UltimateCity Guide Phnom Penh
Our favourites
The Chanchhaya Pavilion of the Royal Palace, with golden roofs and a spire above the royal gardens The Chanchhaya Pavilion of the Royal Palace, with golden roofs and a spire above the royal gardens The Silver Pagoda inside the Royal Palace compound under a deep blue sky The red Khmer-style roofs of the National Museum of Cambodia around its garden courtyard The Throne Hall of the Royal Palace, with its golden roofs and twin spires Angkor Wat and its palms reflected in the pool in front of the temple

The city guide to Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Best of Phnom Penh

Where four rivers meet: the golden roofs of the Royal Palace, the sculpture of Angkor, Raffles Hotel Le Royal since 1929, and the sunset promenade on Sisowath Quay. Phnom Penh, checked place by place.

Launch edition · Autumn 2026

Where to eatWhat to see
The red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peakSister guideULTIMATE Rail JourneysThe story of the train, the great journeys and where to book themA cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, MontenegroSister guideULTIMATE CruisesLines, ships and itineraries, from river to expeditionThe Matterhorn in winter above ZermattSister guideULTIMATE Ski ResortsSeason dates, hotels, après and ski schools, resort by resort
The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-FerratSister guideULTIMATE PropertyStrata titles, BKK1, Koh Pich and the rules for foreign buyers

Phnom Penh, at the four faces

Phnom Penh stands where the Tonle Sap meets the Mekong and the Bassac leaves it: the Royal Palace and the riverside, Wat Phnom and the French Quarter, BKK1 and the Russian Market, and the new districts across the water. Here are its grand hotels and Khmer tables, its markets and museum, the memorials that ask for a quiet morning, and trips to Oudong, Koh Dach, Kampot, Kep and Angkor. Every listing is checked against the venue’s own website or an official source, and anything we can’t confirm is left out.

The city at the four faces: Phnom Penh’s great sights

In depth

The city at the four faces

Phnom Penh·In depth

The palace on the river, Wat Phnom’s hill, the Art Deco market and the museum’s sculpture: how to read the capital in a day and a half.

Read the story

Phnom Penh, quarter by quarter

Eight quarters, each with its own guide: the riverside promenade and the palace, Wat Phnom’s hill and Raffles Hotel Le Royal, the villas of BKK1, the small bars of Bassac Lane, the Russian Market, the Art Deco Central Market and the new riverside across the water.

The palm-lined riverside promenade of Sisowath Quay in late golden lightNeighbourhood guideThe Riverside & Sisowath QuayWhere four rivers meetThe Throne Hall of the Royal Palace, with its golden roofs and twin spiresNeighbourhood guideThe Royal Palace QuarterThe palace, the museum and Street 240The naga balustrades and stairway up the hill of Wat PhnomNeighbourhood guideWat Phnom & the French QuarterThe hill, Le Royal and the towerThe lotus-shaped tower of the Independence Monument under a blue sky with white cloudsNeighbourhood guideBKK1 & the Independence MonumentVillas, cafés and the monumentPhnom Penh at dusk, with the tower of Vattanac Capital rising above the rooftopsNeighbourhood guideTonle Bassac & Bassac LaneThe Sofitel and the small barsThe Chanchhaya Pavilion of the Royal Palace, with golden roofs and a spire above the royal gardensNeighbourhood guideToul Tom Poung & the Russian MarketSilk, crafts and breakfast

At dusk

Walk Sisowath Quay as the heat goes out of the day, with the palace roofs catching the last of the light across the lawns.

Inside the great dome of the Central Market, with its rows of Art Deco windowsNeighbourhood guideThe Central MarketAn Art Deco domeThe Chanchhaya Pavilion of the Royal Palace, with golden roofs and a spire above the royal gardensNeighbourhood guideKoh Pich & Chroy ChangvarThe new riverside

Before you go

Arrival at Techo International Airport, the official e-Visa, dollars and riel, dress for the palace and the memorials, and three days that work for a first visit.

The lotus-shaped tower of the Independence Monument under a blue sky with white cloudsBefore you goPhnom Penh essentialsThe e-Visa, the airport, money and 117/118/119Tuk-tuks and cyclos waiting outside the Central MarketGetting aroundGetting aroundThe airport, the railway, coaches and tuk-tuksThe Chanchhaya Pavilion of the Royal Palace, with golden roofs and a spire above the royal gardensItineraryPhnom Penh in three daysThe palace, the museum, the memorials and the marketsThe white façade of Raffles Hotel Le Royal, its name in gold above the arched entranceLuxury guideLUX LivingThe finest addressesThe white façade of Raffles Hotel Le Royal, its name in gold above the arched entranceItineraryThe Gold weekendLe Royal, Malis and the palacePhnom Penh at dusk, with the tower of Vattanac Capital rising above the rooftopsItineraryThe Platinum weekendThe Rosewood, Sora and Topaz

Our advice

Give the memorials a morning of their own

Tuol Sleng opens daily from 8am to 5pm; cover arms and legs, take the audio guide, and leave the afternoon quiet. Neither memorial is suitable for young children. Visiting the memorials

Beyond Phnom Penh

The stupas of Oudong and the weavers of Koh Dach are close by; Kampot’s pepper and Kep’s crab lie on the south coast; Angkor deserves two or three nights of its own.

