Best time to visit Siem Reap
Dry season is not automatically the right answer. Compare each month on heat, rain, crowds and lake level before you book.
Pick a month
Dry season vs. rainy season
Dry season (Nov–Apr)
What you gain
- Best, most reliable weather for temple-hopping
- Easy access to every outlier temple, including dirt-road Kulen and Koh Ker
- Reliable, clear sunrise views over Angkor Wat
What you lose
- Highest hotel prices and biggest crowds, especially December–January
- Dusty landscapes and lower water in the moats
- Sunrise viewpoints packed shoulder-to-shoulder
Rainy season (May–Oct)
What you gain
- Lush green temples with full moats and reflection pools
- Far fewer tourists, especially June–August
- The best hotel deals of the year
- Tonlé Sap floating villages at their most dramatic (Aug–Jan)
What you lose
- Sudden storms can disrupt plans, especially September (~286mm, 18 rain days)
- High heat and humidity, particularly the April–May transition
- Dirt-road outlier temples like Kulen and Koh Ker can become hard to reach