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Phnom Penh
Capital of Cambodia

Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh is the capital and most populous city of Cambodia.

Plan a trip to Phnom Penh→From Preah Sihanouk

It has been the national capital since 1865 and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its political, economic, industrial, and cultural centre. The city's name derives from Wat Phnom, a Buddhist temple, and Lady Penh, the city's founder. It sits at the confluence of the Tonlé Sap and Mekong rivers, and is the start of the Bassac River. It is also the seat of Cambodia's monarchy, based at the Royal Palace.

See

Worth seeing

France's Cambodian colony was acquired late and largely neglected. Historic colonial architecture was limited to start with and has largely decayed. The Grand Post Office Building, Central Market and Raffles Le Royal Hotel are notable exceptions. Generally, any building in good condition, old or new, will be behind a big wall and security guards.

  1. 01
    The National Museum of Cambodia

    St 13, Sangkat Chey Chumneas, Khan Daun Penh (Opposite the Royal Palace), +855 12 621 522 (mobile), fax: +855 23 211 753, museum_cam@camnet.com.kh.

  2. 02
    The Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda

    Sothearos Blvd (one block to the west of Sisowath Quay).

  3. 03
    Sisowath Quay

    Phnom Penh is a bite-sized town, and it's easy to combine sightseeing, shopping, eating and drinking into a single walk through the city.

  4. 04
    Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
  5. 05
    The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek
  6. 06
    Former M-13 Prison

    The remains of one of the largest Khmer Rouge prison and torture camps, in the outback, about 50 km northwest of Phnom Penh.

Do

Things to do

  1. 01
    Mekong River Cruises

    Boats leave every evening for a river cruise.

  2. 02
    NagaWorld Casino

    Thunder Ranch Shooting Range (Near killing fields of Cheoung Ek).

Eat

Where to eat

Phnom Penh offers some interesting culinary treats not found elsewhere in the country. These include French-influenced dining and Thai, Vietnamese, and Indonesian dishes. Pizzas, banana pancakes, and fried rice are always easy to find. The recent influx of Chinese capital in Phnom Penh has brought with it an influx of Chinese cuisine as well, including a significant number of regionally focused restaurants.

How locals move

Getting around Phnom Penh the local way

  • Get inBuses arriving from Pakse enter the city at night (around 19:30-20:00) via Monivong Ave, leaving tired and emotional travellers prone to being preyed on tuk-tuk touts.
  • Get inFerries connecting Phnom Penh to Siem Reap have been suspended since COVID.
  • Get inThere are apparently several choices of boat between Phnom Penh and Chau Doc in Vietnam: Hang Chau Speedboat (tour guide, water, snack, insurance, no pick up).
  • Get inLeaves from the ferry pier on Sisowath Quay, and seems to be the main affordable option other than the mythical "slow boats" (see below).
  • Get inTakes 4 hr, US$32 Mandarin Cruises, 5 hr, US$65 Victoria Speed Boat, 5 hr, US$65 The relevant border crossing to Vietnam is called "Song Tien landport" on Vietnam's e-Visa website, despite this place name not seeming to appear on any maps.
  • Get inMany tour operators also offer a 2-nights/3-days Ho Chi Minh City–Phnom Penh Mekong Delta tour, but these are often not worth the name — see Vietnam#By boat.
  • Get aroundTuk-tuks (aka remorque moto), consist of a motorcycle with a cabin for the passengers hitched to the back.
  • Get aroundThey are cheap (Per tuk-tuk: US$2–3 for a trip in the city, US$8 to the airport) and plentiful.

From Wikivoyage: Phnom Penh, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.