A carved royal stupa on the hill of Phnom Udong against a blue skyBeyond Phnom PenhOudongThe old royal capitalA carved royal stupa on the hill of Phnom Udong against a blue skyBeyond Phnom PenhKoh DachThe silk islandA carved royal stupa on the hill of Phnom Udong against a blue skyBeyond Phnom PenhTonle Bati & Phnom TamaoA temple and rescued wildlifeA boat on the Kampot river at sunset, with Bokor Mountain behindBeyond Phnom PenhKampotThe river town and its pepperThe Chanchhaya Pavilion of the Royal Palace, with golden roofs and a spire above the royal gardensBeyond Phnom PenhKepCrab and the seaAngkor Wat and its palms reflected in the pool in front of the templeBeyond Phnom PenhSiem Reap & AngkorThe temples of Angkor

Our advice

Fly, don’t drive, to Thailand

Overland crossings to Thailand are suspended at the time of writing: fly to Bangkok, and buy your Angkor Pass only from Angkor Enterprise. Phnom Penh essentials

Phnom Penh in depth

The palace and the markets, the Khmer table, the arts the country rebuilt, the grand hotels, the new airport and the rules for buying: the stories behind Phnom Penh.

The Silver Pagoda inside the Royal Palace compound under a deep blue skyThe back storyThe city at the four facesThe palace, the hill and the marketsKravanh’s fish amok, set in a banana-leaf cup with a coconut-cream top, beside a breadfruit leafThe back storyPhnom Penh at the tableRoyal recipes, the river and the marketA pavilion and sculpture in the garden courtyard of the National Museum of CambodiaThe back storyDance, sculpture and the 1960sThe arts the country rebuiltThe white façade of Raffles Hotel Le Royal, its name in gold above the arched entranceThe back storyWhere Phnom Penh sleepsFrom Le Royal to the riverThe Chanchhaya Pavilion of the Royal Palace, with golden roofs and a spire above the royal gardensThe back storyGetting to and around Phnom PenhThe new airport, the railway and the coachesPhnom Penh at dusk, with the tower of Vattanac Capital rising above the rooftopsThe back storyBuying in Phnom PenhStrata titles and the new districts

At the table

Order fish amok in its banana-leaf cup and something with Kampot pepper: then you have tasted the country.

The courtyard and former school buildings of the Tuol Sleng Genocide MuseumRememberingVisiting the memorialsTuol Sleng and Choeung Ek, with respectThe naga balustrades and stairway up the hill of Wat PhnomFun factsPhnom Penh fun factsThings you might not know

South-East Asia with the ULTIMATE guides

Phnom Penh is a short flight from Bangkok and Singapore: the ULTIMATE guides go on from here, by air, by river and by rail.

The Grand Palace reflected at dawnULTIMATE BangkokBangkokA short flight westLongtail boats on West Railay beach beneath the limestone cliffsULTIMATE Thai IslandsThe Thai IslandsBeaches across the gulfThe towers of the Central Business District lit up at night, reflected in Marina BayULTIMATE SingaporeSingaporeThe city-state to the southA cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, MontenegroULTIMATE CruisesCruisesRiver and ocean voyagesThe red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peakULTIMATE Rail JourneysRail JourneysThe great train journeys

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Europe

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Caribbean

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The pink sand beach of Harbour Island, the BahamasOur sister guideULTIMATE The BahamasSeven hundred islands: Nassau and Paradise Island, the Exuma Cays and the swimming pigs, Harbour Island’s pink sand, marinas and island hopping.Visit the guide The golden sand and calm water of Paynes Bay, St. JamesOur sister guideULTIMATE BarbadosThe Platinum West Coast and Sandy Lane, UNESCO-listed Bridgetown, rum where it was born, Friday nights in Oistins and the wild Atlantic east.Visit the guide Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the twin volcanic spires of the UNESCO-listed PitonsOur sister guideULTIMATE St LuciaThe UNESCO Pitons and Soufrière’s drive-in volcano, Marigot Bay, Rodney Bay and the Gros Islet street party, reefs, rum and cocoa.Visit the guide

