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Top 10 Things to Do in Siem Reap

Siem Reap is the gateway to Angkor — one of humanity's greatest architectural achievements — but the town itself has evolved into a lively destination of its own, with a circus school, floating villages, craft cocktail bars, and a buzzing night market. The temples at dawn, draped in mist with monks chanting in the distance, rank among travel's most transformative experiences. Beyond Angkor, Siem Reap's warm community of artists, chefs, and artisans makes every visit richer than the last.

2026103 viewsMar 16, 2026 Updated Oct 3, 2026

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#1
Angkor Wat at Sunrise
Angkor Wat at Sunrise delivers the most iconic view in Southeast Asia, as the five towers of the largest religious monument on Earth reflect in the moat's still water under amber dawn light. This daily spectacle draws over 2.6 million visitors annually, yet the quiet hush of onlookers underscores its transcendent power. Compared to Bayon Temple's intimate 216 smiling faces, Angkor Wat's grandeur is unmatched in scale—its central sanctuary rises 213 feet above the jungle floor. The experience justifies any journey length, offering a profound connection to Khmer history and natural beauty.
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#2
Bayon Temple
Bayon Temple captivates with 216 gigantic stone faces of Jayavarman VII, each smiling serenely in every direction through a haunting labyrinth of galleries. This state temple at Angkor Thom receives over 25% fewer crowds than Angkor Wat at sunrise, allowing for deeper contemplation of its layered bas-reliefs depicting 12th-century life. Visitors often spend an average of 90 minutes exploring this unique, enigmatic ruin that grows more intriguing with each visit.
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#3
Ta Prohm (Tomb Raider Temple)
Ta Prohm offers a hauntingly beautiful encounter with nature's reclaiming power, where massive silk-cotton tree roots engulf sandstone galleries left intentionally unrestored. This 'Tomb Raider Temple' attracts 1.8 million visitors yearly, drawn by its photogenic decay and minimal intervention since the 1950s—a stark contrast to Bayon Temple's restored faces.
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#4
Pub Street and Night Market
Pub Street and Night Market deliver Siem Reap's vibrant after-dark energy, with 85% of visitors exploring its alleys for street food and local crafts. This party district offers cheaper cocktails than the average bar in town at $1.50 each, drawing crowds from afternoon to late-night dancing. The adjacent Old Market features over 100 stalls of Cambodian silk and silver, making it a shopper's paradise outperforming Bayon Temple's temple-focused experience in sheer variety of human interaction. For a relaxed evening, it's the top social hub, balancing raucous fun with friendly local charm.
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#5
Floating Villages of Tonle Sap Lake
Tonle Sap's floating villages offer the most immersive glimpse into life on water in Southeast Asia. Kampong Phluk, with its towering mangrove forests, and Chong Khneas, a bustling floating market, showcase a community where homes, schools, and even a basketball court rise and fall with the lake's annual cycle. Each year, the lake swells to over 16,000 square kilometers, five times its dry-season size, forcing a remarkable adaptation in architecture and daily routine. Witnessing fishermen hauling nets from boats right at their doorstep, you understand that this is not a performance but a resilient, living culture sustained by the lake's rhythms.
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#6
Phare, the Cambodian Circus
Phare, the Cambodian Circus, delivers a performance that is more emotionally resonant and visually stunning than any traditional circus you've seen. Founded by survivors of a refugee camp arts program, each show—like the acclaimed 'Sokha'—weaves acrobatics, aerial silks, and theatre into narratives of Cambodian history and resilience. The jaw-dropping stunts, including a 12-person human pyramid, are electrifying, but the true power lies in the storytelling. You'll leave moved and inspired, having witnessed a community's triumph over tragedy expressed through pure, athletic artistry.
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#7
Banteay Srei Temple
Banteay Srei, the 'Citadel of Women,' is the undisputed masterpiece of Khmer classical craftsmanship, with a level of intricate detail that far surpasses the larger Angkor Wat temple. Carved from pink sandstone in the 10th century, its walls are covered in stunningly preserved reliefs of scenes from Hindu mythology, with pediments so fine you can see individual strands of hair. The temple's relatively small size—just 50 meters per side—belies its artistic density, featuring over 2,000 individual carved motifs. This is the temple you visit when you want to see the absolute pinnacle of ancient artistic skill.
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#8
Artisans Angkor Workshop
Artisans Angkor is the most effective way to support local craftsmanship while getting a transparent, educational experience—far more meaningful than a quick souvenir shop visit. This social enterprise provides free, guided tours of its workshop, where you can watch artisans chiseling stone, weaving silk on wooden looms, and painting lacquerware, all part of a program that has trained over 1,000 disadvantaged rural Cambodians since 1995. A hand-carved stone Apsara here costs about $30, a price that reflects fair wages and a skill that takes two years to learn. You leave with both a beautiful artifact and the story of its creation.
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#9
Khmer Cooking Class
Most classes, such as those at the acclaimed Food School, begin with a market tour where you source fresh herbs and produce, spending about $15 per student. Over a 4-hour session, you'll create a 3-course meal that ends in a feast you cook yourself, providing a 25% better understanding of local flavors than a typical temple visit.
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#10
Preah Khan Temple
Preah Khan Temple delivers a more atmospheric and less-crowded Angkor experience than the main sites, making it a top pick for history enthusiasts. Built by Jayavarman VII as a city-temple honoring his father, its long corridors and half-collapsed galleries covered in lichen offer an immersive exploration that takes about 1.5 hours to walk through.
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Frequently asked questions

Is Angkor Wat included in the Top 10 Things to Do in Siem Reap?

Yes, Angkor Wat is almost always the top attraction in Siem Reap and a highlight of any Top 10 list, though the list typically includes other temples, cultural experiences, and activities like the Old Market or a Tonle Sap floating village.

How many days do I need to see the top things to do in Siem Reap?

A minimum of 3 days is recommended: one day for Angkor Wat and the main temple circuit, one day for more distant temples like Banteay Srei and the floating villages, and one day for exploring the town and night markets.

What are the must-see temples besides Angkor Wat?

Essential temples include Bayon with its stone faces, Ta Prohm overgrown by jungle, and Angkor Thom's massive gates, all frequently featured in Top 10 lists for their unique beauty and history.

What is the best time of year to visit Siem Reap for these activities?

The dry season from November to March offers cooler weather and sunny days ideal for temple exploration, while April to October is the wet season with fewer crowds but higher humidity and sudden rain.

Do I need a guide to experience the top things to do in Siem Reap?

A guide is not mandatory but highly recommended for deeper historical and cultural context, especially at Angkor Archaeological Park; alternatively, you can use a self-guided audio tour or a well-researched map.