6 Days in Phnom Penh: First-Timer Plan
Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use.
Six days is honestly beyond Phnom Penh’s own marquee list, so this version fills days four through six with day trips rather than pretending the city itself has more to offer. With less time, drop to the 5-day plan ; with more, the 7-day version swaps the final day trip for an overnight to the coast.
Day 1: Royal Palace, National Museum, and the riverside
Start at the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda (about $10, morning session roughly 7:30-11am; dress with shoulders and knees covered). Walk to the National Museum of Cambodia (about $10, $5 for youth; daily 8am-5pm). For lunch, order fish amok, Cambodia’s national dish. In the evening, walk Sisowath Quay and dine at Friends (215 Street 13).
Day 2: Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek
This is a heavy day, and it’s meant to be. Visit Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21) in the morning (about $5 plus a $5 audio guide, daily 8am-5pm); an estimated 14,000-20,000 people were held here between 1975 and 1979, almost all of them killed. Book direct at the official site . Take a tuk-tuk (30-45 minutes) to Choeung Ek, about 15km south (about $6 including audio guide, daily 7:30am-5:30pm), where the memorial stupa holds more than 5,000 recovered skulls. Decompress at the Russian Market in the evening.
Day 3: Central Market, Wat Ounalom, and a sunset cruise
Visit Central Market (Phsar Thmei) and Wat Ounalom in the morning, then the Independence Monument in the afternoon. In the evening, take a sunset river cruise from Sisowath Quay (around 5pm; prices vary by operator), following it with the riverside Night Market if it’s Friday through Sunday.
Day 4: Koh Dach (Silk Island)
Cross to Koh Dach, about 15km out and 30-45 minutes including the ferry, for a half-day of silk-weaving villages and quiet rural cycling along the Mekong.
Day 5: Tonle Bati and Ta Prohm
Head about 30-40km south (roughly an hour) to Tonle Bati, a lakeside spot built around the small Angkorian-era Ta Prohm temple (not the larger, better-known Ta Prohm in Siem Reap). It’s an easy half-day.
Day 6: Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue
Head about 36-40km south to Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue, a sanctuary for rescued wildlife, often paired with the nearby hilltop Phnom Chisor temple to fill out the day. This is a full-day trip rather than a half-day, so hire a tuk-tuk or car for the whole day and set out early. If a pine-forest, cooler-climate day appeals more than wildlife, swap in Kirirom National Park instead, about 100-120km southwest (2-3 hours each way), a full day of waterfalls and highland air.
Where to stay
Base yourself in Riverside/Daun Penh, walkable to the Palace, the Museum, and Sisowath Quay, or search other options nearby .
Getting around
Tuk-tuks via PassApp or Grab cover the city days; for the day trips, hire a tuk-tuk or car for the day rather than piecing together local transport, and confirm a return time before you set out. Keep bags away from the road on the riverfront and in BKK, where motorbike bag and phone snatching is a real problem.
Concrete tip: book the Phnom Tamao/Phnom Chisor car or tuk-tuk the night before, it’s the longest day-trip day on this itinerary and drivers fill up. Plan ahead: file the Cambodia e-Arrival Card at arrival.gov.kh before you leave home, since it’s separate from your visa and checked at the airport.