Looking for top things to do in Siem Reap, best tourist spots, attractions, and sample Siem Reap DIY itinerary? I hope this Cambodia Travel Guide Blog help you in planning your trip to Siem Reap this 2024!
We went on a semi-Indochina Trip from Manila to Ho Chi Minh, Phnom Penh, and finally to Siem Reap, before going back to Manila. In the four days we spent in Siem Reap we pretty much tried all the top best things to do in Siem Reap and visited its most popular tourist spots and attractions. We enjoyed exploring the ancient temples, tasting the local food, watching a Cambodian circus, visiting the floating village, and many more! You may also read the Siem Reap Travel Guide Blog that I created to help you plan your trip.
TOP 10 THINGS TO DO IN SIEM REAP CAMBODIA
TOP 10 THINGS TO DO IN SIEM REAP + TOURIST SPOTS AND ATTRACTIONS
FOR THE COMPLETE SIEM REAP TRAVEL GUIDE, PLEASE READ HERE: Siem Reap Travel Guide with 10,000 Pesos Itinerary
1. Marvel at the Angkor Wat Sunrise
If there’s one thing you should not miss when visiting Siem Reap, that’s definitely witnessing the sunrise in Angkor Wat.
For ease and convenience, you can book an Angkor Wat Sunrise and a visit to three of the most popular temples (Angkor Wat, Bayon Temple, and Ta Prohm) in the Angkor Archaeological Park Complex with Klook.com for only 654 pesos.
2. Be Amazed by the Angkor Wat
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Angkor Wat is a temple complex considered as one of the largest religious monuments in the world.
“Angkor is one of the most important archaeological sites in South-East Asia. Stretching over some 400 km2, including forested area, Angkor Archaeological Park contains the magnificent remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century. They include the famous Temple of Angkor Wat and, at Angkor Thom, the Bayon Temple with its countless sculptural decorations. UNESCO has set up a wide-ranging programme to safeguard this symbolic site and its surroundings.” - UNESCO Website
3. Live out your Tomb Raider Fantasy at Ta Prohm
A beautiful temple ruin, Ta Prohm - the so-called "Tomb Raider Temple" - is a popular temple in the Angkor Archaeological Park Complex. It was built in the late 12th and early 13th centuries and originally called Rajavihara. Ta Prohm is known for the huge trees and the massive roots growing out of its walls.
4. Check out the towers of Bayon Temple
Another more famous, popular and most-visited of the structures in the Angkor Wat Archeological Park is the Bayon Temple. It was the state temple of King Jayavarman VII, built at the end of the 12th century. It is a mountain temple, with tall towers decorated with intricate bas-relief and huge smiling faces. Also referred to as "Face Temple," the Bayon Temple is one of the highlights of your Angkor Wat Tour.
5. Bargain Shopping at the Night Markets
Siem Reap offers a lot of places to shop. One of them is the night market where you could stroll around and hunt for cheap souvenirs to take back home. Be ready with your haggling skills to score the best buys. Best of all, their night markets are really nice and well-organized. Siem Reap Night Markets are designed to give visitors a safe, secure, and enjoyable shopping experience.
6. Enjoy the Pub Street
Located just a couple of blocks away from the Siem Reap Night Market, the Pub Street is a popular hang-out place at night. The street is lined up with bars and restaurants with live band and some disco music where you could dance the night away. If you're looking for cheap beers, the Pub Street is the best place to be!
7. Watch PHARE, the Cambodian Circus
More than a conventional circus, "PHARE, the Cambodian Circus" is an amazing display of performance art, theater, and comedy to tell uniquely Cambodian stories. Performed by the young Cambodian locals supported by an NGO group, they are trained in performance arts, including circus. The show's beneficiaries are the youth performing at the circus and other causes supported by the group.
The show starts at 8:00 PM every night and it’s free seating so make sure to be there early to secure better seats. As a popular show in Siem Reap, it is always fully booked, so it's better if you book and reserve your tickets in advance. We bought our tickets online to get an assured seat.
8. Go on a Food Trip in Siem Reap
As they say, the best way to experience the culture of the place you're visiting is to try the local food. When in Siem Reap, don't miss visiting the streets filled with food kiosks offering local dishes and delicacies. Some of them also offers exotic dishes such as crickets, red ants, and spiders.