South America

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The stage of the Teatro Colón, framed by red velvet curtains and gilded boxesArgentinaULTIMATE Buenos AiresThe Teatro Colón, the Alvear Palace, the Recoleta Cemetery, Aramburu’s two stars and Don Julio, tango in San Telmo, and day trips to Tigre and Colonia.Visit the guide Christ the Redeemer on the Corcovado and Sugarloaf in silhouette at sunrise, above the bay and the cityBrazilULTIMATE Rio de JaneiroChrist on the Corcovado, the cable car to Sugarloaf, the Copacabana Palace, Lasai’s two stars, the Carnival, and day trips to Paraty and Ilha Grande.Visit the guide

Asia & Indian Ocean

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Pura Tanah Lot on its rock in the sea in late-afternoon lightIndonesiaULTIMATE BaliTemples on the rocks and the cliffs, the rice terraces of a UNESCO landscape, resorts above Ubud’s gorges and the beach clubs of the west coast.Visit the guide The Grand Palace reflected at dawnThailandULTIMATE BangkokThe Grand Palace and Wat Arun on the river, the grand hotels of Charoen Krung, MICHELIN stars from street food to tasting menus, rooftop bars and the Thai islands.Visit the guide The red Thê Húc bridge on Hoàn Kiếm LakeVietnamULTIMATE HanoiHoàn Kiếm Lake and the Old Quarter, the Temple of Literature, the Metropole, phở and the MICHELIN stars, and Hạ Long Bay beyond.Visit the guide Hong Kong Island and the harbour at night from Victoria PeakOur sister guideULTIMATE Hong KongThe harbour from the Peak, the Star Ferry, Cantonese dining rooms with MICHELIN stars, dim sum in the lanes of Central and the museums of West Kowloon.Visit the guide An aerial view of a small island ringed by reef in the MaldivesOur sister guideULTIMATE MaldivesUndersea restaurants and overwater bars, Hanifaru Bay’s mantas, the whale sharks of South Ari, private islands and the little capital, Malé.Visit the guide The Taj Mahal Palace and the Gateway of India from the harbourIndiaULTIMATE MumbaiThe Taj and the Gateway of India, Marine Drive’s Queen’s Necklace, three UNESCO sites, modern Indian restaurants and day trips to Elephanta and the Ghats.Visit the guide The Lujiazui skyline lit up at night across the Huangpu RiverChinaULTIMATE ShanghaiThe grand hotels of the Bund facing the towers of Pudong, every MICHELIN star, Yu Garden, the two Shanghai Museums and day trips to Suzhou and Hangzhou.Visit the guide The towers of the Central Business District lit up at night, reflected in Marina BayOur sister guideULTIMATE SingaporeMarina Bay and Raffles, three restaurants with three MICHELIN Stars, the hawker centres, and the Botanic Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Visit the guide A caparisoned elephant in the Esala Perahera procession, KandyOur sister guideULTIMATE Sri LankaColombo, the ramparts of Galle Fort, the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, the tea country by train, Sigiriya and leopards in Yala.Visit the guide Longtail boats on West Railay beach beneath the limestone cliffsOur sister guideULTIMATE Thai IslandsWinter sun on two seas: Phuket, Krabi and Railay, Phi Phi and Koh Lanta on the Andaman, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao in the Gulf.Visit the guide

Middle East & North Africa

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The pyramids of Giza across the desertEgyptULTIMATE CairoThe Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum, the minarets of Islamic Cairo, feluccas on the Nile and journeys to Luxor and Aswan.Visit the guide Burj Khalifa and Business Bay at blue hourUnited Arab EmiratesULTIMATE DubaiBurj Khalifa and the Fountain, abras on the Creek, resorts on the Palm, every MICHELIN star of 2026 and day trips to Abu Dhabi and Hatta.Visit the guide The Riyadh skyline at dusk, with the Kingdom Centre and Al FaisaliahSaudi ArabiaULTIMATE RiyadhMud-brick At-Turaif on the wadi, the Masmak and the souqs, the towers of KAFD, Saudi kitchens with a Bib Gourmand and the Edge of the World.Visit the guide

Africa

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Table Mountain and the Twelve Apostles above Cape TownSouth AfricaULTIMATE Cape TownTable Mountain and Robben Island, The Silo and the Mount Nelson, the great tables of Constantia and Camps Bay, and day trips to the Winelands and Cape Point.Visit the guide

HOT TOPICS · Have Your Say

From our readers: Phnom Penh’s visitors and locals on its Khmer tables and markets, the riverside, tuk-tuks, the heat and the road to Angkor.

    Have your say in HOT TOPICS

    The National Museum of Cambodia

    This week's pick

    The National Museum of Cambodia

    Royal Palace quarter·Museum

    The cool season begins in November: the best weeks to walk the riverside and spend a morning with the sculpture of Angkor at the National Museum.

