About

About ULTIMATE Phnom Penh City Guide

ULTIMATE Phnom Penh City Guide is an independent guide for visitors to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. We publish 14 curated lists: restaurants, cafés, bars, hotels, sights, arts & culture, parks, walks, shopping, health, property, developments, cars & drivers and getting around. We cover the Riverside and Sisowath Quay, the Royal Palace quarter, Wat Phnom and the French Quarter, BKK1 and the Independence Monument, Tonle Bassac and Bassac Lane, Toul Tom Poung and the Russian Market, the Central Market, and Koh Pich and Chroy Changvar, with trips to Oudong, Koh Dach, Tonle Bati and Phnom Tamao, Kampot, Kep, and Siem Reap and Angkor.

Our editor

Jai Michael is Editor-in-Chief of the ULTIMATE City Guides. With more than 25 years in the media industry, he founded ABSOLUTE brighton and London TV, and has worked with leading luxury brands around the world.

How we choose

Every place in our lists has been checked against its own website or an official source such as the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, Cambodia Airports, Royal Railway, Angkor Enterprise, the e-Visa portal, the Ministry of Land Management, UNESCO or the venues’ own pages. Cambodia has no MICHELIN restaurant guide, so our great tables are our own choice. We use no ratings, and we leave out anything we can’t confirm.

Before you go

Opening hours, entry rules and timetables change often, and the Royal Palace closes for royal ceremonies. Please check directly with each place, and with official sources, before you travel. Prices are in US dollars or riel, both widely used.

For venues

Run a venue in Phnom Penh and spotted something to update? We review our lists regularly and welcome corrections.

