Siem Reap 3-Day Itinerary: Angkor, Bayon and the Lake

What is the best 3-day itinerary for Siem Reap?

Spend day one on Angkor Wat at sunrise and Angkor Thom, with a Phnom Bakheng sunset; day two on Banteay Srei and the Grand Circuit, ending at Pre Rup; and day three in town at the Angkor National Museum and APOPO, then a Tonlé Sap boat at sunset and the circus.

Three days is the classic Angkor trip, and the temptation is to spend all three inside the park. This plan keeps two full temple days and gives the third to the town, the lake and the people who keep the region going. That rhythm leaves you less templed-out and makes the most of a pass that, as the next section shows, is cheaper than two single days anyway.

It assumes you sleep in or near the centre, ideally by the Riverside or just off the Old Market (see where to stay in Siem Reap), and that you are free from the morning of day one. If you land at SAI in the evening, keep that night for dinner in town and start the plan the next morning.

Hours below come from Angkor Enterprise and the venues’ own websites on 16 October 2026. If you have a week, the Siem Reap 7-day itinerary adds Kulen, Beng Mealea, the lake villages and Battambang instead of squeezing them in here.

What do the three days look like at a glance?

Each day has one area, one early start and one weather swap. Day one is Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, day two Banteay Srei and the Grand Circuit, day three the town and the lake. The table lists official opening hours, what to book ahead and what to do if it is very hot or wet.

Nothing in this plan depends on the weekday, so you can swap days two and three freely if the forecast looks better for one of them. Keep day one first: Angkor Wat at sunrise is the anchor, and it gives context for everything else.

Midday breaks are built in. Bayon, Baphuon and Banteay Srei open at 07:30 and close at 17:30, while the park itself is open from 05:00 to 18:30, so the shape of every temple day is a dawn start, a long lunch and a late-afternoon return.

Which Angkor pass do you need for this plan?

Buy the 3-day pass at $62. It can be used on any three days within a week, so it covers both temple days and leaves a spare day for a second sunrise. Two 1-day passes would cost $74, so the 3-day pass is cheaper even if you only use it twice. Children under 12 need no ticket.

Angkor Enterprise sells the 1-day pass for $37, the 3-day pass for $62 (valid on any three days within seven) and the 7-day pass for $72 (valid within 30 days), with park entry from 05:00 to 18:30 (Angkor Enterprise tickets). Multi-day passes need a photo; the 1-day pass does not.

The 1-day pass covers the Small Circuit, including Angkor Wat, Phnom Bakheng, Bayon, Ta Prohm, Ta Keo, Banteay Kdei and Srah Srang, while the 3-day and 7-day passes add the Grand Circuit with Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Ta Som, East Mebon and Pre Rup (Angkor Enterprise FAQ). Day two of this plan needs the Grand Circuit, which is another reason to buy the 3-day pass.

Buy from the official site or the Angkor Pass app, or at the ticket office on Road 60; Angkor Enterprise says tickets bought anywhere else are not valid. Our Angkor temple pass guide weighs the options in more detail.

How should you spend day one at Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom?

Leave at about 04:30 for Angkor Wat, which opens at 05:00, watch the sun rise behind the towers, then walk the galleries before the heat builds. Move on to the Bayon and Baphuon from 07:30, take a long lunch in town, then see Ta Prohm and end with sunset at Phnom Bakheng.

Angkor Wat was built by King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century and, unusually, faces west, which is why the sun rises behind its towers (Angkor Enterprise: Angkor Wat). Its moat and outer wall run for 3.6 km, so allow at least two hours for the galleries and bas-reliefs after sunrise. Our Angkor Wat sunrise verdict covers whether the early start is worth it for you.

The Bayon, state temple of the Buddhist King Jayavarman VII, and the three-tiered Baphuon just north-west of it both open at 07:30 and close at 17:30 (Angkor Enterprise: Bayon; Baphuon). Seeing them mid-morning, after Angkor Wat, keeps you moving in the coolest part of the day.

After lunch and a rest, Ta Prohm is included in every pass and works best in the softer light of late afternoon. Finish at Phnom Bakheng, a late-9th-century hilltop temple that Angkor Enterprise describes as a popular sunset spot, with Angkor Wat about 1.5 km to the south-east; it is listed as open until 19:00 (Angkor Enterprise: Bakheng).

What should you see on day two?

Go north-east first to Banteay Srei, the 10th-century pink-sandstone temple 25 km from the main group, which opens at 07:30. Head back via the Grand Circuit: Preah Khan, Neak Pean and Ta Som, then East Mebon. Rest through the hottest hours and finish with sunset from the upper terraces of Pre Rup.

Banteay Srei is a 10th-century temple dedicated to Shiva, near the hill of Phnom Dei, 25 km north-east of the main temple group, and Angkor Enterprise lists it as open from 07:30 to 17:30 (Angkor Enterprise: Banteay Srei). Arriving at opening time beats both the heat and the tour groups.

Preah Khan was built in the 12th century for Jayavarman VII to honour his father, north-east of Angkor Thom and just west of the Jayatataka baray, and it stays open until 18:30 (Angkor Enterprise: Preah Khan). Its long corridors give welcome shade, so it can slot in either before lunch or as the first stop after your midday break.

