Cambodia Weather Month-by-Month for Aussies in 2026: Best Time to Visit

Month-by-month — what to expect on the ground

Each Cambodian month has its own personality, especially at the shoulder edges where seasons turn. Here is the practical breakdown for an Aussie planning a first trip in 2026, paired with which Australian state's school-holiday or long-weekend block lines up most cleanly.

January and February: the easy two-month run

Mornings at 22–24°C, midday at 28–30°C, no rain, low humidity. January and February are the cleanest months for an Aussie first-timer — Angkor at sunrise is genuinely cool, the riverfront in Phnom Penh is walkable at any hour, and the southern islands are perfect for swimming. The trade-off is price: hotels in Siem Reap run their highest rates of the year and the popular Angkor temples can have queues at the gates by 6 am. If your dates flex, mid-January (post Western New Year) through mid-February is the quietest stretch within the peak.

Apply for the eVisa once your January or February dates are locked. Tourist eVisa $80 USD (~$122 AUD), 3 business days, approved as a printable PDF by email. Apply 1–2 weeks before your flight for the cleanest run — earlier is fine since the visa is valid 3 months from issue. Our Australian application walkthrough covers the form, and the cost guide breaks down every line of the all-in price.

April: the month to avoid if you can

April is the single month most Aussies should sidestep on a first trip. Daytime temperatures push 36–38°C with no cloud cover and zero breeze through the temple stones. Sunrise at Angkor starts at 26°C and the queue moves slowly under a sun that is already harsh by 7 am. On top of the heat, Khmer New Year (Choul Chnam Thmey) falls 13–16 April, and most of the country travels home. Phnom Penh empties, Siem Reap fills with domestic tourists, restaurants close for 3–4 days, and tuk-tuk drivers double rates. Easter often falls late April, which is the worst possible alignment for an Australian family looking at the school-holiday calendar.

July: the Aussie school-holiday compromise

Australian winter school holidays in late June through mid-July land squarely in the Cambodian wet season — which sounds worse than it actually is. Daytime temperatures sit around 27–30°C (Aussie spring weather, basically), mornings are typically clear, and the afternoon storm is usually a 30–90 minute event you can wait out from a riverside cafe with a coffee. The temples are dramatically quieter than December, hotel rates are 30–50% lower, and the rice paddies around Siem Reap are at peak green. For a budget-conscious Aussie family, July is the smartest school-holiday window if you are willing to plan around the daily downpour.

December: the Aussie Christmas-New Year sweet spot

Late December into early January is the single best window for an Aussie family or couple, and the maths is obvious: Australia is hot and you want to leave it, Cambodia is at its peak dry season, and the school-holiday block runs three to four weeks. Daytime maximums are 28–30°C, mornings open cool, there is no rain, and Angkor under blue December sky is unbeatable. The trade-offs are real — book hotels in Siem Reap 3–4 months ahead, expect crowds at the Bayon and Ta Prohm temples between 8 and 11 am, and budget premium prices on everything tourist-facing. The school-holidays family-trip guide covers the wider December planning rhythm.

What to pack for each Cambodian season

Packing for Cambodia from Australia is mostly about matching the season you have booked. The baseline is the same — light cotton or linen, comfortable walking shoes, a sun hat, electrolytes, and a basic first-aid pouch — but the seasonal layer changes everything.

Cool dry (November–February)

• A light jumper or long-sleeve shirt for cool mornings (22–24°C). You will use it at Angkor sunrise.
• Long lightweight trousers for the temple complexes (shoulders and knees must be covered at Angkor Wat).
• A normal day pack — no need for a rain shell.
• Sun hat, reef-safe sunscreen, and a refillable water bottle.

Hot dry (March–May)

• Loose long-sleeve sun shirts — counterintuitive but a UPF50 long-sleeve is cooler than bare skin under direct sun.
• Electrolyte sachets (Hydralyte, LMNT). The 38°C heat plus walking Angkor is dehydration territory.
• A wide-brim hat — caps do not protect the back of the neck.
• Plan all outdoor activity for before 9 am or after 4 pm. Hotel pool from 11 am to 3 pm.

Wet (June–October)

• A lightweight packable rain shell — full waterproof, not water-resistant.
• A waterproof phone pouch (your $5 USD (~$7.50 AUD) Cambodian SIM, your e-Arrival QR, and Google Maps all live on your phone).
• Quick-dry trousers and shorts — cotton stays wet for half a day.
• A small dry bag for valuables (passport, eVisa printout, cash float).

Whatever season you land in, the e-Arrival Card is the same 14-field submission inside the 7-day window before your flight. The e-Arrival 14 fields walkthrough covers exactly what each field asks. And our cost guide for Aussies in 2026 maps the full pre-trip spend including how the verified $5 USD (~$7.50 AUD) e-Arrival fits the budget.

Aligning Aussie school holidays with Cambodian weather

Every Australian state runs its own school-holiday calendar, which means the family-trip Aussie market has roughly six discrete blocks across the year. Each one lines up with a different Cambodian season — and most parents are unaware that Easter and April are the worst possible alignment.

The pattern that catches Aussie families out: Easter falls in early-to-mid April most years, which lands squarely in the worst week of Cambodian heat AND inside Khmer New Year. Looking only at the school calendar from Sydney, late March or the first week of April can look fine — but the country itself is shutting down and the temperature curve is at its annual peak. The cleanest fix is to push the booking back one term to July, or forward to summer.

For families with school-aged kids, the school holidays family-trip guide breaks down the practical day-by-day in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, and the honeymoon couples trip guide is the equivalent for adult couples on the December dry-season window. Whichever month you land on, the Aussie-timezone support team can walk you through the eVisa timing.

Pulling the weather window together

Cambodia is a year-round destination, but only two seasons are easy for an Aussie first-timer. November through February delivers cool mornings, hot-but-not-extreme days, and zero rain — at premium pricing and with the biggest crowds. June through October flips every variable: lush green landscape, quiet temples, low prices, and a near-guaranteed afternoon downpour. The middle stretch from March to May is for repeat visitors who already know to manage the heat or for travellers who specifically want the Khmer New Year experience.

If you are aligning a first trip with Aussie school holidays, December–January is the unbeatable window, and the July winter break is the budget-friendly alternative. Once your dates are locked, the eVisa is the next step — Tourist $80 USD (~$122 AUD), Approved in 3 business days, Delivered as a printable PDF by email, Checked end-to-end before it reaches Immigration. The first-trip planning checklist is the wider pre-flight sequence, and the do-Australians-need-Cambodia-visa pillar is the deeper background read.

Next steps and related reading for Australians: apply for your Cambodia eVisa when you are ready to lodge, bookmark our Cambodia visa hub for Australian citizens as the single canonical reference, skim the FAQ on Cambodia visa after approval for quick answers, and use our glossary of Cambodia visa terms to decode any acronym in this guide.