Cambodia is a land of contrasts, where ancient temples, bustling cities, and serene beaches converge to create a unique experience. Our ultimate 5-day Cambodia itinerary takes you on a journey through the country’s most iconic sites, from the awe-inspiring Angkor Wat to the sinister Killing Fields of Phnom Penh. In this article, we’ll show you how to maximise your time and make the most of your trip at a relaxed pace. So buckle up, pack your bags, and get ready for an adventure you’ll never forget.
5-Day Cambodia Itinerary
Tip: Combine a visit to Cambodia with a nearby country like Vietnam or Thailand. They’re easy to get to from Cambodia and will save you some dough compared to travelling from your home country.
We didn’t head to the beaches in Cambodia (Koh Rong) because we were already going to the beaches in Thailand next. But if you’d like to have a more complete trip in Cambodia, you can add two days in Koh Rong after Siem Reap.
How to Spend 5 days in Cambodia
Day 1: Arrive in Phnom Penh, River Walk/Cruise
Today is a relatively simple day with not much to do added in because you’ve likely arrived by a long flight. And even if you haven’t, we’d suggest using this day to feel the vibe of the country. Do less, observe more.
Settle in your hotel in Phnom Penh
Arrive in Phnom Penh by flight from your home country or by bus/flight from neighbouring countries. After your airport formalities are complete, buy a SIM card at the airport and head to your hotel. You could book your tuk-tuk to your hotel via PassApp & Grab (keep them downloaded beforehand). Alternatively, ask the tuk-tuk drivers at the airport to take you to your hotel.
It was quite interesting how everyone in Cambodia simply travels by tuk-tuk and remorks (tuk-tuk carriages attached to a bike). Taxis are more expensive and less used.
Hotels in Phnom Penh
The best area to stay: The best area to stay in Cambodia would be Daun Penh: close to the river and the Grand Palace (for the best views of the river and to be within walking distance of some of the main attractions).
Luxury: Rosewood Phnom Penh – Nestled in the 188-meter-high Vattanac Capital Tower, the hotel has modern rooms and unparalleled views of historic Phnom Penh and the Mekong River.
Mid-range: Hotel Emion Phnom Penh – This is where we stayed. The rooms are very well appointed, with a kitchen, bathroom and seating area. Plus they overlook the river. Head to the roof for a drink at the infinity swimming pool with a river view.
The Peninsula Hotel & Residences– Beautiful hotel with an infinity pool and stunning views. We wanted to book this for ourselves but found the location a bit off. However, it is the best-rated hotel on TripAdvisor and very well-rated on Booking.com too, so definitely worth checking out.
Budget: Choose Jungle Addition for affordable luxury or Mad Monkey if you’re looking for a well-rated hotel.
Explore the Temples
If you’ve arrived early in the morning and are looking to make the most of this day, then check out either one or both of the following temples:
Golden Temple: This temple is completely painted in gold and it’s a sight! Though a bit gaudy. Enter Kien Khleang Pagoda or Golden Temple on Grab or Passapp to get here. It’s about 7 km away from the city centre, and you’ll have to cross a bridge if you live in the city centre, which has hellish traffic between 7-9 am, 11:30 a.m.–1:30 pm, and 5–6 pm every day. So, avoid these times.
Walk by the river near the Grand Palace or go on a River Cruise
After settling into your hotel in Phnom Penh, it’s time to walk by the Mekong River. You could walk from your hotel if you’re staying close to the river or take public transport to the river banks near the Royal Palace. If you’d like, you could also go for a sunset cruise with unlimited beer on the Mekong.
Day 2: Phnom Penh: Grand Palace, National Museum, S21, Killing Fields
Today’s day is divided into two blocks. You can do Block 2 first if photography at the palace is a big goal.
- The two genocide museums
- The Grand Palace and National Museum
Start your day early to make the most of it. Have breakfast at your hotel or head to Backyard Cafe. It’s a vegetarian/vegan cafe with delicious food. You’ll probably want to come back the next day too, as we did.
