One Day In Siem Reap And The Best Of Angkor Wat

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If you’re visiting Cambodia, then Angkor Wat has to be on your to-do-list. But is it worth going even if you only have one day in Siem Reap?  The short answer is yes! 

One day means that you could watch the sunrise over the iconic Angkor Wat towers and visit the most famous temples with their enormous Banyan tree roots and ancient stone faces.  Beyond Angkor you could explore lotus farms or craft markets and witness the incredible Phare circus.

Keep reading because you really can pack a great deal into your one day in Siem Reap. 

One Day in Siem Reap and Angkor Wat

For this guide we’re going to assume that you have 2 nights in Siem Reap and a full 24 hours to explore.  And because you’ll want to make the most of your day, expect to feel tired because your tour will start at 4:30am!

You day will include :

Purchase Your 1 Day Angkor Pass

Before you can visit the temples you will need an Angkor Pass.  The pass isn’t included in a tour and should be purchased in advance.  You will be asked to show the pass before you enter every temple.

BEWARE : There are a number of fake websites selling these passes and you will be refused entry if you arrive with one.  Our guide told us that up to 30% of the passes he sees are forged.

If you are in any doubt, ask your driver to confirm, but we recommend you purchase your ticket before you arrive.

Which Circuit To Explore In The Angkor Archaeological Park

There are two circuits in the Angkor Archaeological Park.   With only one day you will want to explore the Small Circuit, which includes the most iconic temples and these you will leave you with lasting impressions of this incredible UNESCO World Heritage site.

Which Temples Are A Must-See In Angkor Wat?

The Angkor Archaeological park is vast.  You would need weeks to see everything and you’d also need a very keen interest in Temples.  Most people spend between 1 to 3 days at the site and for most, those visits are half days.

We made two separate visits during our time in Siem Reap. We explored some of the temples on the Small Circuit and the Grand Circuit.  On our first morning our guide was keen to show us everything and it was too much.  On the second day we picked just 3 temples and he added one and this was enough.

You could spend your day trying to see a lot, but honestly you’ll be exhausted from the heat and each temple will become a blur.  It’s far better to explore a few chosen temples and have time to discover the quiet corners, moats and gardens.  This will show you the essence of Angkor Wat and I think you’ll probably see more and take more away with you by slowing down.

If you look at any Temple Tour they will all include :

Your One Day in Siem Reap Itinerary

Today will be a busy day but we’ve done this day so we know it’s totally do-able.  I do recommend that you book your temple tour in advance and also your circus tickets.  Keep reading and we’ll tell you the best tours to choose.

1. Sunrise And The Angkor Wat Temple Tour

No visit to Angkor Wat would be complete without the sunrise.  We almost didn’t go as we hate early mornings but looking back we wouldn’t have missed this for the world.

This is by far the very best Angkor Wat Temple Tour available.  Choose their private tour or group tour but choose this one.  Book in advance and be ready just before dawn for your tuk-tuk. 

To make the very most of your visit to Angkor Wat:

Top Tip : Do not attempt to visit the temples alone.  The site is vast and you want to make the very most of your time here.  We opted for a private guided tour but you can also join their small group option if budget is tight. 

2. Lunch at Common Grounds

Although this tour is a full day, that day starts at 4:30 am so you will be back in Siem Reap in time for lunch.

We loved Common Grounds and it makes a great lunch stop and for a good cause too!  The coffee is great and the food really excellent.  We had lunch here a couple times during our time in Siem Reap.

3. Afternoon Tuk Tuk Around Siem Reap

We were hot and quite tired after our morning so we didn’t want to do a great deal in the afternoon but equally we didn’t want to waste our time.  Instead, we booked a private tuk-tuk and made our own tour.  It was surprisingly inexpensive and an easy way to travel around; we paid 30€

Our guide spoke a little English so he talked about his life and childhood growing up beside the temples. We loved this afternoon; and it’s cooler in the back of a tuk-tuk as you zoom around the countryside.

