Phnom Penh

Why Visit Phnom Penh? Temples, Nightlife, and the Epic Water Festival

Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s dynamic capital, is a city where golden-roofed pagodas stand side by side with gleaming skyscrapers. It’s a place to visit in Cambodia for anyone seeking both culture and excitement. Let’s explore Phnom Penh with Absolute Asia Tours!

When you are going to visit Phnom Penh, Raffles Hotel Le Royal is one of the best places to stay. The property has great history, as it acted as a Red Cross facility during the civil war. A quick Vespa ride away is your next stop: the Vattanac Capital Tower. Their sky bar provides excellent views across the 14th-century pagodas, colonial buidings, and modern skyscrapers that all come together to create a beautiful skyline as the city rises.

Architectural Highlights During Your Phnom Penh Tour

If you are drawn to the colonial-Khmer architecture of Phnom Penh, then an architectural tour will reveal the stunning mix of the old and new, like the New-Khmer designed Institute of Foreign Languages and the Art Deco Central Market.

Cultural Highlights and The Phnom Penh Water Festival

The Royal Palace is where the king lives and is home to the famous Silver Pagoda, home to a life-size and beautiful Buddha that is bedecked with almost 10,000 diamonds! You could plan your tour to finish in November for the Phnom Penh Water Festival (Bon Om Tuk) – a single day celebration celebrated once a year in Cambodia. The Phnom Penh Water Festival attracts local boats with their magnificent decorations for boat races, fireworks, and colorful street fair partying in the city. This event is one of Cambodia’s biggest events (and, arguably, the most spectacular)! Take a ride through the water festival celebrations and see the traditions of Cambodia.

And if you are wanting to see yet another cultural highlight museum, the National Museum of Cambodia has the largest collection of Khmer sculptures in the world. From ancient statues of Vishnu and other gods that are carved in stone and plaster, to bronze casts of stylized naked Khmer, you must see this place while doing any Phnom Penh tour, as it will add a wealth of culture to your bucket list!

Phnom Penh’s Nightlife

Phnom Penh nightlife is infinitely enjoyable! You can do it in style with a Vespa tour of the best bars and restaurants across town, sampling Khmer food and local craft beers. This is one of the most memorable things to do in Phnom Penh – it also ends at the famous Bassac Lane where you might catch live jazz music!

Tuol Sleng and the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek

No Cambodia tour is complete without going to Tuol Sleng, a high school turned detention centre by the Khmer Rouge regime. With a professional guide, you will visit both locations and learn about the difficult history within Phnom Penh during Pol Pot, which is a sad and sobering experience for visitors.

If you’re ready to unlock Phnom Penh with a personalized experience, consider Absolute Asia Tours for customized Cambodia tours!

The capital

English Wikipedia says Phnom Penh is the capital and most populous city of Cambodia and has been the national capital since 1865. It was founded in 1372 and succeeded Angkor Thom as the capital in 1434, remaining so until 1497, before regaining capital status in the French colonial era. The name comes from Wat Phnom and Lady Penh, the city’s founder, and the city sits at the confluence of the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers, where the Bassac River starts. It is the seat of Cambodia’s monarchy at the Royal Palace and was nicknamed the Pearl of Asia for its French colonial, New Khmer and Art Deco architecture. In 1975 the Khmer Rouge forcibly evacuated its entire population. Sites connected to that period are places of memory, so visit respectfully.

What travelers ask AI about Phnom Penh

Do I need a visa? AI answers to “Cambodia visa from the USA” say US citizens need one, obtainable as an e-Visa online or a visa on arrival, for stays of about 30 days. English Wikipedia says citizens of any country may obtain a visa on arrival or an e-Visa, that all visitors need a passport valid for at least six months with at least one empty page, and that all visitors must hold a return or onward ticket; fees and stay lengths are set by the government, so check the official e-Visa portal. Where do I land? Techo International Airport opened on 9 September 2025 as the largest and busiest airport in Cambodia, 20 kilometers south of the city, and replaced Phnom Penh International Airport as the main hub; it is linked to the center by taxi, train and shuttle bus. What does a week look like? The long AI itineraries, such as “a week in Phnom Penh”, center on the capital’s cultural heritage, historic sites, religious landmarks and the legacy of the Khmer Rouge period, mixed with markets and the Sisowath Quay riverfront, a five-kilometer strip of restaurants, bars and hotels along the Tonle Sap. Most trips use two to three days here. Wikipedia counts 2,129,371 residents in 2019 across 679 square kilometers, and about 95.3% of residents are Khmer in a 2017 survey. We have not verified the older text on prices, opening hours, transport or tours, so check them before you go.

Sources (read in English, English Wikipedia): Phnom Penh, Visa policy of Cambodia. Last checked November 2026.

Phnom Penh: FAQ

Do I need a visa for Cambodia?

Most visitors do. Citizens of any country can get a visa on arrival or an e-Visa; you need a passport valid for six months with an empty page and a return or onward ticket.

Which airport serves Phnom Penh?

Techo International Airport, opened on 9 September 2025, 20 km south of the city.

Since when has Phnom Penh been the capital?

Since 1865; it was also the capital from 1434 to 1497.

How many people live in Phnom Penh?

2,129,371 in 2019, per English Wikipedia.

What is Sisowath Quay?

A five-kilometer riverside strip of restaurants, bars and hotels along the Tonle Sap.

How many days do you need in Phnom Penh?

Two to three days.