24 hours in Phnom Penh: What to see, do and eat in the Cambodian capital

Phnom Penh has been broadly overlooked by tourists. Internationally, many travellers opt to travel to Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh when looking for busy, bustling cities in South-east Asia. Even domestic tourism is focused on Siem Reap, the northern Cambodian city made famous by the magnificent Angkor Wat temple.

But there is plenty to do, see, learn and experience in the Cambodian capital, with an abundance of markets, hostels and street food, as well as temples, river-side dining, museums and five-star hotels – there is something for every traveller.

It is also worth noting that, compared to the dirham, Cambodia is a remarkably affordable place to travel to. The currency is Cambodian riel, but in the city, US dollars are widely accepted.

This month, Etihad Airways launched its first direct flights to Cambodia, with four weekly flights to Phnom Penh on the new Airbus A321LR – increasing to six on November 1. The airline is operating flights into the newly opened Techo International Airport, located 19km south of Phnom Penh.

Here is a tried-and-tested itinerary for 24 hours in Phnom Penh.

8am: Breakfast on 240 Street

Anticipating a day filled with walking and sightseeing, kick things off with a quiet cafe breakfast on 240 Street. It is a busy road, packed full of cafes, restaurants and hostels, so you’ll find a cafe to dine in, and if you’re on the Tonle Sap River end of the road, you’ll be just around the corner from the next stop. Barista 240 is a popular choice.

9am: Visit the Royal Palace of Cambodia

For an introduction to Cambodian history and royalty, start at the Royal Palace of Cambodia. Built in 1866, during French rule, it is a sprawling complex of buildings and temples, and remains the official residence of the Cambodian king, Norodom Sihamoni.

I recommend getting a tour guide to show you around the buildings and give an insight into the cultural significance of the temples, gardens and galleries.

A must-see at the Royal Palace is the Silver Pagoda, a Buddhist temple with its floor inlaid with 5,000 silver tiles. Inside, there is a strict no-photography rule as it remains a place of worship and houses many of the Cambodian royal family’s precious metal artefacts. It is also home to an emerald Buddha statue.

Entrance to the museum is $10 and a modest dress code (with shoulders and knees covered) is enforced.

11am: National Museum of Cambodia

Less than a 10-minute walk away is the National Museum of Cambodia. Built in 1905, the building is a striking demonstration of Khmer architecture, with red woodwork and brick tiling, a symbolic tribute to the nation's courage and determination, I read.

The museum is built around a statue-filled courtyard. Its contents detail the history of the Khmer Empire, and a key theme is the country's change in faith, from Hinduism to Buddhism. See the Lokeshvara statue from Angkor Thom in Siem Reap on display, a tribute to the significant figure in Khmer Buddhism, which has evolved through Hindu and Buddhist influences.

There is a very active conversation surrounding art and artefact repatriation in the museum. One display is dedicated to a seventh-century sandstone lintel depicting a reclining Vishnu. The piece had been returned from Denver Art Museum in the US in 2023 in a significant ceremony.

“The return of these statues confirms Cambodia’s commitment to find and bring back the souls of our ancestors, who left their homeland many years ago during times of war,” reads a quote from Phoeurng Sackona, minister of culture and fine arts.

Other pieces have been returned from the UK and France, and there are boards explaining the ongoing plans to continue repatriating Khmer artefacts from around the world.

Entrance is $10 and information is available in Cambodian, English and French. Audio guides are available to hire.

12.30pm: Have lunch at Pisa Old Market Restaurant

A five-minute drive or 15-minute walk away is Pisa Old Market Restaurant. A small restaurant helmed by chef Sothea Seng, it serves modern takes on traditional Khmer food. There is a small a la carte menu, but if you have time, I recommend taking on one of the set menus and sitting at the chef's table, where you can watch the culinary masters at work in the open kitchen.

Set menus range from $28 to $69, with six to nine courses. I opted for the $49 chef tasting menu, which included Ambok rice crushed frog leg with guacamole, a kampot crab dish and a duck breast served with purple rice. The highlight of my meal, however, was the filet of king mackerel, served with a soya bean casserole.

The restaurant isn’t big, so I recommend booking ahead to guarantee a table, all of the tables were full when we dined.

