It is still read in guides that Phnom Penh is "a must-stop, one day is enough." We disagree. This is the city where we settled, the one we show to our friends when they come to visit us, and for us, it is a truer reflection of contemporary Cambodia than Angkor is of ancient Cambodia. This page is what we would say over a coffee facing the river to someone arriving for the first time.
The duty of memory: S-21 and Choeung Ek
You cannot understand present-day Cambodia without visiting S-21 and the Killing Fields. Between 1975 and 1979, the Khmer Rouge exterminated nearly a quarter of the Cambodian population. The two most well-known sites in Phnom Penh — the former high school turned interrogation center, and the execution site of Choeung Ek 15 km away — document this episode with a rare sobriety and accuracy. These are places of memory, not tourist attractions. You go there on an empty stomach, you do not laugh, you do not take selfies. These are slow visits that will change you.
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21)
A former high school in the center of Phnom Penh, transformed into a prison and interrogation center by the Khmer Rouge. Of the approximately 20,000 people who entered, only a dozen came out alive (seven adults and five children, one of whom died shortly after release). The cells, torture beds, and meticulously archived photographs of prisoners are presented without sensationalism. The visit lasts about 2 hours with the audio guide.
Entry: 5 USD (non-Cambodian adult); audio guide 3 USD extra, available in French and highly recommended — survivor and guard testimonies are essential. Open daily from 8 AM to 5 PM. Cash payment only.
Choeung Ek Memorial Center (Killing Fields)
Located 17 km southwest of downtown Phnom Penh, one of the main execution sites used by the regime. A memorial stupa houses the skulls and bones of several thousand victims, displayed without voyeurism, in a deliberate gesture of not forgetting. The audio guide, remarkably written, makes the visit an almost intimate experience despite the other visitors.
Entry: 6 USD with audio guide included (French available). Open daily from 8 AM to 5:30 PM. Travel time from the center: 30 to 40 minutes by tuk-tuk (15 USD round trip with waiting), 25 minutes by air-conditioned taxi.
Our recommended order
S-21 in the morning, Choeung Ek in the afternoon. The chronological order of events — interrogation then execution — gives the visit its historical and emotional coherence. Plan for a full day, and avoid scheduling a light activity right after. A quiet lunch in the city between the two sites, without an agenda, is ideal.
Many operators offer the combination in half a day — it’s too short. Take your time.
The Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda
The official residence of the king of Cambodia, construction began in 1866 under King Norodom, at the time of the capital's transfer from Oudong to Phnom Penh. The complex combines traditional Khmer architecture with discreet French colonial elements — the Napoléon III pavilion, a cast-iron villa that arrived by boat in the 1870s (the legend makes it a gift from Napoléon III to Norodom after the Suez Canal, a version contested by recent research), is the most singular curiosity. The Silver Pagoda, within the grounds, is named for the 5,329 solid silver tiles (1.125 kg each) that pave its floor — protected by a carpet today, but a square is left visible at the entrance for visitors to see.
Entry: 10 USD (40,000 riels), combined ticket for Royal Palace + Silver Pagoda. Open daily from 8 AM to 11 AM and from 2 PM to 5 PM — note the midday closure. Proper attire required: shoulders and knees covered (sarongs provided free at the entrance if necessary). Photography allowed outside, prohibited inside the Silver Pagoda.
The National Museum of Cambodia
Right next to the Royal Palace, in a beautiful ochre building of traditional Khmer style inaugurated in 1920. The largest collection in the world of classical Khmer art — sculptures from Angkor, ceramics, bronzes, ritual objects from the 6th to the 13th century. You should go before heading to Angkor: the original statues are displayed here (those at the temples are often copies), and you will understand much better what you will see next in the archaeological park.
Entry: 10 USD. Open daily from 8 AM to 5 PM. Audio guide in French available for a few extra dollars — highly recommended. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours for the visit.
The museums you won’t be shown
Phnom Penh has several museums that most travelers ignore, and that’s a shame: some are among the most original in Southeast Asia. Modern scenography, beautiful buildings, inexpensive or free entry, and almost no one in the rooms. Here are those we consistently recommend to the curious.
