Angkor Wat Tickets Explained: 1-Day, 3-Day, and 7-Day Passes for Americans

How to buy the Angkor Pass (and where not to)

You buy the Angkor Pass at the official Angkor Enterprise ticket center on the road out to the temples, a few kilometers northeast of central Siem Reap. It is a large, purpose-built building with rows of counters, and it is the only legitimate place to buy in person. Your driver — tuk-tuk, taxi, or hotel car — knows it well and will route there first thing on your temple morning. Allow a few extra minutes at sunrise, because everyone heading for the Angkor Wat sunrise funnels through the same counters around the same time.

1. 1
   Go to the ticket center

   Have your driver route to the official Angkor Enterprise ticket center on the road to the temples, a few kilometers northeast of central Siem Reap.

2. 2
   Pick your tier at the counter

   Step up to any counter and choose your pass: 1-day for $37, 3-day for $62, or 7-day for $72.

3. 3
   Have your photo taken

   Staff take your photo on a built-in camera for free; there is no need to bring one of your own.

4. 4
   Pay by cash or card

   Pay the fixed price in US dollars by cash or card; children under 12 are free with a passport showing date of birth.

5. 5
   Collect and carry the printed pass

   The pass prints on the spot with your photo on it; keep it safe and dry because you will show it repeatedly at checkpoints.

The process takes about two minutes. You step up to a counter, the staff member takes your photo on a small built-in camera (free, no need to bring one), you pay by cash or card, and the pass prints on the spot with your photo on it. There is also an official online option at the park authority site if you would rather buy ahead, but the in-person counter is what the vast majority of travelers use, and it is the simplest path on the ground. Keep the printed pass safe and dry — you will show it repeatedly.

A timing trick worth knowing

If you buy a pass after 5 p.m., it activates for the next day but also lets you into the park that same evening for sunset, free. So travelers arriving in Siem Reap in the afternoon often head to the ticket center around 5 p.m., catch a sunset over the temples that evening, and still get their full first day starting the following morning. It is a small, legitimate bonus that the counter staff will not always volunteer, so it is worth planning around if your arrival day lines up.

Now the warning. Angkor draws a steady stream of scams aimed at first-time visitors — drivers who claim the official center is closed and steer you to a friend, fake passes sold near the temples, and inflated "guide and ticket" bundles. The only place to buy is the official ticket center, and the price is fixed at the three tiers above. Our rundown of the most common Cambodia tourist scams to avoid covers the temple-area tricks in detail so you can spot them before they cost you.

What the pass covers, and the rules that trip people up

The Angkor Pass covers the entire Angkor Archaeological Park: Angkor Wat itself, Angkor Thom and the Bayon, Ta Prohm, Preah Khan, the temples of the Grand Circuit, and the more distant sites like Banteay Srei to the north. One pass, all of it, for the duration you bought. The pass is checked at the main park checkpoints and again at the entrance to Angkor Wat and other major temples, so you carry it with you all day and present it whenever staff ask.

A handful of important sites sit outside the standard pass. The temple-mountain of Phnom Kulen, the river carvings at Kbal Spean, and the far-off Koh Ker and Beng Mealea complexes each have their own separate tickets and are not covered by the Angkor Pass. If those are on your list, budget for them separately and ask your driver in advance — they are day trips of their own, not quick add-ons to a temple morning.

The rules are strict and worth respecting. Your pass is non-transferable — the photo on it is checked, and you cannot share or resell a multi-day pass with a travel companion. There is no re-issue if you lose it, so guard it. Modest dress is enforced at Angkor Wat in particular: shoulders and knees covered for everyone to climb to the upper level, no exceptions, and travelers turned away for bare shoulders at the top tier are a daily occurrence. And children under 12 genuinely go free, but the gate staff will ask to see the child passport as proof of age, so carry it.

Because the pass, the eVisa, and the e-Arrival Card are three separate things that all carry the word "Cambodia" and all involve a small payment, Americans mix them up constantly. The pass is a temple ticket and nothing more; the other two are what get you into the country and through immigration. If you are unsure how the eVisa and the e-Arrival Card fit together, our explainer on whether you need the e-Arrival Card with your Cambodia eVisa untangles the two.

Getting to the temples, and the visa that gets you into Cambodia

The temples sit just outside Siem Reap, and how you reach Siem Reap shapes your trip. Many Americans fly into Phnom Penh at KTI Techo International — the new airport that replaced the old PNH terminal in September 2025 — see the capital, then continue north to Siem Reap. Others fly straight into Siem Reap-Angkor International, which puts you within easy reach of the temples on landing. Either way, once you are in Siem Reap, a tuk-tuk or hired car for the day is the standard way to circuit the park, and a full day of temple driving is cheap by US standards.

One logistics note that catches people out: the seven Thailand-Cambodia land borders have been closed since June 2025, so the old overland Bangkok-to-Siem Reap bus route is not an option right now. If Thailand is part of your trip, you will be flying between the two countries rather than crossing by land. Plan the Cambodia leg around an air arrival, and keep your eVisa and e-Arrival in order for that flight in.

If you are starting in the capital and heading up to the temples, the route between the two cities is its own decision — flight, bus, or private car, each with a different cost and comfort trade-off. Our guide to getting from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap walks through the options so the temple days slot cleanly into the rest of your itinerary.

None of this touches your visa, which stays the simplest moving part of the trip. A Cambodia Tourist eVisa is $80 USD all-in, approved in 3 business days, valid for 3 months from the date it is issued, and gives you a 30-day single-entry stay that begins when you land. A Business eVisa is $90 USD on the same timeline. Note that the tourist auto-extension ended in November 2025, so the 30-day stay is now a firm ceiling — plenty for a temple-focused trip, but plan your dates inside it.

So which pass — and what to do before you fly

Strip it back and the choice is short. If Angkor is a single stop on a wider trip and you are willing to do one long, early day, the $37 one-day pass works. If this is a proper first visit and you want to enjoy the temples without racing, the $62 three-day pass spread across a 10-day window is the right call for most Americans — and it is the one we would point a first-timer to. If you are a photographer, a slow traveler, or basing yourself in Siem Reap for a week, the $72 seven-day pass is barely more and buys you every sunrise you want.

Whatever you choose, remember the pass is bought in Siem Reap, in person, with your photo taken free at the official ticket center — never online before you fly, never from a driver who says the center is closed. The two things you actually sort before leaving the US are your eVisa and, in the week before you travel, your e-Arrival Card. Get those two done and the only ticket left to buy is the fun one.

The visa is the simple part: a Tourist eVisa at $80 USD or a Business eVisa at $90 USD, approved in 3 business days, delivered as a printable PDF by email, with free resubmission if Immigration flags a correction and US-timezone support if you get stuck. When your temple dates firm up, apply for your Cambodia eVisa, then set a reminder for the e-Arrival Card in the week before you fly.