Bon Om Touk in Siem Reap

Bon Om Touk — the Water Festival — is Cambodia's largest annual celebration and the most spectacular time to be in Siem Reap. If you can get accommodation booked in time, this three-day national holiday is worth organizing your calendar around.

When Is Bon Om Touk?

Bon Om Touk falls on the full moon of the Khmer lunar month of Kadeuk — which translates to November in the Western calendar. It's a 3-day public holiday.

2025 dates: November 5–7 2026 dates: October 25–27

The dates shift each year with the lunar calendar. Check the official Cambodian holiday calendar for your specific travel year.

What Is Bon Om Touk?

The festival celebrates a natural phenomenon unique to Cambodia: the reversal of the Tonle Sap River. Most of the year, the Tonle Sap flows south into the Mekong near Phnom Penh. In October–November, when Mekong flood waters recede, the flow reverses — the Tonle Sap fills and drains northward, expanding the Tonle Sap Lake to several times its dry-season size.

Cambodians have celebrated this reversal for centuries with boat racing, offerings to the river, and illuminated boat processions at night.

Phnom Penh vs. Siem Reap for Bon Om Touk

The biggest boat races happen in Phnom Penh — hundreds of boats racing in front of the Royal Palace, millions of spectators crowding the riverside, hotels booked out entirely and priced at 3–4× normal.

Siem Reap is the better choice for most groups:

• Boat races on the Siem Reap River — smaller, more accessible, actually visible from the banks without fighting through massive crowds
• Angkor Wat access: 5 AM sunrise visit (free with national ID), then festival events in the afternoon and evening
• Private villa accommodation: your group has a pool, a kitchen, a KTV room — you're not queuing for a hotel breakfast or competing for table space

The Phnom Penh festival is spectacular but logistically difficult for a group. In Siem Reap, the festival is real and the access is human-scale.

What to Expect in Siem Reap

Afternoon boat races: The races on the Siem Reap River run approximately 2–6 PM on all three festival days. Teams in narrow traditional longboats race in pairs. Spectators line both banks. Find a good spot by 1:30 PM — the banks fill up quickly.

Illuminated boat procession: Evening of day 2 (the full moon night) — decorated boats drift down the river with lanterns, candles, and LED lights. One of the more beautiful sights in Cambodia. Position yourself along the riverside walk between Old Market and the main bridge.

Fireworks: Usually at 8–9 PM on the main festival night. The riverbank gives the best view; so does a rooftop with a line of sight to the river.

Street food carnival: The stretch from Old Market to the river becomes a dense food stall zone during the festival. Lok lak, grilled corn, sugar cane juice, rice cakes, noodle soups — everything available for $1–3/dish. Bring cash in small notes.

Angkor mornings: The festival runs in afternoons and evenings. Early mornings are uncrowded and cooler. Sunrise at Angkor Wat (5 AM), done by 9 AM — free with national ID — then return to the villa before the afternoon race schedule.

3-Night Itinerary

Day 1 (arrival):

• Arrive and check in
• Evening: Old Market dinner, scout the river area
• Night: illuminated boat procession if it falls on this evening

Day 2:

• 5 AM: Angkor Wat sunrise (free entry with national ID)
• 8–10 AM: Angkor Thom / Bayon
• Lunch at villa, pool
• 2–6 PM: Watch boat races from riverbank
• Evening: street food by river, fireworks if scheduled

Day 3:

• Morning: Kampong Phluk floating village boat trip ($15–20/person, Tonle Sap lake communities — the lake is at maximum size during festival season)
• Lunch: Old Market
• 2–6 PM: Final race day
• Evening: BBQ at villa, KTV

Day 4:

• Morning departure for Phnom Penh (bus or share taxi)

Cost for a Group of 10

Item	Per Person
Bus (return)	$25–30
Villa (3 nights, $300/night ÷ 10)	$90
Food (3 days, eating well)	$40
Angkor Wat (free for Cambodians)	$0
Floating village	$20
TukTuk (pre-arranged 3-day rate)	$15
Total	~$190–195/person

Practical notes:

• Book by September for November festival dates. October bookings are possible but options narrow fast.
• TukTuk pricing increases 2–3× during the festival. Pre-arrange a driver for the full 3 days at the start — most drivers negotiate a fixed 3-day rate ($60–80 total for the group).
• Traffic gets genuinely congested around race time (2–6 PM). Walk or cycle if you're within 1 km of the river.
• Weather: November is excellent — dry season beginning, 25–28°C, pleasant evenings.

→ Read: Best Time to Visit Angkor Wat

→ Read: Things to Do in Siem Reap Beyond the Temples