2pm: Browse the crowded Old Market

The city’s Old Market is literally next door, so choosing not to wander through the crowded and tight alleyways to browse the wares would be a missed opportunity. The market sells everything from live seafood and street food to kitchenware, motorcycle parts and clothes.

3pm: Visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

About a 20-minute drive away is the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. A deeply distressing memorial site, the museum is the location of the Khmer Rouge regime’s S-21 interrogation and detention centre, which was converted into a prison from a high school in 1975.

It is thought that 20,000 people were imprisoned at S-21, which was one of about 200 Khmer Rouge prisons. There are only 12 confirmed survivors from the prison, some of whom speak on the audio guide.

This isn’t a museum to rush, it should be taken independently and at your own pace. Guests move through different integration rooms, cells and courtyards, and there is extremely confronting imagery displayed. However, the audio guide anticipates particularly distressing spaces, allowing visitors to pass through quickly, skip rooms or to listen to the information outside.

The genocide museum and the Choeung Ek Genocidal Centre, also known as the killing fields mass graves, are significant parts of Cambodia’s recent history, with the Khmer Rouge regime in power from 1975 to 1979. Singhtararith Chea, a representative from the Cambodia Tourism Board spoke eloquently about the way it is taught in Cambodian schools today, and the fact generations alive today are living with vivid memory of the period.

5pm: Wander through Chaktomuk Walking Street

On the weekends, the riverside Chaktomuk Walking Street is gradually pedestrianised from 5pm. It’s about a 25-minute drive from Tuol Sleng.

Stretching along the banks of four rivers, the Mekong, Upper Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac, it is a very busy street, but it comes alive with music, lights and plenty of food stalls. Along the bank, there are countless bars and restaurants to pop into and enjoy a river view. You will also walk past the ornate Wat Ounalom Monastery.

7pm: Dinner at Cuisine Wat Damnak

Cuisine Wat Damnak is the creation of French chef Joannes Riviere. The sister restaurant in Siem Reap was the first Cambodian restaurant to be named on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list. A small dining room, with an intimate green courtyard, the restaurant offers up vegetarian or classic Cambodian tasting menus. Six courses cost $38 and eight courses cost $45.

I opted for the six-course version, which consisted of slow-cooked calamari; pan-fried prawns with a basil and coconut espuma; seared Koh Kong scallops with deep-fried taro and clam jus; a beef cheek dumpling jungle soup; pan-fried seabass with black sticky rice porridge; and a Mondulkiri chocolate ganache.

The dishes are modestly sized, and packed with Cambodian flavours, notably using many locally sourced ingredients.

9pm: Drinks at Sora Sky Bar

After dinner, drive 10 minutes to Sora Sky Bar at the Rosewood Phnom Penh. Make sure you go out onto the Sky Deck terrace and enjoy a drink as you take in views of the city glittering at night.

The house cocktail menu has been created with Cambodian ingredients at its heart, so expect to taste kaffir lime, lemongrass and some spice in some of the drinks.

10pm: Call it a night at Rosewood Phnom Penh

There are many hotels in Phnom Penh, but the Rosewood Phnom Penh stands out. A five-star hotel in the city centre, the hotel occupies the top 14 floors of the Vattanac Capital Tower.

The 175 rooms offer panoramic views of the city, with highlights including the Panoramic Mekong View Room.

If you have time, a visit to the Sense spa, generously sized indoor lap pool or outdoor sunbathing deck is essential.

Come the following morning, don’t skip breakfast at Brasserie Louis, which serves a combination of buffet and a la carte dishes, with Khmer and continental European options.

Markets in Phnom Penh

The markets of Phnom Penh could make a story, and full day of exploring, of their own. There are many!

In this itinerary, I have factored in a quick visit to the Old Market, but others worth visiting if you have time include the Russian Market and the Central Market.

The Russian Market, we are told, is where you will find the most reasonable prices for souvenirs and clothing, while the Central Market is the best place to buy jade, which is a very popular Asian gemstone and prevalent in Cambodia. Be wary of a scam, if the price of the jade is too good to be true, it’s probably because it is not real, our guide tells us with a laugh. However, if you watch a quick YouTube video to hear how it should sound when tapped, you’ll be in pretty good shape when it comes to shopping.