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Essentials

Getting to Siem Reap

The majority of visitors to Siem Reap arrive by air at the Siem Reap International Airport from Phnom Penh and Bangkok, though there are also direct flights from several other major cities in East and Southeast Asia. See international/domestic flight schedule page for detailed international and domestic flight information and a list of airlines. Visas are available on arrival at the Siem Reap and Phnom Penh international airports and most overland border crossings. From Phnom Penh, there are also regularly scheduled daily buses and taxis. The road is in good condition and the trip takes only 5-6 hours. During the wet season there are also river ferries from Phnom Penh. A growing number of visitors are making their way to Siem Reap overland from Thailand, most via the Aranyaprathet/Poipet border crossing.

Siem Reap: Arrival and Visas 

Visas 
A passport with at least six-month validity is required. A Cambodian visa is required for most nationalities. One-month visas are available at Cambodian embassies, and much more conveniently, on arrival at the international airports in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh as well as at most overland international border crossings with Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. Tourist visa: US$20. Business visa: US$25. (Sometimes more at overland crossings.) Diplomatic, Official, Courtesy, and Special visas are issued free of charge. One 4x6 photo is required. Tourist visas can be extended for one month, but only one time. Business visas can be renewed up to a year at a time, without limitation of number of renewals. Renew visas through a travel agent. See the visa page for more details and fees.
 

Siem Reap Airport 
The Siem Reap International Airport is a 6km, 15 minutes from town center. Taxis and tuk-tuks can be hired at the ticket desk located just outside the terminal doors. Taxis run $7 and tuk-tuks are $5 into town. Most hotels offer free transportation from the airport with advance reservations.

Chong Kov Sou Bus Station

The bus station is located near Phsar Leu a couple of kilometers west of town center. On arrival, motodups from the station into town run $1.50-$2 and tuk-tuks for $2-$4. For passengers departing Siem Reap, most bus companies offer a free shuttle service from the hotel to the bus station.

Siem Reap Ferry Dock  
For those arriving from Phnom Penh or Battambang by river ferry, the ferry dock is located at Chong Khneas near Phnom Krom, 15km south of Siem Reap town. On arrival rates from the dock to town run about: Tuk-tuks: $5; Taxis: $7. 

Phnom Penh to/from Siem Reap 

Air/Flights
Cambodia Angkor Air offers several daily flights between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. (There are also now thrice weekly flights to/from Sihanoukville.) See the flight schedule page for more information.

Buses 
BBus travel is now the most popular means of overland transport between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. The road (Ntl Rte #6) is paved and smooth (except for a few short stretches of road repair) and there are several regularly scheduled daily buses in both directions, taking only 5 or 6 hours for the trip. Generally speaking, it is easiest to buy tickets through your guesthouse or travel agency. Prices and level of service varies from basic a/c buses to deluxe a/c buses with wifi, entertainment, snacks and on-board toilet. Most buses make one or two stops along the way - at Skun and Kampong Thom for a snack or lunch.

Phnom Penh does not have a centralized bus station. Buses from different companies depart from different stations.

In Siem Reap the Chong Kov Sou bus station is located about 6-7 kilometers west of town center. On arrival, motodups from the station into town run $1.50-$2 and tuk-tuks for around $3. For passengers departing Siem Reap, most bus companies offer a free shuttle service from the hotel to the bus station.

The following bus companies offer regularly scheduled daily service between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh:

Capitol Open Tours

PP Station: Corner Streets 111 / 182 

Tel: +(855)(0)23-217627
SR Station: Chong Kov Sou Bus Station (Near Phsar Leu)

Fare: 20,000R/pax

Departure Schedule: Phnom Penh to Siem Reap - 6:30, 7:00, 7:30, 8:30, 09:30, 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 13:30, 14:30, 17:30.

Departure Schedule: Siem Reap to Phnom Penh - 6:30, 7:00, 7:30, 8:30, 09:30, 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 13:30, 14:30, 17:30.

www.capitoltourscambodia.com  

Giant Ibis Transport

Offering deluxe buses and mini buses from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Battambang and Kampot, including a night bus to Siem Reap. New, advanced design buses, seat belts, free wifi, snack, TV, guide.

