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The Angkor Wat sunrise is an absolute must-see in Cambodia and it’s one of the top sights in Southeast Asia. And at over over 400km2, Angkor Wat is the biggest religious monument in the world, so it’s kind of a big deal.
Angkor Wat, which means “the City of Temples”, was built in the 12th century as a Hindu temple. Later on, Angkor Wat was converted into a Buddhist temple and it’s still used as a Buddhist place of worship today.
THE RIDE TO ANGKOR WAT
Most people take a tuktuk for the 6km journey from Siem Reap, which costs $15-25US, depending on your bargaining skills and how much time you want to spend there. But I chose to rent a bicycle from my hostel, Garden Village Guesthouse, for $1US and cycle there in the dark for the sunrise. This turned out to be quite the unforgettable adventure.
Throwback to 2012, I found myself in Siem Reap, Cambodia, as a solo female traveler, which was my first stop on my first Southeast Asia adventure. I had met another traveler at my hostel to bike with to see the Angkor Wat sunrise, so we made plans to leave at 4:45am the next morning. Given how early it was, I knew there was a good chance that I wouldn’t see him in the morning, so I was prepared to go on my own.
Which is exactly what happened.
It’s an easy, flat 6km bike ride from Siem Reap’s city centre on narrow roads with no bike lane. The perks of cycling this early in the morning is that it’s not too hot, it’s quiet and there are very few vehicles on the road.
I definitely questioned what the hell I was doing with my life a few times on the journey while riding solo, half asleep and very jet lagged, while navigating a town that I was completely unfamiliar with, in the dark.
The sketchiest part was the very dark road leading to the entrance at Angkor Wat. I could hear all the animal noises coming from the jungle, so I was riding as fast as I could to get that part over with. It was nearly pitch black there, so I could barely see in front of me and I knew that at any minute I could hit a bump in the road and go flying off my bike and be fair game for god only knows what kind of creatures were lurking. I was definitely being a little paranoid and dramatic, but it was scary at the time! I’ve come a very long way since then.
But when I saw Angkor Wat at sunrise, it was completely worth the sketchy 6km bike ride alone in the dark at 5am. It’s so beautiful and you see so many different colors every few minutes.
NEED TO KNOW FOR VISITING ANGKOR WAT
ARRANGE YOUR BIKE THE NIGHT BEFORE
You can’t rent a bike in the middle of the night. Allow for about 20-30 minutes of cycling to get there.
BUY YOUR TICKET THE NIGHT BEFORE
At the official ticket centre at Angkor Wat, so you don’t have to deal with potentially waiting in a long line to buy your ticket before sunrise. The gates open at 5am. If you buy your ticket after 5pm the night before, you can watch the sunset for free, without using a day of your pass. You cannot buy tickets online or anywhere else.
TICKET OPTIONS AND PRICES
You can get a 1 day, 3 day or 7 day pass ($37, $62, $72US, respectively). The multi-day passes don’t mean you have to go every day in a row- the 3 day pass is good for 10 days and the 7 day pass is good for a month.
Prices nearly doubled since I went to Angkor Wat in 2012. It’s quite expensive considering everything else in Cambodia, like meals and dorm rooms, only cost a few dollars.
I got the 3 day pass. If you want to see Angkor Wat at sunrise, sunset and explore all the temples on a 1 day pass, this is not impossible, but it will be one of the most exhausting and longest days of your life. If you get a 3 day pass, you can break up your days with exploring Angkor Wat. The 7 day pass is for the hardcores.
ANGKOR WAT IS VERY HOT AND VERY HUMID
And you will sweat A LOT. It’s a temple so you must cover your knees and shoulders and this long clothing traps in the heat 🙃
Make sure you bring and drink A LOT of water and wear sunscreen. And maybe a hat.
IT’S EXTREMELY OVERCROWDED WITH TOURISTS
Angkor Wat is Cambodia’s bread and butter and everyone wants to see its beauty. It had 2.6 million visitors in 2018, which is over 7,000 visitors per day. It’s a little out of control.
BE PREPARED FOR THE HEAT, HUMIDITY AND CROWDS TO COMPLETELY EXHAUST AND ANNOY YOU
If you don’t feel this way, you are a far better person than me. I missed the famous sunset at Pre Rup because it was that crowded. It was well over an hour wait to only maybe get in, which was off-putting.
DO NOT RIDE THE ELEPHANTS
It’s animal cruelty because the elephants are treated very poorly.
Also see What To Expect While Traveling in Developing Countries and for information on traveling Cambodia’s neighbour, see Everything You Need To Know Before You Go To Vietnam.
