Cambodia in January: the best weather of the year — and the crowds that know it

Last updated: November 2, 2026 · By Wander Cambodia

January is the middle of Cambodia's cool dry season and, on weather alone, the best month of the year to visit: daytime highs around 31°C, mornings down near 21°C, very little rain anywhere in the country. It is also peak season in the full sense — the busiest temples, the fullest islands and the highest hotel prices of the year. Both halves are true, and a good January trip is built by planning for the second as carefully as you enjoy the first. This guide follows our November and December month guides and completes the high-season set.

The weather, region by region

Siem Reap and Angkor: the best temple weather of the year. Cool, dry mornings make dawn starts genuinely pleasant rather than a test of character, and the clear skies give you the sunrise reflections everyone photographs — our best time to visit Angkor Wat guide explains why January mornings are the ones to build around. Phnom Penh: dry and warm, riverfront evenings at their best, none of the April heat sitting on the city. The south coast and islands: calm seas and reliable sun — Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem are at their clearest, with the ferry crossings at their smoothest (the islands themselves are compared in our Koh Rong islands guide). The northeast: Mondulkiri and Kratie are dry and cool in the evenings; waterfalls run lower than in November, but roads are in their best condition of the year. Pack one light layer for early mornings and air-conditioned buses; January is the only month in Cambodia where you will use it.

The peak-season tax — and how to pay less of it

January's costs are real: popular hotels in Siem Reap and on the islands price at their annual ceiling, good rooms in small places sell out, and Angkor at sunrise is a crowd with a temple attached. The counters are boring and they work. Book beds early — for January, weeks ahead, not days — and book the sunrise days for midweek where your route allows it. Start temples early or late; the tour-bus middle of the day is when you should be eating lunch slowly somewhere shaded. Consider the second-tier stops that January crowds skip: Battambang and Kratie in January are dry, easy and a fraction as busy as the Angkor corridor. And keep your documents boring: the $30 tourist eVisa or the $35 Ordinary entry if you might stay on, plus the free e-Arrival card in the week before you fly — January queues are not where you want an avoidable paperwork problem.

A January-shaped itinerary

Ten to fourteen days fits the month well. Give Siem Reap four days — January light rewards a slower Angkor, and our 7-day and 14-day itineraries stretch naturally to fill it. Add Battambang by road (3–4 hours) on the way down to Phnom Penh, or fly. Two to three days in the capital, then finish south: Kampot and Kep for the slow days, and the islands for the last nights, when the calm January seas make the beach finish reliable rather than hopeful. If you have a full two weeks and want one country more, the Bavet crossing route in our Cambodia and Vietnam itinerary runs well in January too — dry roads on both sides of the border. One calendar note: Lunar New Year falls in February in 2027, so January 2027 avoids that regional price spike entirely — a small, real advantage over a February trip.

What January is not good for

Honesty, briefly. January is not the month for empty temples, spontaneous island bookings or bargain hunting; if solitude is the point, the green-season trade-offs in our month guides may suit you better. The Tonle Sap's floating villages sit at lower water than in November, and the countryside has lost its post-rain green by late January — the trade for all that dry, easy travel. And while January weather is the most reliable of the year, reliable is not guaranteed: pack the light rain shell anyway, because the one January shower of your trip will choose the morning you left it at the hotel.

Staying longer? Cambodia in February keeps the dry season and the calm island seas — with Lunar New Year on February 6, 2027 to plan around.

Frequently asked questions

Is January the best month to visit Cambodia?

For weather, yes — it is the coolest, driest, most reliable month of the year. Whether it is the best month for you depends on how you weigh that against peak crowds and peak prices; November and February are the usual compromises.

Do I need to book ahead for January?

Yes for hotels in Siem Reap, Phnom Penh's popular areas and the islands — book weeks ahead. Angkor passes are bought on arrival as normal; it is beds and the best boat and bus times that run out, not temple tickets.

What should I pack for January?

The standard dry-season kit plus one light warm layer for dawn starts and buses. The full list — and what to buy before you fly because it costs double here — is in buy before you fly.

Weather figures are long-term January averages for Cambodia's lowlands, checked November 2026 against current climate and travel sources. Peak-season booking advice reflects the normal December–February pattern.