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When you think of Cambodia, it is likely that the first image that pops into your head is the majestic, lost city of Angkor Wat. Whilst there are many things to see, do and visit in Cambodia, be sure not to miss Angkor Wat off your itinerary. There is a reason why it draws in so many visitors every year!
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If you're looking for a travel experience that combines history, adventure, and cultural immersion for the whole family, a visit to Angkor Wat in Cambodia should be at the top of your list. This UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its awe-inspiring temples and lush landscapes, offers a perfect blend of exploration and education for kids and adults alike.​​
Where is Angkor Wat?
Angkor Wat is located in Siem Reap, Northern Cambodia. It is a 6 hour bus journey from Bangkok, Thailand and a 6 hour bus journey from Phnom Penh.
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Angkor Wat is actually one temple within a vast complex of temple ruins. This is something to consider when visiting. You can spend an etire day exploring the complex and many people choose to visit over multiple days in order to experience the site fully.
Photo: Angkor Wat
Ticket Prices
Entry tickets into Angkor Wat is free for children under 12, however they do come at a cost for adults which may put a dent in your wallet if you are travelling on a budget! There are 3 ticket options to choose from: 1 day pass, 3 day pass and a 7 day pass. Lots of people opt for a 3 day pass in order to explore the complex at their own pace. However for us, we went for a 1 day pass purely for cost reasons.
There are 2 ways to buy tickets: online and at the ticket office. I recommend purchasing tickets online before going, that way you will miss the big queues for tickets which has been known to be up to a 30 minute wait. This is especially so if you want to see the sunrise at Angkor Wat. If you end up waiting 30 minutes in a queue for tickets then you are likely to miss the sunrise!
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If you purchase an online ticket you will be sent a copy to your device. I took a screen shot of these and kept them on my phone. When asked, I showed them the pictures of the tickets on my phone.
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Children do not need a ticket to enter but you will need to bring their passports with you as a form of ID. There are multiple ticket checkpoints throughout the site and whilst we were not asked to present the boys' passports, I know families who have been asked to.
Photo: Exploring temples with kids
When is the best time to visit?
The dry season is regarded as the best time to visit Angkor Wat. Siem Reap dry season runs from November to April, with most days reaching an average of 30-35 degrees in temperature. December and January is especially ideal to visit as the days are slightly cooler but guaranteed beautiful weather.
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​Many families opt to visit Angkor Wat during sunrise. If you can drag yourself out of bed early enough, this is a fantastic time to visit Angkor Wat. You will not only be rewarded with a beautiful sunrise in one of the most majestic locations EVER but it is also one of the coolest times to go so is much easier for the kids to spend time exploring the different temple ruins.
Photo: Watching the sunrise at Angkor Wat
Getting around Angkor Wat with kids
Angkor Wat complex is huge. You cannot possibly visit without having some kind of transport to go between the different temples. Some travellers choose to visit on motor bikes (ideal if you are child free!) but the majority of visitors travel by Tuk Tuk.
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If you decide to visit Angkor Wat on your own (without booking onto a tour) then I recommend booking a Tuk Tuk for the day. We booked a Tuk Tuk through our hostel the day before we visited and paid $20 for 7 hours. Our driver picked us up from our hostel at 5am and took us straight to Angkor Wat. After spending 2 hours at Angkor Wat, we met back up with our driver and he took us around 5 other temples within the complex. Our driver was not a tour guide but he was fantastic, giving us information about the different temples he took us to.
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The tours we looked at were around $15 each (on top of entry ticket prices) therefore for us the cheaper option was to book a Tuk Tuk. Also, having the kids I think they would have struggled with a tour. By the third temple they were 'templed out' so just enjoyed playing and searching for bugs around the complex. By not being booked onto a tour, we were able to have more flexibility over how we explored the different temples.
Photo: Wandering through the ruins
Food and drink at Angkor Wat
If you can, I recommend taking food, drinks and snacks with you. There are places to eat and drink around the complex but choices are limited. After watching the sun pop up behind Ankgor Wat, we had around an hour left to explore the site before meeting back up with our driver so we headed to find some breakfast. To the left of the temple, there are a few little food spots. We managed to get pancakes and an omlette baguette which filled a gap. Prices were expensive though and definitely overpriced for what it was. Coffee was questionable, Robin said it looked like drinking muddy water and to be fair, he wasn't far off describing the taste too!
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Outside Ta Prohm, which was the last stop on our visit, there were stalls selling drinks where you can treat yourself to some ice cold water, cold coconuts or fizzy drinks.
Photo: Angkor Wat Complex
Angkor Wat at Sunrise
If you do decide to visit Angkor Wat during sunrise here are some things to expect and note:
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When you arrive, it will be dark! I recommend taking torches if you have them as the path you walk up is not well lit.
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The ruins are not suitable to prams. If you have smaller children then I recommend you taking a carrier with you to transport them around. There are lots of steps, uneven grounds and lots of hopping in and out of Tuk Tuks.
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If you are not sure where to go just follow the crowd! Our driver dropped us off at the entrance to Angkor Wat where we had our tickets scanned. After that, we had no idea where to go (it was so dark!) so we just followed everyone else! Once we got over the bridge and into the main site we branched off from the crowd and found a spot for the sunrise.
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When we got there we overheard a tour guide explain that the sun rose to the right of the temple. Therefore, we positioned ourselves to the left of the temple in order to get the best view of both Angkor Wat and the sunrise. If you are not bothered about getting the perfect sunrise shot then you can position yourself anywhere!
Highlights of Angkor Wat
We had a wonderful time exploring what Angkor Wat had to offer and despite the cost, it is something that you should definitely do if visiting Siem Reap. For us, the highlight was seeing the sunrise behind Angkor Wat. We may not have had the best sunrise but it was still an incredible and precious moment that we shared as a family.
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Another highlight for us was visiting Ta Prom, the way nature is reclaiming the land is a truly unique and unforgettable experience. My eldest son described it as being like something out of a movie. He said he was just waiting for King Louie from Jungle Book to step out from behind the rubble! It really did have that surreal vibe to it.
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Another highlight for us were the monkeys!! It was the boys' first time seeing monkeys in the wild and to see them running around the grounds of Angkor Wat was incredible.
Photo: Ta Prohm
Top tips for visiting Angkor Wat with kids
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Purchase your tickets online BEFORE you visit.
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Take your kids' passports with you.
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Wear sensible footwear.
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Wear sensible clothes- shoulders and knees need to be covered. Our boys were fine wearing shorts but had these on so we could turn them into trousers if needed.
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Take snacks and water or cash if you plan to get food/drinks there.
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Book a Tuk Tuk to drive you around for the day.
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Swap numbers with your Tuk Tuk driver so you can contact each other. Once we had finished visiting Angkor Wat, I messaged to tell our driver we were ready and he came to pick us up where we had agreed to meet.
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If there is a certain temple you'd like to visit make sure you let your driver know. Our driver took us to 6 different temples but there's so much more to see around the complex. Do your research first.
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About 4inthVan
We are a family of 4 living and travelling full time in our self converted Luton van.Â
Our aim is to provide other families information, guides and top tips to help them on their next adventure, whether that's world travel, van life or home education.