Phnom Penh: 6-Day Itinerary

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use.

Six days puts three full core days in Phnom Penh alongside three genuine day trips, enough to see the city thoroughly and get outside it without a rushed itinerary. Land at Techo International Airport (KTI), 25-30km south, opened September 2025; book the transfer through PassApp or Grab.

Day 1: Arrival and the Palace

Check into a Riverside or Daun Penh base; Raffles Hotel Le Royal anchors the area if you want the historic option. Morning or early afternoon: the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, open 7:30-11am and 2-5pm, about $10, dress code enforced, shoulders and knees covered. Evening: walk the riverside, lunch or dinner at Friends on Street 13.

Concrete tip for the day: check the Palace ticket counter yourself rather than trusting a tuk-tuk driver who tells you it’s closed, that claim is almost never true.

Day 2: The Museum, Wat Phnom and Wat Ounalom

Morning: the National Museum of Cambodia, about $10, daily 8am-5pm. Afternoon: Wat Phnom (about $1), then Wat Ounalom, quieter and riverside. Evening: dinner near Central Market.

Concrete tip for the day: 20-30 minutes is plenty at Wat Phnom, don’t build the whole morning around it.

Day 3: Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek

This day is deliberately heavier. Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21), about $5 plus a $5 audio guide worth adding, open 8am-5pm, comes first. Choeung Ek, about 15km south (30-45 minutes by tuk-tuk), about $6 including its audio guide, open 7:30am-5:30pm, follows. Budget three to four hours total, and don’t schedule anything upbeat directly after. Evening: a quiet dinner, no nightlife.

Concrete tip for the day: sit with it afterward rather than pivoting straight into shopping, this history connects across both sites and deserves the rest of the afternoon.

Day 4: Central Market and the Russian Market

Morning: Central Market (Phsar Thmei) for the Art Deco dome and food stalls. Afternoon: the Russian Market for better souvenir prices, bargaining expected. Evening: the Independence Monument at dusk, then dinner.

Concrete tip for the day: bring small bills, vendors at both markets rarely have change for a large note.

Day 5: Koh Dach (Silk Island)

Morning: a short crossing plus a ferry to Koh Dach, rural silk-weaving villages and quiet cycling lanes about 30-45 minutes from downtown. Afternoon: return to the city, spend the evening on the riverside.

Concrete tip for the day: arrange the boat crossing early, workshops are livelier before midday heat sets in.

Day 6: Kirirom National Park and departure

A full day trip: Kirirom, 100-120km southwest (2-3 hours each way), for pine forest, waterfalls and noticeably cooler air at its highland elevation, a genuine break from the capital’s heat. Return in the evening, confirm your Techo Airport transfer with real buffer time given the 25-30km distance.

Concrete tip for the day: start early, Kirirom’s distance means a late departure eats into the time you actually get at the park.

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.
  • Carry crisp US dollar bills, torn or worn notes are refused at ticket counters and shops.
  • Hold bags away from the road on tuk-tuk rides, motorbike bag-snatching along the riverfront and BKK1 is a real risk.

For a longer trip that trades Kirirom for an overnight coastal add-on, see our 7-day itinerary , and for the fuller day-trip picture, our day trips guide .