SOSORO — Museum of Economy and Money
Full name: Preah Srey Içanavarman Museum of Economy and Money. Opened in 2019 by the National Bank of Cambodia, in a sumptuous building from 1908 — the former town hall of the French protectorate, just steps from the river. Inside, 2,000 years of Cambodian history told through money: gold coins from the 7th century minted under King Içanavarman, to the banknotes of the Khmer Rouge regime that never circulated (Pol Pot abolished currency), to the refoundation of the modern riel. Interactive scenography, screens, reconstructions, texts in Khmer / English / French. It’s much more captivating than it sounds: you come away with an understanding of the country that no classic guide provides.
Entry: 20,000 riels (about 5 USD) for foreigners, 32,000 riels (about 8 USD) with audio guide — we highly recommend the version with audio guide, it transforms the visit from interesting to fascinating (detailed narration over 12 modules, available in French, English, Khmer, Chinese, Japanese, Korean). Reduced rates for Cambodians (4,000 riels / 16,000 riels) and students (2,000 riels / 14,000 riels). Open Tuesday to Sunday from 9 AM to 6 PM, closed on Monday. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours. 106 Street, opposite the central post office.
Bophana Center
Co-founded in 2006 by filmmaker Rithy Panh (S-21, the Khmer Rouge Death Machine) and Ieu Pannakar, and inaugurated on December 4, 2006, the Bophana Center is housed in the "White House," a building from the 1960s whose style evokes Le Corbusier and Cambodian architect Vann Molyvann, a survivor of the Khmer Rouge and restored in 2006. It is a free-access audiovisual archive center: you sit at a consultation station and dive into tens of thousands of hours of footage — films by the Lumière brothers shot in Cambodia at the very beginning of the 20th century, feature films made by King Norodom Sihanouk, sound archives, photographs, contemporary documentaries. Temporary exhibitions and public screenings are regularly held in the auditorium. It is a living place of memory, run by a team of passionate young Cambodians.
Entry: free. Open Monday to Friday from 8 AM to 12 PM and from 2 PM to 6 PM, Saturday 2 PM–6 PM. 64 Street 200, Daun Penh district.
Factory Phnom Penh
Not a museum in the classical sense, but a cultural place we love: an old textile factory of 3.4 hectares converted into the largest creative hub in Southeast Asia. Streets covered in street art, galleries of Cambodian artists (including FT Gallery & Studio, the country's first urban art gallery), coworking spaces, designer shops, concerts, weekend markets, restaurants, and bars. To feel the Phnom Penh of the new generation — one that grows far from the images of genocide and reinvents a local creative scene.
Entry: free. 1159 National Road 2 (parking access via Hun Sen Boulevard), 15–20 minutes by tuk-tuk from the center. Programming available on factoryphnompenh.com.
Practical note: the central train station of Phnom Penh is a beautiful Art Deco building from 1932, which deserves a look if you are passing through the area. It is not strictly a museum, but the architecture is worth the detour, and this is where trains depart for Sihanoukville and Poipet (especially on weekends).
Kanika cruise on the Mekong
This is our boat. Originally, we bought it to host friends and family at the end of their days in Phnom Penh. Word of mouth has made the Kanika the highest-rated sunset cruise in the capital. Two hours on the water, at the exact confluence of the Mekong and Tonlé Sap, with a view of the Royal Palace on the city side and the countryside on the opposite side. A cocktail in hand on the upper deck, wooden chairs, the orange light of the last moments of the day on the river.
You can directly follow up with a dinner on board: same boat, same chairs on the deck, Khmer and international cuisine served at the table while the city lights up. This is what we recommend when someone asks us "the most beautiful evening in Phnom Penh in one activity" — we are obviously part of it, but the opinion is shared by most independent guides.
Book the Kanika
Sunset cruise (2 hours, cocktail included) or cruise + dinner on board. Departure from Sisowath quay, in downtown Phnom Penh. Reservation recommended, especially in high season (November to February).
See availability on GetYourGuide →Transparency: we operate the Kanika. We recommend it because we know it better than anyone, not because it brings us profit — the majority of independent reviews confirm the recommendation.
