Hey there! Phnom Penh is the largest and liveli­est city in Cam­bo­dia, buzzing with every­thing from bustling com­mer­cial areas and gov­ern­ment offices to vibrant busi­ness hubs and rich his­tor­i­cal spots. The city is home to a whop­ping 1.5 mil­lion peo­ple, and its sky­line is a mix of charm­ing old build­ings and sleek new ones. Speak­ing of which, new build­ings are pop­ping up left and right, meet­ing the needs of the ever-grow­ing com­mu­ni­ty, espe­cial­ly the ener­getic younger crowd.

Now, if you’re won­der­ing about things to do in and around Phnom Penh, we’ve got you cov­ered with a fan­tas­tic list of 16 must-vis­it places. And guess what? We’re super excit­ed to be your ride to explore all these incred­i­ble spots! Ready for an adventure? 🌟

1. Phnom Penh Tuk Tuk Tours,

Pov, Our Eng­lish speak­ing tuk tuk dri­ver in Siem Reap’s ancient temples

Hey! If you’re a new­bie in Phnom Penh, hop­ping on a tuk-tuk ride for an hour or so is the per­fect way to soak in the entire vibe of the city. It’s like a spe­cial tour just for new­com­ers, and here’s the tip: go for an Eng­lish-speak­ing tuk-tuk dri­ver. They’re the real MVPs! Not only do they know the city like the back of their hand, but they’re also super friend­ly. It’s like hav­ing your own per­son­al guide, and trust me, you won’t feel like a stranger in this city. These Eng­lish-speak­ing dri­vers have been nav­i­gat­ing these streets for ages, so you’re in for a ride packed with expe­ri­ence and sto­ries. Total­ly worth it! 🚗✨

2. Shoot­ing Range Club

Ready for a unique expe­ri­ence in Phnom Penh? Well, the Shoot­ing Range Club here is throw­ing its doors wide open for tourists from around the globe. You can come in, pick your favorite guns, and let loose some rounds as soon as you step into the gun range club of Phnom Penh.

Now, there are two cool types of Shoot­ing Range Clubs in the city. First up, there’s the Indoor shoot­ing range, con­ve­nient­ly sit­u­at­ed around Phnom Penh air­port. Just a breezy 30–45 minute ride by Tuk Tuk or Cars, and you’re right in the action.

Then, there’s the Out­door shoot­ing range club, nes­tled about 90–120 min­utes away from the cap­i­tal – a one-way dri­ve by cars. If you’re curi­ous about the list of what the Cam­bo­dia Fire Range Out­door Phnom Penh has to offer, check it out at www.CambodiaShootingRanges.Com . Get ready for some shoot­ing fun! 🔫🎯

3. The Roy­al Palace and Sil­ver Pagoda

Hey his­to­ry buffs! Let’s dive into the beau­ty of the Roy­al Palace, a gem built back in the 1860s. Cam­bo­di­a’s first cap­i­tal was up north, called Angkor, but it decid­ed to do a lit­tle city-hop­ping before set­tling in the fan­tas­tic Phnom Penh. Udong was one of its pit­stops, but the real deal is hap­pen­ing in Phnom Penh now!

Pic­ture this: 174,870 square meters of stun­ning Khmer archi­tec­ture sur­round­ed by lush green­ery. It’s like a liv­ing piece of his­to­ry! Today, this palace is where King Siha­moni and his awe­some mom, the queen, call home. And guess what? They’ve opened their doors to peo­ple from all over the world. Yep, you can vis­it every day!

Quick tip: If you’re plan­ning to stroll through this roy­al beau­ty, rock some appro­pri­ate gear. For the ladies, cov­er those knees and shoul­ders, and guys, throw on a sleeved shirt. It’s all about respect­ing the Bud­dhist cul­ture. Ready for a roy­al adventure? 👑🏰

4. Nation­al Muse­um Art Gallery

Nation­al Muse­um Art Gallery in Phnom Penh

Hey there, cul­ture enthu­si­asts! Ready to dive into Cam­bo­di­a’s vibrant his­to­ry? The Nation­al Muse­um in Phnom Penh is the place to be. It’s like the trea­sure trove of Cam­bo­di­an cul­tur­al awe­some­ness – the biggest muse­um in the coun­try, to be exact!

Pic­ture this: sculp­tures, ceram­ics, and ethno­graph­ic won­ders from way back in pre­his­toric times, through the pre-Angko­ri­an and Angko­ri­an peri­ods, all the way to the post-Angko­ri­an era. It’s a his­tor­i­cal jour­ney packed into one spot!

