Phnom Penh 7 Day Itinerary
Seven days gives Phnom Penh’s full core, two proper day trips, and enough time on the coast to make Kampot and Kep worth the drive. Fly into Techo International Airport, 45-75 minutes into the city, and base yourself in Riverside/Daun Penh or BKK1 for the first five nights.
Day 1
The Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda (about $10) at 7:30am, then the National Museum of Cambodia (about $10). Lunch at Friends (215 Street 13), $10-15 per person, evening walk along Sisowath Quay. Concrete tip: carry your printed e-Arrival and e-visa confirmations for the first day or two, in case anyone asks to see them.
Day 2
A solemn half-day at Tuol Sleng (S-21) (about $5, plus a $5 audio guide), then Choeung Ek (about $6 with audio guide), 15km south. Afternoon at the Russian Market, dinner at Romdeng, $10-15 per person. Concrete tip: don’t schedule anything demanding right after Choeung Ek; give yourself room to sit with it.
Day 3
Wat Phnom ($1), the Central Market, Wat Ounalom (free, donation welcome), and the Independence Monument, closing with a sunset river cruise (roughly $15-20). Concrete tip: this is your best bargaining day; markets expect it, hotels and restaurants don’t.
Day 4
A day trip to Oudong, about 40km northwest, 1-1.5 hours by road. The former royal capital’s hilltop stupas involve a climb of roughly 500 steps, rewarded with countryside views. Go early to beat the heat on the climb. Concrete tip: agree your return tuk-tuk fare, including wait time, before setting off.
Day 5
A day trip combining Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre, about 36-40km south, home to rescued elephants and sun bears, with nearby Tonle Bati, a small Angkorian-era temple by a lake popular for local picnics. Concrete tip: pack cash in small denominations, since neither stop reliably takes cards.
Day 6
Travel to Kampot, about 136km, 3-4 hours by road. Visit a pepper farm producing the EU-protected Kampot pepper, and spend the evening on Kampot’s quieter riverfront. Stay overnight; this coast isn’t a realistic same-day round trip from Phnom Penh. Concrete tip: book a riverfront guesthouse ahead if you’re arriving on a weekend, since the better rooms fill fast.
Day 7
A short trip to Kep, about 25km from Kampot, for the crab market and Kampot-pepper crab, the local specialty. Spend a second night in Kampot before heading back. Concrete tip: arrange your transport back to Phnom Penh a day ahead of any flight out of Techo Airport, since the coast-to-city leg alone takes 3-4 hours.
For a version that skips the coast, see the 5-day itinerary , and for the practical basics behind this plan, check the Phnom Penh travel guide .