Chances are you’ve booked your trip to Siem Reap with the intention of watching the sunrise over famed Angkor Wat. It’s an experience on just about every traveler’s bucket list and for good reason. Afterall, it’s located in not only the largest temple complex in Southeast Asia, but the largest temple complex in the world! The Angkor temple complex is so large in fact, that it stretches over 248 square miles and is home to over 50 different temples! So what if your time is limited…is it possible to see Angkor Wat in a day?

Yes! Not only will you be able to see Angkor Wat, but you’ll be able to check out some of the other incredible nearby temples as well. (There is a common misconception that Angkor Wat is the only temple to see, but Angkor Wat is just one of many temples in the Angkor temple complex.) For those travelers who are looking to see Angkor Wat in a day, I put together this how-to guide with all of the info you’ll need for an incredible visit to this remarkable wonder! Scroll down to find all of your questions answered, and if there’s anything that’s missing, please let me know in the comments.

How do I get to Angkor Wat from Siem Reap? And how much does it cost?

You can get to Angkor Wat from Siem Reap by tuk-tuk, car, or minivan.

Tuk-Tuk

This is going to be your most economical option and will cost about $20-$25 USD for a full day tour, including early morning pickup for sunrise at Angkor Wat until sunset. If you’re not concerned with seeing the sunrise or sunset, you can get a day tour for about $15 USD. Keep in mind that this option DOES NOT provide A/C and Siem Reap is REALLY FREAKING HOT. Just something to keep in the back of your mind…

Please note, I did not use this option, but I found this driver who I probably would have hired if I had gone on my own (I was with a group of ladies for a Pangea Dreams Retreat!) I do not have any personal experience to back up this recommendation, I am just passing along some information I think could be useful!

Car

This is going to be the more comfortable option, as it will most likely be equipped with A/C which will be well worth it when you’re baking in the 100 degrees Cambodian sun. Just make sure to ask about A/C when booking a driver! For a full day tour including sunrise and sunset, you’re looking more at $40-$50 USD. If you’re not concerned with seeing the sunrise or sunset, you can get a day tour for about $35 USD by car. To organize this ahead of time, I recommend chatting with the front desk staff at Baby Elephant Boutique Hotel (my recommendation on where to stay when visiting Siem Reap) who will be happy to help you organize a trusted driver.

Minivan

This is the most expensive option if you’re riding solo of course, but if you’ve met some friends or are traveling as a group, this may be a great option. An A/C equipped minivan can typically fit 10-12 passengers and will usually cost around $65-$75 in total for the day.

NOTE: To be clear, these prices DO NOT include an English speaking guide to accompany you while you tour the different temples. These prices are only for the day-long transportation including roundtrip transport from your hotel and all of the temples throughout the day. To hire an English speaking guide to accompany you on your tour, this will be an additional cost. This can be organized with Baby Elephant Boutique Hotel.

I want to see Angkor Wat at Sunrise. When do I need to get there?

Well, there are two parts to this answer. If you want a front row spot at Angkor Wat for sunrise, get there at 4 am. I only recommend this absurdly early hour to photographers or uber-serious travelers who want to set up a tripod and capture the sunrise with an uninterrupted view of the temple. For all others, I recommend arriving around 5 am. You will most certainly NOT have a front row seat, but you’ll still be able to see the sunrise! And if you want to have the best view of Angkor Wat for sunrise, make sure to stand on the LEFT side! By that I mean, when you are standing behind the reflection pond looking at Angkor Wat dead on, move more towards the left. This is the only angle where you can see all 5 of the columns.

PRO TIP: Don’t leave your spot until the sun has completely risen. This doesn’t sound like anything too groundbreaking, but you’d be amazed at how many people left before the sun actually rose all the way above the temple. So many people were running back to try and see it, but they missed it. The sky changes so fast, so don’t leave until the sun is above the temple!

I want to see the best temples. What are the top 5 temples in Angkor that I shouldn’t miss?