Phnom Penh Heritage Tour
Our second local adventure: an old electric bus that takes you to discover the capital beyond the must-see sites. In two hours and fifteen minutes, we traverse the Art Deco streets of the old French quarter, pass by the colonial station, stop at Wat Phnom (the monastery that gave its name to the city), and pass by the Art Deco Central Market, the Royal Palace, and the central post office. The route is punctuated by stories we tell our friends when we give them a tour — stories you won’t hear anywhere else.
This is the ideal format on the morning of your arrival, to get your bearings in the city, understand its geography, and identify places you will return to on foot during the day. Covered, electric, silent bus, without aggressive air conditioning. Welcome in French or English.
Book the Phnom Penh Heritage Tour
Tour in an old electric bus (2 hours 15 minutes), morning departure from downtown Phnom Penh. Commentary in French or English. Ideal for setting the scene before exploring on your own.
See availability on GetYourGuide →Transparency: we also operate the Phnom Penh Heritage Tour.
The markets: Central, Russian, Kandal
The markets of Phnom Penh are not tourist attractions, they are places of life. Approaching them with this idea changes everything.
- Phsar Thmei (Central Market): the Art Deco icon of 1937, pale yellow dome at the heart of the city. Jewelry, textiles, souvenirs in the dome area; electronics and odds and ends in the side galleries; remarkable street food at the four entrances. We go for the architecture as much as for shopping.
- Phsar Toul Tum Pong (Russian Market): the residents' favorite market for bargain hunting. Textiles, silver items, antiques (beware of counterfeits), high-quality Khmer street food. The atmosphere is chaotic, dense, authentic.
- Phsar Kandal: a fresh produce market, little frequented by tourists. Fish, vegetables, spices, fresh cakes. Best to go early in the morning to understand how Phnom Penh truly eats.
Strolling through colonial Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh remains, along with Hanoi, the city where French architectural heritage is best preserved in Southeast Asia. Between 1863 and 1953, French urban planners laid out the main avenues, built villas and administrative buildings. Many have been recently restored, others are barely holding on and will be demolished if nothing changes. The areas to walk through:
- The central post office and the post office square: a tastefully restored complex, with Van's Restaurant (former Indochina Bank) for lunch in an intact setting.
- Pasteur Street (Street 51) and Street 240: colonial villas converted into shops, cafes, art galleries.
- Street 178 and riverbanks: the tourist backbone, lively in the evening, with a few early 20th-century buildings still standing.
- Phnom Penh Station: Art Deco station from the 1930s, at the foot of Wat Phnom.
Where to sleep in Phnom Penh
Two neighborhoods concentrate the bulk of the offer and interest for travelers:
- Daun Penh / Riverside: the historic center, within walking distance of the Royal Palace, the National Museum, markets, and the river. Our recommendation for a first stay. Presence of Raffles Hotel Le Royal (historic palace, restored), boutique hotels, and budget guesthouses.
- BKK1 (Boeung Keng Kang 1): a lively residential neighborhood, favored by expatriates, with many good restaurants, cafes, and reasonably priced boutique hotels. 10 minutes by tuk-tuk from the historic center. Ideal for a second stay, or for those who want more peace and greenery.
Budget: guesthouses starting from €20 per night, boutique hotels with character between €70 and €150, palaces (Raffles Le Royal, Rosewood) over €400. The offer is less abundant than in Siem Reap but the quality is generally there.
Where to eat
Phnom Penh is a dynamic culinary battleground, with a creative scene that is pushing hard. A sample of the addresses we recommend without hesitation:
- Quality Khmer cuisine: Malis (a must, royal cuisine), Kravanh, Romdeng (cooking school).
- Creative fusion: Topaz (French elegance based on Cambodian), Le Moon (rooftop restaurant of the FCC), Kravanh.
- Street food and markets: the four entrances of the central market for grilled pork rice (bai sach chrouk) for breakfast, skewers at the Russian market, noodle soup (num banhchok) everywhere.
- Cafes and brunch (BKK1): Eleven One Kitchen, Backyard, Cuisine Wat Damnak Bakery.