So, you’re heading to Siem Reap but looking online has you thinking there’s not a lot of things to do in town except visiting the magnificent, world famous Angkor Wat temple complex. Well, you can’t trust everything you read online! (Except us of course)
Siem Reap is an incredible city and there’s an endless amount of fun things to do in Siem Reap which can keep you busy for as long as you want to stay in town, which is never long enough! Read through our list below to find out about 50 great ideas, whether you’re looking for a full day trip or just a cool way to kill a few hours in town.
These activities and attractions are not in order, so don’t forget to read all the way through as there’s some excellent additions in this list and there’s absolutely something for everyone!
1. Head to Bambu Stage in the evening to watch a traditional Cambodian shadow puppet show
2. Learn all about Khmer ceramics techniques and make your own pottery at Khmer Ceramics and Fine Arts Centre
3. Visit Phnom Kulen National Park where you’ll pass through the Cambodian countryside to reach Kulen Mountain, home to waterfalls, ancient carvings, amazing views and an active pagoda with Cambodia’s largest laying Buddha statue. To read more about Phnom Kulen, read our full article by CLICKING HERE.
4. Go to Angkor Wildlife and Aquarium to find out all about Southeast Asian wildlife and for a fun, family friendly day out. Having recently opened in 2023, this has quickly become a fan favourite in Siem Reap and made it to our Top 5 list of things to do in Siem Reap
5. Visit Kulen Elephant Forest to see elephants in an ethical sanctuary setting. Rest assured, there’s no elephant riding here! The elephants that live here are all retired working elephants who were sent to the sanctuary after the much applauded ban on riding elephants in the Angkor Wat complex.
6. Head out to Angkor Silk Farm to learn all about the silk farming process all the way from silk worms to beautiful handmade silk garments!
7. If you’re looking for things to do in Siem Reap and love the thrill of the chase, don’t miss out on Go Karting at Angkor Speedway! Unleash your inner race driver and check out their Facebook page HERE.
8. Try your hand at fishing or just hang out in bamboo huts above the water at the local fishing spots. Our favourite fishing spot in Siem Reap is at Bamboo Bridge Siem Reap. If you’re not feeling confident you’ll be able to catch your dinner, they’ve got plenty of food and cold drinks available and it’s a fantastic place to enjoy an afternoon with family and friends (or the random people you just met at the hostel!)
9. Let your adventurous side out and take a Quad Bike Tour through the Cambodian countryside. Get nice and muddy while driving through rice paddies, mud dirt tracks and the outer parts of Siem Reap. Why not?
10. View the local Cambodian arts at Artisans Angkor near the Siem Reap Night Market and witness traditional handicrafts coming to life
11. Spend a half day or full day in the countryside visiting the floating villages and the flooded forests. One of our favourite things to do in Siem Reap and another attraction that easily made it into our Top 5 things to do in Siem Reap article HERE.
12. Take a boat out onto the Tonle Sap Lake for an enjoyable trip out into rural Cambodia. The Tonle Sap is Southeast Asia’s largest natural freshwater lake and one of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems. We highly recommend heading out for sunset with one of the many boat operators offering food and drinks for the journey!
13. Visit the APOPO Siem Reap HeroRats de-mining organisation visitor centre to find out about their work and get photos with the Southern Giant Pouched Rats. Don’t let the word ‘rat’ put you off, not only do they save lives, they’re also cute!
14. Go Mini (or Crazy!) Golfing at the temple themed 14 hole course at Angkor Wat Putt, a fun family-friendly activity in Siem Reap. If you can prove your skills, they’ll give you a free beer for each hole in one you get!
15. Visit Happy Ranch Horse Farm for a beautiful horse riding experience through the Cambodian countryside or to the Angkor Wat temple complex. Naturally, this is one of the things to do in Siem Reap that horse lovers won’t want to miss!
