Cambodia Trip — High-Level Itinerary (Bangkok + Siem Reap only)
Bangkok → Siem Reap · 9 days, Oct 17–25, 2026 · 2 travelers · no Phnom Penh, Bangkok first this time
v1 of this variant — same two hubs as the Siem Reap + Bangkok plan, just reversed. Bangkok is Days 1–3, Siem Reap is Days 4–8. Same night split (3 + 5) as the other order.
Flights were checked directly and the finding actually favors this order: the expensive "fly straight into/out of Siem Reap" premium found on the other version lands on the
return leg here instead of the outbound — and the cheapest Siem Reap→Bengaluru return (via Kuala Lumpur) turns out notably cheaper than the cheapest direct Bengaluru→Siem Reap outbound was. Net effect: this ordering comes out
cheaper overall than Siem-Reap-first, without needing the awkward Phnom-Penh-transit workaround. See the flights table below.
See itinerary-overview.html for the no-Bangkok, Phnom Penh+Siem Reap plan, itinerary-overview-bangkok.html for the version keeping Phnom Penh with Bangkok at the end, or itinerary-overview-siemreap-bangkok.html for this same two-hub trip with Siem Reap first instead.
Feasibility & weather
Route shape: fly into Bangkok, close out the city there, fly Bangkok → Siem Reap for the Angkor temples, fly home directly from Siem Reap. One-way only, no backtracking.
Day count: 9 days = 3 nights Bangkok + 5 nights Siem Reap, connected by one short flight.
| Location | High | Low | Rain | Notes |
|---|
| Bangkok | ~33°C | ~25°C | Tail of the wet season — Oct is one of Bangkok's wetter months (~230mm), but usually short, heavy afternoon bursts rather than all-day rain | No coastal exposure — this is city + canal terrain, not open water |
| Siem Reap | ~31°C | ~24°C | ~215mm over ~15 days for the month; your Oct 20–24 dates sit past the historically wettest 10-day stretch (Oct 11–20) | Tail of the wet season — bursts of rain, not all-day washouts |
Thailand is visa-free for Indian passports right now. As of a Sept 15, 2026 policy change, Indian passport holders get 30-day visa-free entry to Thailand — no extra visa cost or lead time for the Bangkok leg. The Cambodia e-visa is still required for the Siem Reap leg.
No live forecast is possible this far out — the numbers above are historical climate averages. Worth a proper check 10–14 days before you fly.
Bangkok
3 nights
~$55/night, mid-range 4★
✈️ Bangkok (BKK) → SAI~1h20m direct, several daily options
Siem Reap
5 nights
~$40/night, mid-range 4★
Must-do
Optional
Relaxed / low-key
Travel
Day 1Sat, Oct 17Bangkok — arrival
✈️ Fly BLR → Bangkok (BKK), SriLankan via Colombo (CMB), dep 03:25 · arr 12:45 — see the flights table for a pricier nonstop that lands earlier
- MustLand ~12:45, settle inA real afternoon and evening, not a full day — the nonstop alternative in the flights table trades cost for an earlier landing if that matters more to you
- MustWat Arun by nightLit up after dark, best viewed from across the river — a low-effort, high-payoff way to close out an arrival day
- ChillYaowarat (Chinatown) street food & seafood crawlGrilled prawns, crab curry, bird's-nest soup stalls — Bangkok's best-known seafood strip, especially lively after dark
Day 2Sun, Oct 18Bangkok
- MustGrand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew500 THB (~₹1,210) pp — dress modestly, shoulders/knees covered. The single unmissable Bangkok stop, best done in the morning before it gets crowded and hot
- MustWat PhoRight next to the Grand Palace — the Reclining Buddha, an easy same-morning pairing. ~300 THB (~₹730) pp
- OptionalChatuchak Weekend MarketOnly open Sat/Sun — this Sunday is the one day of the trip that fits it. A good afternoon add-on after the Grand Palace/Wat Pho morning
Day 3Mon, Oct 19Bangkok — last day
- MustAmphawa Floating Market, full afternoon into evening~1.5–2h transfer from Bangkok — canal-side stalls, a longtail boat ride through the market itself (the water/nature activity of this trip). No flight to catch tonight, so this fits comfortably
- ChillFireflies night boat tour, Mae Klong RiverClassic Amphawa evening add-on, usually bundled into the floating-market tour ~$35pp
Day 4Tue, Oct 20Bangkok → Siem Reap
✈️ Fly Bangkok (BKK) → Siem Reap (SAI) — Cambodia Airways, dep 18:05 · arr 19:35, ~1h30m direct
- MustSlow morning and afternoon in Bangkok firstThis flight leaves in the evening, so there's a real half-day here before heading to the airport — keep it loose (packing, a last coffee, a walk) rather than booking something fixed