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21)
First and foremost, take a tuk-tuk (just book via Grab/Passapp) to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. Once a high school, it was taken over by the Khmer Rouge forces and turned into a secret prison known as Security Prison 21 (S-21). It soon became the largest such centre of detention and torture in the country, where over 17,000 prisoners were tortured, killed, or taken to the killing fields (your next stop on this itinerary) to be executed.
It is a grim, disturbing place but one that should be visited by all travellers to Cambodia. Here you’ll learn in detail about the Khmer Rouge’s rule over Cambodia from 1975-1979. We feel that if there is one place in Phnom that should not be missed, it is this!
Get the audio guide, which has very detailed information about the prison and stories from prisoners as well. It costs $5 to rent one.
Timings: 8:00 to 5:00
Entrance Fee: Free for Khmer people. Foreigners between 10 and 18 years old pay $ 3 and foreigners above 18 years old pay $5. You can easily buy a ticket at the museum.
Amount of time needed: 1.5–2 hours
Grab Cost from Duan Penh: $5
Choeung Ek Genocidal Centre (Killing Fields)
As mentioned earlier, prisoners from the S-21 prison were transported to Choeung Ek to be killed. This is the most well-known of the 300 killing fields spread over Cambodia and gives you a glimpse into the horrors that unfolded here decades ago. You can see fragments of bone and cloth on the fields and pay your respects at the Memorial Stupa, which has 8,000 skulls visible behind the clear glass panels. Choeung Ek, ironically, is a very peaceful place today, surrounded by nature. Though you’ll be walking outdoors, the pathways are mostly shaded by trees.
You get a free audio guide for the price of the ticket. Much of the info here is a repeat of S21 which you can skip and listen to only the parts relevant to the killing fields.
Timings: 7:30 to 17:30
Entrance Fee: $6 per person (INR 500)
Amount of time needed: 1 hour
Travel cost from S21: $4 ( INR 300)
Tip: The reason why I’ve asked you to visit Toul Sleng first is that the information you learn here will be very valuable in helping you understand the Killings fields better. That being said, you can choose to start with the killing fields in case you’d like to start your day earlier.
Lunch at David’s Noodles
Have lunch at David’s Noodles, which is right by your next stop, the National Museum. You get your money’s worth of entertainment here, watching the cook throw noodle dough up in the air and finally string it up into noodles. The food is delicious, too. Try the noodles and dumplings!
The average cost of a meal per person: $5 (~INR 400)
Tuktuk to get here from the Killing Fields: $5.5 (~INR 450)
National Museum
The building of the National Museum is beautiful. Especially the central courtyard with gardens and fountains. However, we didn’t think much of the displays, which consisted of Angkorian and Khmer art. They had very little information and we didn’t get a lot of the significance. Being from India, we did identify statues of gods and appreciate them but that’s about it. I think it would be best to go here with a guide. Guided tours are available at the ticket counter.
Timings: 8 a.m.–5.00 pm daily. The last admission tickets are sold at 4.30 pm.
Entrance Fee: Admission costs are US$5 for foreigners aged 10-17 years, US$10 for foreigners aged 18 years and up, and 500 Riels for Cambodians.
Amount of time needed: 45 minutes
Royal Palace
Just a 400-metre walk from the National Museum lies the Royal Palace. I love seeing palaces because they give a glimpse into the country’s history, traditions, art, culture, and religion, and this one is no different. This palace was built in 1866 by His Majesty Preah Bat Norodom, the great-grandfather of the current king. The palace has four compounds but visitors are only allowed in two—the Throne Hall and Silver Pagoda—as the other two areas are in active use by the Royal Family. You’ll particularly enjoy the beautiful courtyards, the ornate throne room, and seeing a gold Buddha encrusted with over 9,500 diamonds in the Silver Pagoda.
Timings: 8:00 and 11:00 and then again from 14:00 to 17:00 every day, except for public holidays and major religious events.
Entrance Fee: $10 (~INR 830)
Amount of time needed: 1.5 hours
Fun fact: If you see a blue flag flying at the Royal Palace, that means the King is actually in residence.