Angkor Wat (the temple where you can watch the sunrise)

This is an obvious one, and ss just discussed, Angkor Wat is pretty magical at sunrise! Even though this is also what everyone else does, it’s worth it!

Bayon Temple (the temple with all the faces)

Probably my favorite temple of all, Bayon is located in Angkor Thom and is famously known for all of the stone faces carved into the structure. I could have walked around this temple for hours observing the detail in each of the 200 stone faces. It boggles my mind how people created something so intricate & magical all those years ago!

Angkor Thom South Gate (the bridge lined with stone statues)

Although this isn’t a temple, you’re going to want to stop and spend some time admiring the South Gate bridge leading to Angkor Thom. It is flanked by fascinating (and equally as amusing) stone statues, where on the left, you will find statues depicting gods, and on the right, statues depicting demons. This bridge takes you over the moat that encircles Angkor Thom and provides a beautiful view of the surrounding water and forest.

Ta Som (the temple with the tree doorway)

This temple was smaller than the others with less crowds and boasted one of the most spectacular doorways I’ve ever seen. The doorway is quite literally a tree trunk! It’s truly something you have to see to believe.

Ta Prohm (the temple from “Tomb Raider”)

This was my second favorite temple on this list because of the massive tree trunks wrapping around the thousand-year-old ruins. This temple is kind of like Ta Som, but on steroids. By that, I mean that it’s much bigger and has WAY more trees intertwinded with the structure of the temple.

Pre Rup (the temple where you can watch the sunset)

Pre Rup proved to be a great place to see the sunset, as it offers panoramic views of the surrounding forest from the top of the temple. My only qualm with this temple was that it got really crowded for sunset (because everyone has the same idea) so don’t expect to have this place to yourself. But honestly, all of Angkor is packed with people. It’s something you can’t really escape unless you do everything opposite of the ideal/normal schedule (which of course, is an option!)

In what order should I see these top 5 temples of Angkor? And how much time should I spend at each temple?

1st STOP: Angkor Wat: 5 am start here to see the sunrise. Sunrise is around 5:45 am (make sure to check in Google ahead of time to be sure!!!). Explore until 8:30 am.

BREAK: 8:30-9:00 am stop for a snack and a fresh coconut.

2nd STOP: Bayon: 10 minutes up the road you will get to South Gate & Bayon. Explore 9:30-11:30 am.

3rd STOP: Ta Som: 22 minutes from Bayon you’ll get to Ta Som. Explore 12:00-1:00 pm.

BREAK: Ask your driver to stop off for lunch somewhere close by from 1:30-2:15 pm. There’s a place across the street from Pre Rup (which will be on your way) that you could stop for some food and cold drinks (aka a beer!!!)

4th STOP: Ta Prohm: 15 minutes from Ta Som you’ll get to Ta Prohm. Explore 2:30-4:30 pm.

5th STOP: Pre Rup: 10 minutes from Ta Prohm you’ll get to Pre Rup. (You’ll be backtracking a little, but this is a good place to watch the sunset) Watch the sunset 5:00 -6:30 pm. Make sure to arrive before 5 pm to be safe.

NOTE: If you don’t care about seeing the sunrise or the sunset and would prefer to be surrounded by fewer tourists I would probably follow this schedule backward. The sunrise over Angkor Wat was pretty spectacular though, so make sure you consider that!

How much does it cost to see Angkor Wat in a day, and where can I purchase my pass?

There are three different passes you can purchase:

• 1-day pass ($37)
• 3-day pass ($62)
• week pass ($72)

Since we’re only talking about seeing Angkor Wat in a day, you’ll only need the $37 pass. In order to purchase your passes, you MUST purchase them in person at the official ticket office for the Angkor Archaeological Park in advance. To avoid insanely long lines, I highly recommend going to the ticket office the day before you plan to visit Angkor Wat just to be safe. If you’re not able to make the trip to the ticket office the day before, make sure to arrive to the ticket office 15-20 minutes before it opens (5 am) so you can be one of the first in line to grab your pass. The ticket office is open from 5am to 5:30pm though it closed early the day I went to get my ticket, so try to go earlier than 5 pm.

