Cambodia now reopens to travelers. From March 17, 2022, you don't need to do the nucleic acid test or post-arrival test to enter Cambodia as long as you're fully vaccinated.
Most travelers who visit Cambodia will do so between November and March. Seasons in Cambodia are split into wet and dry but the country is warm all year-round. The off-season is May through October and prices will be lower, but for a reason.
The cool-season is November through February. During this time the country is relatively cool and dry, making this the ideal time to travel. If you plan to travel during the cool-season make sure to book ahead of time, as this will be the busiest time of year.
The hot-season is March through May and travelers should expect increased humidity and heat, but decreased crowds and prices. Rainy-season is June through October and during this time monsoon rains engulf the country almost every afternoon, turning it into a lush green rainforest.
Quick Facts
- Most tourists visit Cambodia between November and March.
- Usually the hottest month is April and the coolest is November.
- October has the highest average precipitation, while January is driest.
- The average temperature fluctuates between 20 and 30 ℃ (68 and 80 ℉).
- Record lows and highs rarely exceed 20 or 30 ℃ (68 or 80 ℉), respectively.
- Humidity is generally high, with an average of 80% during the wet season.
- The best time to visit for weather is also the most expensive.
- Traveling during the off season can be less comfortable, but more affordable.
The Best Time to Visit: Cool Season
Do not let the word "cool" mislead you. November to February is considered the cool season but "cool" is all relative in Cambodia and temperatures almost never drop below 20 ℃ (70 ℉). During these months the country experiences weather most conducive for traveling, with sunny skies and manageable temperatures.
It can still get hot during the day and average humidity is higher than you would expect, so leave your winter jacket at home. Some local businesses only open during this season, because it is when most tourism occurs.
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My experience in Thai
All of this was well organized by the local office. The holiday was wonderful. Our guide, Mr. Longdy( Siem Reap)were exceptional. He shared his extensive knowledge of the many wonderful places we visited, and were flexible to take us to additional places along the way based on discussions. Thank you so much .shared their extensive knowledge of the many wonderful places we visited, and were flexible to take us to additional places along the way based on discussions. More
kelli,
Jul 2023
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Seamless Planning
From the day I submitted an inquiry request, I instantly received a response from Monica asking my preferences for my trip. She has been attentive and responsive to our every needs and we very much appreciate it. Looking forward to our trip in November but many thanks to Monica for making this experience to seamless thus far. More
Sana Samhouri,
Jul 2023
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Very professional agency for a memorable trip to Asia
A special thanks to Albee who worked with us and helped to tailor the itinerary to our taste, she was amazing and always available for whatever we needed. The trip would not have been the same without her and her team. Thank you! More
Daniela,
Jul 2023
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It was our first time in Cambodia and …
It was our first time in Cambodia and we had a wonderful time. The accommodations, food, and sites were really beautiful. We ended our trip with a relaxing massage. Sam was very accommodating to our needs and knowledgeable. Thank you for the laughter and for being so kind. More
Amy Oakes Moon,
Jun 2023
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Our guide Borin - never boring!
Our guide Borin, in Cambodia, was knowledgeable, understanding and thoughtful in every aspect of the plan he put together for our trip to Siem Reap and in its execution. He can read the room, and knew exactly how to pace the tour, when to pause, when to break, and how to prepare us for the maximum benefit. He is extremely kind and caring, and it showed at every turn. He also is a dab hand with the camera, and we have a lot of great pictures to show for it. Kudos to my Asia Highlights coordinator - Cathy Chen, for picking Borin. Borin works with a driver (007) who was also very kind and caring. Whenever we returned to the car, he would have cold towel rolls and chilled water to refresh us. So amazingly considerate. It was an unforgettable experience More
David Muliyil,
Jun 2023
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Great visit!