Rooftop Bar for Sunset OR Food Tour
Head to the rooftop bar at your hotel or other famous ones like Sora Sky Bar, Juniper Gin Bar, Eclipse, Le Moon Rooftop.
If you’d rather get into the food scene of Cambodia, do this food tour instead!
Day 3: Siem Reap – Bus to Siem Reap, Angkor Wat, Phare Circus
Bus to Siem Reap
First thing, get on a bus to Siem Reap. You can book it via a travel agent or pre-book from 12Go (this is what we did). We booked the cheapest option, which was a minivan at the time. It was comfortable enough for a 6-hour journey and I stopped midway for a lunch and toilet break.
On reaching Siem Reap, you can use Grab or Passapp to book a tuk-tuk to your hotel. Most hotels in Siem Reap provide complimentary one-way transfers to the hotel so they will pick you up from the bus stop. Do check this while booking your hotel.
Hotels in Siem Reap
The best area to stay: It is best to stay around Pub Street. Pub Street is where all the buzz is every night. It is filled with restaurants, massage parlours, souvenir shops, and more. So you can walk everywhere on the eve. However, you can also opt to stay in other locales if you don’t intend to step out every night.
Luxury: Shinta Mani Angkor for the ultimate luxury. Authentic Khmer Village Resort & Templation Hotel for affordable luxury—think cottages with private pool/jacuzzi set in nature.
Mid-range: The Nature-We stayed at The Nature despite its location outside of Siem Reap because the hotel was minimal and beautiful. We fell in love. The room had a beautiful round bathtub and the swimming pool was surrounded by nature. You get a ride to Pub Street free of charge once in the evening, and the rest of the time it is easy to find a tuk-tuk back to the hotel. Don’t choose this hotel if you’re scared of lizards (like me)!!!
Eightfold Urban Resort has a very similar feel but is again far from Pub Street. If you’d like to be close to Pub Street, check out Maison 557 for excellent value with the same earthy feel.
Budget: Onederz Hostel is a fantastic hostel with 3 pools and a superb location. If you’d like to not stay in a hostel, check out Mango Kesararam
Explore Angkor Wat in the Evening
If you have time, which you probably will, head to Angkor Wat on this day. There are two reasons why I’m saying this:
- Angkor Wat is huge and will take time to visit. If you complete your tour of Angkor Wat on this day, then you’ll have plenty of time to visit other temples at leisure over the next two days or add extra activities to your itinerary
- You’ll be able to scout your spot for the sunrise over Angkor Wat. The sunrise seen from behind the lake at Angkor is very popular and gets crowded fast. Why scout your spot, you ask? Angkor Wat’s 5 towers can be seen only from a small section of this crowded space. If you’re into photography, then you will need to reach this spot in the morning before the rest of the crowds come in. In the dark of the early morning, it is very tough to understand how many towers you’re actually seeing from your spot.
- Angkor Wat closes at 5:30 PM so be prepared to be shooed out!
Phare: Cambodian Circus
After seeing Angkor Wat, head to the Cambodia Circus called Phare. There are no animals involved, don’t worry. It’s a modern circus act with a complete theatrical performance, music, and dance. While the show starts at 8 PM, you can enter the premises earlier at 6 PM to grab a bite and buy some handicrafts.
Check availability and book your tickets below.
Angkor Archeological Park – Important Things to Know
- Book your tickets for Angkor Archeological Park here: Get the 3-day pass for this itinerary but you do have a 1-day and a 7-day option as well. Note that a lot of blogs will mention that you need to visit the ticket centre physically to get a photo clicked and also have a physical copy. But you do not need to do that. Just buy your ticket online (you’ll have to click a selfie with your phone) and download an offline copy to your phone to show at Angkor ticket counters.
1-Day Pass: USD 37, Buy a 1-day pass and get 2 days (Valid for 5 Days)
3-Day Pass: USD 62, Buy a 3-day pass and get 5 days (Valid for 10 Days)
7-Day Pass: USD 72, buy a 7-day pass and get 10 days (Valid for 30 Days) - Wear modest clothing: Wear clothes that are not transparent and cover the shoulders and knees. The Archaeological Park is very strict and does not allow you to enter with improper clothing. A lot of the time, you may not even be able to enter with shoulder-showing tops/dresses made in more modes via a scarf.
