Angkor Wat Sunset Tour: Full-Day Guided Day from Siem Reap

Included and Extra, Line by Line

The listing includes hotel pickup and drop-off, the air-conditioned minibus, an English-speaking guide, chilled bottled water, a cool towel and local tax. It does not include the Angkor Pass at US$37 per person or any meals. Lunch is a one-hour stop at a local restaurant near the temples, paid at your own cost, so budget for your own plate. No breakfast, no hotel nights and no airport transfers are promised.

One mismatch matters: the Includes list names Ta Keo among the five temples, but the itinerary has no Ta Keo stop and does name Angkor Thom. If Ta Keo is a reason for booking, confirm it with the operator before you pay. The price shown is the discounted fare, with a higher fare crossed out on the listing, so check which figure applies on your date.

The pass is bought on angkorenterprise.gov.kh or at the ticket office with your guide. Children under 12 need no temple ticket.

How the Total Compares

This tour's fare is $14, with the Angkor Pass of $37 paid separately, so the true day total is $51. Private sunset tours from other operators cost more than a shared seat, and the pass is extra on those too.

Stop by Stop

A bus collects you at one of two Siem Reap locations between 9:10 and 9:30 AM. The drive to Angkor Wat takes about 45 minutes, and the pass can be sorted at the ticket office with your guide on the way. Angkor Wat gets the longest block of the day at 2.5 hours, which suits the ruins, since Wikivoyage puts the best light on the temple around 13:00 to 14:00.

Angkor Thom follows at 30 minutes, then the Bayon at 1.5 hours. Note again that Ta Keo appears in the includes but not in this running order. Lunch is a 1-hour break at a local restaurant near the temples, then Ta Prohm gets 1.5 hours of jungle and tree roots. A 15-minute drive brings you to the Phnom Bakheng east entrance for 1.5 hours and the sunset. The return drive is 40 minutes, and you are back between 6:30 and 7:00 PM.

Why the Day Starts at 9:10 AM Instead of Dawn

The late start is the point. Journey Cambodia and South East Asia Journeys both pitch their afternoon schedules as a way to skip the morning crowds, and the same logic runs this day: pickup at 9:10 to 9:30 AM puts you at Angkor Wat mid-morning. Sunset time shifts through the year, and South East Asia Journeys says its day can end about 30 minutes earlier or later.

This listing puts the drop-off between 6:30 and 7:00 PM.

Phnom Bakheng, the Hilltop Finish

The sunset stop is Phnom Bakheng, a temple on a steep hill about 65 m above the plain, built between 889 and 910 under Yasovarman I. From the top, Angkor Wat sits roughly 1.5 km to the south-east, so Angkor Wat is in view as the light fades, though the sun does not set over it from here. The listing gives the stop 1.5 hours, which matters because the hike to the summit takes about half an hour and climbing is not allowed after 17:30. Arrive early enough, wear real shoes, and skip the elephant rides down, which Wikivoyage advises against on welfare grounds.

Read more in the Phnom Bakheng guide.

How That Differs from Other Sunset Tours

Other operators watch from Angkor Wat itself. Journey Cambodia keeps its group inside Angkor Wat from 3:00 to 6:00 PM, entering through the west gate past the reflection pools and leaving by the east gate for the sunset. The trade-off is simple: the pools give the classic mirrored photo, while Phnom Bakheng gives height and a wide view over the plain.

Pre Rup and Srah Srang are two other sunset spots inside the park, and the private tuk-tuk tour lists a sunset option that covers Pre Rup, East Mebon, Ta Som, Neak Pean, Preah Khan and Phnom Bakheng. If two days suit you better, the Angkor Wat 2-Day Tour also ends day two with a Phnom Bakheng sunset.

Check Yourself Against This List

The listing is not suitable for babies under 1 year or for people over 70. The Phnom Bakheng climb is a real walk, about half an hour to the top per Wikivoyage, and steep temple stairs plus the heat are part of the day, so bring comfortable shoes, and chilled water is included.

The late start is the whole point, so if you want the sunrise reflection, book the Angkor Wat Small-Group Sunrise Tour instead. If you want your own vehicle and pace, the Angkor Wat Private Tuk-Tuk Tour is private from one price per group. If one day feels thin, the Angkor Wat 2-Day Tour puts the sunrise on day one and a Phnom Bakheng sunset on day two.

The dress code is enforced: cover your knees and shoulders, and shorts, short skirts and sleeveless shirts are not allowed. The from price covers none of the entries, so the $51 total is the honest budget per adult.

The Angkor Pass

The one-day Angkor Pass costs US$37 and gives access to 50+ temples in the Angkor Archaeological Park. Buy it on the official site angkorenterprise.gov.kh or at the ticket office with your guide. Park entry runs 5:00 AM to 6:30 PM.

Sources differ on the ticket office closing time, so let your guide handle the timing. Your photo is printed on the pass and it is checked at almost all sites. Children under 12 enter free with their passport, which matches the listing's rule.

• 1-day pass US$37, valid 1 day
• 3-day pass US$62, expires in 7 days
• 7-day pass US$72, expires in 30 days

Sunset Hours and the Season

The park closes at 6:30 PM and Wikivoyage says no climbing of Phnom Bakheng is allowed after 17:30. In Siem Reap the sun sets around 5:56 pm in mid January and 6:10 pm in mid February. The wet season runs May to October and the dry season the other six months.

March averages a high of 34.9 C and April 35.8 C, while January is 31.7 C with almost no rain. Carry water either way, though the tour supplies chilled bottles.

Dress Code, Visa and What to Carry

The dress code is long trousers or a long skirt with covered shoulders, and a scarf over bare shoulders is not accepted. Bring comfortable shoes, a charged smartphone and your passport for the under-12 exemption and the visa. Most visitors need a visa: the 30-day tourist e-visa costs US$30, paid online by card, and the FCDO advises applying at least 4 days ahead.

Read the Angkor Wat tickets guide before buying the pass, and the Angkor Wat sunrise guide if you want a dawn day too.

Timing the Light

Wikivoyage puts the best light on Angkor Wat at around 13:00-14:00 and the Bayon at about 10:00-16:00, which suits an afternoon route well. Pack the sun gear anyway: a hat and insect repellent earn their place by mid-afternoon.

Plan B and the Reliable Window

The wet season runs May to October. South East Asia Journeys says rain usually passes within an hour and its guides keep a plan B for the sunset stop when the sky turns. Ask your own guide the same question, because a wet sandstone climb is a slick one.

One verified reviewer on this tour describes a monsoon day with heavy rain until 9:00 AM, where the operator ran the day anyway and only the sunset was lost to cloud. The dry season from November to March is the dependable window, with January averaging 3.7 mm of rain in Siem Reap against over 50 mm in April. Check the seasons section on the homepage before you pick dates.

The List

Sunlight is direct and shade is thin, so bring a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and insect repellent. Steps at the temples turn slick when wet, so shoes with grip are worth more than sandals. Carry small bills in US dollars or riel for lunch and drinks, a refillable bottle, and a camera with a spare battery for the low light.

A light rain jacket covers May to October. Journey Cambodia advises leaving your passport and most of your cash at the hotel, but bring passports if any child under 12 travels with you, because children under 12 enter the temples free against their passport. The tour itself asks only for comfortable shoes and a charged smartphone.