Our guide, Anna, was fantastic! She was highly informative and a delight to spend our days with. Would request her again if we were to return! More
Alejandra M Almonte,
Jun 2023
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We've had such a great experience…
We've had such a great experience planning our honeymoon with Alisa at Asia Highlights! We gave her our dream itinerary, thinking that it might be impossible to do all the things we wanted, but Alisa made our dreams a reality! She's gone so far above and beyond to answer ALL of our questions and make little adjustments that will make a huge impact on our experience. More
Lauren,
Jun 2023
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Alisa knows how to work fast and please a customer.
Alisa is very helpful and works very fast. I am a very difficult client because Inknow what I want in therm of hotels and comfort. She had a lot of patience with me, and moved a lot the plan of the trip, always following my requests. It was a pleasure organizing my trip with her. I recommend her a lot! Thanks Alisa. Malala from Argentina. More
maria laura artola,
Jun 2023
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Trip-of-a-lifetime
In addition, I want to specifically mention the guides provided in certain locations. Rum, in Siem Reap, made the most memorable experience possible. His positivity was contagious - even when it felt like 1000 degrees and we were tired. He brought it all to life, and created a couple days of Ankor Wat, etc. that we will never forget! He heard my daughter's request for specific Cambodian food, and changed our itinerary to go to a village and eat at a locally known shop. He brought the dessert she asked about to us in the car! Overall, he and his driver "Lucky" were a reason to go to Siem Reap. In addition, the other guides (minus one which was switched out immediately) were stupendous. Mon in Bangkok was friendly and provided a great day there; Eak in Chiang Mai gave us a world-class food-tour and day touring the city and its surrounding temples with lots of laughs; Tommy in Hanoi kept us from getting killed in the traffic and gave a stupendous food and architecture/history tour - so very friendly and funny; the fishing village tour in Hoi An, as well as the side-car tour in Saigon, were both unforgettable! Thank you Sharon, and Asia Highlights. Would definitely use again for future trips! More
Teri Simpson,
Apr 2023
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Cambodia and Vietnam adventure!
Our guide in Cambodia, Meas Darapolaith (Pol), was absolutely amazing. He was knowledgeable, friendly and so helpful. His English was excellent and he shared important insights about history and the magnificent sites we visited. We highly recommend him! More
Jennifer Roth Krieger,
Apr 2023
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My daughter and I wanted to discover SE…
My daughter and I wanted to discover SE Asia. Being the first in that region, we wanted to use a tour service company. We ended up using Asia Highlights. From the beginning we were impressed with their services. We left home with of mind because all the pre-travel arrangements were taking care and communicate to us efficiently. All our questions were answered promptly. Once in the countries, we were welcome by our excellent tour guides. Everything was taking care for us. We did not have one issue. They selected the right tours guides for us, they were highly knowledgeable and so much attentive to our needs. We had Dhat in Vietnam and Borin in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I highly recommend Asia Highlights. I came back home so much rested, and with plenty of wonderful pictures and memories. I will definitely use Asia Highlights again for my next trip to Asia. More
Isabelle Dessaux,
Apr 2023
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Fabulous tour and guide in Cambodia
We have been touring Cambodia, guided by Borin ( and driver 007) for the last 2 days. What a fabulous experience! Borin has been a wonderful guide, the best so far in Southeast Asia, explaining the history and culture of Cambodia through his tours of the temples in and around Angkor, as well as the Landmine museum. He has answered all our questions, made sure we were comfortable, and that we have had great food. 007 made sure we always had enough water and cool towels for our face/neck.We highly recommend Borin as a tour guide for Cambodia!! More
Monica,
Mar 2023
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Best Travel Service for Asia Travel
Alisa Liu was in charge of making the arrangements and she helped us from the start to make all of the arrangements and also helped us when we had questions and requested some adjustments. Her service is of the highest professional level. We are 100% confident that our trip will be perfect. We’re also 100% confident that, if anything comes up during our trip, that Alisa will be there to guide us through and take care of us. We won’t even consider using another agency for travel around Asia and we would like to have Alisa work for us again. More
Leo Pospichal,
Mar 2023
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Tour of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand
The tour guides and drivers were another high point. All were very good, friendly, knowledgeable and spoke English well. There were two that I want to call out for their excellence. Chan Sovannarith in Siem Reap was our guide in Cambodia. He really made the experience special. His knowledge, willingness to answer all my questions, helpfulness and general attitude made him fun to be around. In order to praise the second exceptional guide I have to explain about an unfortunate occurrence that I had. I'm normally a very active senior, but after leaving Cambodia for Laos I was suddenly struck by the most intense back pain I've ever experienced, couldn't even roll over in bed (turned out to be sciatica). The guide, Mr. Sonophet, really went the extra mile. He went with my traveling companion and bought a back brace and medications for me. When that didn't help much he took me to a clinic where I was seen by a doctor, given a shot and pain meds. He hand-made a walking stick for me that I'm still using! He made it possible for me to somewhat participate in the activities, i.e. a bed on the boat down the river. When it was time to move on to Bangkok he got me a wheelchair at the airport. I can't thank him enough for these kindnesses! This problem lasted for the remainder of the trip, through Bangkok and Phuket and these guides were also very helpful getting wheelchairs, etc. It was a terrible disappointment to have this wonderful trip disrupted, but it would have been SO much worse without the great help that I received from the guides and my poor travel companion! More
Deb M,
Mar 2023
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In good hands with Sam
Sam Ol took very good care of us - lots of information, listened to and answered all our questions, was passionate about the places we visited and about his people and country. He was kind, had a great sense of humor, and made sure we felt safe and comfortable at all times. He helped us to fall in love with Cambodia in 3 short days. More
Carol Jones,
Feb 2023
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Best tour guide in Cambodia
When we first arrived at the airport in Siem Riep it was so nice to be greeted by Mr Sam Ol. We instantly fell at home when we saw his friendly smile. We were impressed by his great English and knowledge of the temples. On the tour to the temples Sam took care of us every step of the way. He took awesome pictures of us. It felt like we were on a tour given by our brother who is also a professional photographer. Also, we appreciate his humor as well as the fact he had an answer for every question we had. I give Sam 5 stars, best tour guide ever :) More
Len S,
Feb 2023
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Mr. Sam
Mr. Sam our guide in Cambodia, he and the driver out standing service they went above and beyond touring, my wife so amazed beautiful country, we're planning back here near the futures. Thank Mr. Sam,We'll feedback the whole trip next week when we be home in US More
Pho Lover,
Feb 2023
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Vietnam/Cambodia/Thailand
We are still in the middle of our trip, but we are just finishing up our time in Cambodia and our guide, Borin, has been AMAZING!!! He has truly made our time here unforgettable and I plan on referring all of my friends and family to come visit this beautiful country! Thank you, Borin, for everything you did to make our trip so fantastic! More
Danielle Blount,
Feb 2023
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Excellent service and Wonderful Guides
All of our guides have been terrific. Mr. Sam in Siem Reip was especially wonderful. Both he and our driver were polite, safe knowledgable and informative. Sam made our trip memorable and enioyable. We will definitely recommend Sam and Asia Highlights to our friends. More
Kaaren,
Feb 2023
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Great tour guide Charity at Siem Reap
Our experience in Siem Reap could not have been any better thanks to our outstanding and cheerful guide, Charity. Her very good English speaking made it so easy to learn so much from her. She understood and answers all of our questions.She was relaxed and very knowledgeable. She went out out her way to help us make amazing pano photos of the cotton trees at Siem Reap and on our sunset cruise. She also advised us on Chanrey Tree restaurant—what we found to be the very best vegan restaurant on our first three weeks of our Asia tour. So glad to have vegan meals with very little oil!!! We are not supposed to have oil and is very hard to find vegan with no oil. Went went back the next night. More
Barbara Cornyn,
Jan 2023
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Festivals and Events
Water Festival
On November 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Cambodia celebrates one of its most important festivals, the Water Festival. Across the country there are huge, carnival-like celebrations. The largest are near Angkor Wat and Phnom Penh.
To celebrate the festival there are traditional boat races that are both thrilling and fun to watch. The festival celebrates the strange natural phenomenon of the river's current changing direction, with over 400 boats competing in races and fireworks. The whole country buzzes with energy during this time.
