Bangkok to Siem Reap in 4 days: the flight, Angkor and the closed border

Why fly, and the four days

Until the land border closed, the cheap way from Bangkok to Angkor was the State Railway of Thailand's Eastern Line to Aranyaprathet, a walk across the border at Khlong Luek and Poipet, and a bus or taxi on to Siem Reap. The UK Foreign Office (checked on 21 October 2026) says the land borders and crossings between Thailand and Cambodia remain suspended, and France's travel advice still warns against the 50 km strip along the border. Bus companies may still show the route on their sites; that is not a sign that it runs. We will update this guide if the crossing reopens.

So the plan flies. Day 1 is in Bangkok, day 2 is the flight, day 3 is Angkor and day 4 is the flight out, with one night in Bangkok and two in Siem Reap. It suits a traveller who is already in Thailand, or who flies into Bangkok and out of Siem Reap. If you want the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun and Chinatown each to have their own time, add two Bangkok nights before day 1.

• Day 1: Bangkok's old city, the Grand Palace or Wat Pho; night in Bang Lamphu.
• Day 2: to Suvarnabhumi, fly to SAI, car into Siem Reap; the Old Market in the evening.
• Day 3: Angkor Wat, the Bayon and Ta Prohm with a car and driver.
• Day 4: breakfast, back to SAI and fly on.

Day 1: Bangkok's old city

Sleep in Bang Lamphu, the old quarter by the river, so the palace and the temples are a short ride away. The Grand Palace charges foreign visitors THB 500, which includes Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, and it has a dress rule: cover your shoulders and knees. Wat Pho, with its 46-metre reclining Buddha, is open from 08:00 to 19:30 and costs THB 300. If you land in the afternoon, do one of the two and keep the evening for dinner near the hotel.

Day 2: the flight to Siem Reap

Leave for Suvarnabhumi with time to spare: the airport is far east of the old city, and the drive depends on traffic. Thai Airways sells Bangkok to Siem Reap on its own site, where return fares for late October and early November 2026 started at THB 8,040; 2027 dates and one-way fares were not on sale when we checked, so the budget allows about THB 6,000 one way. Check the operating airline, the baggage allowance and the flight time for your date before you book the rooms. Bangkok Airways is the other airline to search.

You land at Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI), about 50 km from the town by the airport operator's figure. Royal Angkor Tours runs a private car for one to three passengers to your hotel for USD 45 one way or USD 85 return, and the Siem Reap Airport Bus costs USD 8 per person to its town stop on Makara Road. Before you fly, get the Cambodian tourist eVisa and fill in the free e-Arrival form (see the last section). In the evening, walk to the Old Market and the riverside.

Day 3: Angkor Wat, the Bayon and Ta Prohm

Buy the Angkor pass online from Angkor Enterprise: a one-day pass costs USD 37, and a three-day pass USD 62 if you want to come back. Book a car with a driver for the Small Circuit: Angkor Friendly Driver's Option 1, an air-conditioned car for up to three people, costs USD 55 per vehicle, picks you up at 04:30 or 05:00 depending on the season for sunrise at Angkor Wat, and finishes around 16:00. It includes the driver and water but no guide, no pass and no meals.

Start with Angkor Wat at sunrise and its long galleries of bas-reliefs, then the Bayon in the middle of Angkor Thom, with its stone faces on every tower, and end at Ta Prohm, where the trees grow through the ruins. Dress as Angkor Enterprise's visitor code of conduct asks, with shoulders and knees covered, and take water.

Day 4: the flight out

Have breakfast, then take the return car or the airport bus to SAI. Leave the morning free: the airport is a long drive from town, and there is no time for a temple before check-in. From SAI you can fly back to Bangkok or on to Phnom Penh, Ho Chi Minh City or home; our Cambodia in 7 days continues to Phnom Penh by road instead.

What four days cost, all in

For two adults sharing a room, checked on 21 October 2026, the whole trip costs about USD 600 per person, everything on the ground included. Thai prices are converted at USD 1 = THB 35, a round planning rate.

• Rooms, about USD 60. Half of a Standard room at Lamphu Tree House in Bangkok (THB 1,450 for two, with breakfast and tax) and two nights in a private double in Siem Reap, about USD 40 a night for the room; Mad Monkey showed its Superior Double at USD 28.06.
• Food, about USD 100. About USD 25 a day each for breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks.
• The flight, about USD 170. About THB 6,000 one way, Bangkok to Siem Reap.
• Transfers and the temple car, about USD 105. Half of the Royal Angkor return airport car (USD 85), half of the Angkor Friendly Driver car (USD 55), and taxis to Suvarnabhumi and around town.
• Tickets, about USD 60. The one-day Angkor pass (USD 37), the Grand Palace (THB 500) and Wat Pho (THB 300).
• Visa and SIM, about USD 45. The Cambodian tourist eVisa (USD 30) and local SIM cards in both countries.
• Buffer, about USD 60. About 10% for price changes and extra rides.

Visas, the closed border and when to go

Many European passports, including those of the UK, Germany and France, can enter Thailand visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism, under the list that applies from 15 September 2026. Cambodia needs a visa for these passports: the government's tourist eVisa (type T) costs USD 30, the visa is valid for three months and allows a stay of 30 days from entry, and your passport needs six months' validity and two blank pages. Air arrivals also submit the free Cambodia e-Arrival form, within seven days before arrival or on arrival. Check your own nationality on Cambodia entry requirements.

For the overland route, nothing changes until an official notice says the land crossings have reopened; when it does, check the UK and French advice for the border area before you plan it.

November to February is the drier, cooler part of the year for climbing temple steps; check the forecast for heat and rain rather than counting on dry days.