Tours · Central Cambodia

Phnom Penh, two days

Two days in the capital, built the way we would spend them: the hard morning first with the afternoon left deliberately empty, then a full day of palace, museum, markets and food.

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FromUSD 215per person, twin share

At a glance

Days: 2 days, 1 night
Group: Maximum 8
Start: Phnom Penh
End: Phnom Penh
Effort: Easy, city walking
From: USD 215 per person

Phnom Penh1 nightriverside or BKK1

Who this is for

This is a short trip for people who are already in the region, or who are adding the capital to a temple trip and want it done well rather than crammed. Two days is genuinely enough for Phnom Penh if the first morning is used properly and the rest of the day is not.

It is also the trip we build for people flying in and out of Techo who have a spare 48 hours between other things. The city is compact, the sights are within fifteen minutes of each other, and it works.

Day by day

Day 1

Tuol Sleng, Choeung Ek, and then nothing

The audio guide at Choeung Ek, which is worth the whole morning

Pick-up at 08:00. Tuol Sleng first: the former school the Khmer Rouge used as security prison S-21, where the process is documented in the rooms it happened in. Your guide walks you in, explains the structure of the place, and then leaves you with the audio guide, because this is not a site to be talked at.

Then 15 km out to Choeung Ek, the killing field, where the audio guide is narrated in part by survivors and is among the best pieces of interpretation at any memorial site anywhere. Back in the city by 12:30.

The afternoon is deliberately empty. Lunch somewhere quiet, then the riverfront or your hotel. Almost every itinerary in Phnom Penh schedules the Royal Palace after this morning. We think that is a mistake and we do not do it.

StayYour hotel in BKK1 or on the riversideMealsNone includedTravel45 minutes in totalOn foot3 km, mostly flat

Day 2

The palace, the museum, the markets and the food

The National Museum courtyard at nine in the morning, before the tour groups

A full day in the living city, starting at 08:00 while it is cool. The Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda first, which close at 11:00 and reopen at 14:00, so the order is not negotiable. Shoulders and knees covered.

Then the National Museum next door: the finest Khmer sculpture collection in the world in a terracotta building around a courtyard, and the single best preparation for Angkor if you are heading north afterwards.

Lunch, then Central Market's 1937 art deco dome and the Russian Market for fabric and silver, neither of which is a tourist attraction. Late afternoon at Wat Phnom, and the riverfront at dusk when the whole city comes out to walk. Airport transfer or hotel drop as you prefer.

StayNot included; extend a night if you want oneMealsBreakfastTravel1 hour in totalOn foot5 km across the day

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Prices

Party size	Simple	Comfortable	Excellent
2 travellers	USD 310	USD 480	USD 860
3 - 4 travellers	USD 250	USD 400	USD 770
5 - 8 travellers	USD 215	USD 350	USD 710

Per person, one night, two sharing a twin or double. Excludes international flights, the Cambodian visa and travel insurance.

What is included

What the price includes

One night in the hotel level you choose, named in your quotation
Private air-conditioned vehicle and driver on both days
Licensed English-speaking guide on both days, paid a day rate
Both airport transfers at Techo International
Entrance fees and audio guides at Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek
Entrance to the Royal Palace and the National Museum
Breakfast, and drinking water in the vehicle
A 24-hour Cambodian phone number answered by a person

What it does not include

International flights and the Cambodian visa
Travel insurance, which is a condition of booking
Lunches and dinners, and all drinks
The Mekong sunset boat, if you add it
Tips

Photographs

The Royal Palace roofline in morning light

Sculpture courtyard at the National Museum

Who this tour is not right for

Families with children under about fourteen, if the Khmer Rouge sites are included. We will build a two-day Phnom Penh without them and it is a good trip, but be deliberate rather than turning up and improvising.
Anyone who wants a full sightseeing schedule on day one. The empty afternoon is the design, not an oversight, and people who override it regret it.
Travellers in April, unless you accept an early start and a long midday break. Phnom Penh in April is the least forgiving place we operate.
Anyone hoping for beaches, countryside or temples. This is two days in a capital city and nothing else.
People who need step-free access throughout. The palace grounds are fine; Tuol Sleng has stairs and no lift, and the upper floors are part of the visit.

Extending it

The obvious extensions are three and a half hours south to Kampot and Kep, or a 45-minute flight north to Angkor. Both together is Cambodia highlights, 7 days, which is the trip most first-time visitors should be looking at.

Prices for every route are compared on the prices page, and how booking works is on how to book.

Common questions

Questions travellers ask most

Is two days really enough for Phnom Penh?

Yes, if the first morning is used well and the first afternoon is left empty. Two days covers the Khmer Rouge sites, the Royal Palace, the National Museum, both main markets and the riverfront without hurrying.

Can we skip Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek?

Of course, at no change in price, and we will fill the morning with the Russian Market, a food walk and the riverfront instead. Tell us when you book rather than on the morning.

Should we bring children?

To Phnom Penh, yes. To Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek, we would not take a child under about fourteen, and there is no official minimum age, so the decision is yours. Say so at booking and we will build the day differently.

Which airport does this use?

Techo International, about 20 km south of the city, which replaced Pochentong in September 2025. Allow 45 to 60 minutes each way, longer in the evening peak. Both transfers are included whatever time you land.