The Perfect 4-Day Siem Reap Travel Itinerary

If you need the perfect 4-day Siem Reap itinerary, you’re in the right place!

In this Siem Reap travel itinerary, I’ll be sharing my top tips for exploring my favorite place in Cambodia. Throughout this post I’ll share where you should stay, eat and explore – including how to make the most of your visit to Angkor Wat and we’ll explore what else there is to see from Siem Reap. 

During my two-week trip to Cambodia, I spent a week in Siem Reap. While I could have stayed even longer, I think that 4 days is a good amount of time to explore this ancient city that’s full of history, temples and cheesy tourist bars. 

If you’re like me and would like to slow down and cafe crawl your way through the city, I recommend extending your stay in Siem Reap to 5 days (or even a week). 

Wishing I spent more time somewhere was a constant theme of my trip to Cambodia. I could have stayed longer, explored more and gotten on the beaten path. I know it’s a country I’ll explore again! If you’re planning a trip, I hope my resources help you. 

Grab a coffee (or buy me one 😉) and let’s go! This is a good one. 

Justyn’s Quick Siem Reap Recommendations:

🏨 Stay: Near the Night Market and river will mean you’re walking distance to most things around Siem Reap. I recommend The Jungle, located just a few minutes from Pub Street though you’ll feel like you’re a world away.

🍜 Favorite eats: Madam Moch Khmer Restaurant for excellent vegetarian Khmer food (and one of the only places we found traditional Khmer options made veggie-friendly!) And you have to visit HeyBong for incredible vegan food.

⭐️ Tours: The top thing to do in Siem Reap is tour the temples of Angkor Wat. For your first visit, I highly recommend a guided tour to really learn about the history and scale of the temples.

🇰🇭 Travel tip: Get connected fast with a Cambodia eSim.

The Perfect 4-Days in Siem Reap Itinerary

Table of Contents

• Things to know before you go
  • Money
  • Language
  • Safety
  • Visas & entry requirements
  • The best time to visit
  • Getting to (and around) Siem Reap
• 4-Day Siem Reap Itinerary
  • Day One
  • Day Two & Three
  • Day Four
• Where to stay in Siem Reap
• Is 4 days in Siem Reap enough?
• Daily budget
• Popular day trips from Siem Reap
• What to pack for Cambodia

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4 Days in Siem Reap Itinerary Overview

• Day 1: Arrive and Explore Siem Reap
• Day 2: Angkor Wat Day One
• Day 3: Angkor Wat Day Two
• Day 4: Waterfalls and Siem Reap Sightseeing

Things to know before you go

Before we jump into the full Siem Reap itinerary, here are some things to know before you go. From getting around to communicating and spending money, this is a quick rundown of things to know about Cambodia. 

Money

The official currency of Cambodia is the Riel (KHR) but they also use and widely accept USD. Anytime you pay for things like street food, souvenirs or TukTuks in USD, they’ll likely give you change in KHR. In March of 2024, the currency conversion was widely accepted as $1 to ៛4,000. 

You can take both currencies out of ATMs but be careful which ATMs you choose to take USD out of. An ATM we used gave us torn USD bills that then wouldn’t be accepted anywhere. You can always take KHR out of ATMs and people will accept any bills in that currency. 

Unlike most of the neighboring countries in Southeast Asia, we found that cards were more widely accepted in Cambodia.

Language

In Cambodia, they speak Khmer. In Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, you’ll find that most people speak enough English that it’s easy to get by. If you travel to other parts of the country, that might not be the case. Always have Google Translate ready to help you make friends and chat with the locals. 

Here are some basic phrases:  

• Hello: Suostei (pronounced Sous-Day) 
• Thank you: Arkoun (pronounced A-Koon)
• Please: Saum 
• I’m sorry: Khnhom​ Somtos 
• Goodbye: Leahaey (pronounced Lee-Hi)

Safety

I traveled in Cambodia with my husband but still spent time wandering around on my own. Overall I would say that Cambodia felt very safe. The people were so kind, we felt like everyone was happy to help us along the way. I would say that Siem Reap felt especially safe and I would personally travel solo to Cambodia. 

Visa & Entry Requirements

If you’re an American or British citizen, you’ll need a visa to explore Cambodia. You can apply for your visa online or get a visa on arrival (you’ll need $30 USD in crisp bills) and the visa lasts for 30 days.

Always make sure to check visa requirements before travel! Even if you aren’t British or American, you still might need a visa. You’d be surprised how many times we’ve been stuck in line at the airport check-in behind someone who didn’t realize they would need a visa or didn’t check beforehand how they would be able to pay for the visa. 

The Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Siem Reap (and Cambodia in general) is during the dry season – November through March. This way you’ll be able to explore the temples with clear skies and no rain. At most of the temples, there won’t be cover from the rain – and because everything is so dusty, it would quickly turn to mud. 

However, the dry season will also be the peak season. Which means more crowds and higher prices. We visited in March and it was dry, busy and very hot. 

The ‘cool season’ is considered to be from November until April. I wouldn’t recommend going after March because it will start to get even hotter. And not only do the temples lack cover from the rain – you’ll also be hard pressed to find shade or a cool breeze. And from what I’ve read, the wettest month is September. 

Getting To (and around) Siem Reap

Getting to Siem Reap is easy. There’s an international airport connecting you from all across Asia (we flew from Bangkok). Book cheap flights with Kiwi to Siem Reap!

Or if you don’t want to fly, you can take a bus from Bangkok, Phnom Penh and several other cities across Asia. (I always use 12Go for booking overland travel in Asia.)

Once you’re in Siem Reap you can get around a number of ways. You can hop in a TukTuk, jump on a scooter or organize a car. During our trip we organized all of our transportation with TukTuk drivers. 

Most rides around Siem Reap were $1 or less. If you’re worried about organizing transportation – just ask at your hotel. We found that everywhere we stayed they were happy to help us with getting around. 

We also loved that Siem Reap was fairly walkable! Most cities in Southeast Asia are not overly pedestrian friendly.

How to Spend 4 Days in Siem Reap

Day One: Arrive and Explore Siem Reap

It’s day on of your Siem Reap travel itinerary! I always love day one in a new place.

Depending on where you’re coming from, you could arrive anytime throughout the day. That’s why your first day will be reserved for arrival, check in and some Siem Reap exploring. We arrived quite late on our first day, so we went straight for dinner and $1 beers on pub street. 

If you arrive earlier in the day, I recommend taking a walk along the river, getting some traditional Khmer Food at Madam Moch Khmer Restaurant and visiting the Made in Cambodia Market for the most thoughtful souvenir shopping.

Make sure to pick a hotel that’s close to the night market and river so you can get around easily. I also recommend picking a hotel with a pool, it’s the best way to unwind after exploring each day. And you’ll be especially grateful for a pool after a long day in the sun at Angkor Wat. Keep reading for hotel recommendations! 

Day Two & Three: Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat is a Hindu-Buddhist temple complex and it’s the largest temple complex in the world. 

How you explore Angkor Wat will be a big determining factor of your Siem Reap itinerary. There are a couple of ways that you can explore the temple complexes, from hiring a TukTuk to renting a bicycle or taking a tour. You’ll also face the question of how many days you should spend at Angkor Wat. 

Here’s my recommendation for visiting Angkor Wat. 

Personally, I recommend two days, with a guide. Angkor Wat is one of those places that you’ll probably only visit once in your lifetime, so why not make the most of it? And it was one of the highlights of my travel so far. Looking back on my photos reminds me just how magical this place really was.

A guided tour over two days will ensure that you explore the majority of the temples, while learning all about their history as you go. 

Breaking the visit up over two days will help you take in everything so much more. We tried to do it all in one day and by the time we got to the final temple we were so hot, tired and hungry that we barely managed to take it all in.  

I like this tour because they start with the sunrise on day one, but it’s a shorter day – meaning you’ll be back at the hotel by 1:30pm, ready for a swim and lunch. This also gives you the afternoon to explore Siem Reap. 

Then on day two they pick you up at 10:00am and you have the ‘big’ tour day where you’re exploring the temples until sunset. Over the two days you’ll explore 11 temples – more than you’d ever be able to squeeze into just one day. 

This helps you make the most of your 3-day temples pass, and you can always go back to any temples on day three that you missed or want to see again. 

When planning your visit to Angkor Wat, make sure to dress appropriately and bring plenty of water.

After a full day exploring, you can have dinner at the Night Market or nearby at Nick’s Restaurant. They have an extensive menu of vegetarian options with lots of tofu available! 

Day Four: Waterfalls / Explore Siem Reap

For most people, the only real thing they do while they’re in Siem Reap is explore Angkor Wat. I think it’s worth adding an extra day to explore the area more! You can spend your day getting lost in the streets of Siem Reap, or get off the beaten path a bit.  

For the last day of your Siem Reap itinerary, break away from the temples and dusty streets to explore nearby waterfalls in Phnom Kulen National Park. This small group tour is the perfect way to get off the beaten track in Siem Reap and you’ll even get the chance to trek to the top of the mountain to visit a giant reclining Buddha. 

