Best time to visit Cambodia: seasons, Angkor and the coast

The short answer

This guide is research, not a first-hand visit. We built it from the official sources listed at the end, as of the date in the ticket.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) gives the rainy season as May to October, and the monsoon storms as June to October. The long-term averages from Cambodia’s Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology (MOWRAM) fit that: in Siem Reap, 88% of the year’s rain falls from May to October.

For dry weather and the coolest nights, go from December to February. Rain in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh averages under 30 mm a month, and night-time lows in Siem Reap drop to about 20°C. In 2025, January and February were also the busiest months at Angkor.

March to May brings the hottest weather, with daytime highs above 34°C inland. The wet season has the fewest visitors at Angkor: May to October brought about 30% of the year’s foreign Angkor Pass buyers in 2025.

For the coast and islands, go from December to March, when the coast’s rain is lowest.

Cambodia’s two seasons

The chart shows the long-term monthly rainfall in Siem Reap, the town next to Angkor. MOWRAM supplies the figures to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The rainfall averages cover 1982 to 2024. WMO gives no period for the temperatures and rain days.

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Fig. 1 Rainfall, Siem Reap, mm (1982–2024) Source: MOWRAM via WMO (opens in a new tab), October 2026.

December, January and February are the three driest months in both Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. The rain starts in earnest in May, when Siem Reap’s average triples from April’s. It peaks in September and October and falls away in November.

The hottest days come at the end of the dry season, as the rains begin: Siem Reap’s highs average 35.3°C in May and Phnom Penh’s 34.9°C in April.

Cambodia weather month by month

The table gives MOWRAM’s long-term averages for three stations: Siem Reap, Phnom Penh (Pochentong) and Preah Sihanouk, on the coast at Sihanoukville. Rain is in millimetres. The temperatures are for Siem Reap.

When to visit Angkor Wat

The weather at Angkor is the weather in Siem Reap, in the chart above. Angkor Enterprise, the official ticket office, publishes how many foreign visitors buy an Angkor Pass each month.

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Fig. 2 Foreign Angkor Pass buyers by month, 2025 Source: Angkor Enterprise, monthly statistics (opens in a new tab), October 2026.

The monthly figures add up to 955,131. January, February and March were the three busiest months of 2025, then November. September was the quietest, then June and August. The six wet-season months, May to October, together drew fewer buyers than January, February and March combined. In 2024, September was also the quietest month. In 2026, to September, June was the quietest (28,301) and September came next (35,535).

The two charts give Angkor a clear choice. December to February has almost no rain and the coolest mornings, but the most visitors. November is the changeover, with fewer buyers than January to March. June to September has rain most days and the fewest visitors. April and May are the hottest weeks.

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Fig. 3 Angkor Wat. Photographed in August 2013. Photo: Diego Delso (opens in a new tab) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens in a new tab) · modified

Angkor Pass prices and hours

Only Angkor Enterprise tickets are valid for the Angkor Archaeological Park. Buy on its website or app, at a kiosk, at the ticket office on Road 60, about 4 km from central Siem Reap, or through your tour guide. The prices and hours are in the ticket above.

Every pass covers all the temples in the park. For a 1-day pass, Angkor Enterprise suggests the Small Circuit, including Angkor Wat, the Bayon and Ta Prohm. For a 3-day or 7-day pass, it adds the Grand Circuit, including Preah Khan, Neak Pean and Pre Rup. The 3-day and 7-day passes need a photo. Children under 12 need no ticket, but may have to show a passport as proof of age. They may not climb Angkor Wat’s upper tower.

Entry from 5am suits sunrise. For sunset, if you buy a 1-day pass for tomorrow after 4.45pm, you can enter that evening and use the pass all the next day.

The FCDO says you may be refused entry to religious sites, including Angkor Wat, in shorts or skirts above the knee, and asks you to cover bare shoulders. It also warns that Cambodia remains heavily affected by landmines, and advises you not to stray off main routes in rural areas, including around temple complexes.

Phnom Penh

The capital’s driest month is February, at 3.3 mm of rain. In the wet season, August and September each average 29 rain days.

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Fig. 4 The Throne Hall, Royal Palace, Phnom Penh. Photo: Marcin Konsek (opens in a new tab) · CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab) · modified

The FCDO warns that poor drainage floods streets in Phnom Penh in heavy monsoon storms, including the route to the airport. If you fly out in the wet season, leave extra time for the drive.

The coast: Kampot and Koh Rong

The coast is wetter than the plains, and its rains start earlier. Preah Sihanouk, the station at Sihanoukville, averages more than twice the yearly rain of Siem Reap.

