Sights in Cambodia

For most visitors Cambodia's great sights mean the Angkor temples outside Siem Reap, with Phnom Penh's Royal Palace and Khmer Rouge memorials as the second stop. Prices are quoted in US dollars, tuk-tuks are hired by the trip or the day, and the one rule that saves money is to buy your visa only on the government's own site, evisa.gov.kh, because look-alike visa sites charge several times the real fee.

Checked 6 October 2026

Our sight guides for Cambodia

Visiting sights in Cambodia

Passes and tickets

There is no national pass. The ticket that matters is the Angkor Pass, sold only by the government's Angkor Enterprise (online at angkorenterprise.gov.kh, in its Angkor Pass app or at the ticket office on Road 60 in Siem Reap): $37 for one day, $62 for any three days within a week and $72 for any seven days within a month (October 2026). It covers the temples inside the Angkor park, including Angkor Wat, the Bayon, Ta Prohm and Banteay Srei. Angkor Enterprise also sells separate day tickets for the outlying temples of Koh Ker ($15) and Beng Mealea ($10). The Royal Palace and the genocide memorials in Phnom Penh sell their own tickets on site.

Free entry and discounts

Children under 12 enter the Angkor park free (bring their passports as proof of age), though they may not climb Angkor Wat's upper tower. Buy a pass dated for tomorrow and you can go in after 16:45 the evening before for sunset without using a day. The 3-day pass ($62) costs less than two single days ($74) and can be used on any three days within a week. There are no student or senior discounts at Angkor, and no one can sell the pass cheaper than Angkor Enterprise.

Getting between the sights

Most visitors fly into Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (about 50 km from town) or Phnom Penh. Between the two cities, buses cost from about $10; Giant Ibis and Mekong Express are the better-known operators. Locally, tuk-tuks are the default: agree the fare and destination before you set off, or use the Grab or PassApp apps for fixed prices (PassApp is cash only, Grab takes cards). Around Angkor a tuk-tuk for the day runs about $15 for the main temples and $20–30 for outlying ones, with about $3 extra for a sunrise start; licensed drivers wear grey numbered vests in the park. Land crossings from Thailand are suspended (FCDO, October 2026), so you cannot come overland from Bangkok.

Dress codes and customs at temples

Angkor's Visitor Code of Conduct prohibits shorts and skirts above the knee and bare shoulders in sacred places, and the rule is strictly enforced at Angkor Wat's upper level. Phnom Penh's Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda also turn away bare legs and shoulders (a scarf does not count), and staff may sell you a ticket before telling you. Monks are revered: ask before photographing them, and women should not touch them or sit close beside them. Monks do not ask for money, so anyone in robes soliciting donations at a tourist site is not a monk. The code also asks visitors not to buy from children or give them sweets or money, because it keeps them out of school.

Seasons, holidays and crowds

November to March is cooler, drier and the busiest time, peaking around Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year, when buses and rooms book up. April and May are the hottest months, with temperatures reaching about 40°C. The rainy season runs roughly from June to October: temples are quietest and mornings often dry, but storms flood roads and outlying routes turn muddy. Big Cambodian holidays fill buses, roads and Angkor itself: Khmer New Year in mid-April, Pchum Ben in September or October and the Water Festival in November. Angkor Wat's upper level also closes on Buddhist holy days, which follow the lunar calendar.

Scams, safety and official advice

Apply for an e-visa only at evisa.gov.kh or the official e-visa app, at least four days ahead; the Foreign Ministry has warned that look-alike sites charge far more than its fee (one tourist paid $300) and that lost money cannot be recovered. The free e-Arrival card for air arrivals is at arrival.gov.kh. The UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel within 20 km of the Thai border after fighting in 2025 and a ceasefire signed on 27 December; border temples including Preah Vihear are closed. Landmines and unexploded weapons remain: do not stray off main routes in rural areas, including around temples. Bag snatching from passing motorbikes is the commonest theft, and fake dollar notes turn up in change.

