17 Unmissable Things to Do in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Are you looking for things to bash successful Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s bustling superior city? Then gt acceptable for an unforgettable adventure!

Phnom Penh is simply a metropolis that’s steeped successful past and culture, with unthinkable food, stunning architecture, and bustling markets.

While astir radical sojourn the superior arsenic a gateway to scope Siam Reap oregon caput to the land of Koh Rong, there’s nary shortage of attractions successful Phnom Penh that marque it a worthy halt connected anyone’s travel to Cambodia.

In this guide, we’ll amusement you what to bash successful Phnom Penh, from visiting iconic landmarks similar the Royal Palace and the Killing Fields, to sampling accepted Khmer cuisine astatine section markets.

So drawback a pen and paper, and jot these unmissable places down.

Is Phnom Penh Worth Visiting?

But first, is Phnom Penh worthy visiting? I mentioned earlier that it’s lone a whistle halt for galore travelers who conscionable halt by connected their mode to Angkor Wat successful Siem Reap, but successful my opinion, it’s decidedly worthy visiting and shouldn’t beryllium overseen.

Phnom Penh contiguous is astir unrecognizable to the Phnom Penh of 10 years ago, erstwhile radical inactive lived in traditional woody houses, atom paddies lined the river, and UN vehicles roamed the ungraded tracks trying to bring bid to a state aft 30 years of conflict.

Today determination are decent roads, modern bars and restaurants, buying malls, a galore magnitude of high-rise buildings, and galore humanities sights. Phnom Penh is simply a metropolis connected the up.

For maine it is not conscionable the sights though. For maine Phnom Penh is each astir the people, the ambiance and pace of life. Unlike different Asian cities, specified arsenic Bangkok, Phnom Penh is the cleanable sized metropolis and much more relaxing.

If you sojourn Cambodia travel and research Phnom Penh for astatine slightest 2 oregon 3 days, which. is the cleanable magnitude of clip to spot the highlights and get a consciousness for the city.

Slow down, instrumentality walks, get mislaid and research the jewel of Southeast Asia.

Things to Do successful Phnom Penh

There’s nary shortage of things to bash and spot here, whether you’re funny successful exploring past temples oregon immersing yourself successful the section creation scene.

Here are immoderate unmissable things not to miss!

1. Visit The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S21 Prison)

To truly recognize Cambodia arsenic a country, its civilization and radical I truly urge learning a bit about Cambodia’s tragic past and the genocide during the Khmer Rouge authorities successful the precocious 70’s.

The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, oregon Security Prison 21 (S-21), successful Phnom Penh, is simply a erstwhile precocious schoolhouse that utilized to beryllium 1 of the astir brutal re-education camps successful Cambodia, wherever thousands of radical got killed and tortured.

Tuol Sleng situation cells

Most prisoners were past bought to the Killing Fields conscionable extracurricular of Phnom Penh.

Both sights are heartbreaking and a batch of visitors can’t instrumentality it, arsenic the brutality of the authorities is portrayed successful truthful overmuch detail. There is adjacent a antheral who sometimes visits this prison, who was erstwhile captured and kept successful the situation by the Khmer Rouge.

He shares his communicative of torture and torment to visitors who are funny successful proceeding it.

Although it’s sad, I deliberation it is important to punctual radical astir what happened here to marque definite that these things volition ne'er hap again, particularly arsenic for the Cambodian radical it was their caller ancestors who endured this.

2. Check Out The Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda

Royal palace

A much cheerful show is the Royal Palace, which is simply a stark opposition to Phnom Penh’s dusty streets with its manicured gardens and aureate buildings.

It is simply a beauteous analyzable with lots of awesome Khmer architecture to explore. It’s the authoritative residence of the Cambodian King and is simply a tract of ineffable importance, truthful screen your shoulders and knees earlier visiting, arsenic you can’t get successful otherwise.

Be definite to cheque retired the Silver Pagoda, besides known arsenic Pagoda of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Preah Keo Morakot).

It’s celebrated for its metallic tiles which decorate the level and metallic stupas connected either side, which are said to incorporate the cremated bodies of erstwhile kings.

3. Go Temple Hopping

Wat Phnom

There are besides a fig of beauteous buddhist temples (or wats) scattered astir Phnom Penh, which are each worthy seeing.

You won’t find galore tourists visiting these temples, truthful astir of the time you volition person them each to yourself. The astir celebrated 1 is Wat Phnom, wherever Phnom Penh was allegedly founded successful 1422.

Other temples truly worthy seeing for their architectural delights are Wat Lanka, Wat Ounalom, and Wat Botum.

If you sojourn immoderate temples marque definite to instrumentality disconnected your shoes earlier you enter, screen your shoulders and knees and ne'er constituent your foot soles astatine anyone, particularly not the Buddha statues.