And guess what? Find­ing this cul­tur­al gem is a breeze. Just stroll a few blocks away from the Roy­al Palace on Street 13, nes­tled between the cool streets 178 and 182. Get ready for a cul­tur­al adven­ture at the Nation­al Muse­um of Cam­bo­dia! 🏛️🌏

5. Wat Phnom Hill

Hey nature lovers! Imag­ine this: perched atop a lush, tree-cov­ered hill, stand­ing tall at 27 meters, is the crown jew­el of Phnom Penh – the high­est moun­tain in the city! We’re talk­ing about the mag­nif­i­cent Wat Phnom, the only hill in town with a sto­ry as rich as its greenery.

Leg­end has it that back in 1373, a pago­da was built right here to cra­dle four Bud­dha stat­ues. How did they get here? Well, the Mekong waters gra­cious­ly left them, and a savvy lady named Penh stum­bled upon these trea­sures. Now that’s a discovery!

To reach this haven, take the grand east­ern stair­case, guard­ed by majes­tic lions and naga (snake) balustrades. At the hill’s peak, you’ll find a sacred Bud­dhist tem­ple, a place where locals and fel­low Bud­dhists come togeth­er to send their prayers soar­ing. It’s not just a hill; it’s a spir­i­tu­al journey! 🌳🙏

6. Sisowath Quay River­side Phnom Penh

walk­ing tour and enjoy your evening beer time

Hey wan­der­ers! So, if you’re up for a fan­tas­tic stroll, head to the River­side on Sisowath Quay in the heart of Phnom Penh. It’s like a mag­net for both locals and glo­be­trot­ters, espe­cial­ly dur­ing those mes­mer­iz­ing sun­ris­es and sun­sets – a sight you don’t want to miss!

This spot is like a glob­al hub. Pic­ture this: folks from all cor­ners of the world gath­er­ing, chill­ing in their favorite restau­rants, soak­ing in the atmos­phere. Flags flut­ter­ing, lush green trees all around – it’s a scene straight out of a trav­el dream. Ready to join the glob­al ren­dezvous by the riverside? 🌅🌍

Good to Know about Sisowath Quay

So, here’s the scoop on Sisowath Quay – your go-to stretch from Street 102 to Street 178, span­ning about 10 km from the Phnom Penh Inter­na­tion­al Air­port. Need a ride? Tuk-tuks and taxis are your trusty com­pan­ions, ready to whisk you away to this hap­pen­ing spot!

Oh, and guess what’s near­by? The Phnom Penh Port, just a stone’s throw from Street 98. Catch a fer­ry to Siem Reap or wave hel­lo to those fan­cy cruis­es with hotel rooms – they make reg­u­lar stops at the dock.

Now, for an awe­some walk­ing tour, kick off at Street 90, stroll along to Street 240. Pic­ture this: River­side vibes, live­ly peo­ple, street food delights, and a parade of big and cozy restau­rants and hotels. If you’re feel­ing a bit roy­al, make your way from Street 178 to Street 240 – that’s where the Nation­al Muse­um and Roy­al Palace steal the spot­light. Top tourist attrac­tions, right there!

And hey, if you’re up for a dri­ver-guide duo, our pals at Cam­bo­di­an Dri­vers are all set to make your explo­ration even bet­ter. Ready for a stroll and roll adventure? 🚗👟

7. Inde­pen­dence Monument

So, right smack in the heart of Phnom Penh is this cool spot called Inde­pen­dence Mon­u­ment, or as the locals call it, Vimean Ekareach. It’s not just a mon­u­ment; it’s a sym­bol of Cam­bo­di­a’s free­dom vibes.

Pic­ture this: it stands tall and proud, remind­ing every­one of the awe­some moment when Cam­bo­dia broke free from almost a cen­tu­ry of French rule, from 1863 to 1953. It’s like a giant mark­er cel­e­brat­ing the lib­er­a­tion party!

Now, where can you find this gem? Easy! It’s chill­ing at the inter­sec­tion of Norodom and Sihanouk Boule­vards, mak­ing it a must-see land­mark in Phnom Penh. Ready to soak in some his­to­ry vibes at Inde­pen­dence Monument? 🗽✨

8. Shop­ping at Cen­tral or/and Russ­ian Market

ccim­age-shut­ter­stock. Cen­tral Mar­ket in Phnom Penh

Hey shop­pers and food­ies! Let’s talk about the Cen­tral Mar­ket in Phnom Penh – you can’t miss it, it’s this big yel­low domed build­ing with seri­ous his­to­ry vibes dat­ing back to 1902. This place was the shop­ping sen­sa­tion of its time!