It’s a long day, with pick up at your hotel at 07:00am – but it’s definitely worth the early wake up call! And you can end your day with a swim at your hotel and some beers on the iconic pub street. 

If you decide to spend the day exploring Siem Reap instead, I recommend grabbing brunch at the Source Cafe, shopping at the Made in Cambodia Market and taking a long walk along the river. There are a few museums and cultural sights around Siem Reap worth visiting. I recommend visiting the Cambodia Landmine Museum, a small museum where you can learn about the deadly history of landmines in Cambodia. And if you want to learn more about Angkor, visit the Angkor National Museum. 

I personally loved exploring and letting myself get lost in the streets. Plus there are tons of little spots where you can pop in for a coffee or beer.

Where to Stay in Siem Reap

I recommend staying close to the river and night market. Being centrally located will mean you can walk easily to restaurants and bars. Plus explore most of Siem Reap on foot. You’ll likely be taking a tour of Angkor Wat that will include pickup, so you don’t need to pick a hotel close to the temples. 

There are so many beautiful hotels around Siem Reap! Here are a few of my favorites. 

Hotels I love in Siem Reap

Book a Room in Siem Reap

Is 4 Days in Siem Reap Enough?

This totally depends on how much time you have – and how quickly you like to travel. I personally love traveling as slow as possible, especially when you can afford to stay in nicer hotels. I love to add a couple of extra days for cafe hopping and enjoying the rooftop pool. 

For me, 5-6 days in Siem Reap is perfect! But if you’re short on time then you can definitely see all of the highlights with this 4 day Siem Reap itinerary. 

Daily Budget

Overall we found that Siem Reap was cheaper than Phnom Penh, but prices there are still inflated compared to other places in Cambodia. The majority of our costs went to sightseeing. Visiting Angkor Wat wasn’t cheap – but it is something everyone should do once in their life! 

• 🏨 Hotel room: $50 – $100 a night
• 🛏️ Hostel room: $10 – $20 a night
• 🍛 Lunch / Dinner: $3 – $20
• 🍻 Beer: $1-$2 (local beer) / Cocktail: $6 – $8
• 🚰 Drinking water: $0.80 for 1.5L
• 🛺 TukTuk: $1.00 – $3.00 a trip
• 🚂 Intercountry Buses: $10 – $15 

We use the TravelSpend app to track expenses while we travel. 

Popular Day Trips from Siem Reap

Siem Reap is a good jumping off point for exploring the northwestern region of Cambodia. If you want to extend your trip and add a few more days trips around the area, here’s a few on my list!

• Kampong Phluk Floating Village Tour with Boat
• Banteay Srei, Kulen Waterfall & Beng Mealea Exploration
• Preah Vihear: Full-Day Preah Vihear and Koh Ker Temple Tour
• Kulen Mountain: Small-Group Tour and Picnic lunch
• From Siem Reap: Battambang Day Trip

What to Pack for Siem Reap

Walking shoes. You are going to spend every day in Siem Reap on your feet! Trust me when I say you are going to want comfortable walking shoes. Also it’s very dusty, so be warned if you love white sneakers like me. 

Modest, lightweight clothing and a scarf for visiting the temples and memorials. It’s very important to dress modestly in Cambodia. You are going to want flowy, lightweight pants, lightweight tops with sleeves, and a scarf that you can use to cover your shoulders. Keep in mind that for some temples, simply covering your shoulders with a scarf won’t be enough.

A reusable water bottle. Cambodia definitely suffers from plastic pollution. Make sure that you bring a reusable water bottle. Most restaurants and hotels will be more than happy to refill it for you. I love this water bottle because it comes with a lid for coffee or a smoothie! 

Hydration salts/Liquid IV. It gets very hot and on days spent exploring, it can be really easy to get dehydrated. I always keep some hydration salts in my purse (or if I’m lucky, LiquidIV). 

Wet wipes and tissues. Bathrooms across Southeast Asia don’t usually have toilet paper, so I like to keep wet wipes and tissues in my purse. It also doesn’t hurt to carry hand sanitizer.

I hope this 4-day Siem Reap Itinerary helps you plan the perfect trip to my favorite city in Cambodia!

Traveling Southeast Asia? Use these guides to plan your trip!

• Steal my 10-day Cambodia Itinerary
• Use this Phnom Penh Guide to plan your trip
• Spend 48-hours in Bangkok with my tips
• Plan an island getaway to Koh Samui
• Escape to Khao Sok National Park

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