Angkor Wat ticket 2 for 1 day offer announced today will allow visitors to Angkor Archaeological Park in Siem Reap, Cambodia, to get two days at Angkor park for the price of a one day ticket, five days at Angkor for the price of three days, and ten days to explore the vast archaeological complex for the price of a seven day ticket.
The special Angkor Wat ticket 2 for 1 day offer – and 5 days for the cost of 3 days and 10 days for 7 days – will allow visitors to Cambodia’s Siem Reap, the departure point for the sprawling UNESCO World Heritage listed Angkor Archaeological Park, take their time to more slowly explore the vast 400 square kilometre archaeological park and its dozens of temples, and have a deeper, richer and more immersive experience.
The offer, announced this afternoon by Angkor Enterprise, which manages the operation of Angkor Archaeological Park, is for four months and starts today, 25th February 2020, and ends 25th June 2020. While typically referred to as an Angkor Wat ticket, the official name is an Angkor Pass and it gives admission to Angkor Archaeological Park. Angkor Wat is just one temple site in the massive park.
The deal means that travellers who now purchase a 1 day Angkor Pass for US$37 will get 2 consecutive days in the park (effectively costing US$18.50 per day), those who buy a 3 day Angkor pass (for US$62) will get 5 days access to the park which they can use over a ten-day period (effectively paying US$12.40 per day), and those who choose a 7 day Angkor pass (for US$72) will get 10 days at Angkor, which can be spread over one month (which means they’re paying just US$7.20 per day).
It’s hoped that this great Angkor Wat ticket 2 for 1 day offer will entice travellers to Siem Reap and inspire them to stay longer in the city, which has seen a decline in tourists as a result of a spate of badly researched stories advising travellers to avoid Angkor due to ‘over-tourism’ (it’s not over-touristed), and the global novel coronavirus crisis, despite Cambodia having only one case of COVID-19 in the southern part of the country and that person has recovered and returned home.
Cambodia has worked closely with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to prepare for the possibility of a coronavirus outbreak since allowing the Holland America Westerdam cruise ship to dock at Sihanoukville Port and disembark its 2,257 passengers on humanitarian grounds. While it had been reported than an 83 year old American passenger was tested positive for COVID-19 after she arrived in Malaysia, the woman later tested negative.
Angkor Wat Ticket 2 for 1 Day Offer Announced to Entice Visitors to Siem Reap to Stay Longer
The official statement about the Angkor Wat ticket 2 for 1 day offer – and 5 days for the price of 3 days and 10 days for the cost of 7 days deal – by Angkor Enterprise, which manages the ticketing and business operations of Angkor Archaeological Park, uploaded to their website today, is part of a new ‘incentive policy’ and initiative of the Kingdom of Cambodia to combat the downturn in tourism in Siem Reap as a result of the public health crisis due to the global spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-l9.
The added value Angkor Wat pass will give travellers more time at a much lower price to discover the vast Angkor Archaeological Park and its many magnificent sites including temple cities, temples, monasteries, universities, hospitals, libraries, shrines, towers, rest-houses, bridges, and roads. Some monuments have been painstakingly rebuilt and restored, others left in a more ruinous and atmospheric state, consumed by the forest and entangled by tree roots.
The announcement was circulated rapidly and positively received by archaeological guides, tour companies, travel agencies, hotels, and other Siem Reap businesses hard hit by inaccurate reports of ‘over-tourism’ by major publications that placed Angkor Wat on lists of ‘places to avoid’ and the global health crisis, despite the fact that there have been no cases of novel coronavirus COVID-l9 in Siem Reap.
“I was so excited to read about the Angkor Wat ticket 2 for 1 day offer today. This is a really good time for visitors to come to Siem Reap as the Angkor temples are not crowded unfortunately,” said Sokin Nou, a 24-year-old Cambodian and official archaeological guide who leads visitors on temple, history, culture, and cuisine tours.
“Although I am worried that the only people who might be interested in taking advantage of this offer are travellers who are already on a Cambodia trip now or are making plans to come soon,” she said. “I wish this offer was for 12 months, not only for four months.”
“The announcement is definitely a step in the right direction,” said Jake Stalker, regional manager of Grasshopper Adventures, a Southeast tour company that specialises in cycling tours. “Allowing visitors to Siem Reap a more affordable entry price to one of the most stunning historical sites in the region is an excellent reason to stay longer in Siem Reap.”
“We hope it will encourage people to step away from the tourist trail and explore the countless stunning temples across the sprawling complex,” said Mr Stalker, who on Friday night launched a new video produced by Grasshopper Adventures and Phare Cambodian Circus, and a number of other small businesses and social enterprises, as part of a campaign to encourage tourists to stay longer in Siem Reap.
“I’d like to hope that this in turn will give the innovative products, which have been created to give visitors a look at another side of Angkor, a chance to step into the spotlight, like our Hidden Angkor Conservation Cycle,” he said.
Many tour operators and travel and hospitality businesses would like to see more done to bring travellers back to Cambodia, particularly as it has so far not been affected by the coronavirus.
“I suspect this added value Angkor Pass will help some backpackers stretch their budgets and stay an extra day,” said Steve Lidgey, General Manager of Travel Asia a la Carte, a boutique travel agency based in Cambodia. “Though this won’t help the hundreds of hotels and their employees at the 3-, 4- and 5-star properties in Siem Reap.”
“It would be far better if Cambodia was visa-free for tourists,” Mr Lidgey said. “That would gain some international headlines and really give tourism a boost.”
You can buy your Angkor Pass from the official Angkor Ticket Office from 5am on the day of a visit until 5pm. Buy your ticket before 5pm (try 4.30-4.45pm) and you can use the pass that evening without getting a hole punched in it. This allows you to see the sunset from Pre Rup Temple or Phnom Bakheng, which close at 7pm, or Angkor Wat, which closes at 5.30pm, although you can sit on the lawn or wall overlooking the moat until much later to savour the view above.
If you’re taking advantage of this Angkor Wat ticket 2 for 1 day offer, browse our many Angkor posts, including our comprehensive Guide to Angkor Wat and Archaeological Park, Insider’s Guide to Angkor Wat Without Crowds, an Archaeologist’s Guide to Angkor and How to Get the Most Out of Angkor Archaeological Park, Remote (Lesser Visited) Archaeological Sites to Explore, such as Banteay Chhmar and Sambor Prei Kuk, Recent Temple Discoveries, Exploring the ‘Lost City’ of Mahendraparvata on Mount Kulen, the Best Camera Gear for Photographing Angkor Wat, a Cambodia Reading List, our Guide to Responsible Travel in Cambodia and Why Travelling Responsibly in Cambodia Matters.
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