Photo credits

• Fish amok served in a banana-leaf cup, by Marcin Konsek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Angkor Wat and its palms reflected in the pool in front of the temple, by Satdeep Gill, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The western entrance of Angkor Wat beside its moat in late light, by Jakub Hałun, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The towers of Angkor Wat reflected in the water among lotus leaves, by Jakub Hałun, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A pavilion and sculpture in the garden courtyard of the National Museum of Cambodia, by Marcin Konsek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Silver Pagoda inside the Royal Palace compound under a deep blue sky, by Marcin Konsek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The finely carved pink sandstone pediment of Banteay Srei, by Dennis G. Jarvis, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A carved doorway of Banteay Srei, by Dennis G. Jarvis, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Phnom Penh at dusk, with the tower of Vattanac Capital rising above the rooftops, by Dmitry A. Mottl, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Phnom Penh at dusk, with the tower of Vattanac Capital rising above the rooftops, by Dmitry A. Mottl, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A serene carved stone face on a tower of the Bayon, by Jakub Hałun, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The towers of the Bayon in Angkor Thom, by lumoplank, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The lotus-shaped tower of the Independence Monument under a blue sky with white clouds, by PsamatheM, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The view from Bokor Mountain over the forest to the coast, by Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white façade of Raffles Hotel Le Royal, its name in gold above the arched entrance, by Rlr.marcoms, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Tuk-tuks and cyclos waiting outside the Central Market, by Jakub Hałun, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Inside the great dome of the Central Market, with its rows of Art Deco windows, by shankar s. from Dubai, united arab emirates, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Art Deco dome of the Central Market, with tuk-tuks and cyclos in front, by Jakub Hałun, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The memorial stupa at Choeung Ek against a clear sky, by Harald Hoyer from Schwerin, Germany, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Angkor Wat and its palms reflected in the pool in front of the temple, by Satdeep Gill, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Phnom Penh at dusk, with the tower of Vattanac Capital rising above the rooftops, by Dmitry A. Mottl, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white façade of Raffles Hotel Le Royal, its name in gold above the arched entrance, by Rlr.marcoms, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Chanchhaya Pavilion of the Royal Palace, with golden roofs and a spire above the royal gardens, by Marcin Konsek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white façade of Raffles Hotel Le Royal, its name in gold above the arched entrance, by Rlr.marcoms, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A tiled colonnade with lanterns at Raffles Hotel Le Royal, by Fumihiko Ueno, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The lotus-shaped tower of the Independence Monument under a blue sky with white clouds, by PsamatheM, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A boat on the Kampot river at sunset, with Bokor Mountain behind, by Marcin Konsek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Chanchhaya Pavilion of the Royal Palace, with golden roofs and a spire above the royal gardens, by Marcin Konsek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The pool and gardens of Raffles Hotel Le Royal under a great rain tree, by Fumihiko Ueno, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Inside the great dome of the Central Market, with its rows of Art Deco windows, by shankar s. from Dubai, united arab emirates, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red Khmer-style roofs of the National Museum of Cambodia around its garden courtyard, by Marcin Konsek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The carved gables and spires of the National Museum courtyard, by Marcin Konsek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A pavilion and sculpture in the garden courtyard of the National Museum of Cambodia, by Marcin Konsek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Canal houses and bridges in Amsterdam, by Michielverbeek, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alhambra in Granada in the evening light, by Jebulon, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The floodlit Acropolis and Parthenon at dusk, seen from Philopappos Hill, by Giles Laurent, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The pink sand beach of Harbour Island, the Bahamas, by Rüdiger Stehn from Kiel, Deutschland, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The road winding out to the lighthouse on Cap de Formentor, Mallorca, above the open sea, by Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Pura Tanah Lot on its rock in the sea in late-afternoon light, by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Grand Palace reflected at dawn, by Nawit science, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The golden sand and calm water of Paynes Bay, St. James, by Barry haynes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sagrada Família lit up at night, by Maksim Sokolov, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Belgrade's old town and the spire of the Cathedral Church of St Michael above the Sava at sunset, photo: © ULTIMATE International Media.
• The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin against a blue sky, by Berthold Werner, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Royal Pavilion in Brighton under a blue sky, by Qmin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Romanian Athenaeum in its garden, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the Danube, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The stage of the Teatro Colón, framed by red velvet curtains and gilded boxes, by Mauricio V. Genta, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The pyramids of Giza across the desert, by Ricardo Liberato, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bixby Creek Bridge on the Big Sur coast, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Table Mountain and the Twelve Apostles above Cape Town, by Pavel Špindler, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Nyhavn, Copenhagen, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro, by Gzzz, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Burj Khalifa and Business Bay at blue hour, by Robert Bock, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Ha’penny Bridge on the Liffey, Dublin, by Chris Rycroft, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Edinburgh Castle on its rock above the trees of West Princes Street Gardens, by Matti Blume, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A schooner silhouetted against the sunset off Key West, by Joe Parks from Berkeley, CA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Aerial view of the white sand spit of Ses Illetes and Llevant, the salt pans and, across the strait, Ibiza and Es Vedrà, by Beni Marull, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Baie des Anges, Nice, by Tobi 87, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Blue domes of Oia above the Santorini caldera, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red Thê Húc bridge on Hoàn Kiếm Lake, by Khoitran1957, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Helsinki Cathedral above the South Harbour, by Ввласенко, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hong Kong Island and the harbour at night from Victoria Peak, by Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The walls of Dalt Vila and the cathedral above the harbour of Ibiza Town, in late sun, by Charles from Port Chester, New York, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hagia Sophia and its minarets in golden evening light, by Nserrano, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Varenna on Lake Como, by Daniel Case, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Las Vegas Strip at dusk, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lisbon’s rooftops falling to the Tagus under a clear blue sky, by Dudva, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Congress Square, Ljubljana, with the castle on its hill behind, by Petar Milošević, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower lit at dusk across the Thames, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Downtown Los Angeles at sunset beneath the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains, by Alek Leckszas, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Metrópolis building at the start of the Gran Vía, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• La Seu, Palma’s Gothic cathedral, and the Almudaina above the old sea wall, seen from the Parc de la Mar, by Enric, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An aerial view of a small island ringed by reef in the Maldives, by Luka Peternel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Valletta’s honey-coloured skyline, with the dome of the Carmelite church and the