4. Take a Stroll Along the Riverfront

My favourite neighbourhood for exploring is the riverfront, which is beauteous for a stroll, but besides great to drawback a wound to eat, bask a acold portion and sojourn immoderate section markets, specified arsenic the aged marketplace (phsar chas) successful the old French quarter.

The riverside is lined with temples and bars and a perfect
spot for radical watching

It is ever engaged with locals and tourists alike and if you fancy getting progressive you tin adjacent articulation 1 of the outdoor aerobic sessions with the locals for $0.25.

5. Try Khmer Food

A mobile java cart

Khmer food is not precise good known extracurricular of Cambodia, but it is decidedly worthy trying. 

Street nutrient tin beryllium recovered everyplace successful Phnom Penh, arsenic vendors person mobile kitchens attached to their motorbikes and truthful are capable to hole nutrient anyplace they stop.

It is delicious and truly inexpensive wherever dishes often lone costs $1.

If you are thirsty marque definite to effort delicious Khmer crystal coffee, fresh sugarcane juice with lime oregon fresh coconut juice, each disposable from mobile portion carts for astir $0.50.

If you are a vegetarian I highly urge K’nyay Restaurant, which offers vegan and vegetarian cuisine and antithetic section specialties, specified arsenic jackfruit oregon banana curries.

the champion sticky atom successful town

My favourite edifice has got to beryllium Samaky Restaurant though. Samaky is simply a social enterprise that trains thoroughfare children successful the catering concern and teaches them English.

I have never seen much affable unit successful immoderate different edifice and by eating determination you enactment a really good origin arsenic well.

I urge the national crockery Fish Amok, and saccharine and sticky atom with mangoes.

6. Enjoy Phnom Pehn’s Vibrant Nightlife

beer tower

As Phnom Penh has a ample expat assemblage determination are plentifulness of bars scattered astir Phnom Penh. 

Most of them person blessed hours wherever a solid of ice-cold Angkor brew volition usually outgo you $0.75, and a cocktail $2. Most bars are down the riverfront, connected thoroughfare 278 oregon 51. You volition beryllium spoiled for choice.

If you similar drinking with the locals you tin effort retired 1 of the plentiful Khmer brew gardens, wherever a pitcher of brew volition outgo you astir $1.5. Be repared for immoderate karaoke though.

Best Place for a Night connected the Town in Phnom Penh

No sojourn to Phnom Penh is completed without a sojourn to the famous Foreign Correspondence Club (FCC).

The FCC is simply a precise historical building, arsenic it was present wherever the warfare correspondents filed their breaking stories successful the aboriginal days of the Khmer Rouge regime, until they were each forced to permission the country.

Its rooftop barroom offers beauteous views implicit the riverside. The nutrient is delicious, but a spot more on the pricy side. There is besides regular unrecorded music.

boats for stream cruise

If you privation to enactment successful a backstage abstraction you tin rent 1 of the galore boats on the stream which can host up to 50 people.

Costs are astir $20 for a 2-hour cruise and you tin bring your ain drinks and food. The vessel takes you down some the Mekong stream and the Tonle Sap – precise relaxing mode to walk your night.

7. Watch a Traditional Cambodian Apsara Dance

Apsara – accepted dance

If you would similar to spot immoderate accepted Cambodian dancing I urge the Chaktomuk Theatre on Sisowath Quay wherever you tin spot the Apsara Dance and immoderate precise elaborate costumes.

8. Visit the section markets

There are 3 markets wherever you tin bargain souvenirs.

• The biggest is the Russian Market connected Street 163, which sells everything from souvenirs, to engine parts, antiques oregon caller food.
• The Central Market connected Street 128 is simply a beauteous creation deco building, but sells akin products to the Russian market, but is simply a spot smaller.

central market

• The Phnom Penh Night Market connected the riverfront astatine the country of Street 108 is unfastened connected Friday and Saturday nights. It is simply a large spot to illustration immoderate thoroughfare nutrient and to bargain souvenirs.

Haggling is simply a indispensable connected each 3 markets to get the champion deal. If you are into creation and handicrafts in particular I urge a sojourn to Street 178 wherever galleries and workshops enactment the thoroughfare other the University of Arts.

night market

9. Check retired the Water Festival successful October

The biggest lawsuit each twelvemonth is the Water Festival successful October.

The 3-day festival is of large significance as it celebrates the extremity of the rainy season, the commencement of the sportfishing season, and besides the unsocial natural phenomenon – the travel of the Tonle Sap stream changing direction!

Many villagers passim the country walk astir a afloat twelvemonth preparing their villages vessel for the celebrated vessel races. These are elaborately and brightly decorated dug retired canoes with ample eyes connected the prows to ward disconnected evil spirits.

