25 Best Things to Do in Siem Reap (2026)

Siem Reap gets pitched as a one-trick town: see Angkor Wat, fly out. That's a mistake. The temples deserve two or three days, but the city itself — the food, the circus, the lake villages, the workshops — is what turns a checklist trip into a great one. Here's everything worth doing, in rough priority order.

The Temples (1–8)

1. Sunrise at Angkor Wat. Yes, it's crowded. Yes, do it anyway. Gates open around 5:00am and the reflection-pool spots fill by 5:15 — our full sunrise guide covers timing, spots, and how to beat the crowds afterward.

2. Bayon. The temple of 200 stone faces at the heart of Angkor Thom. Go early or late; midday tour buses are merciless.

3. Ta Prohm. The "Tomb Raider" temple, strangled by silk-cotton tree roots. The most photogenic ruin in the park.

4. Banteay Srei. A ~37 km trip north and worth every minute for the finest carvings at Angkor. Pair it with the Cambodia Landmine Museum — see our Banteay Srei day trip guide.

5. Preah Khan. The Grand Circuit's headliner — a sprawling, half-restored monastery most visitors skip. Don't.

6. Pre Rup. A brick pyramid that glows at golden hour, with a fraction of the sunset crowd.

7. Sunset at Phnom Bakheng. The summit is capped at 300 people — arrive by 4:30pm or watch from below.

8. Beng Mealea. A jungle-swallowed temple about an hour out of town. The closest you'll get to feeling like an explorer. More far-flung ideas in our day trips guide.

Confused about which temples cluster together? Read Small Circuit vs Grand Circuit before you book anything — and sort your Angkor Pass first ($37 one-day, $62 three-day, $72 seven-day).

Shows, Museums & Causes (9–13)

9. Phare, the Cambodian Circus. The best evening in Siem Reap, full stop. Acrobatics, theater, and live music from graduates of a Battambang arts school — a genuine social-impact success story. Our Phare guide has seating tips.

10. Angkor National Museum. Visit before the temples and the carvings will actually mean something.

11. APOPO Visitor Center. Meet the landmine-sniffing rats. Short, moving, and the admission funds demining.

12. Skip the orphanage "tours." Seriously — they're harmful. Phare and training restaurants like Marum are how you give back here.

13. More attractions — browse the full category for shows, museums, and workshops.

Tonlé Sap & Beyond (14–16)

14. Kampong Phluk. Stilted houses ten meters tall and flooded forest in the green season. The floating village to pick.

15. Kampong Khleang. Farther, bigger, and even less touristy. Either beats scam-prone Chong Kneas — our Tonlé Sap guide explains why.

16. Pedal the countryside. Rice paddies, sugar-palm villages, and zero tour buses. E-bikes make it painless in the heat.

Eat & Drink (17–21)

17. Eat fish amok. Cambodia's coconut-custard fish curry, steamed in a banana leaf. Then work through beef lok lak, Khmer curry, and num banh chok noodles — the full canon is in our Siem Reap food guide.

18. Splurge at Cuisine Wat Damnak — tasting-menu Khmer fine dining that put Siem Reap on the food map.

19. Keep it cheap at Khmer Kitchen and brunch at Sister Srey Cafe.

20. Take a food tour by tuk-tuk. The fastest way to eat like a local without guesswork.

21. Try Sombai — infused rice wine in hand-painted bottles. The tasting is free; the bottles make the best souvenirs in town.

Markets, Shopping & Nightlife (22–25)

22. Psar Chas (Old Market) by day, Angkor Night Market by night. Haggle gently — it's USD everywhere, small bills.

23. Artisans Angkor. Watch stone carvers and silk weavers train, then buy the real thing instead of market knockoffs.

24. Made in Cambodia Market for goods that are actually, well, made in Cambodia.

25. Pub Street. Loud, neon, fifty-cent beer, and honestly kind of fun for one night. Our nightlife guide covers where to go when you outgrow it.

Plan the Trip

Three days is the sweet spot — our 3-day itinerary sequences all of this sanely. Pick your base with our where to stay guide, and if you're traveling June–October, don't panic: the green season means full moats and thin crowds. Tuk-tuks run about $20–35 a day; a car with driver is $40–60.