2 days in Siem Reap:
Day 1
The best way to explore Angkor Wat is to have a guide or tuk-tuk driver take you around the site. Today will be a long day and as the site is so vast it can take quite some time to reach each of the different temples. Instead of walking in the Cambodian heat, strike a deal with a driver who will charge you a fixed price for the whole day.
Sunrise at Angkor Wat temple
On your first morning in Siem Reap you’ll want to get up early to see the beauty of Angkor Wat in the golden hours of sunrise. In general, the ticket office for Angkor Wat opens at 4.30 am so that you can purchase your tickets and find a good spot near the temple before the sun comes up. I wouldn’t suggest actually entering Angkor Wat at this time as it will be extremely busy with the sunrise crowds, so simply watch from afar and let your excitement for your Angkor exploration mount!
Seeing Angkor Wat at sunrise is truly magical and you’ll be able to capture some fantastic shots of the temple peaks reflecting in the waters below.
You might be interested in this full-day sunrise temple tour.
Bayon Temple Cambodia
From Angkor Wat, you’ll want to move on to Bayon Temple, one of the real highlights of the complex! Bayon was the state temple built by King Jayavarman and features 216 smiling face carvings of Avalokiteshvara built into the sides of the 54 towers of the structure. Not only are the large faces here impressive but the rest of the temple is adorned with exquisite bas-reliefs which feature more than 11,000 figures carved with care.
Ta Prohm Temple
Next on your list for the Angkor Complex is Ta Prohm, the temple known for being the home of Lara Croft/Tomb Raider. This mysterious temple sees vast tree roots wind their way around the building, engulfing the roof and some of the windows with their snaking stems. It’s fascinating to see the living relationship between nature and man-made architecture!
Another grand temple to be seen today is Prasat Kravan, a temple that comprises of five brick towers which were dedicated to Vishnu. This temple has been well preserved and the symmetry of the building, as well as its surrounding moat, make for a spectacular photo opportunity.
Prasat Kravan Temple
Prasat Kravan Temple is usually fairly quiet by the middle of the day as many people choose to visit it first or last when entering or leaving the park.
Prasat Kravan Temple is usually fairly quiet by the middle of the day as many people choose to visit it first or last when entering or leaving the park.
Neak Pean Temple
Neak Pean is more like a monument than an actual temple as it stands on an artificial island in the center of the Jayatataka baray. Neak Pean, or “the entwined snakes” as it’s sometimes called, is thought to be a Buddhist temple that was constructed in the latter half of the 12th Century.
Neak Pean is more like a monument than an actual temple as it stands on an artificial island in the center of the Jayatataka baray. Neak Pean, or “the entwined snakes” as it’s sometimes called, is thought to be a Buddhist temple that was constructed in the latter half of the 12th Century.
As Neak Pean is thought to symbolize the mythical healing lake Anavatapta, many believe that it was built for medical purposes with the waters surrounding thought to cure diseases.
Sunset at Phnom Bakheng Temple
Phnom Bakheng Temple Cambodia
Your last stop for the day at Angkor Wat will be Phnom Bakheng Temple, one of the oldest temples on the site. This is a stunning place to watch the sunset as you are raised above the rest of the Angkor Archaeological Park on a 60m hillside. Phnom Bakheng is set over seven levels, representing the seven Hindu heavens, and as such boasts plenty of different locations from which to watch the sunset.
Phnom Bakheng Temple Cambodia
Your last stop for the day at Angkor Wat will be Phnom Bakheng Temple, one of the oldest temples on the site. This is a stunning place to watch the sunset as you are raised above the rest of the Angkor Archaeological Park on a 60m hillside. Phnom Bakheng is set over seven levels, representing the seven Hindu heavens, and as such boasts plenty of different locations from which to watch the sunset.
Phnom Bakheng Temple Cambodia
Ideally, you’ll aim to arrive around 4 pm to get a good spot on the south-east corner so that you can capture some incredible golden hour photographs.
Night Market in Siem Reap
By the time you’ve got back to the center of Siem Reap you’ll be ready to explore the night market in search of some street food snacks and drinks while doing a spot of souvenir shopping. The night market sells a whole host of different goods, from clothes and fabrics to handicrafts, ceramics, and handbags. You can spend as long as you like shopping, snacking and bartering for good prices; soaking up the vibrant atmosphere while you go.
By the time you’ve got back to the center of Siem Reap you’ll be ready to explore the night market in search of some street food snacks and drinks while doing a spot of souvenir shopping. The night market sells a whole host of different goods, from clothes and fabrics to handicrafts, ceramics, and handbags. You can spend as long as you like shopping, snacking and bartering for good prices; soaking up the vibrant atmosphere while you go.
Dinner at Pub Street
When you’re finally ready to wilt, you’ll want to head over to Pub Street for some dinner. This road is basically a strip of restaurants and bars all offering a range of Asian and Western food. You can’t miss it as it’s flanked by neon ‘Pub Street’ signs and it will be abuzz with people seeking out tasty meals and drinks before dancing the night away in some of the more lively bars!
When you’re finally ready to wilt, you’ll want to head over to Pub Street for some dinner. This road is basically a strip of restaurants and bars all offering a range of Asian and Western food. You can’t miss it as it’s flanked by neon ‘Pub Street’ signs and it will be abuzz with people seeking out tasty meals and drinks before dancing the night away in some of the more lively bars!
Massage
As you’ll probably be pretty exhausted after an exciting day exploring Angkor Wat, you may want to opt for a traditional Khmer massage instead of a night out. This can be taken back at your hotel or at one of the many spas and massage parlors around the city. This is the perfect way to round off your first day in Siem Reap!
As you’ll probably be pretty exhausted after an exciting day exploring Angkor Wat, you may want to opt for a traditional Khmer massage instead of a night out. This can be taken back at your hotel or at one of the many spas and massage parlors around the city. This is the perfect way to round off your first day in Siem Reap!
Day 2
As yesterday was a long day, you can decide what time you want to rise on your second day in Siem Reap before heading back out to Angkor Wat. Rather than visiting at sunrise again, you can take a more leisurely start and arrive once most of the sunrise tourists have departed for other temples.
Angkor Wat Temple
You’ll now have the chance to explore the Angkor Wat temple itself, seeing the vast structure up-close-and-personal. You are able to walk, unrestricted, through the grounds of the Angkor Wat temple, seeing grand doorways, sweeping staircases and adorned platforms throughout.
Spend as long as you like soaking up the sights of Angkor Wat, remembering to take lots of photographs as well as saving time to pause and simply take in the atmosphere.
Tonle Sap Lake
When you’ve finished discovering the temple of Angkor, you’ll head out to explore Tonlé Sap Lake south of Siem Reap. This freshwater lake is home to a large number of the Vietnamese minority in Cambodia, who have lived and worked in this region for decades.
Many of these Vietnamese people are fishing captains who are the primary suppliers of fish to the country’s markets and restaurants. The Vietnamese and Cham communities who live around Tonlé Sap Lake live in floating villages, with many of the facilities such as churches and even basketball courts being located on the water!
The show informs the audience about the building of the temples of Angkor, the history and traditions of the Khmer community as well as Khmer, Hindu and Buddhist festivals while also including impressive martial art and acrobatic performances! This attraction employs local people to tell their stories and to show Cambodian culture to the world.