Phnom Penh Station and Office (Departure/arrival):

#3, Street 106, on the riverfront opposite the Night Market, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Tel: +(855)(0)23-999333

#6A, Street Sivutha, Mondol I, Svay Dangkum , Siem Reap, Cambodia.

www.giantibis.com

Mekong Express Limousine Bus

Head Office:

#2020 , No Road 5, S.K Toul Sangke, Khan Russey Keo, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Tel: (+855)(0)12-787839

      (+855)(0)98-833399

      (+855)(0)23-427518

      (+855)(0)23-426425

Fax: (+855)(0)23-427168

pp@catmekongexpress.com

Siem Reap Office:

#14A, Sivatha Blvd., Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Tel: +(855)(0)63-963662

Sihanoukville Office:

Tel: (+855)(0)12-257599

       (+855)(0)17-833399

Omui St., Sangkat 2, Khum 1, Sihanouk Province, near Central Maket. (Cross 7 Makara St.-Omui St.)

www.catmekongexpress.com

Phnom Penh Sorya Transport

PP Station: Near the southwest corner of Phsar Thmey.

Tel: +(855)(0)23-210359

Departure Schedule: Phnom Penh to Siem Reap - 6:15, 7:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:30, 17:45, 19:30.
SR Station: Chong Kov Sou Bus Station (Near Phsar Leu)

Departure Schedule: Siem Reap to Phnom Penh - 5:30, 6:30, 7:00, 7:30, 8:30, 9:30, 10:30, 12:30, 13:30, 14:30, 20:00.

www.ppsoryatransport.com

Sokha Komar Tep Express Limousine Bus Co., Ltd

Deluxe and luxury a/c buses and vans.

PP Station: #121, Sisowath Quay.

Tel: +(855)(0)23-991414

      +(855)(0)17-545151

Departure Schedule: Phnom Penh to Siem Reap - 7:30, 8:00, 8:30, 12:30, 13:30, 18:30, 19:30, 23:30, 00:30
SR Station: Chong Kov Sou Bus Station (Near Phsar Leu)

Tel: +(855)(0)17-545252

Departure Schedule: Siem Reap to Phnom Penh - 7:30, 8:00, 8:30, 12:30, 13:30, 18:30, 19:30, 23:30, 00:30

www.sokha-komartep.com.kh
 

Local Transport: Taxi

Local shared taxi: ~$10 per person. Departs from southwest corner of Central Market in Phnom Penh. 5-8 hours

Private taxi: US$65 or more for the whole car. 4-5 hours. Negotiate the price with a local taxi or arrange a private taxi through your hotel or travel agent. Generally speaking, the better the car, the higher the price. 

Motorcycling to Siem Reap
Most of the road to Siem Reap is paved and in good condition. Long sections of National Route 6A between Route 61 and Prek Leap are currently under construction and in rough shape but still passable.

Regardless of road conditioned, driving in Cambodia is challenging in the extreme, and should be attempted only by experienced riders. Road hogging buses, wandering farm animals and oblivious children on the road are the norm. The trip calls for bike no smaller than 250cc and can be made in an easy 5-6 hours, but two days with a layover in Kampong Thom is a more relaxed alternative and allows time to visit the nearby pre-Angkorian ruins of Sambor Prei Kuk as well as explore some of the other sites and minor ruins along the way.

Depart Phnom Penh via the ‘Japanese Bridge’ and follow 6A north 75km to the Skun intersection. (Skun is known for its exotic foods - check out the fried spiders) Bear left at Skun and follow Route #6 to Kampong Thom - about 2-3 hours. In Kampong Thom, the Arunras Hotel (062-961294) and Stung Sen Royal Hotel (012-309495) are decent mid-range places. Arunras is also one of the more popular restaurants in town, serving mostly Cambodian food at reasonable prices. From Kampong Thom to Siem Reap the trip takes another 2 hours.

River Ferry 
For most of the year (July - March) daily ferries ply the Tonle Sap river and lake between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. The end of the trip is marked by a hill, Phnom Krom, near the ferry dock at Chong Khneas 12 km south of Siem Reap. During the dry season when the water is low, the ferry stops short of the dock and passengers transfer to smaller boats to traverse the final few hundred meters.

Ferries depart at 7:30AM daily from the Phnom Penh Port on Sisowath Quay near Street 104. Tickets $25-$35, (251km, 4-6 hours). Tickets can be purchased through hotels and travel agents. At Siem Reap, the ferry docks at Chong Khneas, 15km south of Siem Reap town. Taxis and motodups await passengers at the dock. Travel is best during the wet season when the river level is high. The ferries are ‘local transport’ and are of variable quality and comfort, often noisy, crowded and over-air conditioned. Though generally safe, these ferries have experienced breakdowns, groundings and other difficulties. These ferries in no way meet international safety standards. Travel is best during the wet season when the river level is high. During the dry season when the water is low, ferry service is usually suspended.