16. Learn about Cambodian history and Khmer civilisation at the Angkor National Museum with interactive exhibits and multiple galleries. We recommend incorporating this museum into your trip to Siem Reap to give you more context surrounding Khmer history and the Angkor Wat temples
17. See the beautiful butterflies at Banteay Srey Butterfly Centre. Sometimes referred to as the Angkor Butterfly centre, this is the largest enclosed butterfly centre in Southeast Asia, and definitely worth a visit!
18. Head out to 60 road Market in the evening to experience a local Cambodian market. There’s plenty of great, cheap food out here as well as shopping and a small funfair with traditional funfair games including bumper cars. A perfect way to keep the kids (or yourself) happy after dining in one of Siem Reap’s many restaurants
19. Visit Conservation D’Angkor, a heritage preservation site where you can see many of the recovered ancient Khmer carvings salvaged and stored to be preserved for future generations
20. Browse the Siem Reap Angkor Night Market in the evening to browse the stalls for souvenirs or locally made artwork while enjoying some local Cambodian food at bargain prices! Located right in the middle of Siem Reap, after your shopping trip it’s just a short walk to many of Siem Reap’s incredible bars and restaurants
21. Visit the Cambodia Landmine Museum to learn all about the history of landmines in Cambodia and the impact that they’ve had on the country for decades. Located near Banteay Srey temple, this is definitely one of the most important things to do in Siem Reap if you want to learn about the history and determination of the Cambodian people
22. Spend an afternoon at Wake Park Cambodia, a high quality wakeboarding park and one of our favourite things to do in Siem Reap when we want a peaceful afternoon. If you don’t fancy wakeboarding, head out anyway and relax at their manmade beach or rent out a private hut with your own dipping pool and enjoy their delicious cocktails and full food menu
23. Visit the Angkor Botanical Gardens, another one of the many things to do in Siem Reap that’s completely FREE! Located on the route to Angkor Wat, and open 6 days a week (closed on Mondays), the botanical gardens also have an area for turtles, peacocks and other animals. This is of course an activity suitable for all ages!
24. Visit the Airplane House, certainly a one-of-a-kind attraction in Siem Reap. A Cambodian man, who always dreamed of living in an airplane, built his own 2 bedroom home in the shape of one! For just a small donation, this creative homeowner will let you on his land to take a look at his unique house and take photos
25. Get a massage! Whilst in Cambodia, you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t indulge in one of the high quality, low price massages that can be found around town! A perfect way to relax after a long day of going through all the attractions on our list of things to do in Siem Reap, we highly recommend checking out Bodia Spa or Secret Eden Siem Reap to get those muscles loosened up.
26. Walk around the Siem Reap River and see the Royal Residence and Royal independent Gardens. Siem Reap riverside is a beautiful spot for an afternoon walk and looks stunning around sunset. Best of all, this is one of the things you can do in Siem Reap for free!
27. Ride on a traditional buffalo pulled cart at Chrey Buffalo Cart Community. Take a unique tour that will give you a taste of rural Cambodian lifestyle that you’ll never forget
28. Get some handmade jewellery made from discarded brass bullet casings or complete a jewellery making workshop at Ammo Jewellery. In their own words, which we fully agree with, they’re “transforming symbols of destruction into beauty and opportunity”
29. Attend a Cambodian cooking class (and eat the results!) We highly recommend booking a class via Khmer Gourmet Cooking Class as it includes a morning trip to the local market to buy fresh ingredients, which makes it a great family friendly addition to our list of things to do in Siem Reap.
30. Have an afternoon coffee at the CoCo Cat Cafe and meet all their friendly cats while you enjoy your drink. What better way to chill out in the afternoon than a cat cafe?!
31. Do a day trip or overnight trip to the Koh Ker temple complex, including it’s famous 7 tiered pyramid shaped temple. Around 75 miles from Siem Reap and a sight not often seen by tourists, you’ll get to see some fantastic archaelogical sights without the crowds!
