Gorgeous, ethereal, detailed, and magical are just a handful of the phrases visitors typically use to describe touring Angkor Wat–and after spending a couple of days visiting Angkor Wat, we couldn’t agree more.
This temple complex is a traveler’s dream, full of history, beauty, and a little bit of mystery.
It is, hands down, the most famous temple complex in Cambodia, and arguably all of Southeast Asia.
Of all the things to do in Siem Reap, Angkor Wat is hands down the best, and the reason most travelers make their way here.
Naturally, this leads to thousands upon thousands of people descending on the Angkor Wat Archaeological Park every day, all seeking the same peaceful, magical experience… and being rewarded with crowds.
Want to make sure that touring Angkor Wat feels less like a congested tourist shuffle and more like a meaningful exploration of some of the most famous ruins in the world?
These Angkor Wat tips will ensure you make the most of your time in one of the most magnificent temple complexes on the planet!
Table of Contents
Our Most Helpful Angkor Wat Tips
Spend more than one day at Angkor Wat.
Angkor Wat offers three types of tickets: one day, three days, and one week.
These days do not have to be used sequentially–we were able to use our three days at any time within a given week.
While you definitely can squeeze your Angkor Wat experience into a single day if you need to, that will only leave you time to see the most famous temples–which are obviously also the most crowded.
I’ll confess: I love temples, but I’m not a huge temple nerd. Even so, I wanted more than one day here and enjoyed the second day more than the first.
If you’re comfortable with the price, I would even argue that it’s better to pay for three days and go for two than do everything in one.
Find a good tuk-tuk (or other vehicle) driver.
Typically, you will have one tuk-tuk driver for your time at Angkor Wat. They will stick with you throughout your experience, including driving you to and from your lodging and between all the temples.
They do this all day, every day, and know the complex like the back of their hands.
Angkor Wat tours are the bread and butter of Siem Reap tuk-tuk drivers, so before hiring one, let them know what kind of experience you are after and ask where they would like to take you.
If you have a specific temple that is a must-see, be sure to tell them.
As always, negotiate a clear rate before accepting an offer.
If you’d prefer, you can also tour via car (expensive) or motorbike (cheaper than tuk-tuks). Tuk-tuks were by far the most common form of transportation that we saw around Angkor Wat.
During our Angkor Wat visit, booking tours on the ground was still the standard, though that does appear to be changing as this popular one-day tour of Angkor Wat has over 11,000 reviews and counting on Viator!
I suspect you can probably still get the lowest price by negotiating in person in Siem Reap, but there is something to be said for the reliability and comfort of a well-reviewed tour with an online presence, too.
(I’m updating this blog post in 2026, and now that I’m a parent rather than a budget backpacker, I’ll confess that an air-conditioned car sounds like a lovely way to visit Angkor Wat.)
Pace yourself when touring Angkor Wat.
Visiting these famous temples in Cambodia is a very physical experience.
Think lots of walking, lots of climbing, and usually lots of hot sun beating down on you.
Don’t rush! Be sure to take breaks in shady corners, drink plenty of water (I highly suggest bringing your own, the water for sale in the complex is about as good a deal as you would expect), and don’t feel like you have to see everything.
It is much better to see a handful of temples thoroughly than to rush around and exhaust yourself glancing at several.
Don’t skip the Angkor Wat sunrise experience.
The most sought-after experience at Angkor Wat is to watch the sunrise over the central Angkor Wat temple (this temple is actually called Angkor Wat, but the greater Angkor Wat complex generally goes by the same name–yes, confusing).
There’s a reason for this: it’s utterly gorgeous, and was well worth the somewhat horrifying 4:30 AM deadline for meeting our tuk-tuk driver in front of our guesthouse in Siem Reap.
Of course, this is Angkor Wat, so something popular and beautiful will also be ridiculously crowded. Many tours even advertise sunrise visits specifically: it’s a huge part of visiting the complex!
Our advice is to roll with it and brave the crowds and early wake-up. It’s beyond worth it.
To minimize the challenge of getting decent photos of the Angkor Wat sunrise among the hundreds of cameras and phones, try to get there as early as possible (multiple alarm clocks may be required for non-morning people such as myself).
If you can, also stand behind someone shorter if you can’t reach the front of the crowd, and leave as soon as the sun shines over the temple to make it into the temple itself before the crowd descends on it.
You may also want to consider traveling to Angkor Wat in the off-season!
Jeremy and I had a crowd with us at sunrise during our off-season visit, but compared to the photos online taken during the on-season, the crowds we dealt with were incredibly reasonable.
Don’t feed the monkeys.
Why, why, why do people insist on feeding wild animals?
It’s not good for them, and as much as I absolutely adored seeing the monkeys at Angkor Wat (they were one of my personal highlights!), they can be aggressive and have been known to steal items as cheap as bananas and as expensive as cameras.
While we watched a crowd of monkeys outside of a temple, a woman in a car threw bananas out her open window.
Predictably, a monkey jumped up onto the ledge of that open window and almost made it into her car.
0/10 do not advise. Monkey attacks are not unheard of at Angkor Wat, and she was practically begging for one!
Spend more time at the lesser-known Angkor Wat temples.
At some temples, such as Angkor Wat itself or Ta Prohm (also known as the Tomb Raider temple, where part of the movie was filmed), the crowds are intense.
At some of the other, just as gorgeous places, though? We were completely alone.