Now, pic­ture this gold­en beau­ty right in the cen­ter of the city. It’s like a shop­ping won­der­land – seri­ous­ly, any­thing you can dream of is here. Need sun­glass­es? They’ve got a sea of them. Crav­ing a knock-off NBA cap? Take your pick; they’ve got every team cov­ered. Shop­ping for cute kid­die clothes? Turn your nieces and nephews into adorable lit­tle Khmer fashionistas.

And oh, the food! Rows of Khmer food stands offer­ing every­thing from fried fish to hot soup and, hold on to your hats, a wild selec­tion of fried bugs and spi­ders. Yep, you read that right!

Don’t for­get your cam­era because this mar­ket is a visu­al feast. And if you’ve got extra time, take a peek at the Russ­ian Mar­ket, just a short 15–25 minute dri­ve away from this bustling shop­ping haven. Ready for a shop­ping and munch­ing adven­ture? 🛍️🍜

Russ­ian mar­ket in Phnom Penh

Let’s chat about the Russ­ian Mar­ket in Phnom Penh – it’s the go-to spot for snag­ging some awe­some hand­i­craft good­ies like sil­ver and silk crafts. But why the name “Russ­ian Mar­ket”? Well, let me take you back to the ’80s.

After the Khmer regime bowed out in 1979, a bunch of Cam­bo­di­ans teamed up with Viet­namese troops, backed by the Russ­ian gov­ern­ment. The result? The end of the Khmer regime by Jan­u­ary 7, 1979. Fast for­ward to the ’80s, Russ­ian expats in Phnom Penh named this vibrant mar­ket after them­selves dur­ing the com­mu­nist peri­od in 1980.

So, when you’re hunt­ing for unique sou­venirs and soak­ing in a bit of his­to­ry, the Russ­ian Mar­ket is the place to be. Ready to shop and stroll down mem­o­ry lane? 🛍️🕰️

9. S 21 Toul Sleng Prison Geno­cide Museum

Let’s rewind to pre-1975 – Toul Sleng was this big high school in Phnom Penh, buzzing with stu­dents and life. But, cue in April 17, 1975, when Pol Pot took the reins of Cam­bo­dia. Hold on tight because things took a dark turn.

They turned that once live­ly school into the largest cen­ter of deten­tion and tor­ture in the coun­try. Yeah, heavy stuff. Fast for­ward to Jan­u­ary 7, 1979, when the regime final­ly crum­bled. The after­math? Well, the site held the heavy his­to­ry of over 17,000 lives.

It’s a som­bre tale, but it’s part of the sto­ry. When you’re ready to delve into this piece of his­to­ry, Toul Sleng is there, a silent wit­ness to the past. Ready to explore and reflect? 🏫✨

10. Killing Fields Choe­ung Ek Memorial

Now let’s talk about the Killing Fields, also known as the Choe­ung Ek Memo­r­i­al – a place with a heavy his­to­ry. This was the spot where things took a dark turn for those who had been impris­oned in Toul Sleng for a while.

After con­fess­ing to what­ev­er Khmer cadres want­ed to hear, this site became a grim exe­cu­tion ground of almost 9000 Cambodians.

If you’re up for explor­ing, the Killing Fields are about 17 km south of the vibrant Phnom Penh City. It’s one of the chill­ing spots that played a role dur­ing the regime of Demo­c­ra­t­ic Kam­puchea, also known as Demo­c­ra­t­ic Cam­bo­dia. Most­ly, it tar­get­ed offi­cials from the pre­vi­ous era. This was the place where, from April 17, 1975, to Jan­u­ary 7, 1979, the Khmer Rouge regime car­ried out exe­cu­tions and used it as a bur­ial ground.

It’s a som­bre piece of his­to­ry, but if you’re ready to learn and pay respects, the Killing Fields await. Ready for a vis­it that’s both chill­ing and enlight­en­ing? 🌾🕊️

11. The Silk Island Mekong Island

Hey adven­ture seek­ers! Let’s talk about Silk Island, right at the front door of Phnom Penh – you can reach it by boat or land. If you go by land, get ready for a quick 10–15 minute car ride, includ­ing a fer­ry pitstop.

