Phnom Penh Destination Guide
See what Phnom Penh has to offer! A stroll along the riverfront is highly recommended, especially at sunrise in front of the Royal Palace. You can also go on an island tour or river cruise; or take in a performance of the slow, graceful, classical Khmer dancing known as Apsara. You could also visit Toul Sleng and the killing field of Choeung Ek to better appreciate the peace and stability that Cambodians are experiencing today.
Soak up the atmosphere, watch the local activity, take in a show, visit one of the many wats (pagodas), buy some souvenirs, sample the food and see the sites!
Use this Phnom Penh destination guide to give you ideas about what there is to see and do during you travel to Phnom Penh. More general information about what there is to do in the rest of Cambodia can be found in our Cambodia country guide, or check out some of the local highlights of Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, or Cambodia's neighbours Vietnam, Thailand and Laos. To take a tour to one of the things listed below, or just around the city itself, either speak to your hosts or contact one of the agencies listed on our tours page.
We recommend you check out the Phnom Penh travel information from fellow travellers on the RealTravel web site.
Things to See & Do in Phnom Penh
Royal Palace
Wat Phnom
A small hill crowned by an active wat (pagoda) marks the legendary founding place of the Phnom Penh - which means "hill of Penh". Legend has it that in 1372 a woman named Penh found 4 Buddha figures inside a Koki tree floating on the Mekong and housed them in this small temple on this hill. The hill is now the scene of much activity, with a constant stream of Buddhist faithful, fortune tellers, vendors, visitors and motodups. Elephant rides are also available.
Silver Pagoda (Wat Preah Keo Morokat)
The Silver Pagoda houses many of Cambodia's most priceless historical objects including the Emerald Buddha made of Baccarat crystal and innumerable other Buddha statues of gold, silver and bronze, some studded with diamonds, as well as turn of the century paintings of the Ramayana epic. It is called the "silver" pagoda because of the 5000 silver tiles - 1 kg each - that make up its floor.
National Museum
Open 8:00 am - 5:00 pm everyday
Next to the Royal Palace and housed in a traditional terracotta structure completed in 1920, the National Museum displays over 5000 objects including Angkorian era statues, lingas and other artifacts and pieces from later periods.
Independence Monument - Vimean Ekareach
Vimean Ekareach is a red-stone, 20-metre tall monument built by King Sihanouk's father, King Norodom Suramarit, whose reign extended from 1955 until his death in 1960. Built in 1958 by the renowned Cambodian architect Vann Molyvann, the Indepence Monument commemorates Cambodia's liberation from France. The monument today stands as a memorial to those Cambodians who have died in battle. Occasions like Independence Day and Constitution Day are celebrated here.
Choeung Ek Memorial - The Killing Fields
About 17 kilometres south of Phnom Penh is one of the most infamous and dreaded killing fields in world history. Called Choeng Ek, it was formerly an orchard where the Khmer Rouge regime had executed more than 17,000 people – most of them brought here from the Toul Sleng prison – in between 1975 and 1979. This was only discovered subsequent to the fall of the Khmer Rouge when mass graves were found containing 8,895 bodies.
Today Choueng Ek stands as a memorial, with a Buddhist stupa commemorating those who died here. The stupa with its acrylic glass sides contains nearly 500 human skulls. The lower portions are left open in the day so that the skulls can be viewed. The pits from where the remains were exhumed have also been left untouched.
Toul Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21)
It is a place that tests the sensibilities of any human being, but a visit to the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum is a must for any visitor to Phnom Penh, just so that we are aware of the brutalities that have occurred in the history of the world.
Toul Sleng was a former high school which was converted into a detention and interrogation centre known as S-21. People suspected of being anti-Khmer Rouge were brought here and tortured for information. Most of the S-21 detainees never survived the ordeal and were killed at the Killing Fields, but the shameful and brutal past of Toul Sleng has been documented by the Khmer Rouge through the post mortem pictures of the detainees. You can take a guide along with you to walk you through the history of the museum. A small admission fee is charged here.
