When is the best time to go to Cambodia?

The best time to discover Cambodia is from November to February. This country, which has just recently opened itself to the world has much to offer its visitors, especially to fans of cultural discoveries and to seekers of architectural heritages. The end of January is not only an opportunity to enjoy the best climatic conditions or to make a journey across the territory, but also an opportunity to discover the heart of Asian culture, through the Chinese New Year's festival.

The end of the monsoon season is also a time to focus your visit if one wants to celebrate with the Cambodians on one of the most unique natural phenomenons in the world; in late October or early November, the flow of the Tonle Sap River reverses directions once the water of the Mekong River floods into the Tonle Sap.

The running enthusiasts can visit Cambodia in early December and participate in the international half marathon of Angkor Wat at the same time.

So, when is the best time to go to Cambodia? Here's some more information to help you in your decision:

  • In Cambodia, the weather is good everywhere in January, February, March and December
  • The best months to go to Phnom Penh are January, February, March, November and December
  • On average, the warmest months in Phnom Penh are February, March, April, May, June and August
  • The rainiest months in this city are September and October
  • Tonlé Sap is the city with the best climate, with good weather 8 months a year
  • The sea temperature is suitable for swimming all year round in Kampot



Where and when to go based on the weather?

Map of the best times to visit Cambodia
Map of the best times to visit Cambodia ©whereandwhen.net

Central Plains
Phnom Penh, Sambor Prei Kuk, Kampong Cham Province...

January and December
90°F to 92°F°C
1 to 5 days
February, March and November
90°F to 99°F°C
1 to 10 days
April, May, June, July, August, September and October
90°F to 97°F°C
12 to 21 days

East of Cambodia
Kratié, Banlung (Ratanakiri), Sen Monorom (Mondulkiri)...

January and December
81°F to 92°F°C
1 to 3 days
February, March and November
83°F to 101°F°C
1 to 8 days
April, May and October
83°F to 99°F°C
10 to 28 days
June, July, August and September
83°F to 94°F°C
15 to 30 days

North West of Cambodia
Siem Reap (Angkor), Battambang, Poipet...

January and December
86°F to 92°F°C
1 to 2 days
February, March and November
88°F to 101°F°C
1 to 8 days
April, May and June
92°F to 101°F°C
9 to 20 days
July, August, September and October
88°F to 92°F°C
10 to 25 days

South-West and Coastline
Sihanoukville, Koh Kong, Kampot...

February
85°F to 90°F°C
3 to 6 days
83°F to 85°F
January, March and December
85°F to 90°F°C
4 to 12 days
83°F to 85°F
April, May, October and November
85°F to 90°F°C
10 to 23 days
86°F to 88°F
June, July, August and September
83°F to 88°F°C
12 to 23 days
85°F to 86°F

Best time to travel to Cambodia by cities

See full list of cities


Climate and Weather in Cambodia

Located between Thailand, Laos and Vietnam, Cambodia has a tropical climate - as do many countries in Southeast Asia. Here, it is very hot throughout the year, albeit the slightly more bearable temperatures in winter, especially around the month of January. At this time, the rains are rare, making the country a more pleasant place to visit.

Cambodia: Temples d'Angkor au Cambodge

Similar to all tropical countries, Cambodia has two distinct seasons: first the winter period from November to March, which is quite dry and warm. This is also known as the coolest time of year and temperatures rarely exceed 30° C. Moreover, the greater part of the days are sunny and it rains only very rarely. Note that at this period of time however, due to lack of rain, rivers often have a lower level of water and some boat trips become impassable, depriving tourists of certain beauties within Cambodia, such as boat rides along the Mekong river from Phnom Penh to Tonle Sap to Siem Reap.

The rainy season, also known as the summer monsoon season, extends from the months of May to October. The latter is particularly hot and humid, with rains of unseen violence in late afternoon causing many floods. These storms are however relatively short. Average temperatures range are around 35° C and this is the hottest time of year in Cambodia. The pervasive humidity increases the feeling of suffocating and heavy heat, quite difficult to bear for people who are not accustomed to the climate in Southeast Asia.


Temperatures and rainfall in Cambodia

On these 3 graphs, we present the evolution of temperatures of Cambodia and month-by-month rainfall for the cities of Phnom Penh, Battambang, Kampot, Koh Kong and Kratie, as well as the month-by-month sea temperature for coastal cities.


