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The towers of Angkor Wat rise across a moat in hazy morning light near Siem Reap.

Destinations

Cambodia

Most people come for three days at Angkor. The country repays twice that — and its open borders with Vietnam and Laos make it the easiest second country on the mainland.

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Cambodia

More than three days at Angkor

Angkor is the reason almost everyone comes, and three days is the standard allowance: sunrise at the main temple, Bayon and the walled city, then Ta Prohm and a longer loop. That works. What it misses is that Angkor is a landscape rather than a monument — hundreds of square kilometres of temples, reservoirs and roads, with tenth-century sites an hour into the forest that you will have to yourself on a Tuesday morning.

The rest of the country is quieter than its neighbours and much less built for visitors, which is its appeal. Battambang has the best-preserved French shophouse streets in Southeast Asia. Kampot and Kep have pepper farms, a decent coastline and a slow, unfinished feeling. Phnom Penh is a real working capital, and its two historical sites are among the most demanding things you will see anywhere in the region.

Massive tree roots engulf the ancient stone towers of Ta Prohm temple near Siem Reap.

Palm trees line a riverside promenade in Phnom Penh as locals gather along the Mekong bank.

Angkor · Phnom Penh

Destinations

Where people actually go

The silhouetted towers of Angkor Wat rise above trees in the hazy morning light near Siem Reap.

3 – 4 nights

Siem Reap & Angkor

The temples, and the town that has grown up to serve them.

2 nights

Phnom Penh

The capital, the river, and the road to the Vietnamese border.

1 – 2 nights

Battambang

Shophouse streets, rice country and the bamboo railway.

A long bridge spans the wide river in Kampot, backed by mountains under a cloudy sky.

2 nights

Kampot & Kep

Pepper farms, crab markets and the slowest pace in the country.

Seasons

When to come

November to February is dry and as cool as Cambodia gets — 25 to 30°C and low humidity. March to May is punishing at the temples, where there is little shade and the stone holds heat; if you must travel then, be at the gate when it opens and stop by ten. The rains from June break the heat and turn the countryside green, and the Tonle Sap reverses and floods, which is worth seeing in its own right. September and October are the wettest months and also the emptiest.

Angkor Thom

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Three means the month usually works everywhere in that region, two means it works with a plan, one means rain, heat or sea conditions will shape your days. No month is closed to all six countries: when the Mekong is in flood, Bali and the Philippines are at their driest.

Borders

Crossing in and out by land

Cambodia has two working land borders for visitors: Vietnam in the southeast, Laos in the northeast. The Thai border is closed. Which visa you use depends on the gate, and the difference matters — turning up at the wrong gate with the wrong document means buying a second visa.

Border	Crossing	Route	Time at the border	Status	What it means for your visa
Vietnam – Cambodia	Moc Bai – Bavet	Road, Ho Chi Minh City – Phnom Penh	6 – 7 h	Open	Cambodian e-visa accepted here. Your Vietnamese e-visa must name Moc Bai as the exit gate.
Vietnam – Cambodia	Ha Tien – Prek Chak	Road, Phu Quoc ferry – Kampot / Kep	3 h from Ha Tien to Kampot	Open	Take a Cambodian visa on arrival here (USD cash and a passport photo). The e-visa is not listed for this gate.
Laos – Cambodia	Nong Nok Khiene – Trapeang Kriel	Road, 4000 Islands – Stung Treng	2 h	Operating, no government status page	Cambodian e-visa accepted at Trapeang Kriel; leaving Laos needs no e-visa, but entering Laos this way does need a visa on arrival.
Thailand – Cambodia	Aranyaprathet – Poipet	Road, Bangkok – Siem Reap	—	Closed since 23 June 2025	Closed to tourists. Fly Bangkok – Siem Reap instead.
Thailand – Cambodia	Hat Lek – Cham Yeam	Road, Trat – Koh Kong	—	Closed since 23 June 2025	Closed to tourists.

Checked 20 September 2026

The Cambodian e-visa is accepted at Bavet (from Vietnam) and Trapeang Kriel (from Laos). It is not listed for Prek Chak, the gate you would use coming from Ha Tien and Phu Quoc — there you buy a visa on arrival, in US dollars cash, with a passport photo. Carry both.

Planning

How many days it needs

4 daysSiem Reap only — three temple mornings and a day on the lake.

6 daysSiem Reap and Phnom Penh, with the road or the short flight between them.

8 daysAdd Battambang on the way south, or the coast at Kampot and Kep on the way to Vietnam.

As a second countryFour nights slot into a Vietnam trip without stretching it, using the Moc Bai road or a short flight.

Combinations

What it joins well with

Vietnam, almost always. Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh is one road day, and Phu Quoc to Kampot by ferry and road is another. Laos joins through the 4000 Islands in the northeast, which is a long day but a beautiful one, and it is the only overland way between the two. Thailand is air-only while the land border stays shut.

Add Cambodia to your route.

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Tell us your dates

We will show you how four nights at Angkor fit into a longer trip.

Plan My Trip

Common questions

Questions travellers ask most

How many days do I need at Angkor?

Three temple mornings is the useful minimum, on a three-day pass. Two days sees the main circuit; four lets you reach the outlying temples and the forest sites, which are the ones people remember.

Do I need a visa in advance?

Everyone except ASEAN nationals needs one. The e-visa is straightforward but only works at the airports and at two land gates, so apply about a week ahead and tell us your route first — at some gates a visa on arrival is the only option.

Is the Thai border really closed?

Yes. It has been shut to tourists since June 2025, including Poipet and Hat Lek, and both governments were still describing it as closed at our last check. We fly that leg.

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