Angkor Wat Sunrise: Times, Spots and Tours

The Verdict and the Crowd

Yes, go once. The sky over the towers runs from pitch black through pink and purple to orange, and the towers reflect in the lotus pond in front of the temple. Travellenz describes hundreds of people gathering each morning for it.

Tom Henty's Travel puts the scramble for the classic pond spot at about 500 people, so claim a place early or book one of the Angkor Wat tours, since Tom Henty's Travel says a guide gets you in position first. Cloud can block the sun itself, but Hello Angkor notes that cloud adds drama to the sky in the rainy season, so a grey forecast is not a wasted morning.

What the Times Mean for Your Morning

The park gate opens at 5:00 AM and the temples open at sunrise, according to Wikivoyage and the official Angkor Enterprise ticket page, which lists entry from 5:00 AM to 6:30 PM. In practice you leave your hotel around 4:30 AM for most of the year. In 2026 Siem Reap's earliest sunrise is 5:36 am on 31 May and the latest is 6:31 am on 23 January, a spread of less than an hour across the whole year. Sunset runs from 5:34 pm on 19 November to 6:35 pm on 9 July.

Cambodia's average high in Siem Reap never falls below 30 C in any month, and March to May can reach 40 C, so the dawn hour is also the coolest hour you will get. The rainy season runs May to October. November to February is the dry peak season at 25-30 C, which is when the ponds fill with the biggest crowds.

How Other Guides Round the Times

Hello Angkor rounds Siem Reap sunrise to about 6:30 AM from January to April, about 5:30 AM from May to July and about 6:00 AM from August to December. Journey Cambodia gives a single figure of about 5:40 AM. The month table above uses the precise daily figures for 2026, with the earliest sunrise at 5:36 AM on 31 May and the latest at 6:31 AM on 23 January, so treat the rounded guide numbers as approximations and the table as the reference.

The Ponds in Front of the Temple

Wikivoyage's advice is specific: for the Angkor Wat sunrise, stand at the extreme left of the entry tower. There is a reflecting water basin on the left side, and the towers and their reflection in the water are the photograph everyone comes for. In November and December the sun rises to your right as you face the temple, which is why the far left position works for that season.

Expect company at the ponds. A tour with a fixed pickup, such as the Angkor Wat Small-Group Sunrise Tour at $15 per person (8 to 9 hours), takes the transport off your hands. If you go on your own, note that some tuk-tuk drivers charge about US$3 extra for a 5:00 AM start, and a full-day tuk-tuk runs about US$15 to US$20 for the main temples according to Wikivoyage.

The Equinox Alignment

Twice a year the geometry gets better. Wikipedia notes that at the spring and autumn equinoxes the rising sun lines up with the central tower of Angkor Wat when seen from the western entrance causeway. The alignment is strongest around the March and September equinoxes.

On those mornings the causeway itself, further back from the ponds, is the spot where the alignment reads.

A Quieter Water Option: Srah Srang

If the ponds feel too tight, Srah Srang is the alternative. It is a reservoir about 700 by 350 m, dug in the mid-10th century, with a stone landing stage opposite Banteay Kdei. Wikipedia calls its landing stage a popular sunrise spot.

Several tours build it in: the Angkor Wat Highlights Sunrise Tour lists Srah Srang among its stops and serves breakfast there, at your own expense.

The State of the Ponds

Hello Angkor reports that the north pond, the classic photo spot, can turn green with algae, and that it was fenced off for upgrade works at the time of that guide. The same page lists the library steps, the entrance causeway and the outer entry gopura as fallback positions when the pond edge is crowded or closed. Conditions change, so look over both pond banks as you walk in and shift position if the water is low or the near side is fenced.

Four Alternatives

Srah Srang, a reservoir about 700 by 350 m dug in the mid-10th century, is a popular sunrise spot at its landing stage and is covered above. Pre Rup is better known as a sunset hill, but Asia Top Travel lists it among spots open at 5 AM. Phnom Bakheng, about 1.5 km north-west of Angkor Wat, works at dawn too, though the climb takes about half an hour.

Phnom Krom, a mountain temple toward Tonle Sap, appears on Hello Angkor's list. Hours differ by source, so the table sets out what each guide states.

• Phnom Krom toward Tonle Sap appears on Hello Angkor's list of alternatives, with no hours given

Stay for the Light, Then Walk the Galleries

Hello Angkor points out that the sunrise light changes last about 90 minutes, so do not head for the exit once the sky turns orange. Travellenz suggests walking the bas-reliefs next, while the stone is still cool and the morning sun lights the outer courtyards. Tom Henty's Travel describes how a full sunrise day continues with the Angkor Wat galleries, then Ta Prohm and the Bayon, with most of the walking done at dawn before the heat builds.

If you would rather hand the sequencing to someone else, the Private Angkor Wat Ta Prohm Angkor Thom Tour picks up around 4:45 AM for sunrise and runs 4 to 5 hours through Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm and Angkor Thom, and the Angkor Wat tours comparison shows who covers what.

