Phnom Penh: 2-Day Itinerary

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Two days is tight but genuinely workable for Phnom Penh’s core: the Royal Palace and Museum on one day, the memorial sites and markets on the other. Land at Techo International Airport (KTI), about 25-30km south, opened September 2025, and book the transfer through PassApp or Grab rather than negotiating at the curb.

Day 1: The Palace, the Museum and the riverside

Start at the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, open 7:30-11am, about $10, and dress right the first time, shoulders and knees covered or you’re turned away. Walk the short distance to the National Museum of Cambodia next, about $10, open daily 8am-5pm, for the world’s best collection of Khmer art. After lunch at Friends, the TREE Alliance training restaurant on Street 13, climb Wat Phnom (about $1), the hilltop temple the city is named after. End the day on Sisowath Quay for the sunset, catch a river cruise around 5pm if you have the energy, and eat riverside for dinner.

One concrete tip: book both Palace and Museum before 11am, the Palace closes for a midday break and reopens at 2pm, and doubling back later costs you time you don’t have on a two-day trip.

Day 2: The memorial sites and the markets

This morning is deliberately paced, not rushed. Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21), about $5 plus a worthwhile $5 audio guide, open 8am-5pm, comes first; give it a genuine hour or more. Then Choeung Ek, about 15km south (30-45 minutes by tuk-tuk), about $6 including its audio guide, open 7:30am-5:30pm. Budget three to four hours total for both sites, and don’t schedule anything upbeat directly after Choeung Ek. In the afternoon, shift the mood at the Russian Market for souvenirs and silk, bargaining is expected. Close with a quieter dinner and a last walk along the riverside before your Techo Airport departure, budget real buffer time given the 25-30km distance out.

One concrete tip: carry crisp, undamaged US dollar bills for both entrance fees, torn or worn notes get refused at ticket counters more often than travelers expect.

Things to know

  • Techo International Airport, not the old downtown airport, handles all international arrivals now.
  • Most visitors need an e-visa (about $36 via evisa.gov.kh) or visa on arrival (about $30), plus the mandatory e-Arrival Card at arrival.gov.kh, filed within 7 days before landing.
  • The US dollar covers nearly everything; Cambodian riel handles change under a dollar.
  • Hold bags away from the road on tuk-tuk rides, motorbike bag-snatching along the riverfront is a real risk, and don’t resist if it happens.

For a deeper look at the memorial sites, see our Killing Fields and S-21 page , and for a longer stay, our 3-day itinerary .