Phnom Penh: 3-Day Itinerary

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Three days is the sweet spot for Phnom Penh, a full core day, a lighter culture-and-markets day, and a heavier third day for the memorial sites without rushing them. Land at Techo International Airport (KTI), 25-30km south, opened September 2025; book the transfer through PassApp or Grab.

Day 1: The Palace and the Museum

Start at the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, open 7:30-11am and 2-5pm, about $10, dress code strictly enforced, shoulders and knees covered. Follow with the National Museum of Cambodia, about $10, daily 8am-5pm, the world’s best collection of Khmer art a short walk away. Lunch at Romdeng, the TREE Alliance restaurant in a garden courtyard setting. Evening: Sisowath Quay riverside as the sun drops over the confluence, dinner nearby.

Concrete tip for the day: check that morning whether the Palace has closed any sections for a state function, it happens without notice since it’s still an active royal residence.

Day 2: Wat Phnom, Wat Ounalom and the riverside

Morning: climb Wat Phnom (about $1), the hilltop temple the city is named after, then walk to Wat Ounalom, the quieter seat of Cambodia’s Buddhist patriarch nearby. Afternoon: Central Market (Phsar Thmei) for the 1937 Art Deco dome and street food stalls, and the Independence Monument for a quick photo stop. Evening: a sunset river cruise, around 5pm, then dinner riverside.

Concrete tip for the day: visit Central Market before 9am if you want to photograph the dome without wading through stalls three deep.

Day 3: Tuol Sleng, Choeung Ek and the Russian Market

This day is deliberately heavier, and it should be. Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21), about $5 plus a $5 audio guide worth adding, open 8am-5pm, comes first thing in the morning. From there, 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 between the two sites, and don’t schedule anything upbeat immediately after. In the afternoon, shift the mood at the Russian Market for souvenirs and silk, bargaining is expected. Keep the evening quiet, a low-key dinner rather than nightlife.

Concrete tip for the day: do Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek back to back rather than splitting them across separate days, the narrative connects and the sites are meant to be understood together.

Things to know

  • 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 dry season, roughly November through February, is the easiest time to visit; March through May brings intense heat before the rains arrive.
  • Carry crisp US dollar bills, torn or worn notes are refused at ticket counters and shops alike.
  • Hold bags away from the road on tuk-tuk rides, motorbike bag-snatching along the riverfront and BKK1 is a real risk.

For the fuller context on day 3’s sites, see our Killing Fields and S-21 page , and for a longer trip with day trips folded in, our 4-day itinerary .