Angkor Wat is the world’s largest religious structure and is one of the most important archeological sites in Southeast Asia. It is an enormous Buddhist temple complex that housed the Khmer Empire in the 12th century. But that’s pretty much ALL we know… at some point, the entirety of the Khmer people just disappeared and all that is left behind is the Angkor ruins that we see today.
There is so much unknown about the history of the Khmer Empire, which makes Angkor even more fascinating to visit. While I am not going to give you a history lesson here, I do encourage you to read a bit about it before going. It is incredibly captivating.
The three-day itinerary outlined below is meant for travelers that like to see as much as possible, while still enjoying enough time to appreciate each stop. If you ONLY have one day at Angkor Wat, then you should check out our one day Angkor Wat itinerary.
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Is Three Days Enough Time?
Three days is a good amount of time for the average person to allot for Angkor Wat. What do I mean by this? Basically, unless you are a super savvy history buff, a photographer, or someone who has a little extra time to spare then three days will be plenty of time to see ENOUGH… and honestly by the end of the third day you will probably be ready to move on.
The entirety of the place is fascinating and exciting to explore, but at the same time it all kind of becomes jumbled together. Most of the literature is speculation and with no real history to read about, you can start to feel a little lost. Three days is plenty.
Angkor Wat Layout
It’s important that you understand the layout of the area before diving headfirst into exploring. The Angkor Archeological Park is laid out over 400 sq km… AKA it’s massive. If you thought you’d be taking a walking tour of the area, you’d be wrong.
The park has a “small circuit”, a “grand circuit” and a “outer circuit”. These refer to popular routes that tourists and locals have traveled throughout the years that make the most out of your time. See the map below to get an understanding of what I mean.
How to Get Around Angkor Wat
There are 2 main ways to get around the Angkor Wat complex. The first and most popular way is via tuk-tuk. There are tuk-tuk’s EVERYWHERE in Siem Reap, and every single one of them will be vying for your business, which can get overwhelming. Some will speak a little English, but most do not speak any. They usually have a laminated paper with the tour options on them with pricing and you can point to what you want and then agree on a time that they will pick you up.
One thing to note about the tuk-tuk drivers is that they ARE NOT tour guides. They are simply a means of transportation that take you from one temple to another, nothing more. You CAN hire a tuk-tuk driver + tour guide but you should book that through your accommodation to make sure you are getting a guide that speaks good English.
The second most popular way to get around Angkor is via motorbike. We chose this option as it gave us the most flexibility. We could literally go anywhere at any time and honestly, we had a blast cruising through Angkor on our bike! 10/10 recommend if you are comfortable driving one.
Day 1: Small Circuit
You’re going to start day 1 with an early morning to catch the sunrise at Angkor Wat! Honestly, you might as well get used to the early wakeup call because you’ll be hitting the sunrise in Angkor for all three days!
QUICK TIPS FOR SUNRISE AT ANGKOR WAT
- The gate to Angkor will open at 5 am, but there will undoubtedly already be a line of people waiting to get in by that time. You should arrive around 445 so that you’re there when the gate opens.
- The classic “Angkor Wat reflection pond” is the pond on the LEFT if you are facing Angkor Wat, but as of January 2023 that area is gated off for restoration of the grass. The pond on the RIGHT isn’t the classic site, but it still puts off a beautiful reflection!
- DO NOT put your entire focus on the reflection ponds. There are SO MANY INSANELY BEAUTIFUL SPOTS to watch the sunrise at Angkor Wat. The pond areas will be super crowded, as those are the spots the tour groups go to. They are not a peaceful or enjoyable experience, so unless you have your heart set on having that photo, I would recommend going literally anywhere else.
- You probably ran off without your coffee since you left so early, but NO WORRIES because the street vendors will literally come up to you at your sunrise spot and sell you coffee and snacks.
- I would suggest spending 2/3 sunrise mornings at Angkor Wat that way on your first morning you can just enjoy the sunrise without worry about getting “a good photo spot” and you can scout where you want to capture the sunrise the next day!
Angkor Wat Day 1 continued…
Okay so most of the “tours” take both the small circuit and the Grand circuit clockwise, which is why you should do exactly OPPOSITE of that. Once you have enjoyed your morning at Angkor Wat you will want to start your small circuit journey counterclockwise. You will still encounter some crowds, but not nearly as much as if you go the other way. Here are some of the stops you should make along the way:
- Banteay Kdei
- Ta Phrom
- Ta Keo
- Thommanon & Chau Say Tevoda
- Phnom Bakheng (good for sunset)
It is important to note that the Angkor Thom complex is usually included in the small circuit tours, but you should leave that entire area for the third day because it is kind of like a “mini circuit” inside of the “small circuit”. It is nice to be able to spend a little time there and not have to feel rushed.
Day 2: Grand Circuit
Today you’ll be making your way around the Temples in the greater Angkor area! This was my favorite of the three days because the grand circuit has much less people and more solitude. Once again, you should travel counterclockwise to avoid travelling the same route/time as the tours. Here’s the sites you shouldn’t miss:
- Pre Rup (good for sunrise)
- East Mebon
- Ta Som
- Neak Pean
- Banteay Prei
- Preah Khan
Day 3: Angkor Thom
Day 3 is going to start the same way day 1 did… Angkor Wat sunrise! This time you’ll have already scouted the area and will know exactly where you want to set up.
After sunrise you’ll head straight to the Angkor Thom complex. Being at Angkor Thom this early is a treat because everyone usually lingers and explores Angkor Wat for a while after the sun rises, leaving the Angkor Thom area empty.
Angkor Thom is a walled city within Angkor that is surrounded by a moat and has 5 entrance points or “gates”. There are various temples to see within Angkor Thom which is why I dedicated day 3 to the area.
** Fun Fact: There are various monkey families who have taken home to the Angkor Thom area. While they are very cute creatures, PLEASE do not feed them or leave trash behind as tourist/human impact harms them, even if your heart is in the right place.
Here’s the “must-see’s” in Angkor Thom:
- South Gate
- The Bayon
- The Baphuon
- Terrace of the Elephants
- Terrace of the Leper King
There are others in the area that you will pass or come across. You have the whole day to explore so do so at your own leisure! At this point we felt we had seen it all… or at least seen everything that we wanted to, so we called it a day and went back to our accommodation for some drinks and down time after 3 early mornings and long days!
Know Before You Go
- Purchase your ticket in advance: You will want to purchase your ticket the evening before your “day 1” because the ticket office doesn’t open early enough for you to snag your tix before sunrise.
- Dress appropriately: Women should dress with shoulders and knees covered. For men, shorts are fine but no tanks.
- Wear comfortable shoes: Each of the temple sites require a lot of walking and stair climbing to explore them, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes.
- Bring water and snacks: They do sell water and snacks inside Angkor, but they will be 5x more expensive than if you just bring your own.
- NEVER ride the elephants: please, please don’t ride elephants.
- Most temples don’t open until 0730: If you’re planning on catching the sunrise at Angkor, you’ll have to do it from one of the few that open before this time.
- Prepare for the unrelenting sun: sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, water, etc. That desert sun is unforgiving and you will sweat way more than you plan to.
Is Angkor Wat a part of your bucket-list Southeast Asia trip?! Check out our epic 1 month Southeast Asia itinerary for all of the stops you shouldn’t miss!
