A photograph of Siem Reap

City guide · Cambodia

Historic sites in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Siem Reap town is the service base for the much larger Angkor visitor region. The Old Market and riverside form the compact evening centre, while the national m...

Photograph · Anne and David · Public domain

1,860 Places
Suggested stay
3–4 days
Getting around
Walking, bicycle, remork-moto and hired car

Turn this list into a plan

Set your days, your pace and the hours you actually want to be out. The planner works around closing days and travel time, and leaves room to eat.

Plan Siem Reap

Editorial responsibility: Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Siem Reap town is the service base for the much larger Angkor visitor region. The Old Market and riverside form the compact evening centre, while the national museum and road to Angkor run north. Temple circuits spread across a wide archaeological landscape, and Tonle Sap villages, Banteay Srei and Phnom Kulen require separate outward journeys.

Checked 2026-08-26

Practical information

Language spoken
Khmer
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+855
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Cambodian riel (KHR)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
117 police · 118 fire · 119 ambulance
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type A, C and G · 230 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
No verified nationwide visitor drinking-water statement was recorded

Planning a visit

November · November reduces Siem Reap rainfall to 61.8 mm over 12 days while the mean high is 31.6°C.

  1. January: best time to visit
  2. February: good time to visit
  3. March: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  4. April: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  5. May: recurring difficult conditions
  6. June: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  7. July: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  8. August: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  9. September: recurring difficult conditions
  10. October: recurring difficult conditions
  11. November: good time to visit — current month
  12. December: best time to visit

Sources

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Angkor Thom Angkor Thom
    02 45 min

    Angkor Thom

    អង្គរធំ

    Angkor Thom is a vast walled city and former Khmer imperial capital inside the Angkor Archaeological Park near Siem Reap.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  2. Bayon Bayon
    03 45 min

    Bayon

    ប្រាសាទបាយ័ន

    Bayon stands as the central temple of Angkor Thom, the walled city built during the Khmer Empire.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  3. Ta Prohm Ta Prohm
    04 45 min

    Ta Prohm

    ប្រាសាទតាព្រហ្ម

    Ta Prohm is a temple within the Angkor Archaeological Park near Siem Reap, Cambodia. It was built in the late 12th and early 13th centuries during the reign of King Jayavarman VII.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  4. Banteay Srei Banteay Srei
    05 45 min

    Banteay Srei

    ប្រាសាទបន្ទាយស្រី

    Banteay Srei is a 10th-century Cambodian temple dedicated to Shiva, about 25 kilometres northeast of the main Angkor complex.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  5. Preah Khan Preah Khan
    06 45 min

    Preah Khan

    Preah Khan is a major Angkorian temple complex located northeast of Angkor Thom in the Siem Reap province. Built in the late twelfth century during the reign of King Jayavarman VII, it served as a Buddhist monastery and educational centre.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  6. Phnom Bakheng Phnom Bakheng
    07 45 min

    Phnom Bakheng

    ប្រាសាទភ្នំបាខែង

    Phnom Bakheng is a Hindu and Buddhist temple constructed in the late ninth to early tenth century during the reign of King Yasovarman I.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  7. Terrace of the Elephants Terrace of the Elephants
    08 45 min

    Terrace of the Elephants

    លានជល់ដំរី

    The Terrace of the Elephants is a monumental platform in Angkor Thom, the walled royal city of the Khmer Empire near Siem Reap.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  8. Terrace of the Leper King Terrace of the Leper King
    09 45 min

    Terrace of the Leper King

    លានស្តេចគំលង់

    The Terrace of the Leper King is a carved stone platform in Angkor Thom, immediately north of the Terrace of the Elephants.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  9. Phimeanakas Phimeanakas
    10 45 min

    Phimeanakas

    ប្រាសាទភិមានអាកាស

    Phimeanakas is a Hindu temple within the Royal Palace enclosure of Angkor Thom, north of Siem Reap. The three-tiered pyramid represents the temple-mountain form associated with Mount Meru in Hindu cosmology.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  10. Banteay Kdei Banteay Kdei
    11 45 min

    Banteay Kdei

    ប្រាសាទបន្ទាយក្តី

    Banteay Kdei is a Buddhist temple in the Angkor Archaeological Park, built during the reign of Jayavarman VII in the late twelfth or early thirteenth century.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  11. Ta Keo Ta Keo
    12 45 min

    Ta Keo

    ប្រាសាទតាកែវ

    Ta Keo is an unfinished Khmer temple-mountain within the Angkor Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  12. Ta Som Ta Som
    13 45 min

    Ta Som

    ប្រាសាទតាសោម

    Ta Som is a small Buddhist temple built in the late 12th century during the reign of King Jayavarman VII. It sits within the Angkor Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  13. Pre Rup Pre Rup
    14 45 min

