Best Time to Visit Cambodia

December to February: the sweet spot

December is the best month for both Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. Days are dry and the air feels lighter. Evenings are pleasant enough for a riverside walk in Phnom Penh or a late meal around Pub Street in Siem Reap.

This is also high season, so Angkor Wat gets busy. Sunrise there draws big crowds, and the main temples fill up by mid-morning. Try quieter spots like Ta Prohm early or Banteay Srei later in the day. Flights and rooms cost more around Christmas and New Year, so don't leave those too late.

March to May: hot, hotter, hottest

March is the hottest month in both cities. Phnom Penh reaches 38°C and Siem Reap 37°C. Afternoons are heavy and sticky, and temple climbing gets tough. If you come now, visit Angkor at dawn and head back to a pool by lunch.

April brings Khmer New Year, usually mid-April. It's the biggest holiday of the year. Many Cambodians travel to their home provinces, so Phnom Penh can feel unusually quiet. Some shops close for a few days. Buses and boats are packed. If you like water fights in the street, though, it's good fun.

June to October: green and wet

The rains arrive in the middle of the year and peak in September. Siem Reap gets 246 mm that month, and Phnom Penh gets 214 mm. Showers often come in the afternoon, then clear. Mornings can still be fine for temples.

The upside is real. The countryside around Angkor turns bright green, and crowds thin out. Hotels often drop their rates. The downside is muddy paths and some rural roads that get hard to travel. Boat trips on Tonlé Sap lake are different in this season, because the water is high.

Pchum Ben, a religious festival honouring ancestors, falls around late September or October. Like Khmer New Year, it sends people home to their families, so book transport early.

Which should you pick?

If you want easy weather, go in December. If you hate crowds and don't mind rain, try June or July. Avoid March and April for long temple days unless the heat doesn't bother you.