    Find out more

    Every list in the guide

    Plan your day

    The Chanchhaya Pavilion of the Royal Palace, with golden roofs and a spire above the royal gardensItineraryPhnom Penh in three daysThree daysA pavilion and sculpture in the garden courtyard of the National Museum of CambodiaItinerarySculpture, dance and the 1960s in a dayOne dayA boat on the Kampot river at sunset, with Bokor Mountain behindItineraryA weekend in Kampot and KepTwo daysPhnom Penh at dusk, with the tower of Vattanac Capital rising above the rooftopsItineraryA property viewing day: BKK1, Koh Pich and Chroy ChangvarOne dayThe white façade of Raffles Hotel Le Royal, its name in gold above the arched entranceItineraryThe Gold weekend: a luxury weekend in Phnom PenhTwo daysPhnom Penh at dusk, with the tower of Vattanac Capital rising above the rooftopsItineraryThe Platinum weekend: Phnom Penh at its most exclusiveTwo days

    Know your neighbourhoods

    Our favourites right now

    Restaurants

    1. 1Phnom Penh at the table: royal recipes, the river and the marketPhnom Penh · In depth
    2. 2Restaurant Le RoyalWat Phnom · Royal Khmer cuisine
    3. 3MalisRoyal Palace quarter · Cambodian cuisine
    See all 12

    Cafés

    1. 1Brown CoffeeAcross the city · Cambodian coffee house
    2. 2Java Creative CaféBKK1 · Café and art space
    3. 3ARTillery CaféRoyal Palace quarter · Café and gallery
    See all 6

    Bars

    1. 1The Elephant BarWat Phnom · Hotel bar
    2. 2SoraWat Phnom · Rooftop bar
    3. 3The Whisky LibraryWat Phnom · Whisky bar
    See all 7

    Hotels

    1. 1Where Phnom Penh sleeps: from Le Royal to the riverWat Phnom · In depth
    2. 2Raffles Hotel Le RoyalWat Phnom · Grand hotel
    3. 3Rosewood Phnom PenhWat Phnom · Grand hotel
    See all 8

    Sights

    1. 1The city at the four faces: Phnom Penh’s great sightsPhnom Penh · In depth
    2. 2The Royal Palace and the Silver PagodaRoyal Palace quarter · Royal palace
    3. 3The National Museum of CambodiaRoyal Palace quarter · Museum
    See all 11

    Arts & Culture

    1. 1Dance, sculpture and the 1960s: Phnom Penh’s artsPhnom Penh · In depth
    2. 2National Museum of Cambodia: the sculpture galleriesRoyal Palace quarter · Museum
    3. 3Cambodian Living ArtsBKK1 · Performing arts
    See all 16

    Parks

    1. 1The Riverside ParkRiverside · Riverside park
    2. 2The Royal Palace ParkRoyal Palace quarter · Square
    3. 3Wat Botum ParkRoyal Palace quarter · City park
    See all 6

    Walks

    1. 1The riverside and the palaceRiverside · Walk
    2. 2Wat Phnom and the French QuarterWat Phnom · Walk
    3. 3Streets 178 and 240Royal Palace quarter · Walk
    See all 5

    Shopping

    1. 1Vattanac CapitalWat Phnom · Luxury mall
    2. 2AEON Mall Phnom PenhTonle Bassac · Shopping mall
    3. 3Exchange SquareWat Phnom · Shopping mall
    See all 7

    Health

    1. 1Emergencies: police 117, fire 118, ambulance 119Cambodia · Emergency numbers
    2. 2Royal Phnom Penh HospitalSen Sok · International hospital
    3. 3Sunrise Japan Hospital Phnom PenhPhnom Penh · Private hospital
    See all 9

    Property

    1. 1Buying in Phnom Penh: strata titles, the river and the new districtsPhnom Penh · In depth
    2. 2The law on foreign ownership of co-owned buildingsCambodia · The rules
    3. 3Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and ConstructionPhnom Penh · Government ministry
    See all 6

    Developments

    1. 1Techo International AirportSouth of the city · Airport
    2. 2Vattanac CapitalWat Phnom · Tower
    3. 3Koh PichKoh Pich · Island district
    See all 5

    Cars & Drivers

    1. 1GrabPhnom Penh · Ride-hailing app
    2. 2Hotel cars and private driversPhnom Penh · Private driver
    3. 3Tuk-tuks and remorksPhnom Penh · Tuk-tuk
    See all 5

    Getting Around

    1. 1Getting to and around Phnom Penh: the new airport, the railway and the riverPhnom Penh · In depth
    2. 2Techo International AirportSouth of the city · Airport
    3. 3Royal RailwayDaun Penh · Railway
    See all 6

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