Siem Reap Travel Guide: Practical Tips for Visiting Cambodia

Last Updated on October 27, 2025 by Charlotte

Home to the Angkor Archaeological Park, Siem Reap, Cambodia is one of Southeast Asia’s most underrated travel destinations. Siem Reap combines a rich cultural heritage with warm hospitality that is reminiscent of how Thailand felt twenty years ago. Just minutes from the Angkor Archaeological Park, this city offers travelers an immersive experience that goes far beyond the typical tourist route. From the French-Khmer fusion cuisine to the charming boutique hotels, Siem Reap presents a travel experience that is both authentic and increasingly accessible to international visitors. This Siem Reap travel guide covers visas, the local currencies, languages, sim cards, where to stay in Siem Reap, how to get around town, and practical tips for making the most of your visit.

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Cambodia Travel Logistics

In this section, we share what you need to know before arriving in Cambodia. Here we share details about obtaining VISAs, the local language and currency, and cellular connectivity options.

Cambodian Visas

Applying for a Cambodian e-visa (electronic visa) online before your trip will save you time at the airport. You can check here to see if your passport nationality is VISA exempt, meaning that you can receive a VISA on arrival.

You can apply for your eVisa at the official Kingdom of Cambodia government site. When applying online, you’ll see options for the eVisa and tVisa (both of which are electronic visas). However, the tVisa is aimed specifically at tourists and thus comes with a lower application cost.

You will need your passport details and a recent portrait photograph of yourself to submit during the online application process. We received our visa approval email within a week of application submission. Be sure to bring a print out of your eVisa before arriving in Cambodia.

A snapshot of the eVisa Process from the official Kingdom of Cambodia government site.

While eVisas are supported at all International Airports in Cambodia, not all ports of entry at border crossings into Cambodia support e-visas. You can check whether your desired entry point is supported here on the official Cambodian eVisa site.

Local Currency

Cambodia primarily uses cash, with USD and Cambodian Riels being the official currencies. In our experience, few places took credit cards. We paid for higher ticket items in USD and used Riels for smaller purchases like souvenirs and water bottles. Surprisingly, most vendors accepted a mix of both USD and Riels for the same transaction.

Languages

Most people we encountered in Cambodia were bilingual in Cambodian Khmer and English, if not tri-lingual. Given Cambodia’s colonial history with France, much of the older generation of Cambodians can speak French. Cambodia has twelve major languages according to the 2013 Census of Cambodia. Recent Chinese investments in infrastructure around Siem Reap have also led to an uptick in locals who can speak Mandarin, and our local guide told us that many tour guides also speak Spanish, Japanese, and Korean.

SIM Cards

For this trip, we both opted for eSims through Airalo for $5 for 1GB. However, pre-paid tourist SIM cards are available at the airport for much cheaper, like $5-10 for a month of unlimited data. You will need your passport to purchase a pre-paid SIM card in person anywhere in Cambodia. Cellular data speeds were excellent within most of the towns and villages in close proximity to Siem Reap.

How to Get to Siem Reap Cambodia

Siem Reap is well connected to most of Asia by air and ground transport. Daily flights arrive from Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore. We suggest using the website Rome2Rio to view all possible modes of transit from your origin to Siem Reap.

By Plane

As of November 2023, most flights to Siem Reap now arrive and depart through the Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport (SAI). Thirteen major carriers service the new SAI airport: Air Busan, AirAsia, Asiana Airlines, Bangkok Airways, Cambodia Angkor Air, China Eastern, Lao Airlines, Mahogany Air, Singapore Airlines, Thai AirAsia, Thai Airways, VietJet Air, and Vietnam Airlines.

How to Get from Siem Reap Airport to Siem Reap Town

The Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport is ~1h15m from Siem Reap town by car. Taxis from the new Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport to Siem Reap town are a fixed $35, set by the Tourist Transport Association for Siem Reap International Airport. Be aware that the old Angkor Wat airport was only a 20-minute drive from Siem Reap, and thus some transit estimates that you read online might be out of date.

By Ground Transport

Siem Reap is well connected to Bangkok and Phnom Penh by road. Expect the bus journey from Bangkok-Siem Reap to take ~8 hours. From Phnom Penh – Siem Reap, the bus journey takes between 4-6 hours. If you’re planning to take the bus, we suggest reserving your seat in advance of your trip. You can purchase tickets in advance from sites like 12go.asia.

