One day in Phnom Penh

Day by day

1. Day 1: Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda

   Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, National Museum of Cambodia and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21), then Sisowath Quay riverside in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Royal Palace

      Shoulders and knees must be covered; if you forget, cover-ups can be bought or rented at the entrance. The palace closes for a long break in the middle of the day, so go early. Allow 1.5–2 hours with the Silver Pagoda.

   2. Late morning

      Silver Pagoda

      Walk the full mural gallery around the courtyard; it is often skipped but shows the whole Khmer Ramayana. Allow 45 minutes.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Phnom Penh noodle soup

      Market food courts such as the Russian Market and noodle shops across the city, mostly in the morning.

   4. Afternoon

      National Museum of Cambodia

      Visit before a trip to Angkor to see the statues removed from the temples for safekeeping. Allow 1.5–2 hours.

   5. Late afternoon

      Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21)

      Take the audio guide and allow time; many visitors pair it with Choeung Ek on the same day, which is emotionally heavy, so consider separate days. Allow 2 hours.

   6. Evening

      Sisowath Quay riverside

      Walk the stretch between the Royal Palace and Wat Ounalom around sunset, then stop for a drink overlooking the water.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 7–8 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 11.4 hours in December to 12.8 hours in June.

Getting between stops: Ride-hailing. PassApp and Grab are widely used to book tuk-tuks, auto-rickshaws and cars at a fixed price shown before you ride; this avoids haggling and is usually cheaper than street hire.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Phnom Penh
• 3 days in Phnom Penh

Questions travellers ask