32. Go paintballing at Paintball Siem Reap, a great way to spend a few hours if you really want to shoot some of your travelling companions who’ve been bugging you, without getting arrested!
33. Take a tour of the lotus farms, just a few kilometres from town. Find out about lotus farming, take a small boat through the waters or just chill out in bamboo huts surrounded by the beautiful Cambodian countryside!
34. When looking for things to do in Siem Reap, many people end up wanting to try some of the local bug based snacks such as spiders, scorpions and crickets! But what if you could eat them incorporated into tasty meals and cocktails? Well… You can at Bug Bistro!
35. If you’re a craft beer nerd (like us!) and looking for some great craft beers produced right here in Cambodia, Don’t miss out on a beer tasting at Embargo Siem Reap! Located along the Siem Reap river, it’s the perfect spot for a relaxing sunset drink after a long day at Angkor Wat.
36. Go shopping for handmade souvenirs at the Made in Cambodia Market. With locally produced goods including clothing, souvenirs, jewellery and locally made alcohol, if you’re looking for boutique goods then look no further than the Made in Cambodia Market! We especially recommend the clothing at Blush Boutique, who also have a branch on Alley West and make some excellent quality clothing with sizes to fit everyone!
37. Browse the souvenirs, pick up some cheap clothing or luggage, and grab some delicious local food at Old Market Siem Reap. This market in the centre of town has everything so keep your eye out for some bargains!
38. Take a ride on Angkor Eye and enjoy 360 degree views of Siem Reap town, Angkor Wat and the beautiful Cambodian Countryside. This 85 metre, air conditioned ferris wheel, located a short distance from the centre of town is one of our favourite things to do in Siem Reap
39. Eat a 5 or 7 course, specially prepared Asian fusion fine dining dinner and experience a traditional Apsara Dance show at Kanell Restaurant
40. Have some drinks at Pub Street and check out the cool bars hidden around town. Bar hopping is one of the more popular things to do in Siem Reap with adults, as there is a thriving scene of nightlife not just on Pub Street, but in the surrounding alleyways and dotted around town. Alley west, just round the corner from Pub Street is home to two of our favourite bars, Picasso Bar and Bar 43. Don’t forget to head over to Street 26 to visit Miss Wong’s or Laundry Bar! Once you’ve reached that part of town, you’re walking distance to Spin Bar, undoubtedly one of the best spots in town for cocktails
41. Take the kids to Sunlight Entertainment Paradise, a funfair and water park designed with kids in mind. It’s not all about the grown ups here!
42. Do a factory tour to see the chocolate being made or pick up some locally made high quality artisanal chocolate at WAT Chocolate, one of the tastier things to do in Siem Reap!
43. Enjoy a show at Phare Circus Siem Reap, the acrobatic storytelling performances that give prospects to underprivileged Cambodian children. With different performances that regularly change (and are all spectacular!) you’re guaranteed a great entertaining evening
44. Check out some great art exhibitions at FCC Angkor, Raffles Grand Hotel D’Angkor, Theam’s Gallery, or TRIBE art gallery
45. Play golf at the international standard golf courses including Angkor Golf Resort, an 18 hole golf course designed by Sir Nick Faldo
46. Head to ArtBox for over 150 lifelike trick-art pieces and photo opportunities with some great optical illusions
47. Do a zipline adventure through the Cambodian jungle with Angkor Zipline
48. Take a helicopter or hot air balloon ride with breathtaking views of Angkor Wat and the countryside of Siem Reap
49. Take a day trip or overnight trip to Preah Vihear, the last stronghold of the Khmer Rouge near the Thai border
50. Take the kids to Asia Plaza Playground, a fun arcade in the centre of town with plenty of video games, air hockey and arcade basketball hoops! (Or if you’re like us, go without the kids anyway and enjoy it yourself as adults!)
We hope you’ve enjoyed our list of the best things to do in Siem Reap after visiting Angkor Wat! If you’ve got any suggestions, leave them in the comment box below or contact us via the about page or on Instagram!
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