Moon Festival
The Water Festival occurs at the same time as the Buddhist Moon Festival during which Cambodian Buddhists pray for and celebrate the harvest season. Due to the timing these festivals are occasionally referred to as one, the Water and Moon Festival, but they are celebrated differently.
If you are in town during the Moon Festival you will have opportunity to watch Buddhists celebrate by burning incense, chanting, and praying.
In addition, you can try an interesting amok dish made from fruit, vegetables, and fish. This dish is unique to both Cambodia and the Moon Festival, and will delight your taste buds.
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The Hot Season
During the hot season (March through May) temperatures can exceed 29 ℃ (85 ℉) with 75% humidity during the day. During this time many locals will travel abroad or spend most of their time trying to beat the heat.
Although the heat and humidity can feel oppressive do not let this stop you from seeing some of the interesting events that happen during this time.
Festivals and Events
Khmer New Year
On April 14th, 15th, and 16th the country erupts in celebration of the Khmer New Year. This holiday is based on the solar calendar and each of its three days is celebrated differently.
First Day - Maha Songkran
On the first day of the New Year families will clean out their houses and light numerous candles around statues of Buddha. In the traditional worldview, this was the day the world was created, and it is celebrated with feasting and fireworks.
Second Day - Vanabot
If you are in Cambodia on Vanabot you will see lines of families going to monasteries to pray. This is also the day when locals exchange gifts. As a foreign tourist, this can be an exciting day to travel and watch locals participate in their traditional holiday celebrations.
Third Day - Leang Saka
On the third day of the celebrations people clean statues with scented water, burn incense, and of course enjoy lots of food. See if a local will show you their traditional statue-washing practices.
Head to a beach to cool off
If you are traveling to Cambodia to soak up some sun and get sand between your toes then the dry season is the time for you to travel. Kep, Sihanoukville and Ko Kong feature some of the cleanest and most relaxing beaches.
During the dry season getting to the beach areas from the larger cities such as Phnom Penh can become a challenge, as the roads alternate between dry and pitted, and wet and muddy. You are recommended to take a private car for an air-conditioned and expedient way to reach these beautiful beaches.
The Wet Season
The Wet Season (June-October) can sound like a daunting time to travel, especially upon learning that it has been known to rain up to 51cm (20 inches) at a time. Cambodian rainstorms, however, are short and predictable, and often help to lower the humidity and temperature.
Storms are most common in the early afternoon and you might even find them enjoyable, if you have an umbrella and a rain jacket.
Upon arriving in the country, you are recommended to buy a cheap pair of shoes (you can find a pair for next to nothing) and plan to throw them away just before your flight home. The rain and mud typically combine to create a sole-destroying (but hopefully happy) experience.
Festival Tips
- Most major festivals in Cambodia follow the lunar calendar and move forward or backward a few days year by year.
- The major festivals are Khmer New Year, Water Festival, Moon Festival, Visakhaboja, and Pchum Ben, and most span several days.
- You will experience larger crowds during the festivals and some restaurants and hotels will increase their prices.
- Traveling during the high season can be more exciting and allow you to experience Cambodia at its most thrilling.
- While some hotels may fill up, to say it is impossible to find lodging during the high season is a myth.
Visit Cambodia with Asia Highlights
Get to know our tour packages and let us do the work for you. Our experienced Asia Highlights staff will help you design your vacation in Cambodia. We take care of all the details so you can just relax and have fun during your holiday.
Visit the links below today, to learn more about our tour packages and start planning your visit to Cambodia.
12-Day Cambodia and Vietnam Highlights
14-Day Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos Tour
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- Unique experiences tailored to your interests: Enjoy a premium trip that goes beyond the typical tourist attractions.
- Hassle-free travel and peace of mind: Every aspect of your trip will be carefully planned and organized by your 1:1 travel consultant.
- Experienced and knowledgeable guides: Your guides will be local and love to work for travelers' smiles.
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