor Wat, and spanning over 17 kilometers, it will take you to Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm (aka Tomb Raider temple), and Banteay Kdei. It should also include smaller temples like Baphoun, The Terrace of the Leper King, The Terrace of the Elephants, the Twelve Prasats, Spean Thma, and Sras Srang. You may need to split the small tour over 2 days as there are quite a few temples to see!
There is also Banteay Srei, the Lady Temple, that is about an hour out of town. It’s small but beautiful. You’ll need to talk to your tuk-tuk driver to see how to get this one in.
No matter what route you choose to take, we highly recommend you start early. You’ll beat the crowds, but more importantly, you’ll be done before the sun gets ridiculously hot! And when it does, you’ll be happy to be able to cool off in a pool!
Best tips to catch sunrise and sunset at Angkor Wat
If you want to see the sunrise, good luck! Ha. Ok, so most people go to Angkor Wat to see it on the “left pond”. It will get crowded, and it might be hazy, so the amazing view you want is not guaranteed. But it’s probably worth the effort. We went, but were not lucky… Though we hear that the best time to see the sunrise is during the equinox, and the rainy season, as the pond will be full!
A good tip is to ask your hotel to make and pack your breakfast the night before, so you can have a picnic as you wait for the sun to rise. As for the time, we left at 4:30 to go grab our tickets and head to Angkor Wat. If you get your tickets before, you may be able to leave a little later (every minute counts when you’re not a morning person!)
For the sunset, a quick tip: If you wait until 4:45 pm to buy your ticket for the next day, you can go watch the sunset that same day at the temples for free. SCORE!
Where to see the sunset is a bigger question. Most people head to up the top of Phnom Bakheng, but that gets quite crowded. We headed to Preah Rup, but that was crowded too. I guess everyone loves a good sunset.
We’ve heard that the sunset views on the boardwalk at Preah Neak Prean are pretty awesome, so you may want to try that to switch it up. Just know that most temples close at 5 pm, but for the sunset lovers of this world, Phnom Bakheng and Preah Rup are open until 7 pm.
The costs of visiting the Angkor Wat temples
Let’s talk money, as things are not cheap with temples this famous. Also, like most things in Cambodia, they use USD for pricing. The Cambodian Riel is mainly used for smaller, more local transactions.
- 1-day entrance fee: $37 USD
- 3-day entrance fee (to be used over 10 days): $62
- 10-day entrance fee (to be used over 30 days): $72
Best tips to get around the Angkor Wat temples
There are 2 good ways to get around the Angkor Wat temples. You can either hire a tuk-tuk driver, or you can bike around. Here are our top tips you should know about both.
Supporting tuk-tuk drivers in Siem Reap
Tuk-tuk drivers make it easy and breezy to get around the city. Distances are sometimes surprisingly far, so having a motorized way of getting around makes for more enjoyable days, especially if it’s really hot.
There are set prices for the different tours of the Angkor Wat temples. The small tour will set you back $15 USD, while the Big tour is about $18. If you want to go for sunrise or sunset, add another $5 to the total cost.
Biking around the temples
You can also rent a bike if you want to get from one temple to the next. We would recommend getting the e-bikes as they will save you some energy, especially on those hot and muggy days (basically, every day!). The e-bikes will set you back $10 for 24 hours, but they do allow you to get off-the-beaten-path a little more and avoid the crowds.
Non-electric bikes are a much cheaper option, costing only a few dollars, but they do require quite a bit more energy and expect to get quite dusty. They may be best suited for city exploration!
7 extra tips to visit Angkor Wat
Here are just some things you should know to make the best of your time at the Angkor Wat Temples:
Trust your tuk-tuk driver: We loved ours from Babel Guesthouse. Fairly priced, and super friendly. He knew where to go and when to avoid the crowds and see the sunset. Talk to yours to get the best out of the fee you pay.
Siem Reap is hot: Like ‘take off all your clothes and it’s still too hot’ hot! Bring a hat, sunglasses, and water, tons of it! Either start really early or go in the ‘cooler’ afternoon, closer to sunset. The light is golden and beautiful in the afternoon.