- Be prepared to walk a lot. Wear very comfortable shoes and pay close attention to where you are walking. The temple floors have roots growing around the, the stone is not symmetric, etc. My husband didn’t look and twisted his ankle.
- To get around you can rent a bicycle (so much freedom), a motorbike (will need an IDP), book a guided tour (very convenient), hire a tuk-tuk (what we did but we would have loved to have more freedom), or hire a private chauffer-driven car.
Day 4: Siem Reap-Angkor Wat Sunrise, Small Circuit, Sunset View, Pub Street
Today, you will start your day super early and see the most beautiful temples in Angkor so make sure you sleep early the previous night. You don’t want to be tired on this day!
Sunrise at Angkor Wat
Be at Angkor Wat at sharp 5 AM and no later if you’d like to see Angkor Wat with all 5 towers at sunrise or get the front spot. And if you do reach on time and grab that perfect spot, DO NOT MOVE from there. Not even a step here and there. People will stick to you until you budge from the correct spot and then not give you any space later. I learned this from a very unpleasant experience.
Anyway… you will be standing in the dark for quite a while since the sun doesn’t rise until another hour or so. But you’ve just got to have the patience to see a dreamy and very popular sunrise.
But do set your expectations right!!! It may be cloudy and you may not see a sunrise at all. This too happened to us but even seeing the clouds move over the temple was delightful.
Small Circuit Tour
Tours in Angkor are divided between small and grand circuits and tuk-tuk drivers do not like mixing the two. If you try, they will charge you extra. So don’t, unless you don’t have two days in Angkor.
Here are the temples on this route.
- Angkor Wat
- Angkor Thom: Bayon, Bapuon, Terrace of the Elephants, Terrace of the Leper King
- Thommanon
- Chau Say Tevoda
- Ta Keo
- Ta Prohm
- Banteay Kdei
However, I’d recommend not visiting all temples to avoid getting templed out. You’ll be totally sick of temples so just visit the ones that are really worth it. And the Small Circuit has some of the best! Here are our picks:
1. Angkor Thom (12th century): Angkor Thom was the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer Empire, built by King Jayavarman VII. It covers an area of 9 km², within which are located several monuments built before, during, and after King Jayavarman’s time.
Start your small tour with this ancient capital. The gates to enter and exit Angkor Thom are stunning. There are four such gates, two of which are pictured in the blog. I’d suggest being at the gate by 7–7:15 AM and at your first temple for the day, Bayon Temple, by opening time, which is 7:30 AM. Bayon is a mesmerising temple (our favourite) full of smiling faces believed to be of Brahma. Then continue on to Baphuon and walk around, seeing other sites within Angkor Thom like the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King.
2. Ta Prohm (12th century): Ta Prohm, though a crumbling temple, is a visual treat! The famous movie Lara Croft Tomb Raider was shot here so it is also referred to as Tomb Raider Temple. It has gigantic tree roots snaking all around the temples, which makes it so unique. If you’re going with a guide, we’d highly suggest you ask him/her for some extra time so you can wander the temple by yourself. That’s the whole beauty of Ta Prohm—to get lost in the areas that no one goes to.
3. Banteay Kdei (12th century): If you aren’t already hungry or annoyed with the sun and heat, head to Banteay Kdei. However, if you decide to continue, then further visit Banteay Kdei Temple, a Buddhist temple built during the reign of Jayavarman VII in the 13th century AD. It has resemblances to the intriguing structures of Ta Prohm and Preah Khan but is smaller.
However, this temple is totally skippable.
Lunch Break
If you’re done with your tour around lunchtime, head to Pub Street or your hotel, because I’m sure you’re famished.
If your tour is not yet over, then ask your tuk-tuk to take you somewhere for a quick bite. Typically, he will not want to take you back to the hotel or Pub Street because Angkor is far from Siem Reap. If he does, he will charge extra to continue your tour.
