Angkor Wat With Kids! This post is all about how to make Angkor Wat fun for kids, how you can get around this vast site in just one day and all of our top tips.
The city of Siem Reap is quite small, especially in comparison to the site of Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is enormous and with so much to see (and in such heat) it’s a challenge to know what to prioritise and how to do it in such a short space of time. Here, we recommend what temples to see & suggestions on how to visit Angkor Wat with children.
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Top Tip 1: Cover Up Your Shoulders
You will need to cover up ALL shoulders and knees, irrespective of gender, otherwise, you may not be able to buy a ticket let alone enter the temple grounds!
The temples are a mix of Hindu and Buddhist and you’ll frequently see monks in their beautiful orange and red robes sitting amongst the ruins. Visiting Angkor Wat with kids was definitely a highlight of Cambodia and we’d love you to have that experience too.
Book your local accommodation in Siem Reap with booking. We stayed at the beautiful Kafu Resort & Spa; a locally owned hotel with a pool that employs local people (some with disabilities).
If you don’t fancy that, use the interactive map below to search for other places to stay.
Get Your Tickets The Day Before
The tickets are really fancy and have your photo added to them (do not lose them!). Because of this, the process of queuing and taking photos can take well over an hour at busy periods. In December 2016, a total of 249,482 people visited the Angkor Temples. Now you can see why the queues get busy!
In order to save time, I would advise getting the tickets the day before you intend to go. You are able to purchase tickets from 5 pm the day before if you’re buying a one-day ticket.
Prices were: $37 for a single-day pass, $62 for a three-day pass and $72 for a weeklong pass. The ticket counters accept cash and payment with Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay, JCB, Discover and Diners Club.
Opening Hours for the Angkor Park and Angkor Ticket Office
- Angkor Ticket Center (Angkor Enterprise): Daily from 5.00 am until 5.30 pm
- Angkor Wat and Srah Srang: Daily from 5.00am until 5.30pm.
- Phnom Bakheng and Pre Rup: Daily from 5.00 am until 7 p.m.
- All other Temples: Daily from 7.30 am until 5.30 pm. (Except for Phnom Kulen and Beng Mealea. you will need to buy an extra ticket to visit these.)
You also need to carry your tickets with you at all times, preferably in a waterproof case of some sort.
Period Of Validity For Your Angkor Passes
With a 3 or 7-day pass, the viewing days do not have to be in succession.
- 1 Day: This ticket is valid only on the day of purchase (or if purchased after 5 p.m. the day before).
- 3 Days: This ticket is valid for 10 days from the date of purchase. You can choose which three days you wish to visit the Angkor temples on.
- 7 Days: This ticket is valid for one calendar month from the date of purchase. You have a whole month in which to visit the Angkor temples on the seven days of your choice.
If you don’t have to cram your visit into one day, I’d recommend that you don’t. I would LOVE to go back and spend a week there. Really take your time and appreciate the quality of what you’re seeing. But, if you only have one day, read on and we’ll let you know how you can visit Angkor Wat with kids in just a day.
Coping With The Heat
If you’ve never experienced the humidity and heat of Southeast Asia, you’re in for a treat! We absolutely love it but make no mistake it can be physically draining.
The sun can be incredibly hot if it’s out, but even in the rainy season where it normally only rains in the late afternoon, the humidity will engulf you. It’s futile wearing raincoats because you’ll sweat bucket loads and they’ll stick to you and smother your skin.
Top Tip:
The best thing to do is acquire very lightweight ponchos and to carry them with you. You can pick them up for just a few $ and they take up a tiny amount of room.
You will definitely need drinks and a backpack to carry them in, so make sure the poncho fits over your bag.
Top Tip: Start EARLY
I started at sunrise – although my kids stayed in bed and they met me in time for an early breakfast.
Sunrise is no less busy than the rest of the day, and for me, it really wasn’t worth getting out of bed at 3:30 am for! It was so crowded and people everywhere that I did not manage to get a decent photo and the sunrise wasn’t that spectacular due to the high cloud coverage. The majority of my photos also had other people’s cameras in them.
