Best Time to Visit Angkor Wat in 2026: Official Opening Hours, Sunrise, Sunset & Seasonal Tips
Looking for information on Angkor Wat opening hours and the best time to visit?
Short answer: the Angkor park entry window is broad, but the temples do not all keep the same hours. Angkor Wat itself opens early for sunrise, Phnom Bakheng stays open later for sunset, and several major temples open later in the morning than many first-time visitors expect.
The other key point is simple. Current official sources show fixed site-by-site hours, not a separate wet-season, dry-season, or month-by-month timetable.
So the bigger planning question is not seasonal opening-hour changes. It is heat, crowds, early starts, and how much you try to fit into one day.
Key takeaways
- Official Angkor Temples Park entry hours are 5:00 AM to 6:30 PM.
- Angkor Wat itself is listed at 5:00 AM to 5:30 PM.
- The Bakan upper level is open 7:40 AM to 5:00 PM and closes on holy days.
- Phnom Bakheng is one of the main late-day exceptions, with official hours of 5:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
- Sras Srang is listed at 5:00 AM to 5:30 PM.
- Pre Rup, Ta Prohm, and Preah Khan are listed at 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM.
- Current official sources do not show a separate month-by-month or rainy-season versus dry-season hours calendar.
- For many travelers, the best time to visit means starting early, avoiding the middle of the day, and not overloading a one-day itinerary.
If your main goal is getting the timing right without handling every early-morning detail yourself, start with the options below. They make sunrise planning and day pacing much easier.
⭐ Start here: the best Angkor Wat tours to book first
Need a simpler starting point? These are the bookings most travelers should compare first, from the easiest bundle to a bigger combo day and a longer private trip.
- Angkor Wat Temple Ticket with Tuk-Tuk Transfer — easiest first-timer bundle with pass logistics handled (or just get the Angkor Wat Pass!)
- Angkor Wat Temples and Countryside Tour with Sunrise or Sunset — best all-around guided day with strong reviews
- Full Day Tour Kulen Mountain, Beng Mealea and Tonle Sap — top-value combo for travelers who want more than the main temple loop
- Angkor Region: 3-day Private Tour of Top Temples — premium private deep dive for travelers with time
This guide covers the official hours that matter most, which temples are early or late exceptions, whether those hours change by season, and how to use all of that to build a better day.
Best Tickets & Tours at a Glance
| Experience type | Best for | Typical spend | Why it stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunrise small-group tour | First-timers who want a guide and easy logistics | US$15–US$30 plus pass (about KHR 60,000–120,000 plus pass) | Huge review volume |
| Private sunrise day tour | Couples, photographers, private groups | From about US$60 (about KHR 240,000) | Flexible private pace |
| Full-day culture-heavy tour | Travelers who want more than the basic circuit | US$15–US$30 plus pass (about KHR 60,000–120,000 plus pass) | Sunrise plus monk blessing |
| Two-day classic | Travelers staying at least two nights | Around US$40 plus pass (about KHR 160,000 plus pass) | Sunrise and sunset over two days |
| Big combo day trip | Travelers who want Cambodia beyond the core temples | Around US$50+ (about KHR 200,000+) | Waterfall, jungle temple, and lake |
| 3-day private deep dive | Premium travelers with time | US$100+ (about KHR 400,000+) | Best high-end private option |
🛶 Sunset Add-On: Siem Reap: Floating Village and Sunset Private Boat Tour is a strong follow-up if you want a calmer second activity after the temples.
Check availability for the Angkor Wat pass:
What are the official Angkor Wat opening hours?
This is the first thing to get straight.
The park has a general entry window, but the major sites do not all follow the exact same schedule.
Angkor Temples Park general entry hours
The official Angkor Temples Park entry window is 5:00 AM to 6:30 PM.
That is the broad ticket window for the park. It is not the exact operating time for every temple inside it.
Angkor Wat main temple hours
Angkor Wat itself is officially listed at 5:00 AM to 5:30 PM.
That is the key timing line for sunrise visitors. It is also why so many first-time travelers start here before moving deeper into the park.
Bakan upper level hours
The Bakan upper level keeps its own narrower hours: 7:40 AM to 5:00 PM.
That matters because some travelers assume they can go straight to the upper level during sunrise. You cannot. It opens well after the main temple itself.
The upper level is also closed on holy days. Children under 12 and pregnant women are not allowed up there.