From Thailand to Siem Reap 
 

Most overland Thailand to/from Siem Reap travelers cross the border at the Aranyaprathet/Poipet border crossing. Most people travel by bus, but train (on the Thai side) and taxi travel is also available. Cambodian visas are available at the border. The practice of overcharging for tourist visas is on the wane. Going the other direction, 15-day Thai transit visas are available at the border free of charge. Other types of Thai visas are not available.

You will likely be confronted by a couple of annoyances at the border. Touts and drivers on the Thai side of the border will tell you that you should or even must get a Cambodian visa from a ‘local consulate’ on your way to the border crossing. DO NOT USE THEIR SERVICES. DO NOT GET YOUR VISA AT THE ‘LOCAL CONSULATE.’ It is not a consulate. The visa is valid but is wildly overpriced. Do not get your Cambodian visa until you have stamped out of Thailand, crossed the border into Cambodia and arrived at Cambodian immigration. Also, the touts will tell you that you need to exchange foreign currency for Cambodian riel. THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT TO CHANGE MONEY AT THE BORDER. It is a scam to get you to change money at a rip-off exchange rate. DO NOT change money at the border.

Aranyaprathet, Thailand / Poipet, Cambodia Border Crossing: The Route from Bangkok to Siem Reap
It’s a 465km, 6-9 hour trip from Bangkok to Siem Reap. The usual route begins with a 4-5 hour bus or a train ride from Bangkok to the border crossing at Aranyaprathet, cross the border into Cambodia (visas available on-arrival), and then 3 more hours on to Siem Reap. On the Cambodian side, the road to Siem Reap is in excellent condition. There are currently three options in planning an overland trip: 1) Package ticket; 2) Direct bus; 3) Do it yourself.

Package Tickets

In Bangkok package tickets price ranges from 400-800 baht on Khao Sarn to over 1000 baht in the Sukhumvit area. Most buses leave in the morning, arriving at the border crossing 4-5 hours later. You will be told to cross the border on your own and how to locate your onward transportation once on the Cambodian side. This option will probably disappear as the direct bus becomes more popular.

Direct Bus

NEW!!! There are now direct buses between Siem Reap and Bangkok. One ticket, one price, no bus change at the border. The bus makes 2-3 rest stops along the way in addition to the stop at the border. Total trip: 6-8 hours. Price: $25-$30, not inclusive of visa fees. Buses leave early, 7AM-9AM. In Bangkok tickets are available and buses depart from Morochit station. In Siem Reap purchase tickets through a travel agent or your guesthouse. In Siem Reap the ticket usually includes free pick up from your hotel.

Do it yourself

1) From Bangkok take a bus or train to Aranyaprathet. Bus: 4 hours, departing the Northern Bus Terminal (Morchit) hourly from 4AM to 6PM. Train: 6 hours, departs Hualamphong
2) From Aranyaprathet, take a moto or tuk-tuk from the bus station to the border.
3) On the Cambodian side, take a shuttle bus to the transport station for $1-$2.50. From there you can bus or taxi to Siem Reap

a) The buses depart the transport stations at regular intervals, cost $7-$9 and takes about 4 hours. The buses stop at a couple of places right in town, not at a formal bus station. Hop off and grab a tuk-tuk to your hotel.
b) Taxis offer the fastest, most comfortable travel option. Though the local rate is about $25, tourists usually have to pay $45-$50. 2.5-3 hours. Share with other travelers and split the cost. NEVER pay in advance (in any taxi in Cambodia.) Pay once you arrive in Siem Reap.

Also see the overland international border crossing page for details

Siem Reap to/from Battambang

Boat

Siem Reap to Battambang Daily ferry departs Siem Reap for Battambang at 7:30am. $25/person. It's a picturesque, 4 - 6 hour journey across the Tonle Sap and up the Sangker River in the wet season, but can be considerably longer (8-11 hours) in the dry season due to low water levels. Ask about current conditions. The boats in no way meet international safety standards. There is no direct boat between Battambang and Phnom Penh.

Road

Siem Reap to Battambang (National Routes #6 and #5, via Sisophon): Road travel is generally the easiest, fastest, most reliable way to travel between Siem Reap and Battambang. The road goes around the lake, first west from Siem Reap to Sisophon (National Route #6), then back southeast from Sisophon to Battambang on National Route #5. Much of the stretch between Siem Reap and Sisophon is under construction and in fair condition. The road from Sisophon to Battambang is paved and in good condition.

