🇰🇭 Cambodia

10 best places in Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh sprawls where the Mekong, Tonle Sap, and Bassac rivers meet, mixing the gilded roofs of the Royal Palace with French colonial architecture and a lively riverside promenade full of street food.

Sight

Royal Palace

The residence of Cambodia's king, with gilded rooftops and a throne hall in classic Khmer style.

Sight

Silver Pagoda

A palace temple with a floor of five thousand silver tiles and a prized Emerald Buddha.

Museum

National Museum of Cambodia

The country's largest collection of Khmer art, from Angkor to the present, housed in a terracotta early-20th-century building.

Sight

Wat Phnom

A hilltop temple that legend says gave the city its name and its founding story.

Museum

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

The former Khmer Rouge prison S-21, now a memorial to the regime's victims.

Market

Central Market (Phsar Thmei)

A 1937 Art Deco dome housing gold traders, electronics, and clothing all under one roof.

Market

Russian Market (Phsar Toul Tom Poung)

A tightly packed covered market known for textiles, antiques, and some of the best street food around.

Park

Sisowath Quay

A riverside promenade at the confluence of the rivers, lined with vendors, bars, and sunset views.

Sight

Wat Ounalom

The country's leading Buddhist temple and seat of the patriarch of Cambodian Buddhism.

Restaurant

Malis Restaurant

A modern Khmer restaurant set in a tropical garden in the heart of the city.

FAQ

Best time to visit Phnom Penh?

November to February is the pleasant window: dry and relatively cool. March to May turns brutally hot, and June to October brings rain, usually as short heavy afternoon storms. Khmer New Year in April shuts much of the city down for several days.

How many days in Phnom Penh?

Two days cover the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, the National Museum and the memorial sites at Tuol Sleng and the killing fields. A third day is worth it for the riverfront, the markets and slow cafes. Many travellers treat the city as a stop on the way to Siem Reap or the coast.

Is Phnom Penh expensive?

Phnom Penh stays cheap by Asian standards: street food and local transport cost very little and rent is well below Bangkok. US dollars circulate everywhere, with change under a dollar given in riel. Western restaurants and bars downtown are priced closer to other regional capitals.

Is it easy to move to Cambodia?

Cambodia has long been one of the easier countries in Asia for long stays: most people enter on an E class visa and extend it for a year through an agency. Formally the extension is tied to your activity - work, business or retirement - and enforcement has been getting stricter. Rules and practice change, so confirm the conditions before you commit.