Sunset from Phnom Krom
Located on a hilltop 140 metres high, the temple site of Phnom Krom offers spectacular views over the Siem Reap countryside and Tonle Sap Lake. It’s a superb spot to enjoy a peaceful sunset away from the crowds. The temple is 12 kilometres away from Siem Reap so keep that in mind. Whether you’re coming here by tuk-tuk or car, try to get the driver to take you to the summit, as it is a long, hot climb otherwise.
Pub Street and Dinner
After watching the sunset, head to Pub Street. Walk around, shop for souvenirs, and get a massage.
Dinner: For dinner and drinks, head to Wild. It’s walking distance from Pub Street. They specialise in spring rolls and that’s all that you’ll find on the menu. But the spring rolls came in a lot of interesting varieties, from fresh to fried and filled us up quite quickly. The drinks are also very delicious; do try Alice in Wonderland.
Day 5: Siem Reap – Grand Circuit OR Day Trip
In the morning, head out for temples on the Grand Circuit. While we have provided you with two options for this day, this one would be the ideal option for you if you have a flight out this evening since it is the shorter of the two options.
But to be honest, I found the temples on this day less interesting than the prior ones, and that’s the whole reason for providing you with two options. That being said, the temples are still very beautiful. They just pale in comparison to the ones on the small circuit.
This circuit can be done in half a day. Again, start your day at the opening time of Preah Khan, which is 7:30 AM.
- Preah Khan (12th century): A humongous temple requiring a lot of walking and honestly, the best of all temples you’ll be visiting today. It is very similar to Ta Prohm in the sense that it is also in ruins and has overgrown tree roots. But here you’ll also find light green and pinkish colours on the stones of the temple.
- Neak Pean (12th century): a very small temple located at the centre of a lake. While the temple itself is not worth the visit, you can choose to spend some time at the bridge over the beautiful man-made lake.
- Ta Som (12th century): The temple has a root-covered gate, which is worth seeing and photographing.
- East Mebon (10th century): It is very similar to the next temple you’ll see, Pre Rup. It is a mountain temple but it is different from others in the sense that it has elephant statues.
- Pre Rup (10th century): A mountain temple with lots of steep stairs but worth a climb because of the view over the surrounding area. I quite liked this temple.
You can also ask your driver to combine this Grand Tour Circuit with Banteay Srei, which is apparently a not-to-be-missed temple.
Alternately,
Take a day trip to either of the two options that interest you the most. Do this only if you don’t have a flight out on this day and are willing to do a really long day trip. Neither of the below-mentioned places sees the kind of crowd at Angkor, so expect to share them with only a handful of people.
- Koh Ker Temple and Preah Vihear
These two temples are far from Siem Reap—110 km and 160 km away—but fall on the same route so they are best seen in one go. Preah Vihear is a massive temple on a hilltop with a commanding view of Cambodia and Thailand. Koh Ker, a 10th-century temple complex, is a former capital of the Khmer Empire. The main structure here is a stepped, 7-tiered pyramid. It is the only such pyramid in Cambodia that resembles a Mayan temple. Make the most of your day with this Full-Day Preah Vihear & Koh Ker Temple Tour - Phnom Kulen National Park and Beng Mealea:
Kulen National Park has a beautiful waterfall as well as the temple of the Thousand Lingas, “Wat Preah Ang Thom,” which is considered to be the most sacred mountain in Cambodia. Combine a visit here with Beng Mealea, a 12-century temple overrun by the jungle. It is one of the most mysterious temples, much like Ta Prohm, but much less crowded due to its location. Make the most of your day with this small-group tour that combines a trip to Kulen National Park with Beng Mealea and Tonle Sap Lake.
Book your day tours below:
After you return, you’ll probably be very tired. Have dinner at Pub Street or your hotel. Fly out the next morning.
So that brings us to the end of this short but fulfilling 5 days in Cambodia itinerary. Please let us know if you found it helpful or if you have any questions in the comment section below. Enjoy your trip to Cambodia!