spire of St Paul’s, above the harbour at sunset, by Olga Prystai, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yachts in Puerto Banús, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Turquoise water below the pine-topped cliffs at Cala Macarella, Menorca, by Markus Trienke, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Palacio de Bellas Artes at dusk, by Daniel Case, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, by Robbschultz69, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Duomo di Milano and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II on the Piazza del Duomo, by kuhnmi, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Monaco from above, Port Hercule and Monte-Carlo below the mountains, by Spike, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Taj Mahal Palace and the Gateway of India from the harbour, by iMahesh, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sunset at the Naples Pier, by pmarkham, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The New York City skyline from Top of the Rock, by Dillan Payne, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Oslo Opera House, by Christian David, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Eiffel Tower seen from the Trocadéro in Paris, by Chabe01, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Chanchhaya Pavilion of the Royal Palace, with golden roofs and a spire above the royal gardens, by Marcin Konsek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Millennium Bridge over the Morača, by Desemeus, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Prague Castle and Charles Bridge, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, by Berthold Werner, edit by Böhringer, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peak, by Kabelleger / David Gubler, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Church of St John at Kaneo above Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Reykjavík and Mount Esja from Hallgrímskirkja, by Jakub Hałun, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Christ the Redeemer on the Corcovado and Sugarloaf in silhouette at sunrise, above the bay and the city, by Donatas Dabravolskas, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Riyadh skyline at dusk, with the Kingdom Centre and Al Faisaliah, by B.alotaby, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Peter’s Basilica in Rome under a clear blue sky, by Alvesgaspar, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Golden Gate Bridge seen from Battery Spencer, by Christoph Strässler, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sebilj fountain and the square of Baščaršija, by Yukof, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Lujiazui skyline lit up at night across the Huangpu River, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The towers of the Central Business District lit up at night, reflected in Marina Bay, by Bijay Chaurasia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Matterhorn in winter above Zermatt, by JoachimKohler-HB, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Warrior on a Horse fountain in Macedonia Square, Skopje, lit at night, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia, under a pink evening sky, by Jose Ligero Loarte, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A caparisoned elephant in the Esala Perahera procession, Kandy, by Daniel Liabeuf, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the twin volcanic spires of the UNESCO-listed Pitons, by xiquinhosilva, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gamla Stan, Stockholm, by Nordenfan, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Longtail boats on West Railay beach beneath the limestone cliffs, by Krzysztof Golik, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The restored Pyramid of Tirana under a blue sky, by BBB2021, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Rolling green hills and a farmhouse near Pienza in the Val d’Orcia, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Calatrava’s Hemisfèric lit at twilight, reflected in its pool, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Grand Canal and Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, by Irin Acassi, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The tiled roof of St Stephen’s Cathedral and the rooftops of central Vienna, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Mark's Church and its tiled roof on St Mark's Square, Zagreb's Upper Town, by Jorge Láscar from Australia, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Zurich and the Limmat, by Daniel Kraft, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Concrete stairways and stands of the Olympic Stadium, by Myrmux, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A carved royal stupa on the hill of Phnom Udong against a blue sky, by Ravivaddhana, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The carved and gilded gable of a building at Wat Ounalom, by PsamatheM, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red and gold gateway of Wat Ounalom, by PsamatheM, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Throne Hall of the Royal Palace, with its golden roofs and twin spires, by Marcin Konsek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The royal gardens and the Chanchhaya Pavilion inside the Royal Palace under a blue sky, by Marcin Konsek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The royal gardens and the Chanchhaya Pavilion inside the Royal Palace under a blue sky, by Marcin Konsek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Rows of pepper vines at the La Plantation pepper farm in Kampot province, by PsamatheM, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Phochani Pavilion in the grounds of the Royal Palace, by Marcin Konsek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The yellow colonial façade of the Central Post Office near Wat Phnom, by Arnaud-Victor Monteux, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The clock and pediment of the Central Post Office, by Marcin Konsek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Kravanh’s fish amok, set in a banana-leaf cup with a coconut-cream top, beside a breadfruit leaf, photo: Courtesy of Kravanh.
• Num banh chok at Kravanh: coils of rice noodles with herbs, banana flower and a bowl of green fish curry, photo: Courtesy of Kravanh.
• Phnom Penh at dusk, with the tower of Vattanac Capital rising above the rooftops, by Dmitry A. Mottl, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white façade of Raffles Hotel Le Royal, its name in gold above the arched entrance, by Rlr.marcoms, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A tiled colonnade with lanterns at Raffles Hotel Le Royal, by Fumihiko Ueno, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The pool and gardens of Raffles Hotel Le Royal under a great rain tree, by Fumihiko Ueno, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Phnom Penh at dusk, with the tower of Vattanac Capital rising above the rooftops, by Dmitry A. Mottl, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Num banh chok at Kravanh: coils of rice noodles with herbs, banana flower and a bowl of green fish curry, photo: Courtesy of Kravanh.
• The palm-lined riverside promenade of Sisowath Quay in late golden light, by Christophe95, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The palm-lined riverside promenade of Sisowath Quay in late golden light, by Christophe95, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Inside the great dome of the Central Market, with its rows of Art Deco windows, by shankar s. from Dubai, united arab emirates, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Silver Pagoda inside the Royal Palace compound under a deep blue sky, by Marcin Konsek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Tree roots pouring over a doorway at Ta Prohm, by GayleKaren, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Throne Hall of the Royal Palace, with its golden roofs and twin spires, by Marcin Konsek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Throne Hall of the Royal Palace seen across its gardens, by Radosław Botev, licensed CC BY 3.0 pl, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The colonnade and spires of the Throne Hall, by Radosław Botev, licensed CC BY 3.0 pl, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Tuk-tuks and cyclos waiting outside the Central Market, by Jakub Hałun, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Chanchhaya Pavilion of the Royal Palace, with golden roofs and a spire above the royal gardens, by Marcin Konsek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Tuk-tuks and cyclos waiting outside the Central Market, by Jakub Hałun, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The courtyard and former school buildings of the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, by Marcin Konsek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Phnom Penh at dusk, with the tower of Vattanac Capital rising above the rooftops, by Dmitry A. Mottl, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The naga balustrades and stairway up the hill of Wat Phnom, by Marcin Konsek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The main hall and a stupa of Wat Botum, by Marcin Konsek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The naga balustrades and stairway up the hill of Wat Phnom, by Marcin Konsek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The naga balustrades and stairway up the hill of Wat Phnom, by Marcin Konsek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.