Overview
Take a trip to Phnom Penh on your Cambodia Vacation
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Situated on the banks of the Tonlé Sap, Mekong and Bassac rivers, Phnom Penh is the country's commercial, economic and political hub and a city that should be experienced on Cambodia tours.
Once known as the ‘Pearl of Asia’ in the 1920s, after French colonialists developed and beautified the city, Phnom Penh continued its rapid growth and modern infrastructure.
However, in 1975 during the Vietnam War, Cambodia was used by North Vietnam as an army base, and many refugees flocked to Phnom Penh. The city fell to the Khmer Rouge, and all of Phnom Penh’s residents, including the wealthy and educated, were evacuated from the city and forced to do labour on rural farms as "new people".
The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, previously a high school which was converted to a prison and torture chamber (Prison S-21) under the Khmer Rouge regime, features various grim displays, photos, and skulls of the 20,000 tortured prisoners that passed through these walls. The Killing Fields, about 15kms away, is now a memorial to those prisoners who were marched to the area to be murdered and buried in shallow graves. On Cambodia trips, this should be experienced.
In 1979 when the Khmer Rouge was driven away by the Vietnamese, people slowly returned to Phnom Penh, and a period of reconstruction began with both the help of a stable Cambodian government, and new foreign investment and aid.
Phnom Penh has a steep history many centuries old and offers various cultural and historic sites. Newly developing for tourism, Phnom Penh is becoming established as a chic destination with newly built bistros, boutique hotels, galleries, and bustling nightlife on your Cambodian tours.
In 1979 when the Khmer Rouge was driven away by the Vietnamese, people slowly returned to Phnom Penh, and a period of reconstruction began with both the help of a stable Cambodian government, and new foreign investment and aid.
Phnom Penh has a steep history many centuries old and offers various cultural and historic sites. Newly developing for tourism, Phnom Penh is becoming established as a chic destination with newly built bistros, boutique hotels, galleries, and bustling nightlife on your Cambodian tours.
At a Glance
Languages
KhmerCurrency
Cambodian Riel (KHR)What do the experts say?
Pub Street in Siem Reap, Cambodia, is a local favourite with very inexpensive drinks. It's also a great place to try the local delicacy, BBQ frog.
Going to Angkor Wat to watch the sunrise may have become a touristy thing to do, but you'll be surprised to see how many locals enjoy it, as well.
The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh is a great photo...
The National Museum
Two buddhist monks in a temple in Phnom Penh
Monks on their daily walks in Phnom Penh
Beautiful gardens at the National Museum
Most Popular Time to Travel
Know when to go.
Place
Conditions
Daily max temperatureMonthly rainfall
Phnom PenhPartly Cloudy
39°C / 102°F
38mm / 1.5"
Weather data is based on monthly averages.Popularity rating
-
Travel Stories
Get Inspired About Your Trip to Cambodia
Unlock more by subscribing to our newsletter.
With our newsletter, you’ll get access to regular communications that inspire you and help you explore the world your way.Exclusive Savings
Insider Benefits
Trending Stories
ExcellentBased on 5,159 ReviewsEverything was expertly planned, from the drivers to the hotels to the tours to the flights. We particularly enjoyed Hobart and the animal sanctuary, Adelaide and the trip to Kangaroo Island, Melbourne and the evening tour with dinner and drinks, and Sydney with the private boat cruise of the Harbour. We will definitely use Goway again.SARA WiebeThere were 4 travelers on this trip. All of us were in our late 70's. We started planning this trip 6 months prior to our travel date and had a lot of questions regarding this trip. Our Goway Travel Specialist, Karen Larrota, always answered our questions in a timely and complete manner. We traveled to Quito, Ecuador, the Galapagos, The Sacred Valley in Peru, Machu Picchu, and Cusco in Peru. Not only were the destinations and accommodations excellent, but every tour guide and driver were beyond excellent. The entire trip went smoothly every step of the way, which was amazing given the fact that there were numerous flights and hotels included in our package. We found out that the tour company that Goway used, Condor Travel, checked on us with our guide to make sure we were doing OK which we thought was very nice but also amusing as we are fairly fit older adults. Would also like to mention that we did a cruise thru the Galapagos on the Galapagos Legend which was arranged thru Go Galapagos - Kleintouurs. This portion of our tour was also excellent as were the wildlife guides and staff. We continue to discuss how wonderful this trip was with our family and friends and how wonderful this experience was. Would definately use Goway for our travel needs in the future.DianneAfter spending some time with our agent, we felt that she understood exactly what we had in mind as far as the level of service, etc, we were hoping for. The trip exceeded our expectations. Lori kept us busy(not too busy!) and we had many, many very exciting experiences. Bruce BelshawAylin is an exceptionally proficient advisor. Coordinating my clients simultaneously often feels like herding cats, but she has remained patient and accommodating through every modification and delay. Goway continues to be my go-to for complex itineraries, and they never disappoint.Nick Cron, ACCMahalo Goway Travel for helping in planning our group Japan's trip. Lawrence was very helpful & patient with all the changes & additions we did. Also, mahalo to Natasa who helped planned my Australia trip past November. The planning from transportation to tours to hotels worked very smoothly. I'll continue to use Goway travel for all my International trips. I'll also will recommend to my friends & family to use Goway...MahaloTanya LaguatanMaria Spitman was wonderful to work with. She was very helpful in designing our trip to Japan and equally wonderful when we had to cancel it. I loved the service she gave us.Sandy WarrenMy daughter and I had a wonderful 2 weeks in New Zealand! The country is so beautiful and the people so friendly. Our destination specialist did a great job with planning and organizing the itinerary, choosing our hotels, and organizing transportation. The hotels were absolutely beautiful and we had great views. We felt right at home and found all of the staff to be friendly and accommodating. There were no issues with our itinerary and our excursions we were always on the list. Our transportation was always ready and waiting for us.
We want to thank Goway Travel for their hard work and patience with us in planning this trip. Any changes that needed to be made were communicated timely. We also want to thank you for the beautiful weather during the entire 2 weeks it was perfect every day 😀.
It was a memorable trip that we will never forget and we will think of Goway when we plan our next adventure. Because it was not just a vacation; it was an adventure!Connie WenhardtWe had a great travelling experience with GoWay !
Thank you all involved in organazing our trip!MaiaBrigitta Fuller is Amazing! She was my group coordinator. She understood the assignment and all the nuances I was trying to achieve. The itinerary she curated was fantastic. If you want someone who truly cares about her group and what they are trying to achieve. I will always reach out to Brigitta first for Europe groups. Kathryn WalkerMy clients had a wonderful time on their trip to Easter Island. They were very pleased with the Hare Nua Hotel Boutique and especially noted the warmth and hospitality of the hotel staff as well as their excellent breakfasts.
Jaime Vargas-Hendandez was an exceptionally gracious and knowledgeable agent, who went out of his way to ensure that my clients had the best possible experience. I will definitely contact him for future bookings and will recommend him to my colleagues.Alethea Kardas
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified