20 Best Things to Do in Siem Reap Beyond the Temples

Featured image: Pierre André Leclercq, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

20 Best Things to Do in Siem Reap

Prices and hours checked November 2026. We group the list loosely: temples first, then day trips, town sights and evenings. Evening plans work around Phare's 8:00pm main show and the Angkor National Museum's 6:30pm winter closing. Pick five or six items, not all twenty.

1. Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat is the temple most Siem Reap trips are built around, set inside Angkor Archaeological Park. Its long entrance causeway and carved gallery walls repay a slow walk rather than a quick photo stop. We'd go early, before midday heat builds, and give it at least a half day.

Entry runs through the park pass, so read the rules on the Apsara Authority site before you buy. Skip it only if early starts are a dealbreaker, since no other site here replaces it.

2. Bayon and Angkor Thom

Angkor Thom is the walled city inside the park, and the Bayon is its centrepiece. Its towers carry large carved faces, which look different as the light moves across them. Allow two to three hours for the Bayon and the gate and terrace area around it.

We'd pair it with Ta Prohm on the same morning, then rest through the hottest hours. Skip it if you only have time for one temple; Angkor Wat is the higher priority.

3. Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm is the temple where tree roots grow over the stonework, left deliberately overgrown. Its narrow passages and fallen blocks feel quite different from the open layout of Angkor Wat. One to two hours is enough, and early morning gives you fewer people in the corridors.

It uses the same park pass as the other main temples. Skip it if you dislike crowds at photo spots, or visit right at opening.

4. Banteay Srei

Banteay Srei is a small temple known for its fine carving in pink sandstone. It lies roughly 25-30 km northeast of Siem Reap, so plan a half-day outing. Temple access generally runs 6:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

A satellite Angkor Pass counter sits at the temple, taking cash in USD and major credit cards. Skip it if you are already templed out; its charm is detail, not scale.

5. Beng Mealea

Beng Mealea is a large temple left largely overgrown, with collapsed galleries you can scramble past. It sits farther out than Banteay Srei, so it suits a full-day outing rather than a quick stop. We'd combine it with other outlying sites on one hired car or tuk-tuk day.

Ticket needs differ from the main park, so confirm the pass rules with the park authority. Skip it if you prefer restored, easy-to-walk monuments.

6. Phnom Kulen

Phnom Kulen is a sacred mountain north of town with a waterfall, a riverbed carved with lingas and a reclining Buddha. Reports say the road runs one-way, uphill until about noon and downhill in the afternoon, so leave early. Allow a full day, with roughly two hours' drive each way reported by visitors.

Dress modestly for the temple, covering knees and shoulders. Skip it in the driest months if the waterfall is the main draw, as flow drops.

7. Angkor National Museum

Angkor National Museum gives context for the temples, with Khmer statuary and religious objects in themed galleries. It is open daily, 8:30 to 18:30 from 1 October to 31 March and 8:30 to 18:00 from 1 April to 30 September. Visits usually take 1 to 2 hours, and the free DANCING APSARAS exhibition is open to all visitors.

Phone photos without flash are allowed, and a free locked deposit box takes bags. It also makes a cooler fallback on a rainy afternoon; our rainy day activities cover more indoor options.

8. Old Market (Psar Chas)

Psar Chas is the old central market, a working market selling food, clothes and souvenirs near Pub Street. Wander the food aisles in the morning and the souvenir lanes later in the day. Prices are negotiable, so start well below the first quote and stay friendly.

Keep valuables zipped, as pickpocketing is a general risk in crowded markets. Skip it if raw meat and fish stalls bother you, or stick to the souvenir side.

9. Angkor Night Market

Night markets cluster near Pub Street and the Old Market, selling clothing, silk, art and handicrafts. They suit an unhurried hour after dinner, once temple heat has faded. Compare a few stalls before buying, since similar goods repeat across lanes.

Rice-based painting and handmade pieces are worth a look over mass-made T-shirts. Skip it if you dislike haggling; fixed-price craft shops are calmer.

10. Pub Street

Pub Street is the loud centre of Siem Reap nightlife, lined with bars and restaurants. Beer is cheap relative to the food, which is pricier than at street stalls. We'd go once for the atmosphere, then eat elsewhere.

Expect music, touts and crowds late into the evening. Skip it if you want quiet; families can read our family guide to Siem Reap for calmer evening ideas.