I want to be prepared for my visit to see Angkor Wat in a day. What should I bring with me?

Here is a list of all the things I needed to properly visit Angkor Wat in a day.

• Reusable water bottle. It is insanely hot and you will need to chug water all day. Fill your water bottle up with fresh water before leaving for the day (Baby Elephant Boutique Hotel offers complimentary filtered water to all hotel guests) You’ll need to stay hydrated! (This reusable water bottle is my favorite.)
• Small bills. It’s always a good idea to carry some cash on you when traveling, just in case you need to make a last minute purchase, like snacks, water, or to pay the fees to use the bathroom. USD is accepted all over Siem Reap.
• Snacks. Maybe I’m just a freak, but I get nervous about traveling anywhere without snacks in my backpack! I usually have fruit and always take a WOLO Protein Wanderbar with me. They have 15g of protein so I know I won’t go hungry, as well as Vitamin C & zinc to help keep my immune system healthy.
• Tissues. Not all of the bathrooms have toilet paper…
• Hand sanitizer. I don’t go anywhere without it! These aromatherapy stress relieving ones are my favorite. They have essential oils which make them less drying and smell amazing. 
• Comfy shoes: If you want to see all of Angkor Wat in a day, you’re looking at a 12-hour day, so having comfy walking shoes is imperative! My favorite travel shoe brand is Bionica Footwear – they are on a mission to create super lightweight footwear for the active yet fashion-conscious female.
• A fan: I was kicking myself for not bringing one, so I would definitely recommend getting a fan before your trip to Angkor Wat. They are sold all over Siem Reap for about a buck, so it’s not necessary to buy one ahead of time unless you don’t think you’ll have time to head into town beforehand. 
• Sunscreen. This is non-negotiable. You are going to be walking around in the baking sun all day, so you need to protect your skin! COOLA Suncare is my absolute favorite because it’s organic, cruelty-free, and smells like tropical paradise.

What should I wear to Angkor Wat?

Lucky for you, I wrote an ENTIRE GUIDE on what to wear to Angkor Wat!!!

Where should I stay while in Siem Reap?

So you’ve got your plan for visiting Angkor Wat in a day all figured out, but what about accommodation? I stayed at Baby Elephant Boutique Hotel and I would highly recommend it for a place to stay while in Siem Reap. Located on a quaint dirt road in a quiet residential neighborhood (but still only about a 15-minute walk into the center of town), Baby Elephant Boutique Hotel is like staying at a mini oasis in the middle of Siem Reap.

After a long day of exploring Angkor Wat and other temples in the scorching Cambodian heat, you’ll be overjoyed to be greeted “home” by the incredibly refreshing saltwater pool and an air-conditioned room.

Additionally, Baby Elephant Boutique Hotel is by far one of the most solo-traveler friendly boutique hotels I’ve stayed at, offering a social atmosphere you’d get from a hostel, but with boutique hotel style amenities. In combination with their mission to have a positive social and environmental impact, I fell in love with this place. You can book your stay at Baby Elephant Boutique Hotel here.  

A massive thank you to Pangea Dreams for sponsoring this trip to Siem Reap! If you are interested in learning how you can take your blog, brand, or small business to the next level, then I highly recommend checking out one of their blogger retreats. You can read my full review here. To save a couple hundred bucks (10%) off any 2018/2019 Retreat, make sure to use → LAURENP10← when booking!!!

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Disclaimer: 1.) I received a complimentary stay at Baby Elephant Boutique Hotel in exchange for my opinions, but all opinions are my own. I only recommend places that I love! 2.) Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commision if you click through and make a purchase. If you’re interested in any products seen in this post, help a sister out and use the link! 

Wander On,

Wanderluluu xx