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Fig. 5 Average rain a year, mm (1982–2024) Source: MOWRAM via WMO, for Preah Sihanouk (opens in a new tab), Kampot (opens in a new tab), Siem Reap (opens in a new tab) and Phnom Penh (opens in a new tab), October 2026.

At Preah Sihanouk, the driest months are January, February and December, each under 45 mm. March is the last month under 100 mm before the rains. June, July and August each average over 500 mm.

Kampot

Kampot, on its river near the south coast, is drier than Sihanoukville but wetter than Phnom Penh. Its driest months are February (20.8 mm), January and December. Its wettest is August, at 380.7 mm over 29 rain days.

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Fig. 6 Kampot’s riverside promenade. Photo: Marcin Konsek (opens in a new tab) · CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab) · modified

Koh Rong

Koh Rong lies off the Preah Sihanouk coast. MOWRAM has no station on the island in the WMO set, so the Sihanoukville averages are the nearest guide: December to March are the driest months.

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Fig. 7 Sok San Beach, Koh Rong. Photo: Wikirictor (opens in a new tab) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens in a new tab) · modified

The FCDO says tourist boats sometimes run despite weather warnings, particularly between Sihanoukville and the nearby islands. It says accidents have happened on overloaded or poorly kept boats, and that islands are often isolated, with limited or no access to medical help. In the monsoon season, the FCDO advises you to monitor local news and weather reports.

Festivals and public holidays in 2027

Cambodia’s government sets each year’s public holidays by sub-decree. Agence Kampuchea Presse (AKP), the state news agency, reported the 2026 sub-decree in September 2025 and noted that Khmer New Year is limited to three days.

Press reports of the 2027 sub-decree, signed by the Prime Minister on 16 September 2026, give these dates. We could not read the government text. Treat the dates as expected and check them before you book:

• Khmer New Year: 14 to 16 April 2027. The traditional new year, in the hot season.
• Pchum Ben: 29 September to 1 October 2027. At the end of the wettest month inland.
• Water Festival: 12 to 14 November 2027. As the rains end.

The same reports list 22 public holidays for 2027, with three-day breaks for each of these festivals. If your dates touch one of them, book transport early.

Travel in the wet season

The wet season needs more planning. The FCDO gives these points:

• Roads. Heavy storms from June to October disrupt and damage roads, and landslides can seriously restrict travel to some provinces.
• Flash floods. Lakes, caves and waterfalls are particularly prone to dangerous flash floods from June to October.
• Water. Take extra care swimming, kayaking or rafting in the rainy season from May to October. River currents can be extremely strong.
• Rivers. Water levels are high from June to October, so currents are faster. In the dry season, from March to May, exposed sandbars make river boat travel difficult.

For weather updates, the FCDO points to the WMO’s World Weather Information Service (opens in a new tab).

Safety and the Thai border

The ticket above gives the FCDO’s border advice. The FCDO says heavy fighting took place along parts of the border in 2025, that a ceasefire was signed on 27 December, and that the situation remains tense. Some temples in the border areas are closed, including Preah Vihear. Cambodia’s e-visa site lists the Poipet and Cham Yeam crossings as temporarily closed for e-visa entry.

The FCDO also says that although there is no recent history of terrorism in Cambodia, attacks cannot be ruled out. Most theft is bag snatching, often by thieves on motorbikes. Read the full advice (opens in a new tab) before you go.

Entry before you book

Entry rules depend on your passport. The ticket above gives the FCDO’s advice for a British passport. For any other passport, read your own government’s advice.

Cambodia’s official e-visa site (opens in a new tab) lists the tourist e-visa (Visa T) at USD 30: single entry, valid for 3 months, for a stay of 1 month, processed in 3 business days. The FCDO asks you to make sure your passport is stamped on arrival. Cambodia’s e-Arrival site (opens in a new tab) says all travellers must fill in the free e-Arrival card, even with a visa. It also says arriving visitors get a v-Pass by email in place of the inked passport stamp.

Questions before you go

What is the best month to visit Cambodia?

December or January for dry weather and the coolest nights. February is the driest month inland. For the islands, December to March. These answers come from long-term averages and 2025 ticket figures, and your year may differ.

When is the rainy season in Cambodia?

May to October, according to the FCDO, with heavy monsoon storms from June to October. In Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, September is the wettest month. On the coast, the rain starts in April and peaks in August.

When is the best time to visit Angkor Wat?

December to February for dry weather and cool mornings, with the biggest crowds. June to September for the fewest visitors.

Is it worth visiting Cambodia in the wet season?

It can be, if you want quieter temples: September 2025 had about a quarter of January’s Angkor Pass buyers. From July to October, expect rain on most days. The FCDO warns of flooded roads in Phnom Penh after heavy storms.