Comparison · Cambodia
Phnom Penh vs Siem Reap: which to choose first?
Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh vs Siem Reap, the gateway to Angkor: airport to the city, how many days, seasons and sights for a first trip.
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The one-line verdict
Phnom Penh is Cambodia's capital. It brings together the Royal Palace, the National Museum, a riverside pedestrian street and memorial sites of the Khmer Rouge era. The Ministry of Tourism names the Royal Palace, Wat Phnom and the riverfront as its highlights.
Siem Reap is the gateway town to Angkor, the UNESCO World Heritage park holding the remains of the Khmer Empire's capitals. You spread Angkor Wat at sunrise, the stone faces of the Bayon and root-wrapped Ta Prohm over a few days, then enjoy Khmer food in the small town at night.
Who each suits: Phnom Penh, if you have a short stay and want to walk the palace and museums and learn about Cambodia's recent history. Siem Reap, if you want to spend several days exploring the Angkor temples at an easy pace.
Airport to the city, and getting around
Phnom Penh's airport is Techo International Airport (KTI), opened on 9 September 2025, about 20 km south of the city. The Airport Express Bus runs daily 05:30-23:30 along Monivong Boulevard to Kouch Kanong Circle Bus Station, stopping at places such as in front of Royal Cambodian Railways; check journey time and fare officially. Taxis and ride-hailing apps are available at the terminal exit, and a taxi to the city is about USD 10-20 (depends on drop-off). Check the airport name and code on your ticket so you don't mix it up with the old airport.
Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport (SAI) lies outside town in Sotr Nikum district. The Airport Bus counter is on the left as you exit arrivals; check the official airport information for times and fares. With luggage or a late arrival, a taxi or a car pre-booked through your accommodation or an operator is easier. Confirm the fare before you get in.
Getting around differs too. In Phnom Penh you use city buses, taxis and ride-hailing apps, and the Royal Palace, National Museum and riverside Walk Street are easy to link on foot. In Siem Reap, tuk-tuks (remork-moto) are the most popular way around town and the Angkor park, along with ride-hailing apps, air-conditioned taxi hire and bicycles. The temples are far apart, so walking between them isn't practical.
How many days, and what it costs
The Phnom Penh guide suggests 1 to 2 nights and the Siem Reap guide 4 to 5 days. Phnom Penh's plan runs the National Museum and Royal Palace, the riverside Walk Street on a weekend evening, then the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and Choeung Ek Genocidal Center, Wat Phnom and the Independence Monument. Siem Reap's plan runs sorting your Angkor pass, sunrise at Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, the Bayon and Ta Prohm, sunset at Phnom Bakheng, Banteay Srei and Kbal Spean, then a Tonle Sap village.
The costs below are each guide's own figures, as written. Hotel and food costs vary by date, so check booking sites.
- Phnom Penh entry fees: National Museum USD 10 and Tuol Sleng USD 5 (audio guide USD 5 extra), so about USD 15-20 for both museums
- Phnom Penh stays: accommodation is most of the budget, so compare prices for your dates on booking sites
- Siem Reap budget: about US$30-45 per day (guesthouse, local food, tuk-tuks; Angkor pass extra)
- Siem Reap mid-range: about US$80-130 per day (mid-range hotel, tuk-tuk hire, restaurants; Angkor pass extra)
- Siem Reap comfortable: about US$250+ per day (resort, car hire, guide; Angkor pass extra)
- Angkor pass: buy it at the official ticket counter or on the official website/app and check pass types and prices there. A 3-day pass can be used within 7 days, and a 7-day pass within 30 days
When to go: seasons and events
The Ministry of Tourism lists Phnom Penh as a year-round destination. During Khmer New Year (three days from around 14 April every year), New Year events are held at Wat Phnom and on the riverside Walk Street, and every 9 November the Independence Day ceremony takes place at the Independence Monument. The Pchum Ben holiday follows the lunar calendar, so its dates change every year; check the official calendar. Roads and buses can be busy then with people travelling home.
The Siem Reap guide says the rainy season usually starts around May and brings frequent rain into the autumn, followed by a dry season that lasts until the next spring. It adds that the turn of the year is relatively cool within the dry season, good for temple walking. Season start dates vary each year, so check the local forecast before you go.
Check official weather information for monthly temperatures and rainfall in both cities before you go. If you cycle around the Angkor temples, start early to avoid the midday heat and carry plenty of water.