10. Witness the Royal Ploughing Ceremony

royal ploughing ceremony

Another large lawsuit is the Royal Ploughing Ceremony, which marks the opening of the rainy and rice increasing season.

The Royal household is usually progressive and you volition beryllium capable to spot parades on the grounds of the National Museum, Buddhist rituals, marching bands and the existent ploughing ceremony wherever 2 royal oxens plough the crushed and are past offered a varierty of foods and spirits. 

Depending connected what the oxen chooses to devour is simply a motion for a bully oregon atrocious harvest.

11. Take a Day Trip to Tonle Bati

I would truly urge a sojourn to Tonle Bati and its adjacent Angkorian temple ruin Ta Prom. Tonle Bati is simply a water wherever locals often travel for the play to person a picnic by the lake, go for a vessel thrust oregon a dip successful the chill water.

Whilst I wouldn’t urge swimming successful the lake for wellness reasons, the picnic areas by the water are the cleanable spot to unbend successful a hammock and eat snacks provided by the assorted thoroughfare vendors oregon restaurants.

Tonle bati

A fewer minutes distant from the water is the Ta Prohm ruin, which dates backmost to the precocious 12th century. Whilst you get bigger ruins successful the Angkor Wat temple analyzable successful Siem Reap, you will person this ruin each to yourself for a existent Tomb Raider experience.

You tin get determination by booking backstage cars via circuit operators oregon negociate a woody with immoderate tuk tuk operator successful town. It takes astir 1 hr successful a car and 1.5 hours successful a tuk tuk. Expect to wage astir about $30 for either mode of transport.

Ta Prohm

12. Take a Day Trip to Oudong

I person already mentioned Tonle Bati above, but determination is also different spot that is easy reachable for a half-day trip, which is Oudong.

Oudong has been Cambodia’s erstwhile superior until Phnom Penh became the caller superior successful 1866. It is present the official resting spot of the astir ineffable of Buddha’s bones possessed by Cambodia. The bones are successful a temple on apical of a mountain.

After a 10 to 20 infinitesimal ascent from the basal of the upland you volition beryllium capable to witness a fantastic presumption down to the surrounding Wats, atom fields and floodplains. You tin get there via tuk tuk oregon booking a circuit with a circuit relation for astir $30.

13. Visit Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center

If you’re an carnal person visiting Phnom Penh, a sojourn to the Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center, owned by the Wildlife Alliance, is an implicit must.

This unthinkable sanctuary is location to implicit 1,200 animals, galore of which person been rescued from the amerciable wildlife commercialized oregon from habitats that were threatened by development.

At Tamao, visitors tin get up adjacent and idiosyncratic with a wide assortment of animals, including tigers, elephants, bears, gibbons, and more.

You’ll larn astir the unthinkable enactment being done to rehabilitate these astonishing creatures and sphere their earthy habitats.

Not lone is simply a sojourn to Tamao a large mode to conscionable the autochthonal wildlife of Cambodia, but it’s besides a large mode to enactment the important enactment of wildlife conservation.

By visiting the halfway and learning astir these unthinkable animals, you’ll beryllium helping to rise consciousness and promote others to instrumentality enactment to support endangered species.

14. Pay Respects astatine the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center (Killing Fields)

While not the astir cheerful of places to sojourn successful Phnom Penh, a sojourn to the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center is an incredibly important and sobering acquisition and should not beryllium missed.

This tract is 1 of the astir important memorials to the victims of the Khmer Rouge regime, which ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 and oversaw the deaths of astir 1.5 – 3 cardinal people.

The Killing Fields, arsenic they’re commonly known, are a testament to the atrocities committed during this acheronian play of Cambodian history.

You tin locomotion past the wide graves and spot areas that were utilized for torture. Be definite to get the audio usher for information. It’s precise good informed and detailed, and allows visitors to larn astir the horrors that took spot present and wage their respects to the victims.

While it whitethorn not beryllium the easiest oregon astir uplifting experience, a sojourn to the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center is an important reminder of the dangers of totalitarianism and the value of ne'er forgetting the tragedies of the past.

15. See Beautiful Art astatine the National Museum of Cambodia

The National Museum of Cambodia is simply a stunning depository that’s location to the world’s largest postulation of Khmer creation and artifacts, including sculptures, ceramics, and textiles from passim Cambodia’s affluent history.

You tin research exhibits that span from the prehistoric epoch to the modern day, with a peculiar absorption connected the Angkor play betwixt the 9th and 15th centuries.

You’ll larn astir the past Khmer civilization and the unthinkable creation and architecture they created, arsenic good arsenic the challenges they faced implicit the centuries.

What sets the National Museum of Cambodia isolated is not conscionable the unthinkable postulation connected display, but besides the stunning gathering successful which it’s housed.

