THE OVERVIEW
Build Siem Reap around responsible engagement with Angkor, contemporary Cambodian culture and local life, with temple pacing, heat and current border security treated explicitly. Old Market and Wat Bo: Restaurants, river access and first-time convenience. Pub Street noise varies sharply by block. Wat Damnak: Quieter lanes and cultural institutions. Limited pavements and dark roads at night. Charles de Gaulle Road: Resort choice and direct Angkor approach. Less local street life and vehicle dependence.
YEAR AT A GLANCE
The weather rhythm in Siem Reap.
Climate averages, not a forecast. Current conditions still need checking before travel.
- Jan33.8° / 20.8°11.6 mm rain
- Feb35.8° / 23°17.8 mm rain
- Mar36.7° / 25.1°45.6 mm rain
- Apr36° / 25.9°73.9 mm rain
- May34° / 25.6°143.6 mm rain
- Jun31.8° / 24.9°180.2 mm rain
- Jul30.6° / 24.4°197.8 mm rain
- Aug30.4° / 24.3°211 mm rain
- Sep30.1° / 24.2°232.5 mm rain
- Oct30.7° / 23.5°140 mm rain
- Nov31.2° / 21.8°34.9 mm rain
- Dec32.1° / 20.3°6 mm rain
Average daily high, low and rainfall: NASA POWER Daily API, Siem Reap destination coordinates (13.3633, 103.8564), 1991 to 2020
experience
Angkor Wat
Planning note
Visit with a licensed guide who can address religious meaning, hydraulic planning, conservation and modern national significance.
Details should be checked for your travel dates.experience
Angkor Thom and Bayon
Planning note
Allow time for the city scale, gates and water systems rather than rushing between carved faces.
Details should be checked for your travel dates.experience
Banteay Srei
Planning note
The smaller temple rewards close attention to carving and can be paired with carefully chosen rural stops.
Details should be checked for your travel dates.experience
Angkor National Museum
Planning note
A useful air-conditioned introduction to Khmer art and religious iconography before or between temple days.
Details should be checked for your travel dates.experience
Wat Bo and Made in Cambodia Market
Planning note
Combine a living temple with direct support for contemporary Cambodian makers.
Details should be checked for your travel dates.station
Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport
airport
The new airport is about 45 km east of town, so transfers take considerably longer than from the former airport.
Details should be checked for your travel dates.travel_advice
Siem Reap climate normals
Verified 1991 to 2020 monthly averages
Verified historical data at the destination coordinates show average daily highs from 30.1°C to 36.7°C, lows from 20.3°C to 25.9°C and average monthly rainfall from 6 mm to 232.5 mm across the year.
Details should be checked for your travel dates.travel_advice
Choosing the time to go
Seasonal planning
November to February is cooler and driest, with peak demand. March to May is extremely hot. Rains from roughly May to October bring humidity but greener landscapes and fuller moats.
Details should be checked for your travel dates.travel_advice
Plan the complete route
Access and practical detail
Traffic behaviour, heat, humidity and inconsistent pavements may be more limiting than mapped distance. Obtain exact step-free room, bathroom and vehicle details in writing rather than relying on a general accessibility label. Pre-book airport assistance and allow generous transfer buffers. Current UK advice affecting the Cambodia-Thailand border must be checked before any overland routing; do not infer that a tourist itinerary is safe from distance alone.
Details should be checked for your travel dates.travel_advice
Current travel guidance
Keep official advice date-specific
Recheck Cambodia-Thailand border warnings, entry requirements, unexploded-ordnance guidance and regional security immediately before travel.
Details should be checked for your travel dates.STAY
Hotels to consider
A considered starting point, not a statement of availability or a booking recommendation.
Jaya House River Park
Small socially engaged hotel
Siem Reap, Cambodia
For attentive small-hotel service and a quieter riverside setting.
A tuk-tuk or car is useful for the centre and temples.Viroth’s Hotel
Independent design hotel
Siem Reap, Cambodia
For walkable dining, thoughtful design and a manageable scale.
Pool-facing and street-facing rooms have different noise profiles.Shinta Mani Angkor
Central design hotel
Siem Reap, Cambodia
For central convenience and established community programmes.
The resort atmosphere and multiple wings require careful room selection.ORIENTATION
A sense of place
Every marker uses coordinates supplied by the published Desk guide.
AT A GLANCE
Practical notes
- Typical stay
- Shape the stay around a coherent route and the required transfer time.
- When to consider
- November to February is cooler and driest, with peak demand. March to May is extremely hot. Rains from roughly May to October bring humidity but greener landscapes and fuller moats.
- Climate
- NASA POWER historical data at the destination coordinates provide a complete 1991 to 2020 series aggregated into 12 calendar-month normals. Average daily highs range from 30.1°C to 36.7°C, lows from 20.3°C to 25.9°C and average monthly rainfall from 6 mm to 232.5 mm. These are climate averages, not a forecast.
- Getting around
- Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport: The new airport is about 45 km east of town, so transfers take considerably longer than from the former airport.
- Worth preparing for
- Traffic behaviour, heat, humidity and inconsistent pavements may be more limiting than mapped distance. Obtain exact step-free room, bathroom and vehicle details in writing rather than relying on a general accessibility label. Pre-book airport assistance and allow generous transfer buffers. Current UK advice affecting the Cambodia-Thailand border must be checked before any overland routing; do not infer that a tourist itinerary is safe from distance alone. Recheck Cambodia-Thailand border warnings, entry requirements, unexploded-ordnance guidance and regional security immediately before travel.
Sources and credits
- Jaya House River Park official website · Jaya House River Park
- Viroth’s Hotel official website · Viroth’s Hotel
- Shinta Mani Angkor official website · Shinta Mani Angkor
- Angkor Wat official information · Angkor Wat
- Angkor National Museum official information · Angkor National Museum
- Wat Bo and Made in Cambodia Market official information · Wat Bo and Made in Cambodia Market
- Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport official website · Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport
- Cambodia travel advice · UK FCDO
- NASA POWER 1991 to 2020 climate series · NASA POWER · NASA POWER daily gridded estimates at the destination coordinates; complete 1991 to 2020 daily maximum, minimum and corrected precipitation series aggregated into 12 calendar-month normals; raw response checksum 347a6924a2711c5c8dde9be4be7dfded1fd3d33d9f4d5414aa7bcd325512227f verified 2026-09-22
Guide last reviewed 22 September 2026.