How to explore Angkor Complex – Update latest price 2017

ANNOUNCEMENT: The entrance fees for a visit to the Angkor Park will increase on 1.2.2017. 

TicketOld priceNew price
1 day20$37$
3 days40$62$
7 days60$72$

The prices apply only to foreign visitors. There is no discount for students, but for children younger than 12 is free (with showing their passport). You can only purchase Angkor tickets with cash. If you do not have cash, you can get the money you need at the ATM. But the crowds at the ticket counters are huge, especially in the morning when everyone wants to go to the sunrise at Angkor Wat.

How to Get There

Although Angkor Wat is a short tuk-tuk, bicycle, scooter, or bus ride away, it’s important to remember that the park is not located in Siem Reap itself. Depending on your preferred method of travel, you can rent a scooter for $15 a day, a bicycle for anywhere from $2-$5, a bus ticket for $20-25, or a tuk-tuk for $10-15. Both the Cambodian riel (roughly 4000 riel to 1 USD) and the American dollar are accepted everywhere and tuk-tuk rides are easy to negotiate. Keep in mind that the Angkor Wat park is massive and the sites aren’t always a walkable distance apart. Hiring a scooter, bicycle, or tuk-tuk for the day allows for more freedom to see the temples at your own speed, while a bus tour might be the most efficient way to see the park with a short time frame.

How Long To Stay

Again, the Angkor Wat park is absolutely massive. Tallying up at over 400 square km, you could spend weeks exploring every single accessible acre of land within the park’s confines. For visitors on an extreme time crunch, one can see the majority of the park’s highlights in one day, from sunrise to sunset. However, 12 hours of exploring temples is a lot to take in, so we suggest not rushing it if you don’t have to. If you’re looking to really take your time, the three-day option might be the most relaxed. Our take: spend two days at Angkor Wat, one for the Petit Circuit and one for the Grand Circuit.

Routes To Take

The Petit Circuit includes the Angkor Wat temple itself, along with Angkor Thom, which includes the famed Bayon complex, Ta Keo, Ta Prohm, and Banteay Kdei. This route in itself can take up almost an entire day and if you suffer from temple overload syndrome, this might suit you well for day one.

The Grand Circuit then includes the entire Petit Circuit, along with a smaller ring of sites including Preah Khan, the island temple of Neak Pean, Ta Som, East Mebon, and Pre Rup. Assuming you’re refreshed after a long day of taking in the Petit Circuit, coupled with enjoying a few indigenous beverages along Siem Reap’s backpacker haven Pub Street, the Grand Circuit is a good option for a second day of gingerly taking in Angkor Wat as a whole.

Where To Eat

Little known fact: there are an estimated 100,000 people living within the Angkor Wat park itself. With those people come restaurants and stalls selling mostly khmer-style food and western snacks. Although you’re welcome to bring a picnic to enjoy while exploring, you can find a decent meal at one of the many village restaurants that dot Angkor Wat’s landscape for $10 or less. Additionally, there are a ton of street vendors along the sides of the roads to and from the park in case you’re looking for a quick meal on the go for under $3.