- MustArrive Siem Reap, easy eveningLands 19:35 — Pub Street for a low-key first night, save the temples for tomorrow
Day 5Wed, Oct 21Siem Reap — Angkor
- MustAngkor Wat at sunriseThe single unmissable moment of this trip — arrive before dawn for the temple silhouette over the reflection pools
- MustAngkor Thom & the BayonThe walled city and its hundreds of stone faces — paired with Angkor Wat the same morning
- MustTa Prohm ("Tomb Raider temple")Jungle roots swallowing the ruins — rounds out the core Angkor loop
- ChillApsara dance dinner show$18–40pp — classical Khmer dance with a buffet dinner, ~90 min, tuk-tuk transfer usually included. The classic cultural wind-down after a big temple day
Day 6Thu, Oct 22Siem Reap
- OptionalPhnom Kulen National Park$20pp, separate from the Angkor pass — waterfall you can swim under, the River of a Thousand Lingas, a giant reclining Buddha. Morning-only (vehicles barred after noon) — the closest thing to a real water/adventure activity on this trip
- OptionalBanteay Srei ("Citadel of Women")~35km out, close enough to Phnom Kulen that some tours combine both in one day — intricate pink sandstone carving, covered by the Angkor pass
- OptionalTonle Sap floating villages (Kampong Phluk or Kampong Khleang)An alternative to the temple pairing above if you'd rather skip more ruins — Kampong Phluk (~30km, flooded forest) is the more scenic pick
- MustPick one pairing, not everythingPhnom Kulen + Banteay Srei combine well as one day; Tonle Sap would be the alternative if you want a change of pace from temples
Day 7Fri, Oct 23Siem Reap
- OptionalBeng Mealea & Koh Ker~1.5–2h each way — jungle-swallowed ruins genuinely off the main circuit, far less crowded than anything seen so far. Small separate entry fees apply (not covered by the Angkor pass), ~$15pp combined. A real second flex day rather than a rest day, if you want it
- ChillSlow evening back in townIt's a long day on the road either way — keep dinner simple
Day 8Sat, Oct 24Siem Reap — last day
- MustAngkor National MuseumGood context-setting for everything seen this week — best as a wind-down rather than a starting point
- OptionalOld Market (Psar Chas) shopping, or a Khmer massage/spaEither works as an easy afternoon before your last Siem Reap evening
- ChillEvening street food tour by tuk-tuk$35–69 for 2, 2.5–3hrs — ~20 tastings across 8 stops with a local guide, hotel pickup included. Good send-off before an early flight tomorrow
Day 9Sun, Oct 25Siem Reap — departure
- NoteEarly flight — no real morning hereThe cheapest SAI→BLR return departs 10:10am, so you're leaving the hotel by ~7:30am. Don't plan anything for this morning; it doesn't exist in practice
- MustFly Siem Reap → Bengaluru, 10:10Via Kuala Lumpur — see the flights table below
Flights — actual fares
| Leg | Route & timing | Price (2 pax) | Notes |
|---|
| Outbound | BLR→BKK, SriLankan via Colombo (CMB)
Dep 03:25 · Arr 12:45, 1 stop, 165-min connection | ₹35,264 | Cheapest option checked. A nonstop exists too — IndiGo 6E1213, dep 01:40, arr 07:00 — for ₹62,010 for 2 (₹26,746 more) if landing at 07:00 instead of 12:45 is worth it to you for a fuller Day 1 |
| Bangkok → Siem Reap | BKK→SAI, Cambodia Airways KR722, direct
Dep 18:05 · Arr 19:35 Tue Oct 20, ~1h30m | ₹21,208 | Cheapest option, and a good fit here — it leaves in the evening, which is exactly what lets Day 4 keep a slow Bangkok morning before the airport. A morning departure (Bangkok Airways PG903, 07:40) exists for ₹25,110 for 2 if you'd rather arrive in Siem Reap earlier |
| Return | SAI→BLR, AirAsia Cambodia + AirAsia via Kuala Lumpur (KUL)
Dep 10:10 · Arr 22:45, 1 stop, ~12h35m | ₹77,882 | Checked directly — this is the headline finding of this version: flying directly out of Siem Reap costs more per person (₹38,941) than a same-day Bangkok connection would, same pattern as the Siem-Reap-first version's outbound. But critically, it's still cheaper than that version's direct-into-Siem-Reap outbound (₹55,491pp) — the SAI↔international premium is smaller on this route/direction than on the BLR–SAI one |
Total flights: ₹35,264 + ₹21,208 + ₹77,882 = ₹1,34,354 for 2 — cheaper than every other Bangkok-inclusive plan checked so far, and only ~₹8,358 more than the no-Bangkok plan's flight total despite visiting a second country. Putting Bangkok first and eating the Siem Reap premium on the *return* leg, rather than the outbound, turns out to be the better-value order.
