Siem Reap in 7 Days on a Budget (Daily Costs)
Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use.
7 Days Adds Phnom Kulen and a Slower Finish
Days 1-5 here run the same plan as the 5-day itinerary : Angkor Wat sunrise and the Small Circuit, Banteay Srei and the Grand Circuit, a town day, a Tonle Sap floating village, and a Beng Mealea/Koh Ker day trip. Days 6-7 add Phnom Kulen and a slower last day before flying out. For the fuller cheap-and-free rundown, see the main guide .
Before You Go
- The Angkor Pass: the 3-day pass ($62, usable across any 3 days within a 10-day window) covers the main park across Days 1, 2, and 6, cheaper than buying passes one day at a time. Only Angkor Enterprise sells it, at its ticket office or online, never at a temple gate.
- The e-Visa ($36, evisa.gov.kh only) clears in about 3 business days; apply before you fly.
- Land at the new Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport (SAI), about 45-75 minutes from town; the old in-town airport no longer takes commercial flights.
- The Thailand land border has been closed since June 2025. Fly between Bangkok and Siem Reap rather than busing overland.
Day 1: Angkor Wat Sunrise and the Small Circuit
Start before dawn at Angkor Wat for sunrise over the reflecting pools, then work through its bas-relief galleries once the crowds thin. A long-sleeve layer matters here: the upper level (the Bakan) turns away anyone in just a draped scarf. From there, a tuk-tuk covers the rest of the Small Circuit: Angkor Thom’s South Gate, the Bayon’s 216 carved faces, the Terrace of the Elephants, and Ta Prohm, where strangler-fig roots swallow the stonework.
| Day 1 cost ($, per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | 8 | 30 |
| Breakfast | 2 | 6 |
| Angkor Pass (3-day, covers Days 1, 2, and 6) | 62 | 62 |
| Tuk-tuk full-day hire (split two ways) | 12 | 25 |
| Lunch | 3 | 10 |
| Dinner | 5 | 15 |
| Day 1 total | 92 | 148 |
Day 2: Banteay Srei and the Grand Circuit
Banteay Srei, about 37km out, is the finest carving at Angkor: pink sandstone cut so fine it looks almost soft. Pair it with the Grand Circuit on the way back: Preah Khan’s atmospheric courtyards, the island shrine at Neak Pean, and unfinished Ta Keo. End at Pre Rup or Phnom Bakheng for sunset, not sunrise; Phnom Bakheng caps its hilltop at 300 visitors, so arrive by around 4pm if that’s the plan.
| Day 2 cost ($, per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | 8 | 30 |
| Breakfast | 2 | 6 |
| Angkor Pass | 0 | 0 |
| Tuk-tuk/driver for the farther loop (split two ways) | 15 | 30 |
| Lunch | 3 | 10 |
| Dinner | 5 | 15 |
| Day 2 total | 33 | 91 |
Day 3: Siem Reap Town
Spend the morning at the Angkor National Museum for context on what you just saw, then the Old Market (Psar Chas) for lunch and souvenirs. In the afternoon, the Cambodia Landmine Museum ($5) and the APOPO Visitor Center ($8) cover Cambodia’s landmine history with the care a memorial site deserves, not as a novelty stop. Close the day on Pub Street for dinner and a first look at Phare, The Cambodian Circus (from $18) if the schedule lines up.
| Day 3 cost ($, per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | 8 | 30 |
| Breakfast | 2 | 6 |
| Angkor National Museum | 3 | 12 |
| Landmine Museum + APOPO | 13 | 13 |
| Lunch | 3 | 10 |
| Dinner | 5 | 15 |
| Day 3 total | 34 | 86 |
Day 4: A Tonle Sap Floating Village
Kampong Khleang or Kampong Phluk make a far better floating-village trip than the closer, more scam-worn Chong Khneas: fewer fake-orphanage donation stops, fewer inflated boat detours. The Tonle Sap changes dramatically by season, swelling to 4-5 times its dry-season size between June and October, so what you actually see depends heavily on when you go. Book through a reputable operator and confirm upfront that there’s no crocodile-farm or donation add-on.
| Day 4 cost ($, per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | 8 | 30 |
| Breakfast | 2 | 6 |
| Floating village boat tour + transport | 20 | 40 |
| Lunch | 3 | 10 |
| Dinner | 5 | 15 |
| Day 4 total | 38 | 101 |
Day 5: Beng Mealea and Koh Ker
Both sit outside the Angkor Pass and need their own tickets: Beng Mealea (about 65km out, $10), a jungle-swallowed temple left far less restored than anything inside the main park, and Koh Ker (about 110km out, $15), a seven-tier pyramid that’s a completely different silhouette from anything else at Angkor. They’re usually paired into one long day with a hired car or driver, given the distance. Start early to beat the heat on the unshaded pyramid climb at Koh Ker.
| Day 5 cost ($, per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | 8 | 30 |
| Breakfast | 2 | 6 |
| Beng Mealea ticket | 10 | 10 |
| Koh Ker ticket | 15 | 15 |
| Driver/car for the day (split two ways) | 20 | 35 |
| Lunch | 3 | 10 |
| Dinner | 5 | 15 |
| Day 5 total | 63 | 121 |
Day 6: Phnom Kulen and the Roluos Group
Phnom Kulen, the mountain where the Khmer Empire was founded, only allows a morning ascent (the one-way access road closes to uphill traffic by early afternoon), so start at dawn. The mountaintop river carvings, waterfall, and reclining Buddha cost $20 on a separate ticket, not covered by the Angkor Pass. On the way back into town, stop at the Roluos Group, the empire’s earliest 9th-century temples, still covered by your original Angkor Pass, its third and final day of use.
| Day 6 cost ($, per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | 8 | 30 |
| Breakfast | 2 | 6 |
| Phnom Kulen ticket | 20 | 20 |
| Angkor Pass (Roluos Group, day 3 of 3) | 0 | 0 |
| Driver for the day (split two ways) | 15 | 30 |
| Lunch | 3 | 10 |
| Dinner | 5 | 15 |
| Day 6 total | 53 | 111 |
Day 7: A Slow Last Day
Keep it simple: a final wander through the Old Market and Pub Street’s night market for souvenirs, a last plate of fish amok, and a buffer before the airport. SAI sits 45-75 minutes outside town, longer than the old in-town airport ever took, so build that into your departure time rather than your usual pre-flight cushion.
| Day 7 cost ($, per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | 8 | 30 |
| Breakfast | 2 | 6 |
| Souvenirs/market snacks | 5 | 20 |
| Lunch | 3 | 10 |
| Airport transfer | 8 | 35 |
| Day 7 total | 26 | 101 |
Getting Around on 7 Days
A tuk-tuk driver hired for the day ($20-25, split among your group) covers the main park; the far sites (Beng Mealea, Koh Ker, Phnom Kulen) need a car or driver instead, given the distance. In town, Grab or PassApp (there’s no Uber in Cambodia) beats haggling with a driver blind. Bring clean, undamaged USD notes; Cambodia is dollarized, and torn bills get refused even at small stalls.