How Many Days Do You Need in Phnom Penh?
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How many days do you need in Phnom Penh? Probably longer than you think but maybe the question should be how long can you spare. Phnom Penh is the heart of Cambodia and a city of contrasts with ancient temples rubbing shoulders with modern skyscrapers.
How long to stay will depend on your interests but if you’re undecided then keep reading because we’ll share our experiences to help you make the most of your visit.
How Many Days Do You Need in Phnom Penh?
When we first decided to visit Cambodia, Phnom Penh wasn’t on our itinerary. After a little research, it quickly became evident it was worth exploring and we allowed four days.
Deciding how many days depends on what you love most. Are you a history buff, a foodie, or just looking to soak up the local culture? Most travellers find that between 2 and 4 days offers a great balance with time to visit the main attractions.
The great news is that even if you only have one day in Phnom Penh you can still visit the highlights.
Top Things To Do For First-time Visitors
Whether you have one day or one week, we loved the following and feel that they should be on every Phnom Penh itinerary :
The Killing Fields
It’s impossible to visit Phnom Penh without recognising the atrocities that took place under the Khmer Rouge regime. It’s believed that up to 3 million Cambodians died and those awful events are recognised and documented at Choeung Ek (Killing Fields) and Tuol Sleng (S-21) memorials and museum.
You can visit alone but take this excellent tour instead. It offers a fully guided visit to both the Killing Fields and S-21 over half a day. Our guide helped us process all that we saw but more importantly, filled us with a sense of amazement at how happy, forward looking and resilient the Cambodians are.
The Royal Palace And Silver Pagoda
The Royal Palace complex is huge. It showcases the very best of Khmer architecture and really is a must see. We first went as part of a tour and whilst the guided commentary was great, we felt a little rushed. Indeed, we went back a second time alone which worked well. The gardens are just as beautiful as the buildings and we recommend 1-2 hours for your visit.
Highlights include the Throne Hall, the Silver Pagoda and a spectacular 17th century Buddha made of solid gold, weighing 90 kilograms and adorned with 9,584 diamonds.
The Mighty Mekong River
The Mekong flows through Phnom Penh. It is part of the reason they city exists, and no visit would be complete without a glimpse that the glorious skyline at sunset. We loved our sunset cruise. It’s inexpensive and fills the gap from late afternoon to dinner.
Khmer Cuisine
Phnom Penh is gaining a reputation as a foodie destination and there are more and more excellent restaurants opening in the city; Malis Norodom is the place to go for a very special Cambodian feast. There is also a bit of a Craft Beer revolution taking place in the city but at the heart of both, is traditional Khmer cuisine.
We’d recommend dinner at Malis, this fabulous Khmer cooking class or take this excellent Night Street Food Tour (which also offers a great tour of the city at night as well as your dinner!)
One, Two, Three or Four | How many Days are Enough?
Phnom Penh isn’t an expensive city, it’s definitely worth visiting and there are options to fit every budget. How many days in Phnom Penh to add to your itinerary will ultimately depend on how much time you can spare.
1 Day In Phnom Penh
If you’re short on time, one day in Phnom Penh can be surprisingly fulfilling; focus on the must-see highlights such as:
If you’d rather not visit the Killing Fields then visit one of the city’s huge markets and The Cambodia National Museum.
2 Days In Phnom Penh
Two days offers a more relaxed pace to explore Phnom Penh. In addition to the main sights, you can explore the bustling Central Market, indulge in a Khmer cooking class or maybe even afternoon tea at Raffles?
3 Days In Phnom Penh
With three days, you can delve deeper into Phnom Penh’s culture and we’d recommend a day trip out of the city.
Alternative Day trips From Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is an excellent base for exploring the surrounding countryside. You quickly escape the bustle to find a more tranquil way of life. A few excellent tours that you could also consider include :
Oudongk Mountain and Koh Chen Island Tour
Full-Day Preah Vihear, Koh Ker, and Beng Mealea
How To Get Around Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is relatively easy to navigate; Gerry wrote a great post about how to get around the city. The most popular mode of transport is tuk-tuk; they are plentiful and offer a fun, affordable way to explore.
There are also many bikes and motorbikes but we don’t recommend this option for a visitor as the traffic is pretty chaotic. And whilst there are public buses they aren’t the easiest to navigate so our preferred choice was tuk-tuk.
If you would like to pre-book airport transfers this is the highest rated best value option that we found.
Top Tip : Never hail a tuk-tuk. Always, always use GRAB. It’s the local equivalent to UBER and we used it extensively over months of travel through SE Asia without problems.
