Siem Reap Weather by Month Easy Guide to Pick the Best Travel Dates with Seasonal Insights | Siem Reap Shuttle Tours
Pick your travel dates with less heat, less rain, and smoother temple days with this month-by-month guide.
Siem Reap weather by month is easiest to plan when you split the year into three simple parts: cool and dry, hot and dry, and wet and green. Siem Reap stays hot all year, with usual temperatures around 70°F to 95°F, while April and May are the hottest stretch and September and October bring the most rain. If you want long temple days with lower rain risk, I would book for November to February because those months are cooler and drier than the rest of the year. If you want green views, moodier skies, and fewer harsh midday hours, the rainy stretch from May to October can still work very well with the right plan. I also line up each season with the right tours, so you can turn Siem Reap weather by month into a real travel plan instead of a guess.
Key takeaways
Siem Reap weather by month matters most for temple start times, midday breaks, and what you wear. I plan sunrise temple days in hotter months, longer temple loops in the cooler dry months, and softer-paced boat or nature days when rain is more likely. Start your trip planning on the Siem Reap Shuttle Tours homepage and keep this guide open while you compare dates.
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Best months for long temple days: November, December, January, February.
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Hottest months: April and May.
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Wettest months: September and October, with rain on many days.
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Smart ticket check before temple visits: use Angkor Enterprise, which travel sources identify as the official online Angkor ticket portal.
What is the best time to visit Siem Reap?
The short answer is November to February for easy temple weather, while May to October works well if you do not mind rain and want a greener feel.
Siem Reap weather by month is not about finding one perfect month. It is about matching the month to the kind of trip you want. I tell most travelers this: if you want comfort first, go in the cooler dry stretch from November to February; if you care more about green rice fields and softer light, the wet season can still be a very good call.
Weather in Siem Reap stays hot most of the year, and the city has a dry season and a wet season rather than four sharp seasons. The wet season feels more overcast and humid, while the dry season is still warm and often muggy, not cool in the way many travelers expect. So, yes, pack light clothes all year. Just do not confuse dry with cold.
Why this matters for your trip
The weather shapes your temple rhythm more than anything else. In cooler dry months, you can handle longer temple circuits on foot; in April and May, I like early starts and longer lunch breaks; in rainy months, I keep plans a bit looser. That one shift can make the same trip feel far easier.
Temple dress rules stay the same in every month. On the Angkor-focused tours from Siem Reap Shuttle, shoulders must be covered and trousers, knee-length pants, or knee-length skirts are allowed. I would not leave that to chance, because being turned away is a rough way to start the day.
Siem Reap Weather by Month – A fast Season View
Month by month weather table, season timing, and smart tour picks from Siem Reap Shuttle Tours.
I use that simple frame first. Then I fine tune by month.
Siem Reap weather by month
Here is the direct answer: every month can work, but each month asks you to plan your day a little differently.
Siem Reap weather by month is most useful when you think in terms of pace. Dry months suit long temple loops. Hot months suit sunrise starts and shaded breaks. Rainy months suit shorter temple blocks with one softer add-on later in the day. I would plan around energy, not just rain odds.
January to March
January sits in the dry part of the year and is also among the cooler months in Siem Reap. February stays very dry, and March usually feels warmer as the city moves toward the hottest part of the year. If you want easy walking weather by local standards, this is a strong part of the calendar.
January is great for a big temple day. February is much the same, just a touch warmer in feel. March still works well, but I start nudging travelers toward dawn starts because the heat builds. That small shift saves your afternoon.
April and May
April and May are the hottest months of the year in Siem Reap. This is the part of Siem Reap weather by month that surprises people most, because the sky can look fine while the ground heat feels heavy by late morning. I never plan these months like January.
In April, I like one headline temple block and then shade, lunch, and rest. May can bring the first taste of wetter weather, but the bigger story is still heat. If you come now, do less and enjoy it more.
June to August
June, July, and August sit in the wet season, so showers are more likely and the air can feel thicker. The city still stays hot, since Siem Reap is warm year round. Rain does not mean all-day washout. A lot of the time, it means planning with a little slack.
This part of Siem Reap weather by month can be very pretty. Trees look fuller. Stone looks darker after rain. Photos can feel softer and less blown out than in harsh dry-season light. I like mixing temples with a boat or nature day here.
