By air
Techo International (KTI), ~30 km south; it replaced the old city airport in 2025
Southeast Asia · Cambodia
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Riverside palaces and a hard, moving history
Getting there
Best time to visit
November to March — dry season
Don't miss
The Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda
The National Museum
Tuol Sleng
Choeung Ek
Things to do
The Royal Palace
The Russian Market
A Mekong sunset cruise
The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Jean-Pierre Dalbéra from Paris, France · CC BY 2.0
What to pack
Modest clothing for the palace, light clothes
A quieter corner
Silk Island (Koh Dach), weaving villages across the Mekong by ferry
Questions travellers ask
Which airport serves Phnom Penh now?
Techo International (KTI), about 30 km south, which replaced the old city airport in 2025.
What should I wear to the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh?
Modest clothing for the palace; otherwise, light clothes.
Where can I learn about Phnom Penh's history?
Visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and Choeung Ek for the city's hard, moving history, and the National Museum as well.
Is there a quieter side trip from Phnom Penh?
Take the ferry across the Mekong to Silk Island (Koh Dach) and its weaving villages.
About Phnom Penh
- Riverside
Where it is
Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia, in the south of the country at the Chaktomuk, the meeting of the Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac rivers.
History
According to legend, a woman named Daun Penh found Buddha images in a tree floating on the river and built a shrine for them on a small hill, Wat Phnom, which gave the city its name. It became a royal capital in the 15th century after Angkor was abandoned, and again under King Norodom in the 1860s during the French protectorate. The Khmer Rouge emptied the city in 1975, and it was repopulated after their fall in 1979.
People
Phnom Penh's people are mainly Khmer, with Cham, Chinese-Cambodian and Vietnamese communities, and Khmer is the language of the streets, while English and French are also used. The Water Festival, when boat races fill the river in October or November, and Khmer New Year in April are the city's great celebrations.
Known for
- The Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda
- The National Museum's Khmer sculpture
- Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and Choeung Ek
- The riverside promenade of Sisowath Quay
- The Central Market and Russian Market
Did you know?
The Water Festival marks the time each year when the Tonle Sap River, which flows up into its lake during the rainy season, reverses to flow back into the Mekong past Phnom Penh.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.