Things to do in Siem Reap
Top things to do in Siem Reap include Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and Bayon, Old Market and Pub Street. Plan each day around one neighborhood to avoid backtracking, then add your dates to check opening hours and booking needs.
First visit? Start with these — and plan each day around one neighborhood:
- Angkor Wat★ 4.8 · 43.9k reviewsThe 12th-century temple built under Suryavarman II is the Angkor headline, with sunrise views across the moat, long bas-relief galleries, and the…
- Angkor Thom and Bayon★ 4.8 · 14.9k reviewsJayavarman VII walled capital holds Bayon face towers, Baphuon, the Terrace of the Elephants, and gates reached on the main Angkor loop.
- Old Market and Pub StreetThis is the busiest visitor core, with Psar Chaa, Pub Street, night-market lanes, bars, souvenir stalls, and tuk-tuk queues beside the river.
- Getting aroundTuk-tuks, remorks, taxis, bicycles, and hotel cars handle most movement, with temple circuits usually priced by small loop, grand loop, or day rate.
By TripSapien · Updated November 5, 2026
About Siem Reap
City overview
Siem Reap is the Cambodian base for Angkor Archaeological Park, with the Siem Reap River, Old Market, Pub Street, Wat Bo, and Kandal Village forming the city map after temple hours. The city itself adds Khmer performance, Angkor National Museum, craft workshops, and Tonlé Sap village access, so a good route alternates Angkor mornings with Old Market, Wat Bo, and river evenings.
Food & drink
Siem Reap food is gentler than Thai spice but still specific: fish amok is a coconut-curry custard often steamed in banana leaves, bai sach chrouk is grilled pork over rice, and num banh chok is rice noodles with herb-rich fish gravy. Old Market stalls, Wat Bo Road restaurants, Pub Street kitchens, Road 60 vendors, and Sombai workshops add beef lok lak, kuy teav, Khmer curry, palm-sugar sweets, and green mango salad.
What Siem Reap is best for
Siem Reap is best for architecture, history, food, nature, and shopping.
- How long to stay
- A weekend to a week
- Typical budget
- Budget-friendly
Top sights
Ranked using weather, setting, ratings, and review volume.
- 1Ta Prohm
- 2Angkor National Museum
- 3Phare, The Cambodian Circus
- 4Old Market and Pub Street
- 5Wat Bo
- 6War Museum Cambodia
- 7APOPO Visitor Center
- 8Artisans Angkor
1Ta Prohm
4.8★ · 14,534The late-12th-century monastery is left with large trees growing through stone corridors and courtyards. It pairs naturally with Angkor Thom on a tuk-tuk circuit.
Wikipedia
2Angkor National Museum
4.4★ · 6,412The museum north of the Royal Gardens explains Khmer sculpture, lintels, religion, and Angkor chronology before or after the temple pass begins.
Wikipedia
3Phare, The Cambodian Circus
4.8★ · 6,359The evening circus uses acrobatics, live music, and theatre from Cambodian performers, making it the strongest city-based cultural show after temple hours.
Show 5 more sights
4Old Market and Pub Street
Psar Chaa sells fruit, spices, souvenirs, and food stalls beside Pub Street bars and restaurants. It is the easiest evening anchor in central Siem Reap.
5Wat Bo
The active pagoda east of the river has old wall paintings, monastery buildings, and quieter lanes than Pub Street. It works well with Wat Bo Road cafes.
6War Museum Cambodia
The open-air museum west of town displays tanks, artillery, aircraft, and weapons tied to Cambodia late-20th-century conflict history.
Wikipedia7APOPO Visitor Center
The center explains the mine-detection rats used in Cambodian demining work, with demonstrations and context for the landmine problem around the country.
8Artisans Angkor
The craft workshop teaches stone carving, lacquerware, silk painting, and woodwork in a town where temple tourism supports many craft businesses.
Wikipedia
Neighborhoods
1Wat Bo Village
Wat Bo is calmer and restaurant-heavy, with the pagoda, small hotels, cafes, guesthouses, and local streets east of the Siem Reap River.
2Kandal Village
Kandal Village is compact and design-minded, with coffee shops, boutiques, Common Grounds, galleries, and walkable lanes north of the Old Market.
3Taphul Road
Taphul Road is practical and guesthouse-oriented, with budget hotels, laundries, travel desks, small restaurants, and easy airport-road access.
Show 20 more neighborhoods
- 4Sok San Road
Sok San Road runs west from the Old Market area, mixing hostels, massage shops, bars, street food, and late-night movement.
