Itinerary & Expenses in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Siem Reap was a worthwhile trip for me not only because of its temples and ancient ruins, but also its people. The people were friendly and welcomed tourists to enjoy what they have to offer. There were still touts and the occasional pesky vendors who charge extreme amounts of money for food, beverages, and items, but nonetheless Siem Reap and its rich history more than make up for it.

Angkor Wat

At first I thought that Siem Reap would be a cheap place to stay in because of the low priced hostels I found online, but as soon as I ate in some of the restaurants I found out that Siem Reap was a pretty expensive place to eat in. I wasn't able to find any cheap place to eat in that didn't charge less than $2.50 for a meal, unlike my stay in Thailand where I found food for 30 Baht or $1.

Here is a breakdown of my expenses during my trip to Siem Reap:

I'll put the expenses in $US since that was the currency commonly used in Siem Reap

$40 - Temple Passes for 2 Days
$20 - Souvenirs
$5 - Beng Mealea Temple Pass
$19 - Transportation
$14 - Grand Tour w/ Sunset Viewing in Phnom Bakheng
$32 - Beng Mealea Tour w/ Guide & Lunch
$19 - 3 Nights Lodging at Siem Reap Holiday Garden Villa
$28 - Food & Drinks
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$177 or P7080 - Total Spending in Siem Reap for 4 Days & 3 Nights

P6674 - Airfare & Taxes

P13754 - Total Expenses Including Airfare & Taxes

Itinerary

Day 1
Arrival in Siem Reap

Day 2
Beng Mealea
Dinner in Pub Street

Day 3
Mini Tour (Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bayon, Ta Prohm)
Souvenir Shopping
Dinner in Pub Street

Day 4
Banteay Srei & Banteay Samre
Grand Tour (Pre Rup, East Mebon, Ta Som, Neak Pean, Preah Khan)
Dinner in Pub Street
Depart to Philippines

Suggested Itinerary

You can significantly cut down on your expenses by choosing which temples to visit. In my experience you don't have to visit all of them since there are temples that are just a variation of the major ones. Unless you are really interested in visiting the temples, choose which temples to visit. Here are is my suggested itinerary:

Day 1 (Start at sunrise 5AM)
Angkor Wat
Bayon
Ta Prohm


You can spend hours in any of these temples, but the downside is that a majority of the tourists come to these places. In my opinion, you can't go to Siem Reap without seeing these temples. The best time to go is early in the morning (6AM to 9AM) and late in the afternoon (3PM to 5:30PM) to avoid the crowds.

Day 2
Beng Mealea or Bantey Srei & Banteay Samre
Pre Rup
Ta Som
Neak Pean
Preah Khan

Aside from Beng Mealea and Banteay Srei, the temples on this list are the least visited. There aren't that many people visiting these temples. You can enjoy getting lost and wandering in these temples without the hordes of people taking photos and jumping onto things. Beng Mealea and Banteay Srei are far from the town, these temples would require 1-2 hours of travel time just to get to them. The best time to visit Beng Mealea or Banteay Srei is early in the morning (6AM to 9AM), then you can visit the other temples at 10AM onwards.

If you only have a day to visit the temples...

Day 1 (Sunrise start at 5AM)
Angkor Wat
Bayon
Ta Prohm
Neak Pean
Ta Som
Preah Khan

The temple pass for one day costs $20, for 3 days its $40, for 1 week its $60. Depending on your haggling skills, you can explore the ruins near Angkor Wat for only $10-$15 back and forth and the ruins in Beng Mealea and Banteay Srei for $20-$30. Guides are also affordable, you can hire a guide for $20-$25.

These are only suggestions, explore and get lost in whatever Cambodia has in store for you.