There were a couple of temples that we literally didn’t see another soul, and plenty where there were just a couple of other people milling around.
Those temples, though less famous, got the bulk of our time.
They were more pleasant to explore, we were able to explore and take photos easily (including plenty of photos of us without any other people in them–a frequently discussed challenge when visiting Angkor Wat).
They were also great places for us to release our inner kids and feel like we were playing Indiana Jones.
The official government website for Angkor Wat has an (overwhelming) list of all the temples, if you want to see if there are any that catch your eye before you arrive!
Pay attention to the details.
The overall views of the temples are beautiful, but the majesty is in the details.
The sheer number of carvings is amazing, as is the way that the trees are trying to reclaim many of the temples and the resilient nature of the structure underneath.
Be sure to take the time to admire the little things–that’s where a lot of the magic of Angkor Wat is.
Be aware of temple fatigue.
In Europe and Latin America, you hear of people getting “out-churched”–touring so many that they don’t want to see another one, no matter how grand. In Asia, it’s the same story: you can get “out-templed.”
As two people who love touring both temples and churches, but have little patience for repetitiveness, we were concerned about getting out-templed long before we reached Angkor Wat, which ended up being our last stop in Southeast Asia.
To avoid this, we limited our temple stops before visiting Angkor Wat–we stuck to 1-2 majestic temples per location, including the Grand Palace and Wat Pho in Bangkok and Wat Si Saket in Vientiane.
Our strategy worked: we saw many gorgeous temples both before reaching Angkor Wat and while we were there, and left just as temple fatigue was setting in.
Respect the dress code.
The weather may be hot and sticky, but Angkor Wat is still a religious site at the end of the day, so take care to dress respectfully!
Long pants (over the knee) and shirts covering your shoulders are considered appropriate when touring Angkor Wat.
If you’re a backpacker who hasn’t already picked up some harem pants (aka elephant pants) in Southeast Asia, now is a good time to do so!
Where to Stay in Siem Reap When Visiting Angkor Wat
We adored the guesthouse we stayed in when visiting Angkor Wat (Angkor Boutique Villa), but sadly, it has since closed.
What we especially loved and recommend looking for, though, was the quiet location within walking distance of Pub Street. In other words, we wanted to be close to the action, but far enough away that we had a peaceful retreat.
We also loved having access to a pool, which was the perfect way to relax and cool off after long, hot, sticky days of temple-hopping.
Here are a few well-reviewed and popular places to stay in Angkor Wat that we would consider booking when we return to Siem Reap (all of them have a pool!):
- Chateau d’Angkor La Residence (historic-feeling charm but modern amenities)
- The Jungle (amazing garden setting and spa, family rooms available)
- The Twizt (a higher-end hostel with private rooms available)
Getting Tickets to Angkor Wat
In 2026, you can either buy your Angkor Wat tickets online and download them to your phone, or buy tickets in-person at the ticket office.
Your tour guide and/or driver will take you directly to the ticket office if needed, so don’t worry about finding it!
There’s no price difference between booking online and buying tickets in person, but whichever option you choose, know that you must keep your ticket with you at all times.
Random ticket checks do occur!
We still have and cherish our paper Angkor Wat tickets from our visit. They’re detailed and beautiful for ticket stubs, and even have photos of us printed on them!
However, considering how unfortunate it would be to lose the paper tickets and have to re-purchase them, some travelers might find downloaded tickets more convenient.
In Siem Reap, the standard for tours (both popular online options like this and drivers booked in person) is that your Angkor Wat ticket is not included in the tour/driving price.
Our Overall Impressions of Visiting Angkor Wat
For us, Angkor Wat definitely lived up to its hype.
This place is listed over and over again as a travel must-see for good reason!
As I update this blog post years later, I can confirm it has been one of the most memorable places we’ve visited over the course of 50+ countries.
We fully intend to return one day, hopefully in the next few years!
There is more than enough beauty at Angkor Wat to appreciate it several times, and over the course of our lives, I hope we get to!
Read More About Traveling Southeast Asia
Are you bouncing around multiple destinations in Southeast Asia like we were during this trip?
If so, we’d love to continue to be part of your trip planning process here on Our Escape Clause!
You can browse our other Cambodia blog posts here, or check out these guides:
- 7 Best Things to Do in Vientiane in One Day
- How to Budget for a Trip: The Easiest Budgeting Method (+ Tips!)
- Charming Koh Rong, Cambodia: Things to Do + Island Guide!
- 7 Tips to Ethically Swim With Elephants in Thailand (Can You?)
- Is Rainy Season in Laos Worth the Trip? (Our Experience + Tips)
I believe that Angkor Wat is an ideal place for the travelers, especially people love exploring history. The place looks ancient and it gives me a peaceful feeling!
It is absolutely a peaceful place, especially away from the most popular temples.
Honestly, I think it’s worth it to splurge on an excellent guide. My friend and I paid about $100 each for a two day tour with a driver and guide who was just fantastic. Yes, we paid more than most backpackers would, but he was so knowledgeable about the ancient history and recent history. He knew the schedules of the big buses and made a point to avoid the tourist crowds to the point where we had many almost completely to ourselves. I do travel on a budget but it was so worth the extra money. His name is Em Somuch if anyone is interested – his info is on Trip Advisor 🙂
That’s a good point, Allison–if you’re particularly interested in the history, I agree it would definitely be worth it. There’s not a ton of literature around the temples, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, so it can be hard to know exactly what you’re looking at.