High-level budget (2 travelers, 9 days)
Rate used: $1 ≈ ₹87, 1 THB ≈ ₹2.42. Hotel, food, and tour figures are sourced benchmarks, not specific bookings.
| Category | Basis | Cost (2 pax) |
|---|
| Flights | Actual fares — see table above | ₹1,34,354 |
| Hotels, 8 nights | 1 room — Bangkok (~$55/night, 3 nights) + Siem Reap 4★ (~$40/night, 5 nights) | ~₹31,755 |
| Cambodia e-visa | $30pp, 3 business days, evisa.gov.kh, both travelers | ~₹5,220 |
| Thailand visa | Visa-free for Indian passports (30-day exemption, effective since Sept 2026) | ₹0 |
| Food, 9 days | ~$15/day/person, both travelers | ~₹23,490 |
| Local transport (tuk-tuks, BTS, taxis) | ~$5/day/person | ~₹7,830 |
| Angkor Wat pass | 3-day pass, $62pp, both travelers | ~₹10,788 |
| Wat Arun (night visit) | ~100 THB pp, both travelers | ~₹484 |
| Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew | 500 THB pp, both travelers | ~₹2,420 |
| Wat Pho | ~300 THB pp, both travelers | ~₹1,450 |
| Amphawa floating market + fireflies tour | ~$35pp, both travelers | ~₹6,090 |
| Apsara dance dinner show | ~$25pp average, both travelers | ~₹4,350 |
| Siem Reap street food tuk-tuk tour | ~$50 for 2 (group pricing) | ~₹4,350 |
| Travel insurance | Bare-floor headline rate, 9 days across 2 countries, both travelers | ~₹420 |
| Total | | ~₹2,33,001 |
| + Phnom Kulen (optional) | $20pp, both travelers | +~₹3,480 |
| + Beng Mealea & Koh Ker (optional) | ~$15pp combined entry, both travelers | +~₹2,610 |
| + Massage/spa (optional) | Both travelers | +~₹2,000 |
| Upgrade to the nonstop BLR→BKK (optional) | Trades cost for a fuller Day 1 — see flights table | +~₹26,746 |
~₹2,33,001 for 2 (~₹1,16,501 per person) — the cheapest of the three Bangkok-inclusive plans checked, and only ~₹19,475 more than the no-Bangkok, Phnom Penh-based plan (~₹2,13,526) despite adding a second country. It comes in ~₹38,564 cheaper than the Siem-Reap-first version of this same two-hub trip (~₹2,71,565 with its direct outbound), and ~₹9,070 cheaper even than that version's cheaper via-Phnom-Penh-transit workaround (~₹2,42,071) — without needing that workaround's loss of Day 1.
Why this order beats Siem-Reap-first
- The expensive "fly straight to/from Siem Reap" leg lands on the return here, not the outbound. That leg (₹38,941pp) is still a premium over a Bangkok-connected fare, but it's a smaller premium than the BLR→SAI direct outbound was (₹55,491pp) on the other ordering — worth checking directly rather than assuming symmetry.
- No transit-only-through-Phnom-Penh workaround needed. The Siem-Reap-first version's cheapest option required treating Phnom Penh's airport as a pure transit stop with a rough, un-protected connection. This version's cheapest option is just... the cheapest option, booked normally.
- Same depth in both hubs — 3 nights Bangkok, 5 nights Siem Reap — so nothing about the day-by-day plan itself is worse for going this direction.
What's genuinely optional
- Phnom Kulen, Banteay Srei, Tonle Sap (Day 6) — pick one pairing at most.
- Beng Mealea & Koh Ker (Day 7) — a real second flex day, but skippable in favor of rest if the trip feels heavy on temples by then.
- All the "Chill" tagged evenings are flexible — swap, skip, or reorder any of them; none are load-bearing.
What isn't optional
- The Grand Palace in Bangkok, and Angkor Wat + Angkor Thom/Bayon in Siem Reap — these are the trip's reasons to exist
- The Cambodia e-visa — required for Indian passports, no visa-on-arrival option (Thailand itself needs no visa for this stay)
- Accepting Day 9 has no real morning — the cheapest return flight leaves at 10:10am