🍳 Food Break: Siem Reap Half-Day Guided Cooking Experience is a clean fit for couples and longer-stay travelers who already have their temple day booked.
Do opening hours vary by temple?
Yes, and this is one of the easiest ways to get your timing wrong.
A lot of visitors assume every major temple opens at 5:00 AM. That is not what the official site pages show.
Early-opening sunrise sites
If your plan is built around dawn or very early starts, a few places matter more than the rest.
Angkor Wat is officially 5:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Sras Srang is also an early opener at 5:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Phnom Bakheng opens early too, at 5:00 AM, though its bigger draw is the later closing time.
🌅 Sunrise Tip: Angkor Wat Temples and Countryside Tour with Sunrise or Sunset is the strongest one-booking option for travelers who want sunrise without overthinking the day.
Sunset-friendly later site
Phnom Bakheng is one of the main official sunset sites because it stays open until 7:00 PM.
That makes it the standout late-day exception on the hours list and one of the clearest reasons not to treat every temple as if it runs on the same schedule.
Temples that open later than many travelers expect
Several major temples are officially listed at 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM.
That includes Pre Rup, Ta Prohm, and Preah Khan.
This is the detail that catches many first-time visitors. You cannot assume that a classic sunrise route can simply roll straight into every other headline temple in the first hour or two of the day.
🚲 Soft Adventure: Siem Reap: Morning Countryside Bike Tour is a nice fit if you want fresh air, village scenery, and a slower pace.
Do Angkor Wat opening hours change by season or month?
This is where travelers often expect a more dramatic answer.
The official sources, at least right now, point to fixed site-by-site hours rather than a month-by-month timetable.
What the official sources show right now
The current official Angkor pass and temple pages publish standard hours for the park and standard hours for individual temples.
They do not present a separate calendar that changes by month.
No separate official wet-season vs dry-season timetable found
I could not find a current official timetable showing one set of opening hours for the rainy season and another for the dry season.
That matters because it means the planning question is not really “What are the July hours?” or “What are the December hours?” It is more “Which temples open early, which open later, and how should I build the day around that?”
👨👩👧 Family Tip: Phare, The Cambodian Circus in Siem Reap is a strong evening add-on for families who want something fun after a hot temple day.
What does change in practice
What changes in practice is the feel of the visit.
Crowds shift. Heat changes the comfort level of midday sightseeing. Early starts become more or less appealing depending on the season and your travel style.
So the smart move is not hunting for a separate monthly hours chart. It is understanding the fixed site hours, then adjusting your itinerary to the conditions.
What is the best time of day to visit Angkor Wat?
For most travelers, the answer is not “all day.”
It is choosing the right slice of the day for the experience you want.
Best time for sunrise
Sunrise is still the classic first visit.
It suits first-timers, photographers, and travelers who want the most iconic start. It also makes better use of the coolest hours of the day.
Best time for fewer crowds inside the main temple
One smart move is not pushing into the inner temple at the exact same time as everyone else.
The early sunrise rush tends to cluster around the classic viewing points first. Later in the morning, once people spread out, parts of the visit can feel calmer.
This is also where Bakan timing matters. The upper level does not open until 7:40 AM, so there is no point planning it as part of the earliest sunrise moment.
🚖 Private Pace: Travelers who hate being rushed usually do better with Full-Day Angkor Wat Sunrise Private Tour with Guide from Siem Reap, especially if photos and timing matter.
Best time for sunset
For a clean official sunset target, Phnom Bakheng is the big one because it stays open until 7:00 PM.
That makes it one of the clearest later-day options in the Angkor complex and an important timing exception to know before you build the end of your day.
🛵 Adventure Add-On: Quad Bike Adventure in Siem Reap, Cambodia is a useful non-temple option for teenagers, active travelers, and repeat visitors.
What is the best time of year to visit Angkor Wat?
The official hours do not appear to switch by season.
So the best-time-of-year question is really about comfort, pace, and what kind of visit you want.
Dry-season visits
Dry-season visits are usually easier for long temple days, early starts, and more walking between sites.
That does not change the official hours, but it can change how much you enjoy using them.
Wet-season visits
Wet-season visits can still work very well.
The tradeoff is that the day can feel less predictable, not because the official opening hours change, but because the conditions on the ground can feel more variable.
The practical answer for most travelers
For most people, the best time to visit is whenever you can start early and avoid treating the middle of the day as your main sightseeing window.
That matters more than chasing a supposed seasonal hours chart that the official sources do not actually publish.