Dress conservatively: Just like most temples, your shoulders and knees should be covered when you are visiting Angkor Wat. This applies to both men and women. If you don’t have any clothes that do this, you can buy them at the entrance of the temples, where there are tons of stalls selling Cambodia T-shirts and elephant pants. Although you should expect to pay a premium for buying things at the temples.
Shoes matter: Most might tell you to wear running shoes or sneakers. You’ll be walking a lot, climbing up stairs, and walking over uneven terrain. But you’ll be super hot. Avoid flip flops, because they might break if you trip (ok, we trip a lot) and you’ll be walking through paths of red dust. You know, heat and red dust aren’t the best combo. So go for comfy but sturdy sandals.
Angkor Wat opening hours: Most of the temples are open from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. The ticket office closes at 5:30 pm. Both Angkor Wat and Srah Srang are open at 5:00 am for sunrise, and Phnom Bakheng and Preah Rup close at 7 pm, which is perfect for sunset.
The restaurants at Banteay Srei: If you head out to the Lady Temple, your tuk-tuk driver will probably take you to a restaurant where he can eat for free. The prices there are extremely high here! Instead, ask to go to a more local restaurant and offer to pay for his meal. It will be more delicious and not put a hole in your wallet.
Get a guide: The tour guides for Angkor Wat are highly knowledgeable and speak all main languages (we heard some in English, French, Spanish, and Mandarin). There are barely any signs around the temples that explain what you are seeing, so if you want to get the most out of your experience, get a guide. We took one for the Big tour for $40, and it was highly worth it, especially if you are 3-4 people!
Where to stay in Siem Reap
When it comes to accommodations in Siem Reap, there are plenty of offers, from budget-friendly to high-budget. Here are the ones that struck out to us.
Babel Guesthouse: The premier eco-friendly, responsible tourist destination in Siem Reap. A lovely staff, a quaint garden restaurant, the friendliest owners and a contributing member of their community, we loved our stay here.
Bou Savy Guesthouse: Located in the heart of Siem Reap, a short walk away from the Royal Residence, the Old Market and Angkor Night Market. This guesthouse is a great place to stay if you’re looking to experience Siem Reap’s legendary temples or their vibrant city center. You’re close enough to the action, without being bothered by hoards of loud tourists. Attentive staff; beautiful and cozy rooms; a great restaurant downstairs where breakfast is served; a nice swimming pool to help you cool down after a long day of temple visits; what more could you need?
Popular Residence: Located slightly off the tourist trail, in a lovely area, this beautiful boutique hotel featuring a breakfast variety, amazing spacious rooms, lovely modern design, and of course, a great swimming pool right in the center court. The staff will go to all lengths to make sure your stay is the best in Siem Reap. They even asked every morning if we slept well the night before, I mean who even does that?!?!
Angkor Zen Gardens: If Yoga is your thing, and even if it isn’t, but you’re looking for a new experience, we cannot say enough good things about this retreat. Connected with nature, Angkor Zen will help you be one with your body and mind, and feed you like a king or queen while it does! You can either stay here for a retreat or drop in for any of the classes.
Where to eat in Siem Reap
Tuk Tuk Tacos: When you need a little break from Khmer food, head down to Tuk Tuk Tacos. They have amazing margaritas and delicious tacos that are fairly priced. Our favorites were the pulled jackfruit tacos that pack in quite a kick!
Khmer Grill: For a delicious but cheap Khmer meal, this is the place! Situated close to Pub Street, the restaurant offers all sorts of traditional Khmer dishes and a great variety of vegetarian food. They will even add tofu to their traditional meals to make sure you get enough protein. Bon appétit!
Le Tigre de Papier: From Khmer dishes to Italian fare, this restaurant has it all. And it’s all delicious, unlike other places that fail at making traditional Western food. If you want a good fire-oven pizza, this is the place!
These are the best tips we learned to making the best of the limited time at the Angkor Wat temples. We hope they will be helpful to you and make your trip more enjoyable. Are there any topics we didn’t cover that might be helpful for you? Let us know in the comments.
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