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Best Attractions in Siem Reap (2026)

Siem Reap is the gateway to Angkor, the former capital of the Khmer Empire and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992. The temples are spread across a large park north of town, and most visitors explore them by tuk-tuk, car or bicycle. Angkor Wat, built by Suryavarman II in the 12th century, is the essential first stop and opens at 5am for sunrise. Inside the walled city of Angkor Thom, the Bayon with its stone faces, the restored Baphuon temple mountain and the Terrace of the Elephants sit within walking distance of one another. Ta Prohm and Preah Khan show what happens when the forest is allowed to stay, while Phnom Bakheng is a popular sunset viewpoint.

All the temples in the main park, plus Banteay Srei and the Roluos group with Bakong, are covered by the Angkor Pass, sold as one-day, three-day and seven-day tickets through the official Angkor Enterprise website and app. The three-day pass can be used within a week, which suits most visitors. Start early, rest in the middle of the day and return in the late afternoon when the light is softer. Banteay Srei lies about 25 km north-east of the main group and is usually a separate half-day trip. In town, the Angkor National Museum on Preah Sihanouk Avenue is a good introduction before your first temple day. Dress with shoulders and knees covered, carry water and wear shoes suited to steep steps.

10 places · Updated October 27, 2026

Our top 3 attractions in Siem Reap

  1. Angkor Wat Temple complex and UNESCO World Heritage Site, Angkor Archaeological ParkSuryavarman II's 12th-century temple to Vishnu, the largest religious monument in the world and the centrepiece of the Angkor World Heritage Site.
  2. Bayon Buddhist temple with face towers, Angkor ThomJayavarman VII's state temple at the heart of Angkor Thom, famed for its towers of serene stone faces and lively bas-reliefs of Khmer daily life.
  3. Ta Prohm Jungle temple, Angkor Archaeological ParkJayavarman VII's monastery temple of 1186, left partly in the grip of giant silk-cotton and strangler fig trees and famous from the film Tomb Raider.

Attraction

1. Angkor Wat

Temple complex and UNESCO World Heritage SiteAngkor Archaeological Park

Suryavarman II's 12th-century temple to Vishnu, the largest religious monument in the world and the centrepiece of the Angkor World Heritage Site.

View details — Angkor Wat

Attraction

2. Bayon

Buddhist temple with face towersAngkor Thom

Jayavarman VII's state temple at the heart of Angkor Thom, famed for its towers of serene stone faces and lively bas-reliefs of Khmer daily life.

View details — Bayon

Attraction

3. Ta Prohm

Jungle templeAngkor Archaeological Park

Jayavarman VII's monastery temple of 1186, left partly in the grip of giant silk-cotton and strangler fig trees and famous from the film Tomb Raider.

View details — Ta Prohm

Attraction

4. Banteay Srei

10th-century Hindu templeBanteay Srei District

A small 10th-century temple to Shiva, about 25 km north-east of the main Angkor group, carved in pink-red sandstone with exceptionally fine decoration.

View details — Banteay Srei

Attraction

5. Preah Khan

Temple and monastery complexAngkor Archaeological Park

Jayavarman VII's sprawling 12th-century temple honouring his father, a largely unrestored maze of corridors, carvings and trees just north-east of Angkor Thom.

View details — Preah Khan

Attraction

7. Phnom Bakheng

Hilltop temple and sunset viewpointAngkor Archaeological Park

A late 9th-century hilltop temple to Shiva, the centre of the first Angkor capital and a popular place to watch the sun set over the temple plain.

View details — Phnom Bakheng

Attraction

8. Baphuon

Temple mountainAngkor Thom

An 11th-century temple mountain in Angkor Thom, rebuilt stone by stone in a restoration nicknamed the world's largest jigsaw puzzle and reopened in 2011.

View details — Baphuon

Attraction

10. Bakong

9th-century temple mountainRoluos

Indravarman I's state temple of 881 in the Roluos group, a five-level sandstone pyramid that predates Angkor Wat by more than two centuries.

View details — Bakong