Where to Stay in Siem Reap

For first-time visitors to Siem Reap, we suggest looking for accommodation along Wat Bo Road. Wat Bo Road is slightly quieter than other neighborhoods and within walking distance to Pub Street and a plethora of restaurants, mini marts, and laundry options.

Map of the Wat Bo Road neighborhood in Siem Reap.

Hostels – $

Hostels in Siem Reap tend to range from $4-20 dollars per night, depending on whether you choose a bed in a dorm or a private room. When booking hostels, I typically use Hostelworld. When booking through Hostelworld in Asia, I always check the hostel reviews, and look for places with perks like free breakfasts, bike rentals, and guided food tours.

Hotels – $$

Accommodations in Siem Reap are quite affordable by Western standards with many hotel rooms available for under $25 USD per night. As a foreign visitor, I suggest looking for accommodations with multilingual staff. When traveling in Asia, I usually book with Agoda. On Agoda, I recommend using their sort function to view the top reviewed stays, and the filtering options to view stays with free cancellation and air conditioning.

Luxury Stays: Boutique Hotels and Resorts – $$$

If you are looking to experience a luxury stay in Cambodia, select boutique hotels with exceptional service and comfort run ~$100-200 USD per night. When browsing the resort and boutique hotel options, we recommend looking for properties that offer airport car service for pickup and dropoff, a full concierge service, free breakfast, and a swimming pool and spa.

Where to Eat in Siem Reap

Restaurant options in Siem Reap are extremely affordable by Western standards. Most meals ran between $1.75-2.50 USD, with higher-end restaurants charging $8-12 USD per entree. Khmer dishes you’ll want to try on your visit to Cambodia include Fish Amok, and Beef Loklak, as well as the freshly baked breads from the French influence in the region.

Local Restaurants – $

If you are feeling adventurous, explore the little mom and pop restaurants scattered throughout the city. You can expect to pay between $1.75-2.50 USD per entree. While wandering around, we found a small restaurant called Tevy’s Place that served up a variety of Khmer and Western cuisine and loved it so much that we went back twice.

Fine Dining – $$ to $$$

Several fine dining options in Siem Reap offer creative and near Michelin quality plates at a reasonable cost to foreigners. Many of these restaurants book out in advance, so we recommend making reservations for the places that you are dying to try. I had a few places on my list that I sadly did not get to try, including PINAKPOU Restaurant and Embassy Khmer Gastronomy.

How to Get Around Siem Reap

The easiest ways to get around Siem Reap are by foot, by TukTuk, or by Rideshare.

By TukTuk

TukTuks are plentiful and affordable in Siem Reap, making them our preferred way to get around. Your hotel or hostel can usually help connect you with a TukTuk driver. Most TukTuks can be hired for a full day for $20 USD.

By Rideshare

In general, rideshare apps are best for short trips within Siem Reap. Two of the most popular apps are Grab and PassApp. Depending on your brand of cellphone, these apps are downloadable from the Apple Store or the Google Play Store.

GRab App

Grab rides are available throughout Siem Reap using the rideshare App. The benefits of the Grab App are GPS tracking along your journey and the prearranged price.

PassApp App

PassApp rideshare is typically 20% cheaper than Grab, but as of 2024 this app has fewer passenger safety features than the Grab App.

Essential Services in Siem Reap

Given the size of the city, Siem Reap has most of the essential services which you might need during your visit.

ATMs

Some ATMs in Siem Reap only dispense USD in high denomination bills ($50, $100 bills), however select ATMs dispense smaller bills like $10 and $20 bills. We suggest withdrawing both USD cash at the airport when you arrive to cover larger purchases, and some riels to cover smaller purchases.

Clean Drinking Water

Visitors should not drink the tap water in Siem Reap. Bottled water is available from the numerous roadside shops and vendors.

Laundry Service

There is no excuse for being a stinky tourist in Cambodia! Wash and fold laundry service is available throughout the city for an affordable price. Overnight wash and fold service is typically priced at $1/kilo, and same day rush service is ~ $2/kg.

Urgent Cares and Hospitals

Medical care in Siem Reap is a bit behind the times. If you can fly and have insurance, you will find a higher quality of care in Bangkok or South Korea. Locally in Siem Reap, medical care is available at The Angkor Japan Friendship International Hospital or the Royal Angkor International Hospital.

Have you explored Siem Reap or Angkor Wat? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!