There's so much more to do in Siem Reap than just to visit Angkor Wat! We recommend you spend AT LEAST 3 days in Siem Reap, but you could easily spend 5 or more, depending on how excited you are for temples. 

Visiting the Temples around Siem Reap

How long to spend visiting each temple complex (Angkor Wat, Kaoh Ker, Kbal Spean)?

You can easily spend three full days visiting all the temples in the Angkor Temples complex. It was physically I'mpossible to visit everything in one day - starting sunrise to sunset! As we were driving ourselves on our motorbikes, we could simply stop everytime we saw something exciting, which we did constantly. I would recommend at least two days for the Angkor Temples Park if you plan on visiting Kaoh Ker & Beng Melea, or three days if you don't want to venture out of Siem Reap. 

Kaoh Ker was our absolute highlight of Cambodia and we were amazed that very few people visit these temples. Even more surprising is that we were the only people on a self-drive trip there. There were a dozen or so busses taking people direct to the Kaoh Ker Pyramid Temple, but none of them stopped at the other small temples in the complex. For most of these, we were the only people visiting the temples. Kaoh Ker is 2.5 hours by motorbike from Siem Reap, and you can stop at Beng Melea at around half way. These two make an amazing combined day trip, although we split it over two days. 

Kbal Spean is also usually done as a day trip.

Visiting Angkor Wat 

Getting Around Angkor Wat

To get around Angkor Wat, you'll want to have your own mode of transport. You can either hire a tuktuk or car for the day, or you could hire your own motorbike. Motorbike hire starts at USD$8 for a bike, although you can barter the prices. I cannot recommend this enough, as then you can do a self-paced visit, stop at as many temples as you'd like, and have complete freedom over your day.

Tickets to Angkor Wat

All tickets can be purchased through the Angkor-Pass app, with options for both Android and Apple. There are four options for tickets that you can visit. Everyone visits Angkor Temples Park, but the hidden gems are truly Kaoh Ker and Beng Melea!

As of December 2025, the costs are as follows:

• • Angkor Temples Park (1 day): USD$37

  • Angkor Temples Park (2 days): USD$62

  • Angkor Temples Park (3 days): USD$72

  • Kaoh Ker Temples Park: USD$15

  • Beng Melea: USD$10

  • Kbal Spean: USD$5

We then went around to the Western entrance an hour or so after sunrise and enjoyed the beautiful view there anyway. If you want to explore Angkor Wat and have a bit of time to yourself without the crowds, this is the best way. If you still want to see the famous sunrise over Angkor Wat, you can come back the next day and see the famous sunrise then. 

Which other temples should we visit in Siem Reap?

If you have a look at the below map, you can see there are so many temples to visit. This is why we chose to hire a bike and visit as many as we could. If you are looking to explore as much as possible and get off the beaten track, buy a multi-day pass and hire your own bike so you can go at your own pace and stop at all the temples you'd like. We stopped at every single temple we passed - and had no regrets!

If you're on limited time or are looking for the most instagrammable temples, these are the "big six":

Angkor Wat

The largest and most famous of the temples, you cannot visit Siem Reap without seeing Ankor Wat.

Bayon Temple

Known for the giant faces carved into several of the towers.

Ta Prohm

This temple is overgrown by tree roots that stretch over the ruins, and is featured in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. This is one of the most popular temples to visit - but it's certainly worthwhile! 

Banteay Srei 

Known for the highly intricate carvings that decorate this temple and make for very artistic photography. 

Where To Stay in Siem Reap (Budget Accommodation)

Did you know - we have a whole page dedicated to our favourite accommodations in Cambodia!

Siem Reap - Pool Party Hostel

This hostel was only USD$9 for a private room with private shower and air conditioning. 

Again, as always we booked this via WhatsApp and then paid on arrival. The room we were given was originally downstairs and very musty duue to the humidity. Because we hadn't paid in advance, it was very easy to request a new room and we were given an upstairs one that smelled fine and was very comfortable. 

Only downside of the hotel was that the light for the air conditioning unit was very bright - this is where having sticky tape to cover lights up comes handy!

The hostel has a great pool, pool table, bar, and kitchen. The owner speaks perfect English and makes great cocktails. Despite being called "Pool Party", it was quiet when we were there (November) and wasn't like a European frat hostel. There were only a few other guests and the staff were lovely. They have ample space to park your motorbike/scooter and they bring the scooters inside at night for safekeeping.