7 Days in Phnom Penh: First-Timer Plan
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Seven days is honestly more than Phnom Penh’s own sights can fill, so this version spends the first five days on the city and its closest day trips, then hands days six and seven to an overnight on the coast. Most travelers with a week end up pairing Phnom Penh with either Siem Reap (Angkor Wat, a separate 5-6 hour trip north) or the coast, rather than staying in the capital the whole time; this version takes the coast option. With less time, drop to the 6-day plan .
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). 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 Phnom Tamao
Head south of the city for a fuller day: Tonle Bati (about 30-40km, roughly an hour), a lakeside spot with the small Angkorian-era Ta Prohm temple, then on to Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue (about 36-40km), a sanctuary for rescued wildlife often paired with the nearby hilltop Phnom Chisor temple. Hire a tuk-tuk or car for the full day.
Day 6: Travel to Kampot
Head south to the coast: Kampot is about 136km away, 3-4 hours by road, genuinely an overnight rather than a day trip. Spend the afternoon on the riverside or touring a pepper farm, Kampot pepper is Cambodia’s EU-protected crop and worth buying certified, and stay the night in town.
Day 7: Kep and back
In the morning, cover the short hop to Kep for its crab market, the town’s signature outing, before heading back to Phnom Penh (or onward, depending on your flight) in the afternoon or evening. Build in the return transfer time; 3-4 hours back to the city eats most of the day if you leave too late.
Where to stay
Base yourself in Riverside/Daun Penh for the Phnom Penh days, walkable to the Palace, the Museum, and Sisowath Quay, or search other options nearby ; in Kampot, stay centrally near the riverside for an easy walk to dinner.
Getting around
Tuk-tuks via PassApp or Grab cover the city days; for the day trips and the Kampot leg, hire a car or arrange a shared taxi rather than relying on local transport. 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 Kampot-Kep transport (shared taxi or private car) a day or two ahead rather than same-day, since seats fill on the popular routes. 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.