Royal Palace
Residence of the king, with graceful golden-roofed halls and manicured gardens beside the river. Parts of the compound are open to visitors, who must dress modestly.
Phnom Penh
Riverside dining, history museums, the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda are found in this capital city on the Mekong River.
Attractive locations
Silver Pagoda
Temple inside the Royal Palace grounds, named for its floor of silver tiles. It holds a collection of Buddha statues, including one made of crystal and another covered in diamonds.
National Museum of Cambodia
Red-roofed museum with the largest collection of Khmer art, from Angkor-era stone sculpture to ceramics, set around a shady courtyard garden.
Wat Phnom
Small hill temple that gives the city its name, set in a round park. Local people come to pray and make offerings, and the shrine is a pleasant stop on foot.
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
Former school used as a prison by the Khmer Rouge, now a museum of that period. The cells and photographs of victims are sobering, and visitors are asked to behave with respect.
Central Market (Phsar Thmei)
Yellow Art Deco market hall under a central dome, built in the 1930s. Stalls sell jewellery, clothing, souvenirs and food, and its spokes of aisles are fun to explore.
Choeung Ek Killing Fields
A former orchard south of Phnom Penh where many victims of the Khmer Rouge were killed and buried in mass graves. A memorial stupa holds skulls, and an audio guide explains the site. Visitors are asked to be respectful.
Airports
Techo International Airport KTI
It is about 23 km in a straight line from Phnom Penh.
Scams and safe taxis
Taxi and scam advice for this country is on the Cambodia page
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan27.7 °C16 mm
- Feb29.7 °C11 mm
- Mar31.2 °C30 mm
- Apr31.3 °C62 mm
- May29.6 °C129 mm
- Jun28.1 °C190 mm
- Jul27.4 °C163 mm
- Aug27.2 °C167 mm
- Sep27.0 °C190 mm
- Oct26.9 °C167 mm
- Nov26.8 °C89 mm
- Dec26.7 °C28 mm
Driest months: Jan, Feb, Dec. Wettest months: Jun, Aug, Sep, Oct.
Costs
Prices here are about 34% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Festivals and events
festival
Water Festival (Bon Om Touk)
Dragon-boat races run on the Tonle Sap river facing the Royal Palace.
religious
Pchum Ben (ancestors' festival)
As people head home, the city empties, and families visit pagodas.
festival
Water Festival (Bon Om Touk)
Dragon-boat races run on the Tonle Sap river facing the Royal Palace.
Who can help
Emergency
Police 117. Ambulance 119. Fire 118.
ngo
Cambodian Red Cross
Helps with: Cambodia's national Red Cross society. Its contact page gives the national headquarters address in Phnom Penh, a phone line and an email address.
Who qualifies: People in Cambodia seeking the society's humanitarian, health or disaster services.
Phone: +855 23 881 511
Email: [email protected]
Address: Lot 16A, Street 652 corner 271, O Bek Kaam, Sangkat Toek Laak 3, Khan Tuol Kork, Phnom Penh
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Cambodia
Helps with: The UN migration agency. In Cambodia it supports victims of trafficking, trains border officers, protects migrant workers, supports migration health and assists returning migrants in crises.
Who qualifies: Migrants, trafficking survivors and returning migrants in Cambodia. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +855 2 321 65 32
Email: [email protected]
Address: Sayon Building, 3rd Floor, No. 42, Samdach Pan Street (214), Sangkat Boeung Raing, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh 120204
local government
Police emergency number 117
Helps with: Reaches the police in Cambodia. The number comes from UK government travel advice.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 117
local government
Ambulance emergency number 119
Helps with: Reaches the ambulance service in Cambodia. The number comes from UK government travel advice.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 119
local government
Fire emergency number 118
Helps with: Reaches the fire service in Cambodia. The number comes from UK government travel advice.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 118