The temples of Angkor make up the largest religious site in the world and a visit here is one of travel’s great adventures. If you’re visiting with kids, make sure you plan ahead to make the most of your time, otherwise your memories might end up lost in the ruins.
The collection of temples that make up the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor are amongst the most iconic sights in the world. Adventurous families who make the trip to this unique region of Cambodia are rewarded with memories and experiences to last a lifetime, but that’s not to say visiting Angkor with kids isn’t without its challenges.
Famously known as the largest religious site in the world, this is one place you need to treat with respect and plan your days accordingly. It might be tempting to rush around in a tuk-tuk and tick off as many temples as possible, but Angkor rewards careful exploration and a focused itinerary. Fortunately, the multi-day ticket options allow for rest days, and the friendly city of Siem Reap, only twenty minutes drive away, is the perfect place to relax, recharge, and explore.
Do check out our full travel guide to visiting Cambodia with kids, which includes an itinerary, how to get around, and tips to get the most from your visit.
What is Angkor and how to get there
People often use the terms ‘Angkor’ and ‘Angkor Wat’ interchangeably, but Angkor Wat is actually just one of several temple complexes contained within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor. Angkor Wat is the most impressive and photographed of the complexes so it’s perhaps understandable that it has become synonymous with the entire site. But do remember it’s only part of the story.
Angkor and the city of Siem Reap are next door neighbours and they compliment each other well. Siem Reap isn’t just a place to sleep and use as a base for visiting the temples, it’s a fascinating city in its own right, with a lively bar/restaurant scene (fun and suitable for kids before 9.00pm) and is home to several family-orientated activities such as ziplining and mini-golf. Check out our guide to visiting Siem Reap with kids for more information on this fascinating city.
Siem Reap is well placed within Cambodia for internal connections, with a decent bus service linking the city with Phnom Penh, Battambang and other points within the country, although it’s not on the railway network. There’s also an excellent international bus service to and from Bangkok. It’s best to book online in advance and we recommend using Baolau.
If you’re arriving from overseas, Siem Reap has its own airport, opened in 2023 and is served by flights from many Southeast Asian cities including Saigon, Bangkok, Phnom Penh, Danang and Singapore.
Once you’ve made it to Siem Reap, you’ll be following a well-trodden route from the city to Angkor and most people hire the services of a tuk-tuk driver to take them in and out of the temples. They can also be used throughout the day to shuttle you between the different temple complexes, which are situated a long way from each other.
The tuk-tuks are a huge amount of fun and kids love travelling in them. They can either be arranged directly with the driver or via your hotel. Don’t worry about how or where to find the drivers, they’ll find you as soon as you arrive in Siem Reap.
Where to stay for easiest access
The road from Siem Reap to the temples is lined with international five-star resorts, offering all-inclusive stays. These soulless and overpriced places are best avoided if you want anything approaching an authentic Cambodian experience. You’re much better off staying in the centre of Siem Reap and making the twenty minute drive to the temples each day.
For most of the year, the temperatures in and around Angkor are above 30C and often tip over 40C. If you’re travelling with kids, it’s pretty much essential that you choose accommodation with a swimming pool (and AC) that you can retreat to in the afternoons. Even with the most history-obsessed kid, the amount of time in any one day you can spend looking around the temples is limited. A modern, comfortable and cool hotel is the best place to spend the downtime and recharge the temple batteries.
We spent a week in the Sakaban Suite in Siem Reap, a friendly and peaceful place within walking distance of Pub Street. The highlight was the beautiful swimming pool and buffet breakfast, both of which were exactly what we all needed before and after our sightseeing days. They were also very helpful in arranging a tuk-tuk driver and providing information about Angkor itself.
Ticket options, how to buy them
Tickets for Angkor can either be bought in advance online, or at the ticket office situated on the road leading from Siem Reap to the temples.
While the ticket office is modern, well organised and efficient, our advice is to buy tickets online in advance from the official website. This will save time when you arrive and allows you to focus on the temples, rather than making a separate trip to the ticket office. It’s definetly worth doing if you plan to arrive in time for sunrise.
The buying process is simple, you just need to upload a photo, pay using credit card (international ones work fine) and your ticket is emailed to you within a couple of minutes. The pdf ticket can either be printed out or shown to staff on your phone.
Children under the age of 12 don’t need a ticket but they might be asked to prove their age via passport. In practice, our two kids aged 9 and 8 didn’t need to show their passports, and the oldest one was only asked once how old he was. If your kids are closer to 12, or look old for their age, make sure you have their passport with you.
Tickets can be bought for one, three or seven days and are priced at $37/62/72 respectively ($2 of each ticket price goes to a local children’s hospital). One feature of the tickets that’s ideal for families is that the multi-day tickets don’t have to used on consecutive days, so it’s purpose built for rest days by the pool.
The three day ticket has to be used with ten days, and the seven day ticket is valid for one whole month. We bought the three day ticket and split our time across six days, which worked out perfectly.
Opening hours and should you arrive for sunrise?
The majority of the temples at Angkor Archaeological Park are open from 7.30am to 5.30pm.
The exceptions are Angkor Wat and Srah Srang (both open from 5.00am to 5.30pm to allow for sunrise views), and Pre Rup and Bakheng (both open 5.00am to 7.00pm for sunrise and sunset).
The big question many families face is whether it’s worth the effort (and potential meltdowns) to arrive in time for sunrise. We tried it once and, while it was no doubt a memorable experience, the knock-on effect over the rest of the day was quite severe, and we’re not sure we’d make the same choice again. As any parent knows, a 4.45am alarm call really is brutal.
If you do decide to brave the pre-dawn start, don’t plan on doing much additional sightseeing after 7.00am. Instead, it’s more likely the kids (and probably you parents) will be ready to retreat back to the hotel, perhaps returning to the temples later in the day after a swim, sleep and lunch.