Top Tip
The heat of the day doesn’t start until about 10-11 a.m., so the earlier you can start the better. If you can start at about 7-8 am I think you’d appreciate it more with the coolness of the morning.
Hire A Tuk-Tuk For The Entire Day
Negotiate a tuk-tuk for a day price and make sure it’s understood that the tuk-tuk will wait for you whilst you visit temples. I was so glad we hired a man for the day. He was very friendly and helpful and we found him through our locally owned hotel (opens in new window).
Top Tip
Expect to pay anywhere upwards from $40US for a day’s tuk-tuk. All the cash machines give currency in both US $ and Riel. I recommend getting $1 bills before you arrive to give as tips but don’t tip kids during the week as it encourages them to skip education.
Take A Break During The Day
I definitely recommend that you take a break between 11:30 am and 3 p.m. Go back to your accommodation, have a swim, take a nap, get something to eat and come back at 3 pm all refreshed and raring to go again.
Top Tip
Avoid the main and bigger sites in the morning as they’re very crowded. Any time after 3 pm they start to really clear.
20 Ways To Make Angkor Wat With Kids More Fun
- It is not stroller-friendly friendly so consider taking a hip seat, backpack carry or baby carrier
- Buy child-orientated books before arriving. Some examples are: Leap and Hop Cambodia. Explore Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos: A Travel Activity Book for Kids. ABCs for Cambodia; A phonics book. Cambodia Kids Trailblazer Activity Book. Ancient Wonders, then and now. Jack Stalwart: The secret of the sacred temple. If on this earth there are angels (For teens).
- Watch these two-minute videos with your younger kids before you go: 1) Angkor Wat Temple History and Facts – Fact or Fiction | Educational Videos by Mocomi Kids. 2) Angkor Wat. The Macro-City of Cambodia. 3) Lost City of Angkor Wat | Lost Temples.
- Watch this forty-five-minute video with older kids: Angkor Wat: City of the God Kings. It is a bit West-centric but still insightful.
- Let them touch and climb (rocks, trees, steps etc)
- Give them choices as to what to visit next. “Should we visit here or here next?”
- Walk slowly and watch the ground for insects and bugs
- Take paper and crayons so you can do rubbings
- Consider buying them a cheap point-and-shoot camera
- Encourage them to map read so they can see where you’re going
- Pack little snacks like dried fruit or take time to buy coconuts and fruit from the locals. They’re usually $1
- Consider journaling and allowing time to make notes or draw pictures
- Find monks or people offering blessings and exchange time or gifts
- Challenge your kids to find the biggest tree roots and estimate how tall they are
- See how many monkeys they can spot
- Roll on the grass banks
- Take time to sit and breathe and experience some of the peacefulness of the lesser-known temples. One of my favourites is Chau Say Tevoda and we sat here for 30 minutes watching locals fish with nets whilst standing in the water
- Count the steps up to the top. Many temples have lots of steps up and up!
- If your children enjoy stories, consider hiring a knowledgeable guide who will be able to tell ancient Khmer legends and myths, like the story of the Churning of the Oceans of Milk and the story of the Leper King.
- Negotiate, compromise and don’t get angry.
My Favourite Time Of The Day?
The best time of day for me was the period between 5-7 p.m. Sunset was magical and driving around in the tuk-tuk at night was a lot of fun.
Top Tip
Watch the sunset from the top of Pre Rup temple.
Really Can’t Be Bothered To Take The Kids?
If you really don’t want to take your kids around Angkor Wat, I recently learned of an international school in Siem Reap that will care for kids on an ad hoc, hourly or weekly basis.
The Tree House Internation School offers nursery and primary daycare for visiting families as well as those living there. I have not used this school but I do have a friend working there.
Which Temples Do We Recommend?
You can’t go all the way to Siem Reap and not see the main site however don’t spend too long there because we think there are better temples to see.
