A fast-changing capital at the meeting of three rivers — golden spires, a hard 20th-century history, and the best food in the country.
Phnom Penh sits where the Mekong, the Tonlé Sap and the Bassac meet, and the riverfront promenade along Sisowath Quay is still the best introduction to the city: joggers and aerobics classes at dawn, families and food carts at dusk.
Two of Cambodia’s most important historical sites are here — Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek — and they are difficult, essential visits. Give them a morning and nothing else that day.
For stays, the choice is broadly between the riverside (walkable, touristy, noisy), BKK1 (embassies, cafés, the best mid-range boutiques), and Daun Penh near the Royal Palace. Rates are noticeably lower than Siem Reap for the same standard.
BKK1 is the sweet spot for a first stay — quiet streets, good coffee, and a 10-minute tuk-tuk to both the palace and the Russian Market.
November to February is dry and merely warm. April is the hottest month of the year. Rain in the wet season usually arrives as a heavy late-afternoon burst rather than all-day drizzle.
Phnom Penh International Airport (PNH) is 10 km west of the centre. Buses reach Siem Reap in 6–7 hours and Sihanoukville in 4–5 on the expressway; boats run up the Mekong in the wet season.
Still the king’s residence. Cover shoulders and knees or you will be turned away.
The world’s finest collection of Khmer sculpture, in a terracotta pavilion built in 1920.
A former school used as a Khmer Rouge prison. Take the audio guide.
15 km south of the city; usually paired with S-21 in one sombre morning.
Textiles, silver, motorbike parts, and a food court worth arriving hungry for.
Walk it north to Wat Phnom, the temple the city is named after.