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Voykit pocket guide · Cambodia

Phnom Penh

ភ្នំពេញ

Give Phnom Penh two nights for the Royal Palace and the Khmer Rouge memorial sites, then move on to Siem Reap or the coast; the city rewards a focused two days more than a long stay.

Phnom Penh is Cambodia's capital and largest city, sitting where the Tonle Sap, Mekong and Bassac rivers meet. The riverfront holds the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and National Museum, while Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek preserve the sites of the 1975–79 Khmer Rouge period. It is hot, dense with motorbike traffic and easy to cover in two focused days.

SihanoukvilleBattambangPhnom Penh100 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
Cambodia
Local name
ភ្នំពេញ
Best months
Nov–Feb (cooler, dry, lower humidity)
Avoid
Mar–May (peak heat, often above 35°C) and Jun–Oct (heavy rain and street flooding after downpours)
Stay
2 nights

Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.

Essentials

Currency
USD
Money
US dollars for hotels, tours and restaurants; riel (KHR, about 4,000 to the dollar) for change and small street purchases.
SIM and data
Smart, Cellcard and Metfone sell tourist SIMs at the airports with passport registration; a week of data costs a few dollars.
Emergency
Police 117 · Fire 118 · Ambulance 119 · Tourist police Check locally
Plugs
Types A, C, G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Most sockets take flat US and round European pins; newer hotels have UK-style type G.
Tipping
Street food: Nothing.; Sit-down restaurant: Round up or leave US$1–2 where no service charge is added.; Tuk-tuk: Round up; US$2–5 extra for a full Angkor day.; Guide day: US$5–10 per person.; Massage: US$1–2 per hour.
Water
Not drinkable from the tap. Bottled water everywhere; many hotels have refill stations.
Toilets
Western toilets in hotels, restaurants and at the Angkor ticket office and main temples; squat toilets with a hose or scoop on the road. Paper goes in the bin in older places.

Get in

By air

PNH · Phnom Penh International
About 10 km west of the centre; taxi or ride-hailing app into town

Get around

Tuk-tuks and ride-hailing apps (Grab, PassApp) are the norm and inexpensive; use the app or agree the fare before you get in. Central sights along the riverfront are walkable in the cooler morning and evening hours.

See and do

Known for

  • Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda complex
  • Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, the former S-21 prison
  • Choeung Ek Killing Fields memorial stupa
  • Wat Phnom, the hilltop temple the city is named for
  • Central Market's art deco dome (Psar Thom Thmey)
  • Riverside promenade at the Tonle Sap-Mekong confluence

Sleep

Riverside (Daun Penh)
Walking distance to the palace, museum and restaurants.
BKK1
Quieter residential area with cafes and restaurants, a short ride from the river.

Language

Khmer is not tonal but has many vowels and its own script. English is common in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh tourist trades; French survives among older people. Taxi and tuk-tuk drivers work from map pins, not written addresses.

  • 'Suosdey' (hello), 'arkoun' (thank you), 'tlay ponmaan?' (how much?).
  • Telegram is the main messaging app for businesses, drivers and guides.

Etiquette, safety and scams

Etiquette

  • Greeting: Sampeah (palms together, slight bow); higher hands for elders and monks; avoid: Firm handshakes with older women
  • Head and feet: Keep feet down and pointed away from people and Buddha images; avoid: Touching heads, even children's
  • Temples: Shoes and hat off inside, shoulders and knees covered; avoid: Sitting with feet toward the Buddha; women touching monks
  • Keeping face: Stay calm and smile when things go wrong; avoid: Shouting or public anger
  • Giving and receiving: Use the right hand or both hands; avoid: Tossing money or objects
  • Photos: Ask first, especially of monks and at memorials; avoid: Selfies at Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek

Scams and watch-outs

  • Bag snatching from passing motorbikes happens on busy roads: carry bags on the side away from traffic.
  • Dress modestly at the Royal Palace and memorial sites; shoulders and knees covered is the safe rule.
  • Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek are heavy visits: allow time and plan a lighter afternoon afterward.
  • Traffic has few working signals at many junctions; cross slowly and predictably rather than running.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Phnom Penh yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda complex
  • Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, the former S-21 prison
  • Choeung Ek Killing Fields memorial stupa
  • Wat Phnom, the hilltop temple the city is named for
  • Central Market's art deco dome (Psar Thom Thmey)
  • Riverside promenade at the Tonle Sap-Mekong confluence

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Phnom Penhភ្នំពេញ

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/phnom-penh). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.