What you can manage with your afternoon will be very much be down to your available time.  But these three stops would all make interesting visits :

We asked our hotel for a tuk-tuk driver and he collected us from Common Grounds.  This is such an affordable way to see a lot in a short space of time and it’s very cool in the back of a tuk tuk!

4. Early Dinner In Siem Reap

After your tour we’d recommend an early dinner before your visit to the Circus!  There are so many great restaurants in Siem Reap but this one is worthy of a visit.

HAVEN is our kind of restaurant.  Just like Koto in Hanoi, Kitchen with a Cause in Jaipur, Dusty Roads in Zimbabwe this restaurant creates excellent food whilst giving something back to the community. 

Top Tip : This is a very popular and highly rated restaurant. Book ahead to be sure of a table.

5. A Night At The Phare Circus

No matter how tired you may feel, you won’t want to miss the Cambodian Circus by Phare. It’s an incredible display of contemporary and traditional Cambodian performing arts by young local artists.  It is contemporary but there are still hints of the Khmer culture woven into the show.

Take our word for it and book a seat ahead of time (this is a very popular show).  Arrive around 7:30pm to get a drink and settle in your seat before the show starts.

The show is an hour and starts at 8pm.  Afterwards you have a chance to meet the cast if you wish.

6. Night Cap in Raffles Elephant Bar or Pub Street Or The Night Market?

Raffles Elephant Bar

Are you a Raffles kind-of-person or a Pub Street kind-of-person?  My heart tells me I’m a Raffles girl but my pocket reminds me that I’m more Pub Street! 

Everyone’s heard of the Singapore Sling in the Long Bar in Singapore but Cambodia is blessed with two Raffles hotels; one in Phnom Penh and the other in Siem Reap.  If like me, staying the night is beyond your budget, you can still drop in to the Elephant Bar before midnight and order one of their signature cocktails. 

Top Tip : They have a strict dress code so make sure you book ahead and wear the appropriate attire!

Pub Street

If Raffles isn’t your thing then take a stroll down Pub Street.  If you’ve visited a Walking Street in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh then you’ll get the idea; although it was much quieter than we expected. 

In a small corner of town there are a few streets lined with bars and restaurants, all vying for your trade.  And more than a sprinkling of shops and small market stalls. We were never there very late at night so perhaps the younger crowd come out much later? 

Angkor Night Market

The Night Market in Siem Reap is pretty famous and if neither of the above options are for you then take a wander around the 240 stalls that make up Angkor Night Market.  This huge open air market was first opened in 2007 and has grown into one of the towns most popular places to visit.

It opens from 4pm and closes at midnight and is home to street food vendors, craft stalls and traditional handicrafts. Try Cambodian cuisine or drop in to the ever popular Island Bar.

Where to Stay In Siem Reap

Siem Reap is a pretty compact city and to be honest, you’re going to be busy today and using tuk-tuks to get around.  So location is less important to you.  There is a huge choice but here are three that are particularly special :

P.s. If not Eightfold then our next choice has to be The Koulen Hotel

Our Top Budget Hotel : Cambodia offers some really inexpensive accommodation but if you can stretch your budget just a tiny bit then we reckon People by The Community is a truly special place.   

Is One Day In Siem Reap Really Worth It?

Siem Reap and the world heritage temples of Angkor Wat are unique and stunning and iconic and if you can visit then don’t hesitate.   If you have just one day to explore these most celebrated temples, and get to glimpse and life in Siem Reap then it is absolutely worth a visit.

I hope that our itinerary has shown you that you can cover a lot of ground in just one day and whilst you may be pretty tired at the end of that day, you will have seen the very best highlights of this glorious little corner of the world. 

Our advice would be book a hotel, organise your tours and get some sleep on the way home.

Travelling Through Cambodia or Vietnam?

If you enjoyed this post, I’ve written a series of posts about our time in Cambodia and Vietnam that you may find helpful :