What to Wear in Siem Reap in January

January at Angkor is a crowd month, and your answer is the clock. Angkor Enterprise's own statistics show more passes sold to foreign visitors in January than in December in each of the last two seasons: 146,140 in January 2025 and 93,491 in January 2026. Angkor Wat opens at 5:00am, and DWD's table for Siemreap-Angkor gives January the lowest mean low of the year, 20.4°C, against a 31.7°C afternoon. Start in a cardigan, climb in a sleeve and a hem below the knee, and finish the big temple before noon. The code's own words: "Respectful dress is strongly encouraged in Angkor."

The capsule

1. 
   01

   Sand cotton cardigan, crew neck, button front

   For the hour before sunrise. DWD's table gives January the lowest mean low of the year, 20.4°C, and Angkor Wat opens at 5:00am, close to that low, with sunrise not until about 6:31am in mid-January. A cotton cardigan worn open over the blouse covers your shoulders at the gate, then rolls into the crossbody once the sun is up.

2. 
   02

   White puff-sleeve blouse, elbow-length sleeves

   Your climbing top. Angkor Enterprise prohibits bare shoulders in sacred places, and full sleeves gathered at the elbow cover them once the cardigan comes off. A loose white blouse lets air through at January's 59% mean humidity on DWD's table, and white sits under the sand cardigan at dawn and beside the indigo skirt and the navy trousers later in the day.

3. 
   03

   Indigo denim A-line midi skirt, mid-calf

   Your skirt answer to the rule: the code prohibits skirts above the knee in sacred places. A gored A-line to mid-calf passes at every gate, and the flare at the hem leaves room for high temple steps. Denim is the right weight for a 5:00am start near 20°C and holds its shape all morning. Indigo goes with the white blouse and the terracotta shirt.

4. 
   04

   Dark navy relaxed straight-leg trousers, full length

   Shorts above the knee are the first thing the code names, and a full-length leg ends the question across a 1-day pass, from Angkor Wat, Bayon and Ta Prohm to Banteay Kdei and Srah Srang. A relaxed cut gives your knee room on steep steps. Dark navy hides a long day's dust and pairs with the white blouse and the terracotta shirt.

5. 
   05

   Terracotta linen short-sleeve camp-collar shirt

   For the hot half of the day, when January reaches 31.7°C on DWD's table. A short sleeve still covers the shoulder, and linen with an open collar moves air at the neck. Terracotta answers Banteay Srei, which Angkor Enterprise describes as "built largely of red sandstone", 25km north-east of the main group. Tuck it into the skirt or wear it loose over the trousers.

6. 
   06

   Tobacco straw fedora with a pale-blue band

   January has the least rain of the year on DWD's table, 3.7mm, so after 9am the sun is the condition you dress for. A shaped straw brim shades your eyes and neck on the open causeways between temples, and the woven crown lets heat out. Tobacco brown suits the terracotta shirt and the cognac bag; the pale-blue band picks up the indigo.

7. 
   07

   Charcoal canvas trainers with cream soles

   Angkor Enterprise itself calls the Upper Tower's steps steep, and its code discourages high heels inside the temples. Lace-up canvas trainers with a flat, thick sole keep your footing on worn sandstone in the dark at 5:00am and stay comfortable through a full Small Circuit. Charcoal hides dust and sits with navy, indigo and terracotta alike.

8. 
   08

   Cognac leather flap crossbody with a box clasp

   Angkor Enterprise discourages backpacks inside the temples, so a crossbody carries the day: pass, water and the folded cardigan once the sun is up. Angkor Enterprise needs a photo for 3-day and 7-day passes, and the box clasp keeps a $62 or $72 pass shut while you climb. Cognac sits between the tobacco hat and the terracotta shirt.

A suggested look — sand cotton cardigan, white cotton blouse, indigo denim a-line midi skirt, charcoal canvas trainers.

What to avoid

• A mid-morning start at Angkor Wat in a month that sold 93,491 foreign passes in 2026
• Shorts, short skirts or bare shoulders on the climb
• An Upper Tower plan for children under 12
• Heels on Angkor's steep temple steps
• A pass bought on the morning of your visit instead of after 4:45pm the day before