Festival Calendar in Siem Reap & Angkor Wat
A visual guide from the Siem Reap and Angkor Wat travel guide — see all posters in Visual Guides.
Cambodia runs on a lunar calendar, so most of Siem Reap's big dates move by a few weeks each year — only Khmer New Year in mid-April stays fixed. That single week transforms the town: Angkor Sankranta fills the temple grounds with tug-of-war games and traditional dancing, and the water and talcum-powder fights spill across Sivatha Boulevard. Elsewhere in the year the rhythm is quieter but worth planning around, particularly the fortnight of Pchum Ben when a lot of local businesses simply close.
The year in order
Khmer New Year falls in mid-April, usually 13–16, the hottest stretch of the year and the busiest domestic travel week. Visak Bochea and the Royal Ploughing Ceremony land in May. Pchum Ben, the ancestors' festival, runs for roughly fifteen days in September or October and closes with three public holidays. Bon Om Touk, the water festival, follows the November full moon, with boat races on the Siem Reap River. Early December usually brings the Angkor Wat International Half Marathon, and the Angkor Photo Festival screens outdoors around the same period. February and March are the calendar's quiet months.
Planning around the dates
Booking matters most in April and around Pchum Ben, when Cambodians travel and hotel rates in Siem Reap climb. Banks, government offices and many family-run restaurants shut for several days during both; the temples stay open, and the Bakan upper level of Angkor Wat is typically closed on Buddhist holy days. The December half marathon fills the better hotels months ahead, so book early or avoid that weekend. If flexibility matters more than spectacle, late January and February give dry, mild weather with no major closures and manageable crowds at the main circuits.