How should opening hours change your itinerary?
A lot, honestly.
Once you know which temples open early and which open later, the day gets easier to build.
One-day visits
If you only have one day, start early.
But do not assume every temple on your list is available at sunrise. The later-opening temples can force you into a stop-start day if you do not plan for them.
Two-day visits
Two-day visits are often the most comfortable answer for first-time travelers.
You get sunrise without feeling that the entire Angkor experience has to be jammed into one long day.
🗓️ Stay Longer: If the trip includes two nights or more, Siem Reap: Angkor Wat 2-Day Tour with Sunrise and Sunset gives the temples more breathing room and feels less like a checklist.
Longer, slower visits
Longer stays are best for photographers, repeat visitors, and travelers who want early and late light without rushing the middle.
They also make it easier to respect the site-by-site hours instead of trying to bend the whole park into one rigid plan.
Top-Rated Angkor Wat Experiences
Are sunrise tours worth it if the park opens so early?
Often, yes.
The early opening hour helps, but it does not automatically make the morning simple.
When sunrise tours make sense
Sunrise tours make the most sense for first-timers, short stays, travelers who want transport handled, and anyone who does not want to work out the early logistics alone.
That is where timing and pickup matter as much as the ticket.
When DIY still works well
DIY still works well for longer stays, independent travelers, and people happy to sort out a tuk-tuk and route themselves.
If you have more time, you can afford more flexibility.
Best early-start options to compare now
For a strong all-around sunrise day, compare Angkor Wat Temples and Countryside Tour with Sunrise or Sunset.
For a classic first-time small-group option, look at Siem Reap: Angkor Wat: Small-Group Sunrise or Sunset Tour.
For the most flexible version, consider Full-Day Angkor Wat Sunrise Private Tour with Guide from Siem Reap.
⏱️ Quick Win: If you want the least-fussy first visit, Angkor Wat Temple Ticket with Tuk-Tuk Transfer bundles the pass handoff with transport, which is exactly the kind of convenience many first-timers want.
Why book via Klook, GetYourGuide, or Viator?
Because timing gets complicated fast.
A good booking platform makes it easier to compare sunrise tours, private tours, and multi-day choices without sorting every transport and timing detail yourself.
That matters most when you are working around early openings, later-opening temples, and the usual tradeoff between seeing more and enjoying more.
Where should you stay if timing is the main priority?
If timing is the priority, staying in Siem Reap keeps the logistics simple.
The main question is whether you want central convenience for fast early starts or a quieter resort feel.
| Hotel | Best for |
|---|---|
| Park Hyatt Siem Reap | Luxury in the center and easy early starts |
| Golden Temple Boutique | Central boutique comfort for short stays |
| Jaya House River Park | Calm boutique stay with a polished feel |
| Borei Angkor Resort & Spa | Family-friendly resort with more space |
| Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor | Classic splurge with heritage feel |
Central stays are usually easiest for sunrise plans and short transfer times.
Best Tours in Cambodia by Traveler Type
What should you do next?
- Compare pass options in the Angkor Wat tickets guide
- See the best guided choices in the tours guide
- Check official prices and entry rules in the entrance fee guide
- Figure out whether you need to reserve ahead
- Work out the location and how to get there
Frequently asked questions
What time does Angkor Wat open?
Angkor Wat itself is officially listed at 5:00 AM. That is why sunrise visits start so early.
What time does the Angkor park close?
The general Angkor Temples Park entry window runs until 6:30 PM. That is the broad park timing, not the exact closing time for every temple.
Does Angkor Wat have different opening hours from other temples?
Yes. That is one of the most important planning details. Some temples open earlier, some later, and a few stay open longer into the evening.
What time does the Bakan upper level open?
The Bakan upper level opens at 7:40 AM and closes at 5:00 PM. It also closes on holy days.
Does Phnom Bakheng stay open later for sunset?
Yes. Phnom Bakheng is officially listed until 7:00 PM, which is why it is such a well-known late-day stop.
Do Angkor opening hours change by season or month?
Current official sources do not show a separate month-by-month or wet-season versus dry-season timetable. The main pattern appears to be fixed hours by site, not changing hours by season.
What is the best time of day to visit Angkor Wat?
For many travelers, the best time is early morning. That is especially true if you want sunrise or want to make the most of the cooler hours.
Is a sunrise tour worth it if you can visit on your own?
Often, yes. A sunrise tour can make the early timing, transport, and route much easier, especially on a short trip.
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