Heading to Southeast Asia and looking to visit the incredible Angkor Wat temples but you aren’t sure how long to spend in Siem Reap? Well, that’s completely subjective of course. However, we personally feel that at least 5 days is needed to even begin to scratch the surface. If you can spare those 5 days on your trip, read on for the perfect itinerary and all the best things to do in Siem Reap.
Siem Reap is often seen as a quick stop on a Southeast Asia adventure, with many guides and online resources suggesting just a couple of days to visit the iconic Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples. But we believe this beautiful and welcoming city deserves so much more than a fleeting visit. Beyond the ancient temples, Siem Reap offers a rich tapestry of culture, natural beauty, and local experiences waiting to be explored.
Whether it’s discovering hidden gems, indulging in Khmer cuisine, or connecting with the vibrant local community, five days is a great amount of time to begin to truly immerse yourself in all that Siem Reap has to offer. This itinerary is designed for people who aren’t sure how long to spend in Siem Reap and to help you uncover the heart of the city, going beyond the temples to experience its true magic.
For ease, we’ve written this itinerary assuming a morning arrival on day one, and an evening departure on day five. if you want help with a personalised itinerary or for more information on the various activities involved, don’t hesitate to contact us! As you can see, this is a pretty action packed itinerary, so if you like going at a slower pace and aren’t sure how long to spend in Siem Reap, the longer the better!
Day 1: Arrival, Markets And Exploration
Morning: Arrive in Siem Reap and get settled into your accomodation. Take some time to relax and get acclimated to the local atmosphere, and the heat!
Afternoon: Check out some of the local daytime markets such as Old Market (Phsar Cha) where you can browse the clothing, souvenirs, food and other offerings! Phsar Cha is located in the heart of Siem Reap near Pub Street. Don’t forget to haggle!
Evening: Don’t miss out on a visit to the vibrant Pub Street Siem Reap. Enjoy dinner at one of the many restaurants offering a range of cuisines, from traditional Khmer dishes to international fare. This will give you a taste of the nightlife area should you wish to return for a night out during your stay! Afterward, explore the nearby night markets, such as the Angkor Night Market, where you can shop for souvenirs and experience the bustling local nightlife.
Day 2: Cultural Immersion And Knowledge Seeking
Morning: Visit the Angkor National Museum to gain deeper insights into Khmer civilization and the history of the Angkor temples. The museum’s interactive exhibits provide valuable context for your temple visits and will definitely provide some much needed context for your visit to Angkor Wat.
Afternoon: Head to Artisans D’ Angkor, where you can observe traditional Cambodian crafts being made and even participate in workshops to create your own souvenirs.
Evening: Attend a traditional Apsara dance performance, a classical Khmer art form that narrates ancient myths and legends through graceful movements. These dance performances are often accompanied by a multiple course dinner tasting where you can sample some of the delicious local cuisine.
Day 3: Angkor Wat And The Surrounding Temples
Disclaimer for day 3! Personally, we feel 1 day for visiting the temples is on the shorter side and you can easily spend 3 or more days fully immersing yourself in the beauty and awe of the Angkor Wat temple complex. However, on a short visit to Siem Reap, it’s important to also experience all the other incredible cultural experiences that truly make Cambodia the beautiful country that it is. If you have the time, we recommend spreading your visit to the temples out over multiple days. This is something we often bring up when people ask us how long to spend in Siem Reap.
Morning: Get yourself an early start and witness the breathtaking sunrise at Angkor Wat, the crown jewel of Cambodia’s temples and of course the main reason people come here! We recommend hiring a tuktuk driver for the entire day to transport you between the temples and they can often provide you with some great useful information about the temples themselves. Contact us if you need a recommendation for a reliable and informative tuktuk driver.
Late Morning/Afternoon: Spend the day exploring the incredible temples in the Angkor temple complex. We highly recommend completing the “Small Circuit” including Bayon Temple and Ta Prohm, (Also known as the Tomb Raider temple!) where you can witness nature and history entwined. If you have time and are not too tired from the heat, we recommend also visiitng Angkor Thom and the terrace of the elephants!
Evening: After a long day of exploring the Angkor temples, treat yourself to a peaceful evening and enjoy a picturesque ride on the Angkor Eye, an 85 metre ferris wheel where you can get a great view of the beautiful city of Siem Reap and the surrounding countryside. Once you’re done, why not relax with a spa treatment or massage? Siem Reap is home to some incredible massage parlours at great prices.
Day 4: Tonle Sap Lake And The Floating Villages
Morning: Start your day by heading to APOPO Siem Reap, where you can encounter the giant African rats and the team dedicated to training them to sniff out landmines and unexploded ordnance. This will give you a great insight into the history of landmines in Cambodia and the great work that this organisation is doing around the world. This should take you around an hour to an hour and a half and is located in town so it won’t take you long to get there.
Afternoon: Embark on a guided tour to the floating villages on the Tonle Sap Lake, Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater lake. Experience the unique lifestyle of communities living on the water and explore the flooded forests by canoe. We recommend this as an afternoon tour as you’ll be able to take the boat out onto the Tonle Sap Lake after, which is an absolutely incredible spot to enjoy the sunset over the water.
Evening: Fully experience the great nightlife in town. Head over to the “Eat” and “Drink” sections of our site to check out some of the incredible bars and restaurants in Siem Reap. Why not enjoy a cocktail at SPIN Bar, where perfectly crafted cocktails and the massive whiskey selection can be enjoyed amongst the company of some great people. Afterwards, you could head to Pub Street or X Bar, where the party carries on into the early hours of the morning!
Day 5: Phnom Kulen National Park And Departure
Morning: Take a tour out to Phnom Kulen National Park. The national park of Phnom Kulen is home to multiple incredible attractions. Surrounded by lush greenery, you can visit the 1000 lingas ancient carvings and a giant reclining buddha statue within an active buddhist pagoda. The biggest attraction of course is the beautiful waterfall, so don’t forget your swimwear as you’re able to get in the water and swim right up to it! We’ve written a full article on the beauty and attractions of Phnom Kulen National Park so make sure to check it out by CLICKING HERE.
Evening: Departure. This, of course, is always the worst part of the adventure! However, all good things must come to an end. That is, unless you’ve fallen in love with Siem Reap and decided to stay! You wouldn’t be the first.
We hope this 5 day itinerary has been helpful in helping you decide how long to spend in Siem Reap. As you can see, it’s pretty filled with great adventures and activities, so if you can spend longer we highly recommend it and that will give you more time to enjoy Siem Reap at a slower pace. A longer trip would also allow you to visit some of the other fantastic things to do in Siem Reap, which you can find in our article by CLICKING HERE!
For more great information or recommendations for Siem Reap and Cambodia in general, don’t forget to follow our Instagram, Facebook and TikTok accounts for regular updates!
@morethantemples
We’ll soon be posting articles on “How long to spend in Siem Reap – 3 Day Itinerary”, and “How long to spend in Siem Reap – 7 Day Itinerary”
Any information in the article about how long to spend in Siem Reap was correct at the time of posting to the best of our knowledge. If you notice any issues or would like to chat to us about the article please get in touch with us via our “ABOUT” page.
If you’re the owner of a business we’ve written about and would like to discuss any out of date or incorrect information, please get in touch and we’ll be more than happy to help! Any opinions expressed in our articles are our own and may not be representative of everyone’s experience. If you found this article helpful, please consider heading to our ABOUT page by CLICKING HERE, and leaving us a tip via BuyMeACoffee!
