A Week Long Itinerary to Siem Reap

Siem Reap is easily the highlight of Cambodia with nearby attractions including Angkor Wat, floating villages and many dozens of other Khmer ruins. In addition the city itself which I was expecting to be a tourist trap nightmare is a remarkably clean travel paradise with good food, museums and other cultural attractions.

How long you want to stay here is up to you: if you just want to see Angkor Wat and move on that’s up to you but staying here for a week (or even longer) you won’t run out of stuff to see or do especially if you are as interested in Khmer temples as I am. In this guide I will recommend a week long itinerary that is full but not overwhelming to most people.

I will be writing an all-encompassing guide to Cambodia one day (as best as I can) so this is a guide to Siem Reap which has enough adventure by itself!

Itinerary
Day 1 Arriving to Siem Reap: I was expecting a tourist trap town with little of interest in Siem Reap but it actually was a clean, walkable and enjoyable Cambodian city, so enjoy your time here!
Day 2 Grand Circuit: This allows some time to sleep in and cure the jet lag or wander the surprisingly nice city of Siem Reap. In the afternoon you can hire a tuk-tuk driver through the hotel for around 25$ to take you around Angkor’s grand circuit. Check off the outer temples like Preah Khan, Pre Rup and East Mebon as your highlights of the day. The final stop will be a nice sunset at the hilltop Bakheng Temple to cap off your day. Be sure to specify this temple on your itinerary.

Day 3 Angkor Wat and the Petit Circuit: Today’s the big day! This is an early wake up call as the most important thing to do here is to see the sunrise above the peaks of Angkor Wat. From there explore the petit circuit which has the important Bayon and Ta Prohm temples. In the afternoon rest through the hottest part of the day before setting out to Phnom Krom with a driver to watch the sun set at my favorite spot in Siem Reap above Tonle Sap lake. Optionally watch an Apsara dance at one of the many venues in the evening with dinner.

Day 4 Roluos Temple group and Floating Village: Take a driver to the Roluos temples which are a cluster of temples predating those you have already seen that served as building blocks for the acient Khmer that lead to Angkor Wat. Afterwards break up the temple watching with visiting Kampong Khleang or Kampong Phluk. These are “floating villages” along Tonle Sap which mostly are composed of stilted houses above the water with fewer houses that truly float on the water surface. I actually stayed at Kampong Khleang at a guesthouse I found on AirBnb and I’d recommend you do the same if time allows! Kampong Khleang is further but is less touristy than Kampong Phluk but either one is with it.

Day 5 Kbal Spean, Banteay Srei and Banteay Samre: For the Angkor completionist these are some of the furthest locations in the Angkor Archaeological Park. Kbal Spean is about an hour away with a car and is a carved river and a pleasant hike, Banteay Srei is an intricately carved temple that I would highly recommend and Banteay Samre is decently sized but not the most impressive.

Day 6 Phnom Kulen: Finally a day without temples and all about nature and waterfalls! Truth be told I did not visit but a day trip to this mountain is easy to organize and has pleasant hiking in nature. Day 7 Beng Mealea and Koh Ker: These are not part of Angkor park but are worth a day trip from the hub of Siem Reap. Koh Ker is another ancient Angkorian metropolis most famous for its pyramid that you can climb. Beng Mealea was my favorite temple in Cambodia because it was like a lost city with the bricks mangled by roots and left in a state of beautiful decay. Highly recommend both of these!

Other Ideas If you really want to extend your time here there are some spectacular destinations further afield that can be visited in a more expensive day trip or you can choose to stay a night at these places.
Preah Vihear Temple: this is along the northern border with Thailand and well worth it. This is a 5 tiered structure on a mountain that has bunkers and recent military history from a 2008 border skirmish between the 2 countries. I took a day trip here due to time that actually combined it with Koh Ker and Beng Mealea over an exhausting and really rushed day.

Banteay Chhmar: this can be visited with a driver from Siem Reap and is a huge temple with no foreigners around. My second favorite temple after Beng Mealea in Cambodia. I visited with public transit that got me to Sisophon and organized a taxi the rest of the way. I stayed the night in the town that has set up a community tourism initiative where I stayed in a guesthouse with an older Cambodian family who were really sweet.

Prasat Preah Khan of Kampong Svay: I didn’t visit here and can’t give much info. It is a very off the beaten path destination but I’ve heard it is like you are Indiana Jones here. Other blogs may have info about this temple
Sambor Prei Kuk: These tower temples are centuries older than Angkor Wat. I took public transit to Kampong Thom and then a tuk-tuk to the site. It feels like a fantasy forest and has a nice community based tourism initiative. I stayed in Kampong Thom overnight to continue in to other parts of the country.

Where to continue on?

Either continue on to Battambang which is worth your time for 2 nights, Kratie to see dolphins, Kampong Cham or even to Phnom Penh or Laos. Siem Reap a huge travel hub and reaching neighboring countries is simple. Buses can be arranged online or through your accommodation. There is also an airport if your time in Cambodia has come to an end.

Hopefully this post gives you at least some ideas of what to do in the Siem Reap area that has such an abundance of sights that it is hard to get bored! Even if you get bored by ancient ruins, see the nature of Phnom Kulen or the culture of the river villages.