Best Time to Visit Siem Reap & Angkor Wat: Weather by Month, Crowds and Sunrise Times

Siem Reap is the provincial capital of north-west Cambodia and the gateway to the Angkor Archaeological Park. The town grew up because of where it sits, 6 km south of Angkor Wat, and it still lives as the guardian of the ruins. So the right month for Siem Reap is really the right month for Angkor. That means a month when you can walk a temple causeway at 10 am without wilting, when sunrise is clear, and when the crowds have thinned.

Siem Reap sits at 13° north and has a tropical monsoon climate. That means one long dry season and one wet season, not four seasons. It is hot all year, so the choice is between dry heat with crowds and wet heat with empty temples. This page covers Siem Reap and Angkor. For the whole country, including Phnom Penh and the coast, see our guide to the best time to visit Cambodia.

Siem Reap seasons at a glance

May is the turn from the hot season into the rains. November is the shoulder month. The rains have mostly stopped, the countryside is still green, and hotels have not reached peak rates. Our Cambodia desk calls it the best-value month of the year.

Siem Reap weather by month

The table below uses the long-term averages that Cambodia's Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology publishes through the World Meteorological Organization for its Siem Reap station. Cambodia is 1.5 hours ahead of India. Sunrise times for each month are in the Angkor Wat sunrise table further down.

Source: WMO World Weather Information Service, Siem Reap (city 347), data from Cambodia's Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology. Crowd levels are the TravelTriangle Cambodia desk's assessment.

Two things in this table surprise people. First, Siem Reap is never cool in the Indian sense. The coldest average morning, in January, is 20°C, so a light jacket for a 4:30 am tuk-tuk ride is all the winter gear you need. Second, the hottest month is May (35.3°C), not April, though April feels worse because the air is dry and dusty and there is no cloud. October lists more rain days than September even though September gets more rain. That is how the station data reads: October's showers are more frequent and lighter.

Siem Reap month by month: what to expect

Siem Reap in January

January is the best month to visit Siem Reap if weather is all that matters. It is the coolest month on the WMO record, with 20°C at dawn and 30.9°C at the hottest part of the day, and it averages 4 mm of rain spread over 3 days. The sky is clear most mornings, so the sunrise at Angkor Wat, at about 6:30 am, is as reliable as it gets. The trade-off is people. The first two weeks carry the New Year crowd from Europe, Korea and China, and the north pool at Angkor Wat can be 10 deep by 6 am. Book hotels early, and expect the highest room rates of the year until about the 10th. From mid-January, crowds ease a little, and that second half is our pick for a first trip. Wear sleeves and long trousers for the temples. The dry air makes them comfortable even at noon.

Siem Reap in February

February is still dry, averaging 4 mm of rain, but it warms quickly. Highs climb to 32.3°C and mornings to 21°C. Sunrise is around 6:27 am, almost as late as January, so you do not need a brutal alarm. Crowds are a step down from January, with one big exception. Chinese New Year falls on Saturday 6 February 2027, and the week around it brings large tour groups from China, Vietnam and Malaysia, with hotel prices to match. Plan your Angkor days on either side of that week, or start at the far temples first. Later in February the paddy fields around town are brown and harvested, and dust blows off the fields along the roads to Banteay Srei and Beng Mealea, so a buff or mask helps on a tuk-tuk. It is still an excellent month, and the best for travellers who find January too busy.

Siem Reap in March

March is the start of the hot season. Highs reach 34.6°C and the first short storms appear, averaging 41 mm over 8 days. The one reason to plan around March is the spring equinox, around 20 to 21 March, when the sun rises directly over the central tower of Angkor Wat seen from the west entrance. Crowds are moderate, and Holi week (Holi falls on Tuesday 23 March 2027) suits Indian travellers well. Read our Cambodia in March guide for what else is on.

Siem Reap in April

April is hot, dry and bright, with highs of 34.8°C and only 48 mm of rain. Temple time shrinks to two windows, sunrise to about 10:30 am and 3:30 pm to closing. Khmer New Year runs from 14 to 16 April 2027, and Cambodians from across the country come to Angkor. Expect water fights in town and full temples, but also a real festival atmosphere. Smoke from field burning sometimes softens the views.

Siem Reap in May

May is the hottest month, averaging 35.3°C, and the month the rains return, with 143 mm over 13 days. Showers arrive as late-afternoon storms that clear the air. Tourist numbers drop sharply, and so do hotel rates. Sunrise is at its earliest, around 5:38 am, so leave town by 4:45 am. Indian school holidays begin in May. If that is your only window, it works, as long as you plan a pool break every afternoon.

Siem Reap in June

June is when the green season settles in. It brings 195 mm of rain on 20 days, though highs ease to 32.7°C. Mornings are often clear, and the rain usually comes after lunch. The rice fields are being planted, the moat starts to fill, and you share most temples with only a handful of others. Our Cambodia in June guide covers the rest of the country.