Best Hotels In Phnom Penh
If there was ever a place to treat yourself to something exclusive and decidedly opulent then Phnom Penh is the place to do it! You can book a world class hotel for the price of a comfort hotel in London or Paris.
We have choices for all budgets, which after hours of research I’m confident will offer the best of Phnom Penh.
- Luxury Stay : Next time we visit I’m going to stay in Raffles Hotel Le Royal but if that’s not your style then The Rosewood Phnom Penh is considered the best there is.
- Comfort Stay: We stayed in The Pavilion and it offered incredible comfort and was our oasis from the bustle. Plantation Urban Resort is equally fabulous and both will serve you perfectly during your days in Phnom Penh.
- Budget Stay: La Chronique offers incredible value and perfect for a budget stay. If hostels, bunk beds are your preference the best in town is Mad Monkey Hostel.
Best Time To Visit Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh, like a lot of Asia has two seasons; wet and dry. The best time to visit is during the dry season, from November to April. December and January are considered particularly comfortable but we visited in January and February and I would say it was hot and humid so make sure you pack accordingly.
It’s worth noting that our guide told us that Phnom Penh can be enjoyable year-round, with each season offering its own unique charm. Unlike some parts of Asia, the rainy season shouldn’t be discounted, although I’d certainly do a little more research before planning your days.
Nov | Dec | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr |
31°C | 118mm | 30°C | 32mm | 31°C | 6mm | 32°C | 9mm | 34°C | 32mm | 35°C | 72mm |
May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct |
34°C | 150mm | 33°C | 151mm | 32°C | 158mm | 32°C | 159mm | 31°C | 228mm | 31°C | 260mm |
Festivals In Phnom Penh
How many days you need in Phnom Penh could well be impacted by some of the more popular local festivals. We were in Vietnam during Tet and it certainly disrupted our plans. Phnom Penh comes alive during the festival season, but transport can be affected and hotels book quickly.
Khmer New Year (April)
This may not the best time to travel for a short visit; imagine travelling on Christmas Day at home. Celebrated over three days, this is one of the most important holidays in Cambodia. On the plus side the traditional Khmer celebrations include lots of water splashing, colourful parades and festive celebrations.
The Royal Ploughing Ceremony (May)
This may not have such an impact on your plans. This an ancient celebration welcomes the start of the rice growing season, where local priests foretell the outcome of the coming harvests.
Bon Om Touk Water Festival (November)
This is a big festival in Phnom Penh and you should expect boat races, fireworks, and lively celebrations. It corresponds with the end of the Monsoon season and is a huge celebration that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to the banks of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers.
As well as the traditional boat races, you’ll find overcrowded streets, food markets, street vendors, fireworks, illuminated parades and general jollity and making merry. Also expect the city to be crammed and hotel prices to be higher; or hotels fully booked.
Is Phnom Penh Safe For Visitors?
Phnom Penh is generally considered safe for tourists, but it’s important to stay vigilant, especially at night. As with all large cities anywhere in the world, petty crime, such as bag snatching, can occur, so keep your belongings secure and be aware of your surroundings.
We never experienced any issues, nor met anyone who did, but as with all our travels we nonetheless take precautions.
Start Planning your Days In Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh offers the visitor a great deal and is absolutely worth a few days of your time. We would have liked more time in Phnom Penh but we’d suggest two or three days at a minimum. Phnom Penh offers iconic historical sites, a vibrant street scene, great food and incredibly warm hospitality. It’s true the city is noisy and dirty and chaotic but it is so much more too.
Don’t judge this book by its cover, spend a few days in Phnom Penh and discover the beating heart of this incredibly underrated destination.
Travelling Through Cambodia Or Vietnam?
We spent a few months in Cambodia and Vietnam. If you’re planning your own adventure you may be interested in some of our other posts.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Whenever you travel, you should have a great travel and medical insurance policy. None of us expect anything bad to happen, but in the event of an incident, you want to be sure that your insurance will be there for you.
I’ve ended up in hospital in Peru, Indonesia, Portugal, Japan and Ireland! Every time my insurance took care of everything. I would never leave home without full and comprehensive insurance.
TrueTraveller : We have this policy and we are very happy with the cover, especially considering our ages and pre-existing conditions.
Globelink : We have used and recommended Globelink for years and we’ve not heard of any issues. They are a great choice for European and UK Residents.
Safety Wing : Many of my travelling buddies from the USA have recommended this company to me, although we’ve not used them personally.
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Hey I’m Colleen. I’m married to Gerry, we’ve three fabulous kids and been living in France for almost two decades. I fell in love with Spain in the 1980s and I’ve walked 1000s of miles along the Camino de Santiago. Now we’re exploring and walking the world and I can’t wait to share what we’ve learned!