Cambodia Trip — High-Level Itinerary (Siem Reap + Bangkok only)
Siem Reap → Bangkok · 9 days, Oct 17–25, 2026 · 2 travelers · no Phnom Penh, temples + a proper Bangkok stay
v1 of this variant — drops Phnom Penh entirely. No S-21, Killing Fields, or Royal Palace on this version — just Angkor and Bangkok, each with real depth (5 nights and 3 nights respectively) instead of being squeezed around a third city.
Flights were checked directly for this version and the finding matters: flying straight into Siem Reap (SAI) costs meaningfully more than routing via Phnom Penh (KTI) did on the other two plans — see the flights table below for the numbers and a cheaper alternative.
See itinerary-overview.html for the no-Bangkok, Phnom Penh+Siem Reap plan, itinerary-overview-bangkok.html for the version that keeps Phnom Penh and adds Bangkok at the end, or itinerary-overview-bangkok-siemreap.html for this same two-hub trip with Bangkok first instead — checked out cheaper overall, see that page's flights table.
Feasibility & weather
Route shape: fly directly into Siem Reap, stay for the Angkor temples, fly Siem Reap → Bangkok, close the trip out in Bangkok, fly home from there. One-way only, no backtracking.
Day count: 9 days = 5 nights Siem Reap + 3 nights Bangkok, connected by one short flight.
| Location | High | Low | Rain | Notes |
|---|
| Siem Reap | ~31°C | ~24°C | ~215mm over ~15 days for the month; your Oct 17–21 dates sit right at the tail of the historically wettest 10-day stretch (Oct 11–20) | Tail of the wet season — bursts of rain, not all-day washouts |
| 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 |
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.
Siem Reap
5 nights
~$40/night, mid-range 4★
✈️ SAI → Bangkok (BKK)~1h20m direct, several daily options
Bangkok
3 nights
~$55/night, mid-range 4★
Must-do
Optional
Relaxed / low-key
Travel
Day 1Sat, Oct 17Siem Reap — arrival
✈️ Fly BLR → Siem Reap (SAI) direct itinerary, dep 00:55 · arr 09:00 (via a same-day Bangkok connection) — see the flights table for a cheaper but slower alternative
- MustLand ~09:00, settle inFull first day if you take the direct-priced itinerary — see the note in the flights table if you're weighing the cheaper option instead
- MustArrive, easy afternoon and eveningPub Street for a low-key first night — save the temples for tomorrow
Day 2Sun, Oct 18Siem 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 3Mon, Oct 19Siem 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 4Tue, Oct 20Siem 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 5Wed, Oct 21Siem 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 flying out tomorrow
Day 6Thu, Oct 22Siem Reap → Bangkok
✈️ Fly SAI → Bangkok (BKK) — Cambodia Airways, dep 16:00 · arr 17:20, ~1h20m direct
- MustArrive Bangkok early evening, settle inLands 17:20 — enough for the evening, not a full day of sightseeing first
- MustWat Arun by nightLit up after dark, best viewed from across the river — low-effort, high-payoff for a travel-day evening
- 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 7Fri, Oct 23Bangkok
- 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, unlike on the Bangkok-last version of this trip
- ChillFireflies night boat tour, Mae Klong RiverClassic Amphawa evening add-on, usually bundled into the floating-market tour ~$35pp
Day 8Sat, Oct 24Bangkok
- MustGrand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew500 THB (~₹1,210) pp — dress modestly, shoulders/knees covered. The single unmissable Bangkok stop
- 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 Saturday is the one day of the trip that fits it. A good afternoon add-on after the Grand Palace/Wat Pho morning
Day 9Sun, Oct 25Bangkok — departure
- ChillFree, low-key morningNothing planned — everything major already happened on Days 7–8, so this is genuinely spare time before the flight
- MustFly Bangkok → Bengaluru, 14:45Because Days 7–8 already cover Bangkok in full, there's no need to pay a premium for a late-departure flight here — see the flights table below
Flights — actual fares
| Leg | Route & timing | Price (2 pax) | Notes |
|---|
| Outbound | BLR→SAI (Siem Reap), THAI TG326 + Bangkok Airways PG903, same-day connection