The Packing List

Tom Henty's Travel recommends water and snacks, because nothing is open that early and temple vendors charge high prices, plus sunscreen, insect repellent, spare phone storage and small cash in US dollars or riel. A headlamp or phone light matters more than people expect, since the stones around the entrance trip you in the dark. Asia Top Travel's list adds a light jacket for the cool ride out and a tripod.

For photography, Journey Cambodia suggests a wide-angle lens, filters and spare batteries and memory cards. Whatever you carry, remember the wake-up is around 4:30 AM, so lay everything out the night before. The Angkor Wat Highlights Sunrise Tour starts with pickup between 4:15 AM and 4:35 AM, and breakfast at Srah Srang on that trip is at your own expense.

Choosing Your Evening

Phnom Bakheng is the classic choice and the most crowded. Angkor Wat lies about 1.5 km to the south-east of the hill, and the climb to the top takes about half an hour, so start early. No climbing is allowed after 17:30. Wikipedia's infobox puts the summit at 79 m above sea level, and the same article says the temple sits about 65 m above the surrounding plain, so both figures circulate. Be aware that the sun does not set over Angkor from up there. For the full rules and history of the hill, see Phnom Bakheng.

Pre Rup is the calmer pick. Wikivoyage names it a popular sunset spot over the countryside. It is a brick temple-mountain dedicated in 961 or early 962, with a pyramid about 12 m high and 50 m square at its base. Srah Srang works at both ends of the day: a terrace leads down to the pond opposite Banteay Kdei.

The evening ticket rule ties it together. A pass dated tomorrow allows entry from 4:45 PM today according to siemreap.net, and Wikivoyage reports that a pass bought after 17:00 counts from the next day. The evening entry therefore does not use up a day, so a sunset visit the evening before your pass starts costs no extra pass day. Full prices and pass types sit on the Angkor Wat tickets page.

Tours That End at Sunset

Two catalog trips put the sunset in the plan. The Angkor Wat Full-Day Tour with Sunset costs $14 per person for 9 hours, pickup at 9:10 to 9:30 AM, and finishes at Phnom Bakheng. The Angkor Wat 2-Day Tour costs $34 per person over two days and ends day two with the Phnom Bakheng sunset after the big-circuit temples.

Neither includes the Angkor Pass. Wikivoyage reports elephant rides down Phnom Bakheng cost US$15 but advises against them for animal welfare reasons.

How the Dawn Trips Differ

The group tours cluster between $15 and $39 per person before the pass. The cheapest, the Angkor Wat Small-Group Sunrise Tour at $15, takes a standard group up to 15 people, and is not suitable for children under 4. The Angkor Wat Highlights Sunrise Tour at $19 caps at 15 people and rules out children under 8, with a return by 1:30 PM. The Vespa or tuk-tuk option at $39 caps at 8 and is the only one with breakfast and lunch in the price. The sunrise cycling tour at $69 includes the bike and helmet for a 15 to 25 km ride after dawn.

The private options start at $30 per person with pickup at 4:45 AM and run to $75 per person for a 4 to 5 hour SUV trip with pickup around 4:45 AM. The $75 trip also offers a normal start from 9:00 AM if you skip the sunrise.

Buying the Pass for a Dawn Start

The ticket queue matters more at sunrise than at any other hour. Buying a pass takes 5 to 25 minutes and the rush comes before 5 AM, so the practical move is to buy online the day before, or at the office the day before. The official site angkorenterprise.gov.kh lists the park entry from 5:00 AM and closing at 6:30 PM on all three passes.

On the Small-Group Sunrise Tour the guide helps you buy the pass on the day, but that eats into the dark-hour buffer. Wikivoyage reports the 3-day pass as any 3 days within one week and the 7-day pass as any 7 days within one month.

Tour, Driver or Scooter

A guided tour is one of three ways in. Asia Top Travel sets out the choice as joining a tour, hiring a driver or renting a scooter, and puts scooter rental at $10 to $20 a day. Wikivoyage's figures for a hired tuk-tuk are about US$15 for the main temples and US$20 to $30 for outlying ones, with a sunrise start adding about US$3.

A driver takes you between temples and, as on the Angkor Wat Private Tuk-Tuk Tour listing, does not guide you inside them. A tour adds a guide and a fixed dawn pickup, and some guides help you buy the pass, but the Angkor Pass is an extra on every sunrise listing above.

Base Yourself in Siem Reap

Tom Henty's Travel notes that boutique hotels in Siem Reap sit about 15 minutes from Angkor Wat by tuk-tuk and will arrange a 4:30 AM tuk-tuk and an early breakfast box if you ask the night before. Travellenz's account is that the hotel woke guests, lent flashlights and packed a take-away breakfast, which turns the early start into a small logistics problem rather than a hardship. Asia Top Travel frames the choice as the city centre, close to restaurants and local life, versus the resort belt just outside, closer to the park gates.

Either way, confirm the pickup time when you book, or let a tour handle it. The Angkor Wat Small-Group Sunrise Tour and most other Angkor Wat tours include hotel pickup.