If you are arriving to the area later in the day, keep in mind that tickets issued after 4.45pm are valid for the next day. So, if you fancy catching the last couple of hours of daylight and watching the sunset, you can do this and still return for free the next day.
What to expect on your visit
The largest religious site in the world
However many times you might hear this from other people, you don’t truly appreciate the scale of Angkor until you arrive and start manoeuvring your way around the temples. In any other part of the world, just one of these temples would be a famous attraction, so it’s important you plan your approach carefully. After all, this is the largest religious site in the world…
The combination of heat, early starts and temple-fatigue have been known to ruin many family visits to Angkor, so it’s best to focus on the true family-friendly highlights and accept you parents won’t have as much time as you might like. Although, one common approach (if you’re a two-parent family) is for one parent to stay at the swimming pool with the kids while the other parent returns to the temples for a longer, more relaxing visit. The multi-day ticket options help facilitate this too.
Factor in the heat
It’s no secret that it can get hot in Cambodia and while there is some shade to be found in the temples, you really want to avoid the hottest part of the day, so definitely try to be there for 7.00am or 8.00am at the latest as this will give you a few hours until the day gets really hot. Some families like to retire to an air-conditioned restaurant near the temples for a very long lunch and this might suit families with older kids. Another option is to head back to Siem Reap and your hotel, hit the pool and then return after 3pm.
Avoiding temple-itis
Even this incredible collection of temples isn’t immune to temple-fatigue and the sensation of feeling templed-out. Kids are particularly susceptible and, however many times you remind them how incredible it all is, there’s a limited amount of time most children can spend here without losing some interest.
In the first instance, the temples are genuinely awe-inspiring, especially Angkor Wat, which looks every inch the world-famous destination that sits atop many a travel bucket list. There are many different areas and sections to investigate, and it’s probably the most intact of all the temples at Angkor. You’ll find it easy to find areas of shade under the stone columns and ceilings, and there’s always somewhere quiet to retreat to away from the crowds. If you need a break from exploring the temples, there are several food stalls and drink vendors from where you can buy supplies. If you do get here for sunrise, head to the libraries (not the tourist-saturated reflective pond) for the best combination of views and tranquillity.
Other great temple options are Ta Prohm (of Tomb Raider fame), lots of nooks and crannies, giant trees, fallen pillars, and movie-famous photo opportunities. It’s a fun place for kids to get semi-lost in and feel like they’re exploring their own jungle temple complex.
Bayon is another beautiful temple, part of Angkor Thom that also has the magnificent terraces, swimming pools, and pyramid temples. Bayon itself has scores of faces carved into the rocks, fun for kids to point and marvel at. The top level is (still) closed at the moment with no obvious sign of imminent opening. Watch out for sneaky monkeys who like food, sunglasses, and basically anything not tied down.
How long should you spend at Angkor with kids?
Unless you have a significant amount of time available, you’ll probably find that a three day ticket is the right amount of time. This allows you to spend a week in and around Siem Reap, with your visit to Angkor spread over three days. If you’re visiting with kids, this offers a good compromise between temple-time and relaxation.
On the days you do visit, don’t expect to spend the whole day there, it’s likely that three or four hours will be plenty for you and the kids. Some families head back to Siem Reap after a morning sightseeing and then return back around 4.00pm for another temple and perhaps sunset. This often works well, but do factor in the extra cost of going back and forth to Siem Reap.
Alternatively, you could take a very long, leisurely lunch in one of the air-conditioned restaurants on site, but the quality and value for money are low compared to restaurants back in Siem Reap.
Tips for your visit
- Take plenty of water with you and top-up as you go along at the stalls selling drinks. For most of the year, this part of Cambodia is hot, hot, hot. Make sure you wear sunscreen too.
- Don’t do too many days. There isn’t much difference in the price between the three and seven day pass ($62 versus $72) so it might be tempting to buy the longer pass. That’s fine if you do, but don’t make the mistake of trying to visit too often to ‘get your money’s worth’. It’s much better to go for quality over quantity and ensure the kids have happy memories of Angkor.
- Don’t do too many hours. Especially if you’re only here for one day, don’t expect to spend twelve hours here and still be going strong at sunset. Most families find three or four hours works best.
- Plan plenty of breaks and rest days. Stop for snacks and drinks along the way but also remember to utilise the rest days between your visits and spend some time exploring the area around Angkor beyond the temples.
- Come up with your own temple games, especially at Ta Prohm where the kids can unleash their inner Tomb Raider, see who can find the statue that looks most like Mum, or who spots the most monkeys throughout the day.
- Find the quieter temples and enjoy the peace. Angkor Wat is where everyone heads to at least once on their tour, but there are plenty of other temples that receive a fraction of the visitors but still have amazing stories to tell. Your driver will know some of the best spots, so make sure you ask them for advice.
- Enjoy your time in Siem Reap, it’s not just a place to sleep, there are plenty of activities, restaurants and other places to enjoy.
- If one parent is a history fanatic, let them head back to the temples alone while the rest of you chill by the pool.
Final thoughts on visiting Angkor with kids
The phrase ‘bucket-list destination’ is overused nowadays but the temples of Angkor really do belong in that category. Not only do they make up the largest religious site in the world, they’re also one of the most visited sights in Southeast Asia, and it’s easy to see why.
Visiting Angkor with kids is guaranteed to leave you all with a backpack full of memories, but just remember to pace yourselves during the visit and don’t try and do too much. Luckily, the city of Siem Reap is only a few minutes tuk-tuk ride away, and it’s a fantastic destination in its own right, full of relaxing and unique family-friendly experiences that are the perfect compliment to the temples down the road.
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Cambodia with kids travel guide
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