Now, Silk Island, or Koh Dach, is like step­ping into the coun­try­side with­out leav­ing the city. It’s the secret behind those beau­ti­ful silk scarves and cot­ton tops you see in Cam­bo­di­an mar­kets. Cool, right?

As you wan­der, you’ll spot locals liv­ing in tra­di­tion­al teak wood hous­es along dirt roads. Fun fact: almost every house has its own silk spin­ning machine, where tal­ent­ed women are craft­ing these gor­geous accessories.

Oh, and don’t miss the silk fac­to­ry! They’ve got cater­pil­lars doing their thing, and the staff har­vests that silk mag­ic. Take a tour, snag some silk good­ies at a steal, and then, the best part – ask the locals for a tip on a yum­my (and bud­get-friend­ly) river­side restau­rant. Grab an authen­tic meal, and if you’re feel­ing adven­tur­ous, jump into the riv­er ful­ly clothed, just like the locals do. Ready for a day of silk and surprises? 🌿🧣🍲

12. Sun­set sight­see­ing boat cruise

Hey sun­set enthu­si­asts! If you’re dream­ing of romance or a dose of thrill, let me intro­duce you to the mag­ic of Mekong Rivers Cruis­es. They’ve got a whole menu of riv­er adven­tures on the Mekong, and trust me, it’s the good stuff.

Spend a sweet 60 to 90 min­utes on a riv­er cruise, cold beer in hand, soak­ing in the city vibes from the mid­dle of the riv­er. Where? Oh, just chill­ing on the top roof of a boat.

Now, check out the Sun­set Cock­tail Riv­er Cruise – they’re not just about the view. Get ready for an onboard BBQ with local good­ness and clas­sic Khmer sides. Sip on cock­tails and wine, munch slow­ly as you float by the Roy­al Palace, and wit­ness the sun’s farewell dance over the riv­er. This 2 ½ hour cruise is a win­ner for cou­ples and groups alike.

But wait, there’s more! If you’re up for explor­ing, hop on one of their des­ti­na­tion cruis­es. You can cruise to Udong, the for­mer cap­i­tal of Cam­bo­dia, or sail off to Silk Island. Feel­ing extra adven­tur­ous? They’ve got mul­ti-day cruis­es all the way up to Siem Reap and Angkor Wat. It’s a riv­er adven­ture extravaganza! 🌅🚢🍹

13. Apasa Tra­di­tion­al Dancing

Hey cul­ture enthu­si­asts! Let’s talk about Cam­bo­di­an Liv­ing Arts, a non-prof­it orga­ni­za­tion bring­ing the mag­ic of Apsara and tra­di­tion­al Khmer dance to life at the Nation­al Muse­um of Cam­bo­dia. Get ready for a cul­tur­al treat!

Tick­ets? A steal at US$15! And guess what? The shows kick off on Mon­days, Wednes­days, and week­ends from 7 pm onwards. It’s the per­fect way to spice up those evenings.

Here’s the scoop: Cam­bo­di­an Liv­ing Arts is on a mis­sion to keep the flame of tra­di­tion­al Khmer dance alive. This art dates back to the 18th cen­tu­ry but took a hit dur­ing the Khmer Rouge regime. Fear not, though – these cul­tur­al heroes revived the dance by bring­ing togeth­er mas­ter artists who passed on their wis­dom to the next generation.

The per­for­mance? A daz­zling troupe fea­tur­ing live singers and musi­cians rock­ing tra­di­tion­al Khmer cos­tumes. Brace your­self for a show that includes eight clas­si­cal dances from eth­nic minori­ties all across Cam­bo­dia. It’s not just a per­for­mance; it’s a jour­ney through Cam­bo­di­a’s rich cul­tur­al tapes­try. Ready to soak in the rhythms of the past? 🎭🌟

14. The zoo at Tamao mountain

Ready for a wild trip to Phnom Tamao Zoo and Wildlife Res­cue Cen­tre (PTWRC)? This place is not your aver­age zoo – it’s more like a super­hero head­quar­ters for rare and endan­gered animals! 🦁🌿

Just a breezy 45-minute dri­ve out­side of town, PTWRC opened its doors in 2000, and let me tell you, it’s more than meets the eye. It’s not just a zoo; it’s a wildlife res­cue cen­ter on a mis­sion to save ani­mals from the bad guys – poach­ers, traf­fick­ers, and those ille­gal wildlife traders.