Taxi

A private taxi is $40-$50. 3-5 hours.

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Getting Around the Temples and Town

Siem Reap city is almost small enough to get around on foot, but not quite. The Angkor Park is 4 kilometers from town and the temples inside the park are as much as 3-4 kilometers apart, ordinarily requiring some sort of transportation to tour. Tuk-tuks, motorcycle taxis and car taxis are the most popular forms of transportation. In-town it’s always easy to find tuk-tuks and motodups for short trips. Transportation to and around the temples is usually hired by the day. To avoid later misunderstandings, make sure to negotiate the details of the driver’s services carefully - exact price, what times you expect the day to begin and end, availability during lunch hours, limitations on your itinerary, extra charges for distant temples, etc.

Moto-remorques (tuk-tuks)

Moto-romorques are the most common and popular form of transportation in town - the semi-enclosed trailer offering a comparatively pleasant ride. Tuk-tuks are omnipresent in Siem Reap. Just step to the curb and they will find you. For short trips around town, foreigners are expected to pay 3000R-US$3. Bargain! Full day rates for transportation to the temples: $10-$15/day. Additional charge for transport to distant temples.

Motorcycle Taxis
Motodups (‘motos’) are motorcycles on which the passenger rides pillion. Though motodups are the least expensive motorized option, these days two-person ‘tuk-tuks’ (moto-romorks) are the most popular. Unlike motodups, the covered, semi-enclosed trailer offers seating for two and protection from sun and rain. For short trips around town, foreigners are expected to pay 3000R-US$2 with US$1 being the usual request. Bargain! Motodups should be a bit more than half as expensive as tuk-tuks. Prices go up at night. Full day rates for transportation to tour the temples: Motodup: $8-$12/day; Tuk-tuk: $10-$15/day. Additional charge for transport to distant temples.

Cars
Motodups (‘motos’) are motorcycles on which the passenger rides pillion. Though motodups are the least expensive motorized option, these days two-person ‘tuk-tuks’ (moto-romorks) are the most popular. Bargain! Motodups should be a bit more than half as expensive as tuk-tuks. Additional charge for transport to distant temples. Full day rates for transportation to the temples: $8-$12/day.

Angkor Temple Guides

Angkor temple tours and transportation. Custom tours. Very reasonable prices. English spoken.

Charles De Gaulle Blvd, Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Tel: +(855)(0)12-788354

E-mail: info@angkor-temple-guides.com

Website: www.angkor-temple-guides.com 

Angkor Wat Driver & Fixer

Vans, cars, tours, tour guides.

Tel: 092-890005

www.angkorguide.asia/phansy

Siem Reap Shuttle

Professionally chauffeured vehicles, Camry, Mercedes, Lexus, Jeep. Tours and packages. Temple, city, cultural.

Tel: 012-941715, 011-222421
www.siemreapshuttle.com

Siem Reap Taxi Driver

Licensed local taxi driver and guides. English spoken. Arranges all sorts of transportation.
Tel: 012-941715, 011-222421
www.siemreaptransport.com
 

Tourist Transport Association
Offering taxis from the airport to town (contact just outside the arrival terminal), on-call taxis and all-day transport to the temples: ($25-$30), vans ($30-$35), and motorcycles ($12-$15).

Tel: +(855)(0)63-96357

      +(855)(0)88-9337778

srairporttaxi@gmail.com

Bicycle Rental
Bicycling have become a popular way to visit the temples. The roads between the main temples are paved and the distances are about right for a bicycle touring. Many of the hotels have bicycles for rent. $1-$4/day depending on the type and quality of the bike.

Motorcycle Rental
Tourists are no longer allowed to rent motorcycles or cars, or drive a vehicle in Siem Reap.

And other ways of getting around the temples...

Elephant Rides

During the day, elephants await customers near Bayon and at the South Gate of Angkor Thom and offer elephant treks between the two. In the evenings, the elephants move and are stationed at the base of Phnom Bakheng, ready to transport riders up the hill for sunset. $10-$15 for a 25 minute ride.

Helicopter Rides

 
Balloon Rides

Take a tethered helium balloon ride 200 meters straight up for an amazing aerial view of Angkor Wat, Phnom Bakheng, West Baray and the surrounding countryside. Bring a camera and binoculars if you have them. The big, yellow balloon is based about 1 kilometer west from Angkor Wat on the road from the airport to Angkor Wat.


 

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