Plan Cambodia in Stippl
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Download the appThe best time to visit Cambodia in short
If you want one answer for the best time to travel to Cambodia: go between November and February. Here is how the three seasons compare.
| Season | Months | What it is like | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cool dry season | November to February | Dry, daytime highs around 31 °C, the busiest and priciest time | Angkor, Phnom Penh, the islands, a first trip |
| Hot season | March to May | 34 to 35 °C at Angkor, little shade, first storms in May | The beaches in March and April, early starts at the temples |
| Rainy season | June to October | One heavy afternoon downpour on most days, green rice fields, low prices | Siem Reap on a budget, the floating villages from September |
What is the single best month? December or January. December is the coolest month of the year and January the driest, which is why both are also the most expensive. November is the sweet spot if you want dry weather before the peak crowds arrive.
Cambodia's seasons explained
Cambodia is warm all year, so the seasons are really about rain and heat. Inland, the whole country follows the same rhythm. The coast is the exception: its monsoon is far heavier, and that is what decides when the islands are worth the boat.
Cool dry season (November to February)
This is the window every source agrees on. At the Siem Reap weather station the daytime high sits around 31 °C, and January gets just 4 mm of rain all month. That makes it the only season when a full day on foot at Angkor is comfortable, and the only one when every region works together.
The catch is the crowd. Hotel prices peak in December and January, and the sunrise spot at Angkor Wat is shoulder to shoulder. February is the quieter half of the high season, with the heat starting to build towards the end.
Hot season (March to May)
From March the temple days become punishing. Siem Reap reaches 34.6 °C in March and peaks at 35.3 °C in May, with almost no shade on the long stone causeways. The standard plan is to start at 5 am, stop at 11 am and spend the afternoon by a pool.
The beaches are the bright side: March is still one of the best months on the islands. Mid April also brings Khmer New Year, three days when the whole country stops, transport is disrupted and many businesses close.
Cambodia rainy season: what June to October is really like
The Cambodia rainy season runs roughly from June to October. Inland it rarely means a washed out day: most days bring one heavy afternoon downpour, and the mornings stay usable. You get green rice fields, thin crowds and lower prices. The trade off is muddy dirt roads, and on the coast, cancelled ferries.
Inland: Siem Reap and Phnom Penh
Rain builds through the season and peaks in September. Siem Reap gets 305 mm over 27 days that month and some outer temple roads flood. Phnom Penh gets 253 mm, and its streets flood easily because the drainage cannot cope. July and August are gentler, with afternoon storms and clear mornings.
The rains have one big upside. The Tonlé Sap lake swells to several times its dry season size, so from September to January the floating and stilt villages near Siem Reap are at their most striking. At the end of the dry season, the same villages sit on mud.
The coast and the islands
The south coast gets a much harder monsoon than the temple plain. Near Koh Rong the rain climbs from 509 mm in June to 617 mm in August, two to three times what Siem Reap gets in the same months. Ferries from Sihanoukville are cancelled or rough, some places close, and in bad weather the islands can be cut off for days.
Is the rainy season a good time to go?
Inland, yes, if you plan around it. Do the temples in the morning, keep a spare day for the outer sites and enjoy the empty galleries at Ta Prohm. For the islands, no: between June and September, go somewhere else or save the beach for another trip.
Cambodia month by month
Use this table to match your dates to a region. Temperatures are the daytime highs in Siem Reap.
| Month | Weather | Crowds | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Driest month, 31 °C | Peak | Everything, Angkor at its best |
| February | Dry, heat building, 32 °C | High, quieter than January | Everything; Phnom Penh's driest month |
| March | Hot, 35 °C | Falling | Beaches; temples before 10 am only |
| April | Hottest stretch, Khmer New Year | Mixed | Beaches; avoid the New Year days for travel |
| May | Hot and humid, first rains | Low | Little; most sources say skip it |
| June | Wet season begins, afternoon storms | Low | Siem Reap and Phnom Penh on a budget |
| July | Rain most days, mornings clear | Low | Temples with the jungle at its greenest |
| August | As July; heaviest month on the coast | Low | Inland only |
| September | Wettest month inland, Pchum Ben festival | Lowest | The floating villages, with flexible plans |
| October | Rain easing, Tonlé Sap at its fullest | Rising | Siem Reap and the lake; islands from late month |
| November | Dry season opens, Water Festival | Rising | Everything, before peak prices |
| December | Coolest month, dry | Peak | Everything; book ahead |
Is October a good time for Cambodia? It is a transition month. Rain eases through October in Siem Reap and the lake is at its highest, so it is a fine month for the temples and the floating villages. The islands are still a gamble until the sea settles in November.
Worst time to visit Cambodia
The worst time to visit Cambodia depends on where you are going.
- April and May for the temples. Daytime highs of 35 °C, almost no shade and dust. Full days at Angkor become hard work, and Khmer New Year in mid April closes much of Siem Reap.
- September for the cities. The wettest month in both Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, with flooded streets in the capital.
- June to September for the islands. The heaviest rain on the coast, rough seas and ferries that do not run. Bokor mountain above Kampot sits inside the clouds for much of this stretch, so the view is gone too.
Best time to visit Cambodia by region
Cambodia is small, but its regions do not peak at exactly the same moment. Here is when to go to each.
Siem Reap and Angkor Wat
The best time to visit Cambodia for Siem Reap is November to February, and our own travellers agree: Siem Reap is on almost nine in ten Cambodia trips planned with Stippl, and its demand follows the dry season closely. December and January are coolest and busiest, November is dry with the lake still high.