Pre Rup and East Mebon are both on the Grand Circuit (Angkor Enterprise FAQ). A car is more comfortable than a tuk-tuk for this longer loop in hot or wet weather; agree the route, the stops and the waiting time with your driver the night before.

How should you spend day three in town and on the lake?

Start at the Angkor National Museum, which opens at 08:30, for the story behind what you have seen. After lunch, take a tour at the APOPO Visitor Center to meet the landmine-detection rats, then ride a Chong Kneas boat on the Tonlé Sap at sunset and finish with Phare, the Cambodian circus, at 20:00.

The Angkor National Museum opens from 08:30 to 18:00 between April and September and from 08:30 to 18:30 between October and March. The APOPO Visitor Center is open every day from 08:30 to 17:00, with the last tour at 16:30; tours cost $10, children under 10 go free, and APOPO asks visitors to book online. It is about ten minutes from downtown by tuk-tuk.

Chong Kneas boat tickets are sold only at the counter, 11.4 km from the city, from $28 for a small boat carrying one to five people or $38 for six to eight; Angkor Enterprise suggests departing between 16:30 and 17:15 for the best light (Angkor Enterprise boat rides). The lake is seasonally flooded, so ask at the counter what the water level allows on the day.

Phare, the Cambodian Circus, performs nightly at 20:00 year-round, with seats from $18 for adults in Section C to $38 in Section A, and seasonal 17:00 matinees on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays from November 2026 to March 2027. If you still have pass days left, use the morning for a second sunrise instead of the museum.

What should you wear and know before entering the temples?

Cover your shoulders and knees: the FCDO says visitors can be refused entry to religious sites, including Angkor Wat, in short skirts or shorts. Keep your e-ticket on your phone all day. Children under 12 enter free but cannot climb Angkor Wat’s steep upper tower, which is limited to visitors aged 12 and over.

The FCDO also warns that Cambodia is heavily affected by landmines and unexploded weapons, with mined areas often unmarked, and advises against straying off main routes in rural areas, including around temple complexes. Stick to paths at the outer temples.

Angkor Enterprise’s FAQ explains the under-12 rule and that children may be asked for a passport as proof of age (Angkor Enterprise FAQ). The APSARA National Authority publishes the Angkor code of conduct, which covers behaviour at the monuments; our religious site etiquette guide adds general advice for active pagodas.

Light, loose, long layers solve both the dress code and the sun. Carry water, a hat and small US dollar notes, and keep a phone charged for the e-ticket and for calling your driver.

How do you adjust the plan for heat, rain or holidays?

In March to May, when average highs reach 34.6–35.3°C, keep temple time to the first three hours and the last two of each day. In the wet season, save covered galleries and the museum for storms and decide on sunrise the night before. Book early if your trip overlaps the Water Festival or Khmer New Year.

The WMO averages for Siem Reap put the wettest month, September, at 305.2 mm of rain and the driest, February, at 3.8 mm. A 3-day pass valid over a week gives you room to move a temple day if a storm settles in, which is the main reason not to schedule the three days back to back without a buffer.

In 2026, the Water Festival runs from 23 to 25 November (Andersen Cambodia), and in 2027 from 12 to 14 November, with Khmer New Year over three days in April 2027 (Cambodianess). Expect busier temples and fuller hotels then, and keep the Tonlé Sap boat flexible around holiday crowds.

For month-by-month detail, see the best time to visit Siem Reap guide.

How do you get around Angkor for three days?

Hire a tuk-tuk with a driver for the Small Circuit day and a car for the longer Banteay Srei and Grand Circuit loop, both booked through your hotel or an app with the route agreed in advance. Angkor Enterprise allows scooter rental, but Cambodia’s road accident record makes a driver the safer choice.

The FCDO says Cambodia has one of the highest rates of road traffic accidents in south-east Asia and that travel after dark significantly increases the risk. Pre-dawn sunrise runs are unavoidable, so a sober, experienced driver who knows the park roads is worth paying for.

Tuk-tuks with metal grills on the back and sides give some protection against bag snatching, the most common theft the FCDO reports. Agree the day’s stops, the waiting time and the price before you set off, and keep valuables away from the roadside.

If you prefer a guide, a licensed guide adds context to the bas-reliefs at Angkor Wat and the faces of the Bayon. Compare marketplaces in GetYourGuide vs Viator vs Klook before booking.

Is three days enough for Siem Reap?

Yes, for the main temples. Three days lets you see Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm, Banteay Srei and the Grand Circuit at a humane pace, plus one day in town and on the lake. Add more days only if you want Kulen, Beng Mealea, the floating villages or Battambang.

If you want those, the Siem Reap 7-day itinerary spreads the temples over four days on a 7-day pass and adds the day trips. If you are still choosing dates, start with the best time to visit Siem Reap; for more ideas, see things to do in Siem Reap.

Sort mobile data before you land with eSIM vs pocket Wi-Fi vs roaming, so the Angkor Pass app, e-tickets and driver messages work from the first morning.