Siem Reap in July

July averages 170 mm over 25 days, so expect a short shower most days, often in the evening. Highs sit at 32.8°C and the countryside is at its greenest. European summer holidays bring a small bump in visitors, but numbers stay well below the dry season. The Tonle Sap lake begins to rise, and boat trips to the floating villages get easier as the month goes on.

Siem Reap in August

August is wet, with 170 mm of rain over 18 days, but it is one of the better green-season months. The reflecting pools at Angkor Wat are full, the moss on Ta Prohm is bright, and you can visit at 9 am without a crowd. Independence Day falls on a Sunday in 2027, so it adds no extra day off, but a 4-day trip around it still needs only two days of leave. See our Cambodia in August guide.

Siem Reap in September

September is the wettest month, with 305 mm of rain over 27 days. Some days bring a two-hour downpour. Low-lying streets near the river can flood after heavy rain, and the earth paths and courtyards at remote temples turn to mud. It is also the emptiest month at Angkor. The autumn equinox, around 22 to 23 September, brings the sun over the central tower again, if the clouds allow it. Read our Cambodia in September guide.

Siem Reap in October

October still brings 227 mm of rain, on 29 days in the record, but showers get shorter towards the end of the month. The Tonle Sap lake reaches its highest level, so this is the best month for the floating villages and the flooded forest. Pchum Ben, the festival of the dead, runs from 29 September to 1 October 2027. Our Cambodia in October guide has more.

Siem Reap in November

November is the shoulder month and the best value. Rain falls to 62 mm over 12 days, mostly early in the month, while the fields and moat are still full and green. The Water Festival holiday falls at the November full moon (23 to 25 November in 2026, 12 to 14 November in 2027). Siem Reap holds its own boat races on the river through town. In 2026 the province runs riverfront events from 20 to 25 November, with the races on the 23rd and 24th. Prices climb steeply from the last week. See our Cambodia in November guide.

Siem Reap in December

December is the best month to visit Siem Reap for most people, with the tourism industry at full speed, especially between Christmas and New Year. It averages only 7 mm of rain, the cool mornings (20.3°C) return, and highs stay near 30.7°C, so you can do a full temple day without retreating to the hotel. The rice harvest turns the fields gold around Banteay Srei. Two things shape the month. The Angkor Wat International Half Marathon (Sunday 6 December in 2026) fills the roads around Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom with runners from before dawn, so on race morning plan sunrise elsewhere or go after 10 am. From about 20 December to 5 January, Siem Reap has its busiest fortnight of the year. Hotel rates peak, good guides are booked out, and the north pool at sunrise (about 6:19 am) needs a 5:30 am arrival. Book rooms and drivers by October if you are going for Christmas.

Best time to visit Angkor Wat

The best time to visit Angkor Wat is November to February, for the same reasons as Siem Reap. The skies are dry, the mornings cooler and the sunrise views reliable. But at Angkor, the time of day matters more than the month. A well-planned day in May beats a badly planned day in January.

Plan your temple days around this rhythm in any season.

1. Leave your hotel 45 minutes before sunrise (4:45 am in May-July, 5:30 am in December-January). Angkor Wat opens at 5:00 am.

2. Watch sunrise from the north (left) pool, then walk straight in to the bas-reliefs while the crowd goes for breakfast. From 7:00 to 9:30 am the galleries are at their quietest.

3. Climb the Bakan, the top level, when the stairs open at about 7:40 am. Children under 12 are not allowed up, and the stairs stay shut on Buddhist holy days, about four days a month on the lunar calendar.

4. Move on to Angkor Thom and the Bayon by 9:30 am, before the tour buses.

5. Rest from about 11 am to 3 pm in the hot season (March to May). In the green season, use this window for lunch, because the rain usually comes in the afternoon.

6. Go back out at 3 pm. The west face of Angkor Wat glows from about 3:30 pm, and the temple closes at 5:30 pm.

7. Watch sunset from Phnom Bakheng (climb by 4 pm in peak season, the summit has a visitor cap) or the quieter Pre Rup.

The dry season is also when to go to the far temples. Banteay Srei, about 35 km north-east of town, has its pink sandstone carvings at their sharpest in the low morning light from December to February. Beng Mealea, about 70 km away and almost unrestored, is seen mostly from wooden walkways today, but its mossy stones, steps and the earth paths around it are slick and muddy in September, and the visit is far easier in the dry months. For ticket prices, opening hours and a stop-by-stop route, see our Angkor Wat ticket price and timings guide.

Angkor Wat sunrise and sunset times by month

Most guides say "sunrise at 5:30 am" for every month. That is close in June and nearly an hour early in January. Here are the calculated times for the 15th of each month at Angkor Wat.

Calculated with the NOAA solar formula for Angkor Wat's coordinates, Cambodia time (UTC+7). The sky starts to colour about 30 minutes before sunrise.