From March, plan temple mornings only and be off the stones by 11 am. In the rainy season the jungle temples look their best, and a three day Angkor pass is valid on any three days within ten, so a clouded out sunrise is easy to repeat. More on the town in our Siem Reap guide.
Phnom Penh
The best time to visit Phnom Penh, Cambodia, is November to February, and February is the driest month of the year with just 3 mm of rain. The city's two memorial sites, Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek, are largely outdoors, so in the hot months of March to May start early.
The Water Festival in October or November fills the riverside with boat races and fireworks. It is a wonderful sight, but the city fills up completely, so book far ahead or plan your Phnom Penh nights around it.
Beaches and islands
The best time to visit Cambodia's beaches is November to April, with December to March as the calm core. That is when the sea is flat, the ferries run on time and the glowing plankton is at its brightest. January and February get only about 30 mm of rain near the islands.
This applies to Koh Rong and to Koh Rong Samloem, the quieter island to its south. On the mainland, Kampot gets about half the rain of the coast 100 km west, and the pepper harvest runs January to March. Nearby Kep is the driest town on the coast, and its famous crab with fresh green pepper only tastes that way in the harvest months.
The north east: Kratie and Mondulkiri
Go between November and February. In Kratie on the Mekong, December is the driest month at just 10 mm, the river is low and the Irrawaddy dolphins are easiest to find. In the hills of Mondulkiri, January is when the waterfalls run clear rather than muddy, and nights cool to around 17 °C.
In the rainy season both are still reachable, but the roads from Phnom Penh get worse and treks turn into mud baths. September rains on all 30 days in Mondulkiri.
Combining Cambodia with its neighbours
Very few travellers plan Cambodia alone. Of the Cambodia trips planned with Stippl, fewer than one in sixteen stay in Cambodia only. Four in five also include Vietnam, about half include Laos, and the typical trip covers five countries. So the best time to visit Cambodia is often a question of which order to do the region in.
Best time to visit Cambodia and Vietnam
Vietnam has three climates. The south (Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong) is dry from November to April, the north (Hanoi, Ha Long Bay) is dry from November to April but cold in the mountains in December and January, and the centre (Hue, Hoi An) is dry from January to August with its monsoon from September to November.
The simplest plan from November to February is Cambodia first, then southern Vietnam, then north. From March, flip it: start in northern Vietnam while it is at its best and keep Cambodia short, because Angkor gets hot. The worst time to visit Vietnam and Cambodia together is September and October, when central Vietnam and inland Cambodia are both at their wettest. Full details in our best time to visit Vietnam guide, and a ready route in our Vietnam and Cambodia itinerary.
Best time to visit Cambodia and Laos
Laos is Cambodia's most typical travel partner: it is on about half of all Cambodia trips planned with Stippl, far more than its size would suggest. Its best months are November to mid February, and March and April are around 40 °C with smoke from field burning. That makes November to February the obvious window for both. The land crossing between the two countries is open. More in our Laos guide.
Best time to visit Cambodia and Thailand
Thailand's best months are November to March nationwide, so the seasons line up well. Getting between the two is the problem: the land crossings between Thailand and Cambodia have been closed since mid 2025. Plan to fly between Bangkok and Siem Reap or Phnom Penh, and check your government's travel advice in the days before you go. Thailand's own seasons are in our best time to visit Thailand guide.
How long to stay in Cambodia
Most travellers give Cambodia about a week to ten days inside a longer trip. Our trip data shows the rhythm clearly: a typical Cambodian stop lasts two nights, and three quarters of all stops last one, two or three nights.
The three big stops each have their own length. Phnom Penh is a two night city. Siem Reap is a three night town, and three nights is also what the three day Angkor pass is built for. Koh Rong is the one place where travellers stop moving: a quarter of stays there run five nights or more. One week covers Siem Reap and Phnom Penh; ten days adds Kampot and an island, as in our 10 day Cambodia itinerary.
Plan your Cambodia trip in Stippl
Almost 36,000 Cambodia trips have been planned with Stippl, and you can start yours from the season. Open the Stippl itinerary planner, add Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and the coast, and set the nights per stop. You see the whole route on a map with travel times between stops. Then drag the order around to match the weather: islands last in March, temples first in November. Share the plan with whoever you are travelling with, so everyone sees the same dates.
Frequently asked questions about Cambodia
December or January. December is the coolest month and January the driest, so temples, cities and islands all work. November is the best value, dry with smaller crowds. Most of the almost 36,000 Cambodia trips planned with Stippl fall in this cool dry season too.
Seven days covers Siem Reap and Phnom Penh at a comfortable pace, with about three nights each. Add an island only if you move fast, because Koh Rong is a long day from the capital by bus and ferry. Travellers usually spend two nights per stop in Cambodia.
Partly. October ends the rainy season in Cambodia, with green fields, a full Tonlé Sap and few visitors. In Vietnam the north is at its best, but the centre is in its monsoon, with flood risk in Hoi An. Plan Hanoi and Cambodia, and keep the central coast short.
Inland, September: Siem Reap gets 305 mm and Phnom Penh 253 mm that month. On the coast it is August, with 617 mm near Koh Rong. Rain usually falls as one afternoon downpour, so inland mornings stay usable, but island ferries are often cancelled.
Broadly yes, with normal precautions. The real risk is bag and phone snatching from passing motorbikes in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. The land border with Thailand is closed, so fly in. Check your government's current travel advice before you go.
Ready to pick your months? Build your Cambodia route in Stippl, set the nights per stop and move the islands or the temples to the season that suits them, then share the trip with your travel partner.