Also worth the trip

Not on Sightsale yet, but worth knowing about.

  • Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, Phnom Penh

    The king's riverside palace compound, with the Silver Pagoda and its Emerald Buddha. Cover shoulders and legs; shorts must reach the knee.

  • Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek

    The Khmer Rouge prison in a former Phnom Penh school and the killing fields outside the city. Harrowing, and the most direct way to understand Cambodia's recent history.

  • Beng Mealea

    A vast, jungle-swallowed 12th-century temple about 80 km from Siem Reap, with its own $10 day ticket from Angkor Enterprise. Often combined with Koh Ker in one long day.

  • Koh Ker

    A 10th-century royal capital about 120 km north of Angkor, with a seven-tiered pyramid temple and more than ten temples in the forest. A $15 day ticket from Angkor Enterprise; a long day trip from Siem Reap.

  • Sambor Prei Kuk

    Pre-Angkorian brick temples in the forest near Kampong Thom, roughly halfway between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. A quiet stop on the road between the two.

  • Kampot

    A riverside town on the south coast, base for Bokor National Park, the pepper farms and the seaside at Kep. A slow-paced end to a temple trip.

Questions people ask about visiting Cambodia

How do I get a Cambodian e-visa safely?

Apply only at evisa.gov.kh, or in the official e-visa app on iOS or Android, at least four days before you travel. Cambodia's Foreign Ministry has warned that look-alike sites charge several times the real fee, and it cannot recover money lost to them. You also need to fill in the free e-Arrival card at arrival.gov.kh within seven days before flying in.

Should I use US dollars or riel in Cambodia?

Both. Tourist prices, the Angkor Pass and the visa on arrival are in US dollars, and riel is used for small purchases and change, at about 4,000 riel to the dollar. Carry clean, untorn dollar notes, since damaged ones are often refused, and small bills, because change for $20 or more can be a problem.

Is it safe to visit Cambodia with the Thai border situation?

The UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel within 20 km of the Thai border after fighting in 2025 and a ceasefire signed on 27 December, and land crossings with Thailand are suspended (October 2026). Siem Reap, Angkor and Phnom Penh are outside that zone, but border temples such as Preah Vihear are closed.

How much is a tuk-tuk for a day at Angkor?

Expect about $15 for a day on the main temples and $20–30 for outlying ones (2026), plus about $3 for a sunrise start. A tuk-tuk takes up to four people at the same price; agree the route and total before you leave.

What should I wear to the temples in Cambodia?

Cover your shoulders and knees: Angkor's code of conduct bans shorts and skirts above the knee and bare shoulders in sacred places, and it is enforced at Angkor Wat's upper level. Bring a light shirt and long trousers or a long skirt for temple days.

Sources for this page (12)
  1. Angkor Enterprise: available tickets (Koh Ker, Beng Mealea) (accessed 6 October 2026)
  2. Angkor Enterprise: FAQs (sunset rule, children) (accessed 6 October 2026)
  3. Angkor Enterprise: Visitor Code of Conduct (accessed 6 October 2026)
  4. Royal Embassy of Cambodia, London: apply for an e-visa (accessed 6 October 2026)
  5. Cambodia e-Arrival (official) (accessed 6 October 2026)
  6. The Daily Star / Phnom Penh Post: Cambodia warns tourists over fake visa websites (accessed 6 October 2026)
  7. UK FCDO travel advice: Cambodia, warnings and insurance (accessed 6 October 2026)
  8. UK FCDO travel advice: Cambodia, safety and security (accessed 6 October 2026)
  9. UK FCDO travel advice: Cambodia, entry requirements (accessed 6 October 2026)
  10. Wikivoyage: Cambodia (accessed 6 October 2026)
  11. Wikivoyage: Phnom Penh (Royal Palace, Tuol Sleng, Choeung Ek) (accessed 6 October 2026)
  12. Wikivoyage: Angkor Archaeological Park (accessed 6 October 2026)