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Weekend in Phnom Penh Itinerary – How to Spend 2 Days in Cambodia's Capital. Streets in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

Weekend in Phnom Penh Itinerary – How to Spend 2 Days in Cambodia’s Capital

A weekend in Phnom Penh is enough for most travellers to Cambodia, who see the colourful, cosmopolitan capital of Phnom Penh as little more than a stopover at the beginning or end of a trip. While there’s enough to do to fill a week, a weekend in Phnom Penh is enough for first-timers to get a great taste of the gritty little city.

Our weekend in Phnom Penh itinerary is aimed at helping you to experience the best of the Cambodian capital in two days.

Weekend in Phnom Penh – How to Spend 2 Days in Cambodia’s Capital

CHECK IN

Maison d’Ambre is the most stylish accommodation in town – a chic boutique hotel by one of Cambodia’s finest fashion designers, Romyda Keth of Ambre. The Plantation is an urban resort with a stunning swimming pool. Raffles offers history, grandeur and another gorgeous pool. Rambutan is sleek and chic. There’s also a handful of retro vintage sleeps in renovated modernist villas including The Sangkum and Villa Langka. See our Where to Stay in Phnom Penh – from Colonial to Contemporary guide and our recent post on Phnom Penh’s best boutique hotels.

FRIDAY NIGHT

You could kick off the first evening of your weekend in Phnom Penh itinerary as most visitors to Cambodia’s capital do, with sundowners overlooking the riverside at airy Foreign Correspondents Club, a local institution that’s as popular with expats as tourists for its cooling breezes and Tonlé Sap meets Mekong River vistas. Book ahead for dinner at Romdeng (Street 174) to feast on delicious Cambodian food in the courtyard of the lovely colonial-style building that is home to an outstanding hospitality training restaurant. Hop in a tuk tuk to Chinese House to sip a cocktail at the striking bar before heading around the corner to check out Doors for some live music, best when there’s a jazz band or swing dancing scheduled.

SATURDAY MORNING

Begin the first full day of your weekend in Phnom Penh itinerary by climbing into an endearingly old-fashioned cyclo for the 3-hour Khmer Architecture Tours ‘Central Phnom Penh by Cyclo’ tour led by an architecture student, to appreciate the array of architectural styles in the city, from charming shophouses and hidden Chinese temples to grand French colonial-era edifices and enigmatic modernist originals.

SATURDAY LUNCH

The cyclo tour conveniently finishes outside one of our favourite lunchtime spots, Noodle House (#32 Street 130), where dumplings are handmade and noodles pulled to order. It’s not fashionable, nor fast, but it’s fantastic. A short stroll away, the splendid yellow-painted Art Deco Psar Thmey (Central Market) is a fine alternative if you prefer to sample Cambodian soups, stir-fries or curries.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

Take a tuk tuk to the splendid National Museum of Cambodia (Cnr Streets 178 and 13) to admire impressive archaeological relics, including the world’s finest collection of Khmer Empire sculptures, and enjoy the quiet of the leafy courtyard. Mosey along Street 178 to browse beautiful shops, such as Garden of Desire, Senteurs d’Angkor and Daughters of Cambodia, and, if you’re up for more, nearby Street 240, an easy ten-minute stroll away, for even more lovely stores, including Waterlily, Bliss, Mekong Quilts, and Elsewhere. See our Phnom Penh shopping itinerary.

SATURDAY NIGHT

Come 5pm, have a tuk tuk take you to Sundown Social Club for rooftop sundowners overlooking Russian Market. Up for more? Tiny Bassac Lane, off Street 308, is the place to experience Phnom Penh’s liveliest bar scene, a Saturday night essential of any weekend in Phnom Penh itinerary. Hop between the half dozen drinking spots, including The Library, Meat and Drink, Seibur, Cicada, and Hangar 44. When you’re peckish, try one of Phnom Penh’s best French restaurants for dinner, which makes sense, as Cambodia was once a French protectorate and the French culinary influence is still felt in the country. Book Topaz if you fancy fine dining, Khema for fine quality at an afford price, or Bistro Langka for a buzzy French vibe.

SUNDAY MORNING

Begin the second day of your weekend in Phnom Penh itinerary by making your way to the hilltop pagoda, Wat Phnom, to climb the staircase guarded by mythical naga serpents to have your fortune read and see the statue of Madame Penh. Legend has it that after discovering four Buddha statues washed up by the Mekong, she built a temple to house them on the knoll that would become Phnom Penh or Mount Penh. After, take a tuk tuk to the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum (Street 113), a former school that the Khmer Rouge transformed into Security Prison 21 or S-21, where they tortured over 17,000 before sending them to the Killing Fields.