These were some of our favourites:
Prasat Kravan
Entirely surrounded by water (like many of the temples) this 10th-century smaller temple feels like it’s on an island. Five reddish blocks of towers together and its exterior is striking for its classical lines and symmetry.
Shrah sang
This reservoir also dating from the 10th century features the upright head of a serpent, mounted by a garuda with its wings unfurled. The steps that lead down to the water are flanked by two guardian lions. A 1600 sq. meter cemetery was discovered at the northwest corner of the reservoir. Mortuary jars containing cremated remains were excavated. There may have been a temple in the middle of the lake as a base was also found.
Ta Prohm
This 13th-century jungle temple is featured in the “Tomb Raider” movie. The huge trees and massive roots growing out of the temple walls give the temple a sureal atmosphere. Although a number of trees have been cut down to protect the temple from collapse, it is still one of the most natural settings in the Angkor Wat complex.
Bayon
The last temple to be built at Angkor, Bayon’s most distinctive feature is the multitude of serene and smiling stone faces on the many towers which jut out from the upper terrace and cluster around its central peak.
With its enormous stone faces on towers as well as heads on the bridge as you enter, it’s a spectacle not to miss.
Ta Keo
Ta Keo has five sanctuary towers arranged on a five-tier pyramid, surrounded by moats. The first terrace is 122 m by 106 m. The second terrace is 5.5 m higher.
Banteay Kdei Temple
This Buddhist monastic complex is currently dilapidated due to faulty construction but is perfect for kids to explore. It was built in the 12th century and has been overrun with moss and trees.
Spean Thma
Known as the bridge of stone, it’s one of only a few to have survived. It was built on the former path of the Siem Reap River between Angkor Thom and the Eastern Baray and it was probably rebuilt after the Khmer period (15th century), as it includes many reused sandstone blocks. The 14 narrow arches are 1.10 m wide.
Chau Say Tevoda
A 12th-century Hindu temple which was entirely destroyed when found. Its stones were found scattered around the banks of the Siem Reap River. Later it was re-built in its original style and was re-opened in 2009.
Angkor Thom
Angkor Thom was abandoned some time prior to 1609 but prior to that it is believed to have sustained a population of up to 150,000 people.
Angkor Thom is in the Bayon style; large scale construction; face-towers at each of the entrances to the city and in the naga-carrying giant figures which accompany each of the towers.
Here we discovered giant centipes and stopped to watch them for a while.
Victory Gate
There are five identical gates to enter Angkor Thom. The south gate is the most commonly used. The walls are 8m high and the towers of the gate are 23m high. They feature large Bayon-style faces and is named The Victory Gate as it was used by a Khmer king on his successful return from battle.
Terrace of Elephants
Part of Angkor Thom, this 350m long terrace of huge sculpted elephants was used by Angkor’s king Jayavarman VII as a platform o view his victorious returning army as well as being used as a giant reviewing stand for public ceremonies and the king’s grand audience hall.
Tep Pranam
A temple with a giant seated Buddha which is still used by monks to worship.
Phnom Bakheng
Constructed more than two centuries before Angkor Wat in the 9th century, Phnom Bakheng was in its day the principal temple of the Angkor region. Phnom Bakheng is one of 3 hilltop temples in the Angkor region that are attributed to Yasovarman’s reign and it gives fantastic views across the main site of Angkor Wat. It’s a great spot for both sunrise and sunset.
Pre Rup
Another great spot for sunset is the 10th century, red brick, Pre Rup. Get your climbing legs on for this squared pyramid which measures 50m at its base and rises in three steep tiers a dozen metres in height to a 35m square platform at the summit.
Let Us Help You Get Angkor Wat With Kids Booked
Click here to see how much flights to Siem Reap might cost you (opens in new tab)
Use the interactive map below to search for places to stay in Siem Reap. We stayed at the beautiful Kafu Resort & Spa which benefited from a pool. Much needed!
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There is 1 comment
Great tips, we went earlier in the year, I’m going to show my kids some of the video clips and see how much they remember! Prior preparation is a really good idea as there is a lot to take in.
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