Silhouette of Angkor Wat's towers and palm trees reflected in a still pool at dawn in Siem Reap

Seasons · Cambodia

Angkor at sunrise: season, times and crowds

Sunrise over Angkor Wat is the most planned-for hour in Cambodia. Whether it is worth the 04:30 alarm depends on the month, the cloud and where you stand. This page gives sunrise times through the year, the official pass prices and hours, and the ways people avoid the densest crowd.

By Tourist Bucket editors · Published 2026-10-26 · Last reviewed 2026-10-26 · Corrections

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Sunrise through the year

Month (mid-month)	Sunrise at Angkor Wat	Rain in Siem Reap (average)	Season
January	06:30	about 4 mm	Dry, coolest mornings
February	06:27	about 5 mm	Dry
March	06:12	about 29 mm	Dry, warming
April	05:51	about 57 mm	Hottest month
May	05:38	about 150 mm	Rains begin
June	05:37	about 214 mm	Wet
July	05:44	about 193 mm	Wet
August	05:51	about 209 mm	Wet
September	05:53	about 288 mm	Wettest month
October	05:54	about 200 mm	Wet, easing
November	06:03	about 51 mm	Dry season begins
December	06:18	about 7 mm	Dry

Sunrise times are our calculation for Angkor Wat, in Cambodian time; the sky starts to lighten about 20 to 25 minutes earlier, and that is when the silhouette is at its sharpest. Rainfall figures are long-term monthly averages for Siem Reap.

Sources: Tourist Bucket lunar and sun calculations (PyEphem, UTC+7), cross-checked with a Chinese-calendar library; Wikipedia — Siem Reap climate table · last checked 2026-10-26.

The sunrise season

The dry season in Siem Reap runs from November to April and the wet season from May to October. From December to February the sky is clearest and the mornings coolest; this is also when visitor numbers are highest. March and April stay dry but grow hot, with April averaging a daily maximum of about 36 °C. In the wet months a sunrise is often lost to cloud, but the moats are full, the stone is green and the crowds are thin.

Our reading: for colour and sharp silhouettes, November to March; for space, May to October; for neither, the week of Khmer New Year in April, when it is both hot and busy with Cambodian holidaymakers.

Sources: Wikipedia — Siem Reap climate table; Andersen Cambodia — Sub-Decree 167 on 2026 public holidays (law firm summary) · last checked 2026-10-26.

Passes and hours

1-day Angkor PassUSD 37, valid for one day

3-day passUSD 62, used within 7 days

7-day passUSD 72, used within 30 days

Angkor park hours05:00 to 18:30 on the official ticket site

Outlying sitesKoh Ker USD 15; Beng Mealea USD 10; Kbal Spean USD 5

Where to buyangkorenterprise.gov.kh is the official online seller

A tour company that publishes temple hours reports that Angkor Wat opens at 05:00, that Srah Srang and Pre Rup open at 05:00 and stay open later for sunset, that Phnom Bakheng opens at 06:00, and that most other temples keep 06:00 to 18:30 hours. The same source says the upper level of Angkor Wat, the Bakan, opens around 07:40, closes around 17:00 and is closed on Buddhist holy days; that children under 12 enter free with a passport; and that a pass dated for the next day admits visitors from 16:45 the evening before, which allows a sunset on the day you buy it.

Sources: Angkor Enterprise — official Angkor Pass tickets; Adventures Cambodia — Angkor temple opening hours (tour company blog) · last checked 2026-10-26.

Where the crowd stands, and the alternatives

At Angkor Wat the classic view is from the western side of the inner pond, looking east towards the towers. In the dry season this spot fills well before first light, and the front row is several people deep. Arriving early helps less than people hope; many arrive early.

The other side of the pond. Standing further along the edge gives a less symmetrical view with more space.
Srah Srang. The royal bathing pool opens at 05:00 and faces east over the water; it is quieter than Angkor Wat at dawn.
Pre Rup. Also open from 05:00, with a view over the treetops from its upper terraces.
Skip the sunrise. Go into Angkor Wat after the sunrise crowd has left for breakfast, or visit Ta Prohm and the Bayon first and Angkor Wat in the afternoon.

Phnom Bakheng, the hill temple used for sunset, has had a limit of 300 people at the summit at one time since 2017, introduced by the site's tourism management to protect the structure. On busy dry-season days the limit can be reached well before sunset.

Sources: Adventures Cambodia — Angkor temple opening hours (tour company blog); TravelPulse — sunset visitor limit at Phnom Bakheng · last checked 2026-10-26.

On equinox sunrises

Photographers often time visits for the March and September equinoxes, when the sun is said to rise directly over the central tower as seen from the western causeway. We have not found an official statement of this alignment, so we do not give a date for it. If you plan around it, expect the largest crowd of the season at the western entrance, and remember that September is the wettest month.

Border advice

Angkor and Siem Reap are not in an area covered by restrictive UK travel advice. The UK Foreign Office does advise against all but essential travel within 20 km of Cambodia's land border with Thailand, where land crossings are suspended and several border temples, including Preah Vihear, are closed. Check the latest advice if your plans include temples near the border.

Sources: UK Foreign Office — Cambodia travel advice · last checked 2026-10-26.

Who should skip the sunrise

Travellers who do not sleep well before an early start and have only one day: the pass is better spent on a rested full day.
People who dislike standing in a dense crowd in the dark.
Visitors in the wet months who would only come for colour: cloud often hides it.
Anyone with heat sensitivity in April, unless they leave the park by mid-morning.

Common questions

Questions readers ask

What time is sunrise at Angkor Wat?

Between about 05:37 in June and 06:30 in January, by our calculation. The sky lightens 20 to 25 minutes earlier.

How much is the Angkor Pass?

On the official ticket site, USD 37 for one day, USD 62 for three days within a week, and USD 72 for seven days within a month.

What is the quietest sunrise spot?

Srah Srang and Pre Rup both open at 05:00 and are generally less crowded than the western pond at Angkor Wat.

Is there a limit at Phnom Bakheng?

Yes. No more than 300 people may be at the summit at one time.

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