Best Time to Visit Angkor Wat
There is never a bad time to visit Angkor Wat but a few things you should take into consideration when planning.
November to Mid-April is the dry season and generally, the temperate drops make it much more comfortable to spend the day outdoors.
Although come April the weather is starting to get very warm with daily temperatures reaching 36 degrees.
Then the wet season starts in May, this is when I visited. Thankfully I had perfect weather the day I visited Angkor Wat, but there were some massive downpours while I was in Siem Reap.
It is also suggested to avoid visiting during Chinese New Year as these weeks can get extremely busy.
Weather aside, another factor to consider is that the pandemic had a massive effect on Angkor Wat visitor numbers and with the current ticket incentives now is actually a great time to see Angkor Wat.
When I visited in mid-May 2022 since January 1st there had been 40,200 people visiting Angkor Wat. So on average, that’s 294 visitors per day!
Our guide said before the pandemic the Angkor Wat complex would see five to eight thousand people per day & 1,500 at sunrise.
Wow, what a difference.
Also, the morning I was there I’d say less than 300 people were there to witness the sunrise.
Angkor Wat Dress Code
Like many other religious sites around the world, there is a dress code at Angkor Wat. And as tourists, it’s important to abide by these rules & remain respectful to the places we are visiting.
Shoulders should be covered along with knees and cleavage.
I wore a long skirt & t.shirt and even in the heat, I found this quite comfortable.
Some people were wearing more revealing tops but carried a scarf to use as a cover-up when entering the temples and this was also ok.
When I booked our tour with get your guide they did advise of this dress code and said that people will be denied entry if they don’t abide by these rules.
What to Pack For a Day Trip
If you plan to visit Angkor Wat in one day, it’s necessary to be organized and arrive with everything you could need to make sure you have the best day possible.
Below I will list everything I had on me and I found all of it very useful.
Comfortable clothes & shoes; a day spent at Angkor Wat involves a lot of walking and most of the year it’s very hot. Trainers and cotton clothing are ideal.
Sunscreen & hat, are important for sun protection.
Bug spray.
Camera & tripod.
Power bank, especially if you use your phone camera a lot.
Food & Water, these days there are restaurants inside Angkor Wat but they are far more expensive than other places to eat in Siem Reap. Our guide advised as that as the Angkor Wat complex is a Unesco World Heritage Site, they pay higher fees to conduct business therefore the food is more expensive. Visitors do have the option to bring food into the complex but it can’t be eaten inside the temples.
In Conclusion
I was not in the slightest bit disappointed after my one day visit to Angkor Wat, it’s a place of mindfulness, fascinating history and a site you can tick off your bucket list.
This article includes all the information you need to plan your day exploring the temples of Angkor Wat, including location, ticket prices and transport options.
The 4 temples I mention above were included in the tour I booked with Get Your Guide. I’d highly recommend visiting them all as each has unique qualities. The tour ran from around 04:30 am to 2 pm so even if you can just visit Angkor Wat in one day, there would still be enough time in the afternoon to visit a couple more temples.
Thanks for reading,
Happy Travels
Bonus tip; If arriving in Siem Reap by air and don’t want to deal with taxi drivers on arrival, use booking.com to find a hotel that includes airport transfers.