Siem Reap 2 Day Itinerary

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Two days is rushed but doable: the Small Circuit on day one, Banteay Srei and the Grand Circuit on day two. It skips the town entirely and the far temples like Beng Mealea, so if either matters to you, look at our 3-day itinerary instead.

Book these before you go

  • The Angkor Pass , 1-day $37 or 3-day $62 (used across any 3 days in 10), only from Angkor Enterprise, never a temple-side reseller.
  • A tuk-tuk or driver for both full days, around $20-25 a day; agree the price before setting off.
  • Check hotel rates near the Old Market : it’s the walkable base for both evenings.

Day 1: the Small Circuit

Start at Angkor Wat for sunrise, budgeting real time for the walk in since paths are unlit before dawn. The moat and reflecting pools are the reason to get up early; climbing to the Bakan, the upper level, means a strict dress code, real sleeves and knee coverage, not a draped scarf. From there, Angkor Thom: the Bayon’s 216 stone faces across 54 towers, the South Gate, the Terrace of the Elephants. Finish at Ta Prohm, the “Tomb Raider” temple, left with strangler-fig roots draped over the stone. A tuk-tuk driver for the day, roughly $20-25, covers all three without the heat of trying to bike between them.

Day 2: Banteay Srei, the Grand Circuit, and a sunset

Banteay Srei sits about 37km out, still covered by the Angkor Pass, and has the finest, most detailed carving anywhere in the park, pink sandstone rather than the grey stone of the main temples. Back toward town, the Grand Circuit covers Preah Khan and Neak Pean. For sunset, Phnom Bakheng is the famous hilltop view but caps out at 300 visitors at the summit, so arrive by around 4pm; Pre Rup is the quieter alternative if the cap has already filled. Close the trip on Pub Street, or the calmer Old Market if two days of temples has you ready for an early night.

Is 2 days enough for Siem Reap?

Enough to see the headline temples properly, not enough for the town’s museums, the Landmine Museum, or a Tonle Sap floating village. If any of those matter, our 3-day itinerary adds the town without rushing the temples, and the 5-day itinerary works in the far ruins and the lake as well.