- 5Charles de Gaulle and Royal Gardens
The Angkor approach road has larger hotels, Angkor National Museum, Royal Gardens, and a quieter route toward the temple checkpoints.
- 6Angkor Archaeological Park
Angkor Wat, a sprawling temple complex with intricate carvings, and Bayon Temple, famed for its 200 smiling faces. It also features Ta Prohm, a 12th-century Buddhist temple where trees rise from the ruins.
- 7Chreav
- 8Kampong Phluk
Many houses in Kampong Phluk are built on stilts to adapt to the seasonal water levels, creating a unique fishing community. The local economy is supplemented by tourism, which has grown over the past decade, with visitors interested in the fishing culture and the scenic river views.
- 9Kok Chak
Kok Chak in Siem Reap features temples like Angkor Botanical Garden and Apopo Visitor Center, alongside the Khmer Cuisine restaurant MAOM.
- 10Nokor Thum
A neighborhood in Siem Reap known for its temples, including Neak Pean.
- 11Old Market
A key shopping spot in Siem Reap, popular with both locals and tourists. Many businesses use it as a reference point for addresses, and it provides a variety of goods and local foods.
- 12Prasat Bakong
Prasat Bakong contains Svay Thom Market.
- 13Sala Kamreuk
A quieter area east of the river, with the active Wat Bo pagoda featuring old wall paintings and monastery buildings. It offers a contrast to the busier Pub Street.
- 14Sala Kamreuk Sangkat
- 15Sangkat Slor Kram
- 16Siem Reap Center
- 17Sla Kram
Sla Kram in Siem Reap offers Samaki Huy Keang Market, craft artisan workshops, and bookstore boutiques like Preahvihear Book Center. Fair Trade Village is also located here.
- 18Svay Dangkum
Pub Street, Artisans Angkor, Old Market, and Angkor Thom. The neighborhood centers on cocktail bars, traditional crafts, market browsing, and archaeological-site stops.
- 19Wat Bo
Calmer and restaurant-heavy, with the pagoda, small hotels, cafes, guesthouses, and local streets east of the Siem Reap River.
- 20ស្រុកស្វាយលើ
In Siem Reap, ស្រុកស្វាយលើ is home to Prasat Beng Mealea, extensive jungle-enveloped ruins of an Angkor Wat-period sandstone temple. This area is recommended for visiting archaeological sites.
- 21Charles de Gaulle Boulevard
- 22Pub Street
Jungle Burger Sports Bar and Bistro.
- 23Royal Gardens
Day trips
37km / 50-60min by tuk-tuk or car from Old Market
Banteay Srei
The pink-sandstone temple has unusually detailed carvings and works best as a morning extension from the Angkor pass route.
30km / 45min by car plus boat from central Siem Reap
Kampong Phluk and Tonlé Sap
The stilt village and flooded forest show Tonlé Sap seasonal water levels, with the most dramatic lake scenery during high water.
50km / 1.5-2h by car from Siem Reap
Phnom Kulen
The mountain has waterfalls, riverbed carvings, temples, and picnic areas tied to Khmer history outside the main Angkor complex.
Getting around
Tuk-tuks, remorks, taxis, bicycles, and hotel cars handle most movement, with temple circuits usually priced by small loop, grand loop, or day rate. Buy the Angkor pass before temple touring and group Old Market-Wat Bo-Kandal Village on foot after dark.
Planning a Siem Reap trip?
Add your dates and we'll check every place for closures, limited hours, and booking needs before you go.
Things to do in Siem Reap by month
Pick a month for weather, any sourced events, holidays or observances, and seasonal timing. December, January and November have the most comfortable weather (tagged below).
Common questions about Siem Reap
- Which neighborhoods should I explore in Siem Reap?
- Old Market and Pub Street, Wat Bo Village, Kandal Village are useful starting points. Plan each day around one or two neighboring areas to avoid unnecessary backtracking.
- When is the best time to visit Siem Reap?
- December, January, November balance comfortable temperatures with fewer rainy days in Siem Reap.
- How many days do you need in Siem Reap?
- a weekend to a week gives you time for architecture, history, and food in Siem Reap. Choose your month to see date-specific details.
- What is Siem Reap known for?
- Siem Reap is best for architecture, history, food, nature, and shopping. For matched places, TripSapien checks available hours, closure signals, and booking links.
Ready to plan Siem Reap?
Turn everything above into a day-by-day Siem Reap plan, with every place checked for closures and booking needs on your dates.