By air
Siem Reap–Angkor International (SAI), ~50 km from town
Southeast Asia · Cambodia
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Angkor's temples at sunrise
Getting there
Best time to visit
November to March — dry and cooler
Don't miss
Angkor Wat
The Bayon
Ta Prohm
Angkor Thom's gates
Things to do
Sunrise at Angkor Wat
Cycling the temple circuit
The floating villages of the Tonle Sap
Where to eat
What to pack
Clothes covering shoulders and knees, a sun hat, a torch for sunrise
A quieter corner
Banteay Srei, a small pink-stone temple of exquisite carving
Questions travellers ask
Which season suits a Siem Reap trip?
November to March, when it's dry and cooler.
What should I bring for sunrise at Angkor Wat?
A torch, a sun hat, and clothes covering shoulders and knees.
Is there a smaller Angkor temple near Siem Reap worth seeking out?
Banteay Srei, a small pink-stone temple of exquisite carving.
How far is Siem Reap's airport from town?
Siem Reap–Angkor International (SAI) is about 50 km from town.
About Siem Reap
- Riverside
Where it is
Siem Reap is a town in north-western Cambodia on the Siem Reap River, a short distance north of the great Tonle Sap lake, and the gateway to the temples of Angkor, which lie just north of the town.
History
The plain around Siem Reap was the heart of the Khmer Empire, whose kings ruled from Angkor from the 9th to the 15th century, building Angkor Wat in the early 12th century and the walled city of Angkor Thom with the Bayon later in the same century. French scholars began clearing and restoring the temples in the early 20th century, and Angkor became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.
People
Siem Reap's people are Khmer, and the town is a centre for reviving traditional arts such as apsara dance, stone and wood carving and silk weaving. Around the Tonle Sap, fishing families live in stilt and floating villages that rise and fall with the lake.
Known for
- Sunrise at Angkor Wat
- The stone faces of the Bayon
- Ta Prohm's tree-gripped ruins
- Banteay Srei's pink sandstone carving
- Floating villages of the Tonle Sap
Did you know?
Angkor Wat, built as a Hindu temple to Vishnu and later used by Buddhists, is the largest religious monument in the world and appears on Cambodia's national flag.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.