Peak visitor numbers and tourist seasons in Cambodia

Find out when Cambodia has its high tourist season (the period when the influx of tourists is highest) and off-peak tourist season using our data and figures.

Tourist seasons in Cambodia

The months with low numbers of tourists are: April, May, June, July, August, September and October. The number of visitors to Cambodia is high in: January, February, March, November and December.

  • Very low season in Cambodia: April, May, June, September and October.
  • Low season in Cambodia: July and August.
  • High season in Cambodia: March.
  • Peak season in Cambodia: January, February, November and December.

Figure: Visitor index for Cambodia month by month


Average price for flights to Cambodia

A return flight between London and Phnom Penh is generally cheaper if you go in may ($ 802 on average): this is the best time for travellers on a tight budget. In contrast, you may end up paying $ 387 more for your airline ticket to Phnom Penh if you go in august.

Find the best price for your flight Flight prices to Cambodia




Where to go in Cambodia?

This table allows you to see the maximum temperature for each city and our opinion on the weather month by month (see colour legend below the table).

Cities jan.feb.mar.apr.mayjun.jul.aug.sep.oct.nov.dec.
Phnom Penh92°F97°F99°F97°F97°F94°F92°F94°F92°F90°F90°F90°F
Battambang92°F97°F101°F101°F97°F94°F92°F92°F92°F90°F90°F88°F
Kampot88°F90°F90°F90°F90°F88°F86°F88°F86°F86°F88°F86°F
Koh Kong86°F86°F86°F86°F86°F85°F83°F83°F85°F85°F86°F86°F
Kratie92°F97°F99°F97°F95°F94°F90°F92°F90°F90°F90°F90°F
Siem Reap (Angkor)90°F95°F97°F97°F95°F94°F90°F90°F90°F90°F90°F88°F
Sihanoukville85°F85°F86°F88°F88°F86°F86°F86°F85°F86°F86°F86°F
Banlung (Ratanakiri)90°F97°F101°F99°F95°F90°F88°F88°F88°F90°F90°F88°F
Kampong Cham92°F97°F99°F97°F95°F94°F90°F92°F90°F90°F90°F90°F
Koh Rong85°F85°F86°F88°F88°F86°F85°F85°F85°F86°F86°F86°F
Koh Rong Samloem85°F85°F86°F88°F88°F86°F85°F85°F85°F86°F86°F86°F
Poipet92°F97°F99°F99°F97°F94°F90°F90°F90°F90°F88°F88°F
Sambor Prei Kuk92°F97°F99°F97°F95°F94°F90°F92°F90°F90°F90°F90°F
Sen Monorom (Mondulkiri)83°F90°F95°F95°F94°F88°F86°F86°F86°F86°F85°F83°F
Beng Mealea90°F95°F97°F97°F95°F92°F90°F90°F90°F90°F90°F88°F
Botum Sakor National Park85°F85°F86°F88°F88°F86°F85°F85°F85°F86°F86°F86°F
Kbal Spean90°F95°F97°F97°F95°F92°F90°F90°F90°F90°F90°F88°F
Kirirom National Park88°F90°F90°F90°F90°F88°F86°F88°F86°F86°F88°F86°F
Koh Russey (Bamboo Island)85°F85°F86°F88°F88°F86°F86°F86°F85°F86°F86°F86°F
Koh Sdach (King Island)85°F85°F86°F88°F88°F86°F85°F85°F85°F86°F86°F86°F

Legend:

perfect weather

good weather

tolerable weather

bad weather

very bad weather


About Cambodia

What can I do in Cambodia?

Beaches / swimming

Nature and countryside

Culture and heritage

Sports

Family travel

Crafts / shopping

Gastronomy

Nightlife




Is this weather information for Cambodia reliable?

Climate data for Cambodia has been gathered every day since January 2009. The analysis of these meteorological data for Cambodia allows us to determine the average for each month in Phnom Penh, Battambang, Kampot, Koh Kong, Kratie, Siem Reap (Angkor), Sihanoukville, Banlung (Ratanakiri), and 25 other cities.

So yes: this data is reliable except in cases of temporary climate disruption in the region.

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