11. Phare, the Cambodian Circus

Phare is a social-enterprise show mixing acrobatics, music and theatre, with no animals used. The main show runs nightly at 8:00pm for 1 hour, and the evening experience with street food starts at 5:30pm. Section A costs $38 reserved, Section B $28 and Section C $18 for adults, with children aged 5-11 at $18, $15 and $10.

Between November 2026 and March 2027 a 5:00pm matinee runs Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Skip it with very young children: themes include war and ghosts, and some shows use strobe lights and loud music.

12. Street food on Pokambor Avenue

Hawker stalls line Pokambor Avenue beside the river near the Old Bridge. Noodles, fried rice and fruit shakes cost far less than Pub Street meals. Go in the evening when more stalls are open.

Choose busy stalls with fast turnover, and carry small notes. Skip adventurous snacks like fried insects unless you are curious; they are mainly a photo stop.

13. Chong Kneas floating village

Chong Kneas is the closest Tonle Sap boat departure, with a ticket office at the pier about 15-16 km south of Siem Reap. Boat tours generally run from around 5 AM to 5:30 PM daily. Tickets can be paid in cash USD or by major credit card.

Water level shapes the experience, with wet season usually giving a fuller lake. Skip it if you want a quieter, less commercial village; compare the next option.

14. Kompong Khleang or Kampong Phluk

Both are stilt-house villages on the Tonle Sap, farther out than Chong Kneas. We'd pick Kompong Khleang for a larger village and a late-afternoon lake trip, and Kampong Phluk for flooded forest by boat. Allow a half day for either, and check water levels with the operator.

A community-run tour keeps more money local. Skip both in the driest weeks if the stilts are the point, since water is low.

15. Artisans Angkor and the silk farm

Artisans Angkor trains young Cambodians in silk weaving, wood carving and stone work. The silk farm shows the full process, from silkworms to dyeing and weaving. It sits outside the centre, so a tuk-tuk with waiting time works well.

The shop prices reflect handmade work and training wages. Skip it if you only want cheap souvenirs; the night markets suit that better.

16. APOPO Visitor Centre

APOPO trains rats to detect landmines, and its visitor centre explains the work. A tour covers training methods and how the animals work in the field. Plan about an hour, and book ahead if you can.

It adds useful context on Cambodia's mine-clearance history. Skip it if you are uneasy around rodents, though the animals work in harnesses and stay at a distance.

17. Angkor Wat Putt

Angkor Wat Putt is a mini-golf course with temple miniatures as obstacles. It makes a light break between temple days. Reports suggest it sits a bit out of town, so plan a tuk-tuk ride.

Visit in daylight, when bugs are fewer. Skip it if you want cultural depth; it is for fun, mostly with kids or friends.

18. Khmer cooking class

Cooking classes in Siem Reap usually start at a local market, then move to a kitchen. Dishes like fish amok and samlor machu kreung are common choices. Expect about half a day, and book ahead in high season.

Pick a school that lists small groups and clear menus. Skip it if you only want to eat; a restaurant meal costs less effort.

19. War Museum Cambodia

The War Museum shows military hardware from Cambodia's civil conflict, including tanks, helicopters and mines. Guides often add personal stories, which give weight to the exhibits. It is a short ride from town.

Allow about an hour and bring cash. Skip it if you prefer lighter days; the subject matter is serious.

20. Quad bike countryside tour

Quad tours cross rice paddies and village tracks outside the centre. They suit active travellers who want an afternoon away from temples. See our guide to a Siem Reap Quad Bike Tour: What to Know Before You Book for what to expect.

Wear closed shoes, cover up from dust and bring water. Skip it in heavy rain, when tracks turn slippery.

How to Plan Your Days in Siem Reap

Take one temple morning at a time, then rest from late morning to mid-afternoon. A cooler second half of the day suits Banteay Srei, which stays open until 4:30 PM, or a museum visit before the 6:30pm closing.

One day: Angkor Wat and the Bayon, then dinner at Pokambor Avenue. Two days: add Ta Prohm and Phare at 8:00pm. Three days: add Banteay Srei and a boat trip. Four days or more: add Phnom Kulen or Beng Mealea, plus a rest day. Cut the outlying temples first if time is short. Wet-season visitors can lean on our wet-weather options.

Costs and Tickets for Siem Reap

Angkor park passes are sold through the official authority, so read current prices and rules on the Cambodia Ministry of Tourism site or the park authority. For the evening, Phare tickets run from $18 to $38 for adults depending on section. Many other sights cost little. Our guide to Free Things To Do in Siem Reap (What's Actually Free and What Isn't) helps stretch a budget.