September and October
September and October bring the most rain in Siem Reap, and those two months average 21 rainy days. If your trip falls here, you should expect wet roads, muddy edges near some sites, and the real chance of daily showers. That sounds rough on paper, but it can still be a very good trip.
This is when flexibility pays off. I keep mornings open for temples, carry a light rain layer, and avoid packing every hour too tight. If you stay loose, these months can feel calm and very photogenic.
November and December
November marks the shift back toward the dry season, and November, December, and January are the coolest months in Siem Reap. December also falls in the driest part of the year. For most travelers, this is the easiest time to say yes to Siem Reap weather by month.
November is a lovely middle ground. December is one of the easiest months for long temple hours, early starts, and sunset stops. If you are choosing only one simple answer, late November through February is it.
Month by month planner
Which tours fit each season?
I match tours to weather, not just to your wish list, because the same temples feel very different in January and May.
Siem Reap weather by month becomes far easier when you pair the right route with the right month. I do not send everyone to the same places in the same order. Some tours shine in cool dry weather. Others make more sense when you want an early start, extra shade, or a softer pace.
Cooler dry months
The Angkor Sunrise Tour is a smart pick all year, though it works very well in hot months because the day starts at 4:20 am and covers Angkor Wat sunrise, breakfast by Srah Srong, Bayon, and Ta Prohm. The same page also notes small groups of no more than ten people, which helps a lot on busy temple mornings. I like this one when you want a big temple day before the heat bites.
For a fuller classic temple route, I would look at the Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm and sunset tour. That tour covers Bayon, Ta Prohm, Angkor Wat, and sunset at Phnom Bakheng, and the page says group size is kept to ten people or fewer. In December, January, and February, this can feel like a very smooth full day.
Dry season day trips
The Banteay Srei Backcountry Tour suits travelers who want more than the main temple loop. The page shows a route through Pre Rup, Banteay Srei, East Mebon, Ta Som, and Preah Khan, with a return around 4 pm, and it also keeps small groups to ten people or fewer. I like this most in the cooler dry stretch, when you can enjoy the longer route without feeling cooked by noon.
If you want a more remote temple feel, the Koh Ker and Beng Mealea Tour is a strong fit. The tour page says Beng Mealea comes after a 60 km ride, Koh Ker sits 120 kilometers northeast of Siem Reap, and the drive to Koh Ker takes about two hours. I usually place this on a cooler or mixed-weather day, because the route is longer and feels better when you have a bit more comfort.
Siem Reap Weather by Month – Hot Months and Wet Months
For April and May, I keep saying the same thing because it works: go early. The Angkor Sunrise Tour is my first pick in the hottest part of the year since most of the heavy temple time happens before late morning. On the next day, I would often switch to something lighter.
If you want a break from temple stone, I like adding the Kulen Waterfall Tour to the plan. It gives you a very different kind of day, and that shift feels good after stacked temple mornings. I often use this when travelers tell me they want one day that feels looser.
For a softer-paced half day, I also like the Kompong Phluk Floating Villages Tour. This route also visits Roka Pagoda, so I always remind people to dress politely and modestly with shoulders and knees covered, and to skip tank tops, short shorts, and short skirts. Respectful clothing matters in Cambodia. That is one of those small details that makes your day go better.
Ticket check before temple days
Before any Angkor day, I always tell travelers to check current pass details on Angkor Enterprise. Travel sources note that it is the official online portal for Angkor tickets and that online buyers receive a QR e-ticket. It takes a few minutes to sort this before you go, and it saves a lot of early-morning friction.
Plan your dates now
My simple advice is this: pick your month, pick your pace, then pick the tour that matches both.
If you want my honest take, Siem Reap weather by month is less about fear of rain and more about being smart with your hours. I have seen people love August because they planned lightly, and I have seen people feel wiped out in April because they tried to tour like it was January. The weather is not the boss. Your pace is.
Here is the plan I would use:
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Choose your travel month first.
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Decide if you want big temple days, remote temple days, or a mix.
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Check current temple pass details on Angkor Enterprise.
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Build your route from the Siem Reap Shuttle Tours homepage.
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Book early if you want the dates you really want, not the leftovers.
Siem Reap weather by month gets much easier once you stop hunting for a magic month and start building a smart schedule. My own view is simple: I love the easy rhythm of December and January, but I also think rainy-season Siem Reap has a softer, greener mood that many travelers miss. When you are ready to line up the right dates and tours, use the Siem Reap Shuttle Tours contact page and ask for help with your route.