For this experience, we joined a guided group tour which includes transportation via remork (tuk tuk), English-speaking and friendly tour guide, and a lot of food!
By joining a food tour, we don't just enjoyed the food, but also experience it first-hand with amazing insights from our English-speaking tour guide.
9. Visit the floating village at Tonlé Sap Lake
Tonle Sap Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. A must-see when visiting Tonlé Sap Lake is the floating village will let you see and somehow experience the daily lives of the locals living in the Kompong Phluk floating villages of Tonlé Sap Lake.
The village is quite far from Siem Reap's center. For ease and convenience, we availed a join-in tour which also comes with an English-speaking local tour guide and round-trip bus service from/to Siem Reap.
TRAVEL TIP: Be sure to choose the afternoon tour so you could enjoy the sunset.
10. Be Amazed by the Cambodians
The Cambodians are very nice, warm, friendly, and accommodating. They speak good English, so communication will not be a problem. They always greet you with a smile, and they are respectful and always ready to help in any way they can. Cambodians are polite and really amazing, and it's a big part that made our trip to Siem Reap very special and truly memorable.
FOR THE COMPLETE DETAILS ON THE TOP THINGS TO DO IN SIEM REAP, PLEASE READ HERE: Siem Reap Travel Guide Blog with 10,000 Pesos Itinerary
NOTE: Prices and rates may change without prior notice.
SAMPLE SIEM REAP ITINERARY - 4 DAYS 3 NIGHTS
Day 1 - Arrival in Siem Reap
10:30 PM - Arrival in Siem Reap, Check-in at the hotel.
Day 2 - Sunrise and Temples Tour
03:00 AM - Wake-up early
04:00 AM - Get a One-day Angkor Pass at APSARA Office
05:00 AM - Sunrise Angkor Exploration √ BOOK A TOUR HERE!
- Angkor Wat Sunrise Watching
- Angkor Wat
- Ta Prohm
- Bayon Temple
03:00 PM - Free time
06:30 PM - Dinner
08:00 PM - Watch PHARE The Cambodian Circus √ RESERVE TICKETS HERE!
09:00 PM - Back at the Hotel / Go to Pub Street or Night Market
Day 3 - Kompong Phluk
06:00 AM - Breakfast
08:00 AM - Old Market / Shop for Souvenirs and Pasalubong
12:00 NN - Lunch
01:00 NN - Kompong Phluk Floating Village Half-Day Tour √ BOOK A TOUR HERE!
07:00 PM - Back to the Hotel / Have dinner
08:00 PM - Go to Pub Street or Night Market
Day 4 - Free Time + Food Tour + Departure
06:00 AM - Breakfast08:00 AM - Free time
12:00 NN - Check-out of the Hotel
01:00 PM - Lunch
05:00 PM - Enjoy a Spa Khmer Luxury Experience √ RESERVE HERE!
08:00 PM - Go to Siem Reap Airport
11:30 PM - Depart for Manila
SIEM REAP TRAVEL TIPS:
Tours and Activities in Siem Reap
For convenience and to avoid scammers, we booked our activities and transfers in Siem Reap via Klook.com. We've used it several times in our recent trips to Singapore, Taiwan, and Vietnam, Hong Kong, Macau and we really love their services the wide array of activities they offer. It's definitely our go-to app when traveling abroad.
How to get to Siem Reap?
Cheap Flights to Siem Reap
For this trip, we used the Traveloka App to book for our flights. They offer cheap flights and accommodations in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, Cambodia. What I love most about it are their weekly promo codes that give you additional discount on flights and hotel accommodations. With Traveloka, I can assure you that you'll always get the best deals and promos on hotels and flights!
Hotels in Siem Reap
Below are my recommended hotels in Siem Reap that we have personally tried.
Sok San Street Boutique
Address: 169, Steng Thmey Village, Svay Dangkum District, Soutr Nikom, Siem Reap, Cambodia, 17251Room Rate: starts at PHP 1,071.63 per night
BOOK ONLINE: Click here to see updated room rates and book online
Tresor d' Angkor Villa & Resort
Address: Krous Village, Sangkat Svay Dangkum, Siem Reap, Cambodia, 17000Room Rate: starts at PHP 4,164.23 per night
BOOK ONLINE: Click here to see updated room rates and book online
This trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia was made possible by Traveloka and Klook Travel. Thank you very much!
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