Bagan vs Angkor Wat: Two Ancient Temple Complexes, One Honest Comparison
The two most famous temple complexes in Southeast Asia. Bagan: 2,000+ Buddhist temples spread across 40 square kilometers of Myanmar's central plain. Angkor: a single massive complex (plus hundreds of surrounding temples) in the Cambodian jungle near Siem Reap.
I've spent a week at each. Multiple visits. Different seasons. Here's the comparison nobody seems to write honestly.
Scale
Bagan: Over 2,000 surviving temples and pagodas, built between the 9th and 13th centuries. Spread across an area roughly 8km x 5km. You can't see them all. You can't even try. The density is overwhelming — turn any corner on an e-bike and there's another one.
Angkor: Angkor Wat itself is the world's largest religious monument. The broader Angkor Archaeological Park (400 sq km) contains hundreds of temples from the 9th-15th centuries. But most visitors focus on the main circuit: Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bayon, Ta Prohm.
Winner: Bagan for quantity and spread. Angkor Wat for individual impact. Angkor Wat as a single structure is more impressive than any single Bagan temple. But the Bagan plain as a whole — 2,000 temples to the horizon — has a cumulative impact that Angkor can't match.
Architecture
Bagan: Buddhist. Brick and stucco. The temples range from small stupas you can walk past in seconds to massive structures like Dhammayangyi (the largest) and Ananda (the most beautiful). The aesthetic is vertical — pointed spires, tiered terraces, Buddha statues in niches.
Angkor: Hindu-Buddhist. Sandstone and laterite. The architecture is more intricate — bas-reliefs covering entire walls at Angkor Wat depict Hindu mythology, historical battles, and daily life. The carving detail is extraordinary. Ta Prohm's jungle-engulfed ruins (the "Tomb Raider temple") add a romantic decay that Bagan doesn't have.
Aspect
Bagan
Angkor
Material
Brick/stucco
Sandstone
Carving detail
Moderate
Extraordinary
Structural variety
High (2,000+ temples)
Moderate (dozen key sites)
Interior access
Most open
Some restricted
Restoration level
Mixed
Extensive
Winner: Angkor for artistic detail and architectural ambition. Bagan's temples are impressive but architecturally simpler.
The Experience
Bagan: Freedom. Rent an e-bike ($4-6/day) and go where you want. No guide needed. No set route. Many smaller temples are completely empty — you'll have them to yourself at any hour. The experience is deeply personal and self-directed.
Angkor: Structured. You buy a pass ($37/day, $62/3 days, $72/7 days). Most people hire a tuk-tuk driver ($15-20/day) or guide ($25-40/day) to navigate the circuit. The main temples are crowded. You'll share Angkor Wat sunrise with 500+ people. The experience is guided and social.
Winner: Bagan for independent travelers who want solitude. Angkor for those who want context and don't mind crowds.
Sunrise
The signature experience at both.
Bagan sunrise: Best seen from a hot air balloon ($380-450, October-March only) or designated viewing mounds. The 2,000 temples emerge from morning mist as the sun paints the plain gold. If you're on the ground, you're often alone or with a handful of other travelers.
Angkor Wat sunrise: The reflecting pool shot. Iconic. Beautiful. And shared with 500-1,000 other people who arrived at 4:30AM. The photo is gorgeous. The experience is a crowd event.
Winner: Bagan. Not because the sunrise is better — they're different — but because the solitude makes it feel sacred rather than performative.
Budget
Cost
Bagan
Angkor
Entry fee
$25 (zone fee)
$37/day
Accommodation (budget)
$15-25/night
$8-15/night
Transport
E-bike $4-6/day
Tuk-tuk $15-20/day
Local meal
$2-4
$2-5
Balloon/sunrise experience
$380-450
Free (but crowded)
Daily budget (no balloon)
$25-40
$30-50
Winner: Bagan for daily costs (excluding the balloon). Angkor's higher entry fee and tuk-tuk costs add up over multiple days. But Siem Reap's accommodation is cheaper than Nyaung-U's.
Food
Bagan: Limited. Myanmar cuisine is underrated globally — mohinga (fish noodle soup), shan noodles, tea leaf salad — but Nyaung-U's restaurant scene is small. Bagan has maybe 30 tourist-oriented restaurants. Meals are cheap ($2-4) but options are repetitive after a few days.
Angkor (Siem Reap): A food city. Pub Street has everything from amok (Cambodian curry) to tacos. The night market is excellent. The restaurant scene rivals Bangkok's for variety. You could eat a different cuisine every night for two weeks.
Winner: Angkor (Siem Reap) by a mile.
Accessibility
Bagan: Domestic flights only to Nyaung-U Airport (NYU) from Yangon (1.5 hours, $80-150), Mandalay (30 minutes), or Heho. No international flights. Myanmar's political instability since 2021 adds complexity — check advisories.
Angkor (Siem Reap): International flights from Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Seoul, and others to Siem Reap International Airport (REP). Easy to reach. Cambodia is politically stable for tourists.
Winner: Angkor. Getting to Bagan requires transiting through Yangon or Mandalay, and Myanmar's current political situation is a real consideration.
The Verdict
Choose Bagan if: You want solitude, freedom to explore independently, the balloon sunrise experience, and you're comfortable with Myanmar's current situation.
Choose Angkor if: You want architectural magnificence, a wider food and nightlife scene, easier logistics, and you're okay with crowds.
Choose both if: You're doing a proper Southeast Asia trip. They're complementary experiences — Bagan for the emotional, Angkor for the intellectual.
Pushed to pick one? I'd pick Bagan. The balloon at sunrise over 2,000 temples, with nobody else in sight, is the kind of moment that travel is for. But Angkor Wat's bas-reliefs are artistry that Bagan can't match.
Go to both. Start with Angkor. Finish with Bagan. The silence after the crowds is its own reward.