What’s in store? Well, pic­ture this: over a thou­sand ani­mals, plus a squad of exot­ic birds and rep­tiles. That’s a full-blown ani­mal par­ty! And get this – it’s not just any zoo; it’s a whop­ping 1,200-hectare space in a pro­tect­ed for­est area of Phnom Tamao. Talk about a lush par­adise with moun­tains, ancient tem­ples like Phnom Tamao Tem­ple and Thmor Dos Tem­ple – it’s like step­ping into a wild wonderland.

Man­aged by the Min­istry of Agriculture’s Forestry Depart­ment, with back­up from WildAid and Free the Bears Fund, this place is a haven for our ani­mal friends. Ready to embark on a jour­ney into the wild side? 🌳🐒

How to Get to Phnom Tamao Zoo

Locat­ed in Tro Pang Sap vil­lage, just about 35 km south­east of the bustling Phnom Penh, you can eas­i­ly cruise down Nation­al Road No 2. And here’s the fun part – there’s a nifty 5‑km trail off the main road that leads you straight to the zoo. It’s like a mini adven­ture before the big one!

Now, you’ve got options. Bus­es are on the menu, or if you’re feel­ing a bit more adven­tur­ous, hop on a tuk-tuk from the cap­i­tal. And here’s a pro tip: for the ulti­mate insid­er’s guide to the zoo res­i­dents, snag the ser­vices of Eng­lish-speak­ing guides. They’ll spill all the wild tales and make your jour­ney even more unfor­get­table. Ready for a road trip with a side of adven­ture? 🗺️🚕🐾

15. Ta Prohm tem­ple Bati River

Ta Phrom Tem­ple at Ton­le Bati – it’s like step­ping into the late 12th cen­tu­ry with all its ancient charm. 🏰✨

Well-pre­served stone carv­ings and bas-reliefs of Hin­du mythol­o­gy that’ll make your jaw drop. It’s like a cousin to Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, shar­ing that time­less style.

Now, the best part – it’s just an hour’s dri­ve from the heart of Phnom Penh City Cen­tre, tucked away in the Takeo Province. And here’s some good news for your wal­let – the entrance fee is just a cool US$3. Afford­able and con­ve­nient, right?

But that’s not all. Ton­le Bati is play­ing host to more gems like the Yey Peo Tem­ple (just a 200-metre stroll north of Ta Phrom Tem­ple) and the pic­turesque Ton­le Bati Lake. Need a breather after soak­ing in all that his­to­ry? The lake is a local favorite for pic­nics, and you can even snag a hut or ham­mock at pock­et-friend­ly prices. It’s not just a trip; it’s a jour­ney back in time with a touch of relax­ation. Ready for an adven­ture with a dash of ancient vibes? 🗺️🌳🏞️

16. Udong Moun­tain

Phnom Udong – a hid­den gem just 41 kilo­me­ters north of the bustling Phnom Penh. 🏞️🚗

As you leave the city behind, get ready for a scenic dri­ve sur­round­ed by fish­ing vil­lages and lush rice pad­dies on both sides of the road. And then, out of nowhere, a moun­tain majes­ti­cal­ly ris­es, crowned by the spire of stu­pas – it’s like a fairy cas­tle pop­ping up in the countryside!

Fol­low the clear­ly marked road, and in less than 4 kilo­me­ters, you’ll find your­self at the for­mer city of Udong. Now, here’s the fun part – pic­ture this hill with not one, not two, but three names: Phnom Udong, Phnom Preah Reach Troap, and Phnom Edthareus. Talk about a hill with an iden­ti­ty crisis!

Now, let’s talk about the pic­nic scene. Pic­ture cute huts scat­tered around the base of the hill, offer­ing every­thing from sweet palm fruit to mouth­wa­ter­ing roast­ed chick­en. It’s a feast wait­ing to happen!

And the hill itself? It’s not just one hill; it’s a super­star ensem­ble of five – Chet­dei, Trai Tre­ung, Chet­dei Kam­pul Buon, Preah Ang Chol Nipean, and Ariya Kasaks. Quite the squad, right? They’re all part of this 1,500 meters by 700 meters area, cre­at­ing a land­scape that’s as diverse as it is breath­tak­ing. Ready for a road trip with a touch of fairy tale magic? 🏰🌄

Despite this long and packed list there are even MORE things to do in Phnom Penh than what’s here!

If you’d like to learn more and some­what tai­lor your expe­ri­ence reach out to us on What­sApp or Email.