    Pre Rup

    ប្រាសាទប្រែរូប

    Pre Rup is a Hindu temple mountain at Angkor, built under King Rajendravarman and dedicated in 961 or early 962. Brick, laterite, and sandstone define its stepped form.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  14. Victory Gate Victory Gate
    15 45 min

    Victory Gate

    Victory Gate stands among the monumental entrances of Angkor Thom, the walled city that served as the last great capital of the Khmer Empire.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  15. Preah Koh Preah Koh
    16 45 min

    Preah Koh

    Preah Ko is a Hindu temple in the Roluos group, located east of Siem Reap in Cambodia. Built in the late ninth century during the reign of King Indravarman I, it represents one of the earliest Khmer temple mountains.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  16. Lolei Lolei
    17 45 min

    Lolei

    Lolei is an early Hindu temple in the Roluos group east of Siem Reap. Built during the reign of King Indravarman I in the late ninth century, it represents an important stage in early Khmer architecture.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  17. Kbal Spean Kbal Spean
    18 45 min

    Kbal Spean

    ក្បាលស្ពាន

    Kbal Spean is an archaeological site in the Kulen Hills northeast of Siem Reap, Cambodia. Known as the River of a Thousand Lingas, it features Hindu and Buddhist stone carvings on the riverbed and surrounding rocks.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  18. Srah Srang Srah Srang
    19 45 min

    Srah Srang

    ស្រះស្រង់

    Srah Srang is a baray, or reservoir, situated within the Angkor Archaeological Park near Siem Reap, Cambodia. Constructed during the Khmer Empire, it forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 1992.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  19. Thommanon Thommanon
    20 45 min

    Thommanon

    ប្រាសាទធម្មនន្ទ

    Thommanon is a Khmer temple ruin located in the Angkor archaeological park near Siem Reap, Cambodia. It was constructed during the reign of King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century, contemporaneous with Angkor Wat.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  20. Preah Pithu Group Preah Pithu Group
    21 45 min

    Preah Pithu Group

    The Preah Pithu Group is a cluster of five small Hindu temple ruins located within the Angkor Archaeological Park near Siem Reap, Cambodia. These temples are part of the broader UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 1992.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  21. Baksei Chamkrong Baksei Chamkrong
    23 30 min

    Baksei Chamkrong

    ប្រាសាទបក្សីចាំក្រុង

    • Notable
    • Historic site
  22. Ta Nei Ta Nei
    24 45 min

    Ta Nei

    ប្រាសាទតានៃ

    Ta Nei is a lesser-known Angkorian temple situated within the Angkor Archaeological Park near Siem Reap, Cambodia.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  23. Spean Thma Spean Thma
    25 45 min

    Spean Thma

    ស្ពានថ្ម

    Spean Thma is an ancient stone bridge located in the Angkor Archaeological Park near Siem Reap, Cambodia. Its name translates to 'Stone Bridge' in Khmer.

    • Must see
    • Historic site

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

How the city is laid out

Keep the town centre, Old Market and riverside as one walkable cluster. Plan Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom as a circuit rather than isolated stops, then use another route for the eastern temples. Banteay Srei, Phnom Kulen and Tonle Sap are outside the core temple circuit and should not be squeezed between central ruins without allowing for road time.

Checked 2026-08-26

Getting around

Walking works within individual town districts, but the official visitor guidance notes that distances between districts are too great for walking. Bicycles suit experienced riders on selected routes, while remork-motos, motorbike taxis, private cars and minivans cover temple circuits and outer sites. Agree the route and return arrangement before leaving the town area.

Checked 2026-08-26

More city guides

Common questions

How many days should I spend in Siem Reap?

Suggested stay for a first visit: 3–4 days. Build the visit around the Old Market, riverside and Angkor circuits, then add Banteay Srei, Phnom Kulen and Tonle Sap only when the available time supports a separate journey.

What is the best way to organise sightseeing in Siem Reap?

Group places by district instead of crossing the city repeatedly. Start with the Old Market, riverside and Angkor circuits; treat Banteay Srei, Phnom Kulen and Tonle Sap as separate routes with their own travel allowance.

How do I get around Siem Reap?

Use Walking, bicycle, remork-moto and hired car. Walk within compact clusters and consult the linked official transport information before making longer transfers or relying on a particular route.

Can I explore Siem Reap mainly on foot?

Only within individual neighbourhood clusters. The main visitor areas are separated by distances, waterways, major roads or regional approaches, so longer links normally need public transport or a licensed vehicle.

Which Siem Reap sights need separate transport planning?

Plan Banteay Srei, Phnom Kulen and Tonle Sap separately from the Old Market, riverside and Angkor circuits. Check the current route, return connection and any access requirements on the official source before departure.