What to see in Phnom Penh: palace, museums, memorials
The Royal Palace, the National Museum and the riverside Walk Street sit in one area. The National Museum of Cambodia, inaugurated in 1920, is open daily 8:00-17:00 (last tickets 16:30), costs USD 10 for foreign adults and does not allow photography in the galleries. The Chaktomuk riverside Walk Street runs up to the front of the Royal Palace, with food and souvenir stalls and performances; check opening days and hours officially. Wat Phnom, a Ministry of Tourism highlight, and the Independence Monument, marking independence from France in 1953, complete the walk.
The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21) is a high school built in 1962 that the Khmer Rouge regime (1975-1979) turned into a prison; it became a memorial museum in 1979. Choeung Ek Genocidal Center, where prisoners interrogated at S-21 were executed, is about 15 km from the city and is today a place to remember the victims and learn about peace. Both were inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage together on 11 July 2025. Tuol Sleng is open daily 8:00-17:00, costs USD 5 for foreign adults and takes cash only (riel or US dollars). The museum notes the exhibits may not be appropriate for visitors aged 14 and under, and Cambodian culture expects arms and legs to be covered at commemorative and religious sites.
For food, there is Phnom Penh Kuy Teav, registered by Cambodia's Ministry of Commerce as a collective mark, num banhchok (traditional Khmer noodles) and amok. The Walk Street stalls are good for grazing on local snacks as you stroll.
What to see in Siem Reap: Angkor Wat and the temples
Angkor Wat, the vast temple that symbolizes Angkor, is about 6 km from town. Entry opens before dawn, so a popular plan is sunrise by the moat, then exploring inside. At the heart of the walled royal city of Angkor Thom stands the Bayon, crowded with carved stone faces, and there is also root-wrapped Ta Prohm and Phnom Bakheng, a hilltop sunset spot looking towards Angkor Wat.
Further out, Banteay Srei, a 10th-century temple about 25 km north-east of the main Angkor group, pairs with Kbal Spean, where lingas are carved into the riverbed, for a half- or full-day trip. At the Tonle Sap villages you tour floating villages by boat (Kampong Khleang is about 45 km from town), and in the evening Pub Street closes to traffic for Khmer food such as fish amok, num banh chok and lok lak.
Shorts and skirts above the knee and bare shoulders are prohibited in sacred places. Don't touch carvings or lean or sit on temple structures, and follow the signs at Ta Prohm, where many structures are fragile.
How to choose, or do both
Choose Phnom Penh for a short stay with the capital's palace and museums and a look at Cambodia's recent history; choose Siem Reap to spend several days on Angkor's sunrises and temples. To visit both, plan with each guide's suggested stay (Phnom Penh 1 to 2 nights, Siem Reap 4 to 5 days), and check the official information before you go for how to travel between the two cities.
The riel is Cambodia's currency, but US dollars are also commonly used in towns and tourist areas. Tuol Sleng takes cash only, and small notes help at markets and on tuk-tuks, so carry small dollar notes and some riel.
- Entry and visa rules can change: check official information before you travel
- Check your government's current travel advice for Cambodia
- Scams, including too-good-to-be-true overseas job offers, have been reported, so turn down offers from strangers
- Opening hours and fees can change, so check official information
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FAQ
For a first trip, Phnom Penh or Siem Reap?
Choose Phnom Penh for a short stay with the palace, museums and Cambodia's recent history (the guide suggests 1 to 2 nights), and Siem Reap to explore the Angkor temples at an easy pace (4 to 5 days).
When is the best time to go?
The Ministry of Tourism lists Phnom Penh as a year-round destination. The Siem Reap guide says the turn of the year is relatively cool within the dry season, good for temple walking. Season start dates vary each year, so check the local forecast before you go.
How do I get from the airport to the city?
At Phnom Penh's Techo International Airport (KTI), take the Airport Express Bus (daily 05:30-23:30) or a taxi (about USD 10-20 to the city). At Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport (SAI), take the Airport Bus shuttle or a taxi or pre-booked car, and check the airport's official information for times and fares.
How do I travel between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap?
Check the official information before you go for transport options and journey times between the two cities. Plan with each guide's suggested stay (Phnom Penh 1 to 2 nights, Siem Reap 4 to 5 days).
Related reading
ⓘ Photo credits
- National Museum of Cambodia · AKS.9955 / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bayon, Angkor Thom · Jakub Hałun / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Throne Hall, Royal Palace · Phillip Maiwald ( Nikopol ) / CC BY-SA 4.0