Dep 00:55 · Arr 09:00, 1 stop, 80-min connection | ₹1,10,982 | Checked directly — this is the headline finding of this plan: flying straight into Siem Reap costs far more per person (₹55,491) than the same-day Bangkok→Phnom Penh connection used on the other two plans (₹29,605). Bangkok Airways effectively controls a lot of BKK→SAI capacity and prices it accordingly. |
| Outbound — cheaper alternative | BLR→KTI (Phnom Penh, transit only) + KTI→SAI, Cambodia Airways/Air Cambodia domestic hop
Dep 00:55 · Arr KTI 08:50 · onward flight arr SAI 17:50 (not a protected connection — buy as 2 separate tickets, allow a big buffer for Cambodian immigration at KTI) | ₹81,488 | Saves ~₹29,494 for 2 by treating Phnom Penh purely as a transit airport (no city visit) rather than booking straight through to Siem Reap. Costs you nearly all of Day 1 — you'd land in Siem Reap around 17:50 instead of 09:00, so Day 1's sightseeing plan above wouldn't survive intact. Worth it if the savings matter more than the day |
| Siem Reap → Bangkok | SAI→BKK, Cambodia Airways KR721, direct
Dep 16:00 · Arr 17:20 Thu Oct 22, ~1h20m | ₹27,510 | Cheapest option on this route on this date, same flight number used on the other two plans |
| Return | BKK→BLR, Air India via Mumbai (BOM)
Dep 14:45 · Arr 22:15, 1 stop, ~9h | ₹34,426 | Checked deliberately, same question as the Bangkok-last plan — is a late flight worth paying for here? Unlike that version, the answer here is no: this plan already gives Bangkok 2 full unconstrained days (7–8) before the departure day, so Day 9 has nothing left to protect. The cheapest option is the right one — no need for the ₹60,480 nonstop THAI evening flight used on the other plan |
Total flights (direct outbound): ₹1,10,982 + ₹27,510 + ₹34,426 = ₹1,72,918 for 2 — the most expensive flight total of the three plans, entirely because of the Siem Reap entry premium above. Using the cheaper via-Phnom Penh transit option instead brings it to ₹1,43,424 for 2, closer to the other plans, at the cost of losing Day 1.
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. Uses the direct-flight outbound as the base case.
| Category | Basis | Cost (2 pax) |
|---|
| Flights | Actual fares, direct outbound — see table above | ₹1,72,918 |
| Hotels, 8 nights | 1 room — Siem Reap 4★ (~$40/night, 5 nights) + Bangkok (~$55/night, 3 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 |
| Apsara dance dinner show | ~$25pp average, both travelers | ~₹4,350 |
| Siem Reap street food tuk-tuk tour | ~$50 for 2 (group pricing) | ~₹4,350 |
| Amphawa floating market + fireflies tour | ~$35pp, both travelers | ~₹6,090 |
| 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 |
| Travel insurance | Bare-floor headline rate, 9 days across 2 countries, both travelers | ~₹420 |
| Total | | ~₹2,71,565 |
| + 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 |
| Use the cheaper via-KTI outbound instead | Trades Day 1's sightseeing for savings — see flights table | −~₹29,494 |
~₹2,71,565 for 2 (~₹1,35,783 per person) — the most expensive of the three plans, despite dropping a whole city. The direct Siem Reap flight premium (~₹51,372 for 2 versus the same-day Phnom Penh connection) is the entire reason: swap to the via-Phnom Penh transit outbound and this drops to ~₹2,42,071, cheaper than the Bangkok-last plan (~₹2,57,302) and still simpler in scope than either other plan. No Phnom Penh sightseeing, transfer car, or three-city logistics — just two hubs, each with real time.
What's different about this version
- No Phnom Penh at all — no S-21, Killing Fields, or Royal Palace, and no overland transfer car. Simpler logistics, but you lose the country's most important historical sites.
- Both hubs get real depth — 5 nights in Siem Reap (versus 3–4 on the other plans) and 3 in Bangkok (versus 2), so both a second flex-temple day (Beng Mealea/Koh Ker) and Amphawa Floating Market fit comfortably, without the scheduling squeeze the Bangkok-last plan had.
- The flight cost trade-off is the real decision here — see the flights table. Direct into Siem Reap is simplest but priciest; transiting through Phnom Penh's airport (not visiting the city) saves ~₹29,494 for 2 but costs you Day 1.
What's genuinely optional
- Phnom Kulen, Banteay Srei, Tonle Sap (Day 3) — pick one pairing at most.
- Beng Mealea & Koh Ker (Day 4) — 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
- Angkor Wat + Angkor Thom/Bayon in Siem Reap, and the Grand Palace in Bangkok — 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)