Angkor Wat closes at 5:30 pm and the earliest sunset of the year (November) is 5:34 pm, so you can never watch the sun set from inside. Use Phnom Bakheng or Pre Rup. The equinox sunrise, when the sun sits over the central tower, happens around 20 to 21 March and 22 to 23 September, and the effect lasts a couple of days either side. In March the sky is usually clear. In September you are betting against the clouds. If you buy a 1-day Angkor Pass for tomorrow after 4:45 pm, you can enter the park that evening for sunset, then use the pass all of the next day.

Festivals and events in Siem Reap 2026-27

Festivals change Siem Reap more than the weather does. Khmer New Year fills the temples with Cambodian families, and Chinese New Year fills the hotels. Dates below are for the 2026-27 season.

For festivals across the country, see our guide to festivals in Cambodia.

Visiting Siem Reap in the green season (June to October)

The green season is when Angkor looks most alive. The south-west monsoon brings regular afternoon and night showers, and the cloud takes the edge off the heat, with highs about 3°C below May. If you want quiet and to avoid the crowd, this is one of the best times to visit, and hotel rates and some fares drop sharply. The humidity stays high, so it is important to remember to stay hydrated.

What you gain is real. The moat and pools at Angkor Wat are full, so the reflection shot works all morning. At Ta Prohm, the roots and stones are covered in green moss, and the Bayon's faces look darker and sharper after rain. The waterfall at Phnom Kulen, about 50 km north of town, flows hard from August to November and slows to a trickle by April.

The Tonle Sap lake changes most of all. In the rains, the Mekong pushes water back up the Tonle Sap river and the lake swells to several times its dry-season size. Water levels drive the boat trips.

Read our Tonle Sap Lake guide before you book a boat.

What you give up is mostly underfoot. The roads to Beng Mealea and Koh Ker are paved, but the earth paths and courtyards at both temples turn to mud in September and October, and a heavy storm can flood streets near the Siem Reap river for a few hours. Bigger floods hit the town in 2011 and in October 2020. If you are travelling in late September or October, keep one spare day and plan the remote temples for the morning. For a rainy evening, the covered Old Market area and Pub Street are a short walk from most hotels.

Best time to visit Siem Reap from India

For Indian travellers, the best window is mid-November to February, which lines up with Christmas holidays, Republic Day weekend and winter breaks. Siem Reap is 1.5 hours ahead of India, and the nonstop flight from Kolkata takes about three hours, so even a long weekend works.

Flights. IndiGo flies nonstop from Kolkata to Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI) on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The route restarted on 1 October 2026 after a monsoon pause, and leaves Kolkata at 3:35 am to land at 8:00 am. From Delhi, Air Cambodia flies nonstop to Phnom Penh, with a short domestic hop or a 5-hour road trip on to Siem Reap. From Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai, you fly one-stop via Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Ho Chi Minh City. The airport is about an hour by road from town. Our guides cover how to reach Siem Reap, the Kolkata to Cambodia flight and Delhi to Siem Reap.

Visa and arrival card. Indian passport holders need a Cambodian tourist visa, either an e-visa online before you fly or a visa on arrival at Siem Reap. Separately, fill in the free e-Arrival card at arrival.gov.kh within seven days before you land. It is compulsory for air arrivals. Our Cambodia visa guide for Indians has the steps.

Siem Reap costs by season (in Rupees)

Your biggest fixed cost, the Angkor Pass, is the same all year. What changes with the season is the room and, to a lesser extent, the flight.

Rupee figures at US$1 = Rs 95. Hotel ranges are our Cambodia desk's October 2026 quotes for well-reviewed properties in town.

The pattern is simple. The same room often costs about a third less from June to October, and the best-known guides and drivers are free to book the week before. If your dates are flexible, the first half of November gives most of the peak-season weather at close to green-season prices.

What to pack and wear for Angkor

Yes, you need to cover your knees at Angkor Wat. The official Angkor visitor code bars bare shoulders, and shorts or skirts above the knee, in the temples, and guards check most strictly at the Bakan stairs. Light cotton or linen trousers, a long skirt or salwar, and a T-shirt with sleeves are the safest choice in every season. A scarf over a sleeveless top may not get you past the Bakan guards, so wear real sleeves.

Beyond the dress code, pack for the season.

How many days in Siem Reap

Three days is right for most first-time visitors in any season. Two days covers Angkor Wat at sunrise, Angkor Thom and the Bayon, Ta Prohm and the Grand Circuit. A third day adds Banteay Srei and either Beng Mealea or a Tonle Sap boat trip. In the dry season you can fit more into each day. From March to October, with long afternoon breaks or rain, add a fourth day so nothing feels rushed. A 3-day Angkor Pass (USD 62) is valid on any 3 days within a week, so you can mix temple days with rest days.

Our 3N/4D Angkor Wat trip follows this plan with a driver, a guide and airport transfers. The full range of Siem Reap tour packages can be timed for December sunrises or for a quieter October trip with the floating villages, and Cambodia tour packages add Phnom Penh.

Climate data: WMO World Weather Information Service (Siem Reap). Sunrise times calculated for Angkor Wat. Festival dates checked 2 November 2026.

Edited by TravelTriangle