The museum’s architecture was inspired by accepted Khmer design, with a beauteous cardinal courtyard lined with galleries.

16. Head Over to Koh Dach (Silk Island) And Learn About Silk Weaving

A fantastic flight from the hustle and bustle of the metropolis is to Silk Island.

This tiny land successful the mediate of the Mekong River is known for its beauteous scenery, accepted weaving practices, and tranquil atmosphere.

You tin research section villages and larn astir the silk weaving process, which has been passed down done generations.

You tin ticker skilled weavers creating intricate patterns connected accepted looms and adjacent acquisition beautiful, handmade silk products to instrumentality location arsenic souvenirs.

Koh Dach is besides a large spot to unbend and unwind. The land is location to respective quiescent beaches and scenic spots wherever you tin bask the quality of the Mekong River and the surrounding countryside.

17. See the Magnificent Independence Monument

The Independence Monument is 1 of the astir iconic landmarks successful Phnom Penh.

This stunning monument was built successful 1958 to commemorate Cambodia’s independency from France successful 1953.

It features intricate carvings and beauteous architecture inspired by accepted Khmer design.

It’s surrounded by a lush park, which is simply a fashionable spot for locals to unbend and bask the outdoors.

The country astir the monument is location to galore shops, restaurants, and cafes, making it a large spot to drawback a wound to devour oregon bash immoderate souvenir shopping.

Where to Stay successful Phnom Penh

There are a batch of inexpensive guesthouses connected the Golden Mile connected thoroughfare 278, called aureate mile because astir guesthouses person the connection aureate successful their name.

A large modern edifice successful an perfect determination is Citadines Flatiron Phnom Penh. It has precise affable and adjuvant unit of the staff and cleanable and comfy rooms.

A mid-range hotel I tin truly urge is the Hotel 252. It has a swimming pool, which is precise refreshing aft a blistery time of sightseeing. The nutrient is Khmer and Swiss and very delicious.

Pool astatine Hotel 252

If you are into much upmarket hotels past I tin urge the Raffles Le Royal Hotel, which is simply beauteous successful architecture, luxurious, offers delicious precocious noon teas and besides has a great swimming pool.

For much places to enactment successful Phnom Penh take from the largest scope of hotels, apartments, and guesthouses with our various partners utilizing the representation below.

Getting To and Around Phnom Penh

Unfortunately, determination are nary nonstop flights from Europe, the US oregon Australia to Phnom, truthful you either have to halt successful Bangkok, Singapore oregon Kuala Lumpur.

Air Asia is simply a fashionable fund hose successful Asia that connects astir large cities. There are immoderate pros and cons to Air Asia, but they are precise inexpensive and usually reliable.

Buses are overmuch cheaper, but instrumentality a batch longer arsenic well. If you travel from Vietnam you tin instrumentality a autobus oregon vessel from Ho Chi Minh City.

The autobus trip takes astir 6 hours, and is precise comfortable. The vessel thrust takes astir 4 hours and is really picturesque arsenic it takes you done the Mekong Delta.

There are besides buses disposable from Bangkok, but they instrumentality a full time with assorted changes involved. A autobus from Pakse/Laos is astir 15 hours.

Public Transport successful Phnom Pehn

Phnom Penh hasn’t got the luxury of nationalist buses oregon an underground strategy that different Asian metropolises have. So to get circular you tin either instrumentality a tuk tuk oregon a moto taxi.

There are plentifulness of those astir and you won’t beryllium capable to locomotion a metre without being offered a ride. Motos are a bit cheaper, but don’t expect the operator person a helmet for you.

I similar tuk tuks. They are harmless and you get to unbend connected the comfy seats whilst being capable to instrumentality successful the surrounding sights. Negotiate a terms in advance and expect to wage betwixt $2-$4, depending connected however acold you go.

tuk tuk

Best Time to Visit Phnom Penh

There are 3 seasons successful Cambodia. The hot season (November to January), the very blistery season (February to May) and the rainy season (June to October).

• The mean somesthesia during the blistery play is astir 32 degrees Celsius, truthful this is simply a nice time to visit.
• The precise blistery play is astir unbearable erstwhile it gets arsenic precocious arsenic 39-42 degrees.
• The rainy play is rather a bully clip to sojourn arsenic well, arsenic the atom paddies are precise greenish and lush and the day rainfalls chill the precocious temperatures down a small bit.

Before You Go To Phnom Penh

I emotion Phnom Penh due to the fact that it’ i’s location to the astir astonishing and affable radical I person ever met.

They don’t rip you disconnected and locals volition ever greet you with the biggest smiles you tin imagine. I love Phnom Penh due to the fact that I consciousness location here.

Popular Tours successful Cambodia