SUNDAY LUNCH

From the museum it’s a short ride to atmospheric Russian Market (Psar Toul Tom Pong), where you can do a spot of souvenir shopping. The retro Cambodian music and movie posters and art work at the vintage shop of Channthy, lead singer from Cambodian Space Project make fab mementoes (note: Channthy sadly passed away since this article was written). You could slurp a soup or tuck into some pork and rice at one of the busy stalls or stroll to nearby Tex-Mex joint Alma Café (#43A Street 123) for huevos rancheros or Sesame Noodle Bar (#9 Street 460) for the house-made cold noodles with sesame sauce.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

Trundle in a tuk tuk back to the riverside to stroll the grounds of the glittering 19th-century Royal Palace, to explore the complex of majestic buildings, including the Silver Pagoda with its diamond-encrusted Buddha, magnificent mural of the Reamker (the Hindu epic Ramayana), and 5,000 silver tiles. A weekend in Phnom Penh would be missing something if it didn’t include a wander along the lively waterfront of Sisowath Quay for some people watching. The promenade is particularly busy late on a Sunday afternoon. Expect to see anything from balloon-sellers dwarfed by bunches of helium-filled animals to saffron-robed monks taking selfies and locals doing dancercise classes. (Watch out for pickpockets; don’t walk near the curb and leave your valuables at the hotel).

SUNDAY SUNDOWNERS

Stroll along the waterfront promenade until you spot Amanjaya Suites. Cross the road and head upstairs to alfresco Le Moon bar on the rooftop for brilliant views of the bright lights of Sisowath Quay and the tiled pagodas and gleaming chedi towers of Wat Ounalom, which is enchanting at dusk.

SUNDAY EVENING

Soak up some of Phnom Penh’s arts and culture. Cambodian Living Arts puts on impressive hour-long shows of traditional drama, opera, and Apsara and folk dancing at the National Museum, while Sovanna Phum does a delightful one-hour shadow puppet show accompanied by a spirited live Khmer orchestra. Meta House hosts art exhibitions, screenings of Cambodian films or films about Cambodia, and live performances and DJs.

SUNDAY DINNER

The final meal of your weekend in Phnom Penh should be at Chef Luu Meng’s Malis for some of Phnom Penh’s finest Cambodian food, including a long list of dishes you won’t see on other menus. The chef is continually travelling around the country seeking out new recipes. The prahok k’tis is one of the most deliciously authentic we have tried and the spicy Saramann curry one of the richest and most complex we’ve ever sampled.

SUNDAY NIGHTCAP

Toast to a wonderful weekend in Phnom Penh with a cocktail at one of the capital’s many rooftop bars, such as The Fifth Element or Eclipse Sky Bar.

If you’re considering spending longer than a weekend in Phnom Penh, also see our guide to Phnom Penh Day Trips.

UPDATED: January 2019

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About Lara Dunston

A travel and food writer who has experienced over 70 countries and written for The Guardian, Australian Gourmet Traveller, Feast, Delicious, National Geographic Traveller, Conde Nast Traveller, Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia, DestinAsian, TIME, CNN, The Independent, The Telegraph, Sunday Times Travel Magazine, AFAR, Wanderlust, International Traveller, Get Lost, Four Seasons Magazine, Fah Thai, Sawasdee, and more, as well as authored more than 40 guidebooks for Lonely Planet, DK, Footprint, Rough Guides, Fodors, Thomas Cook, and AA Guides.

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Comments

  1. beirutibrit says

    January 7, 2015 at 3:04 pm

    What a great itinerary! I followed your other PP posts when we visited earlier in the year but planning on going back soon so this is going to be extremely useful! Thanks

  2. Lara Dunston says

    January 7, 2015 at 5:21 pm

    Thanks, Nikki! I tried to cover the classic/quintessential stuff first-timers love like dinner at Romdeng and enjoying the breezes with a cold beer while watching the Mekong from the FCC (the food’s not as good as it used to be but there’s still something special about the experience if you’ve never seen the Mekong) as well as the expat spots (restos like Deco, the Bassac Lane/Street 204 1/2 bars), so I think it makes for a pretty fun weekend. You’re a second-timer so you’ve probably done half of those things – I guess I really should have called it a ‘First-timers Weekend in Phnom Penh’, shouldn’t I?

  3. Ciarán says

    July 9, 2015 at 7:28 pm

    Hi Lara and Terence
    I arrived here via Lara’s articles at the Guardian and have just spent waaaay too long reading about Cambodia when I should be working. Great articles!
    I’d love to hear if you’ve got any tips for Pnomh Penh with kids (9 and 12). Your suggestions for day trips out of Pnomh Penh sound perfect – though we’ll be saving the visit to the Killing Fields until they’re older. Can you recommend anywhere to rent bicycles?
    Thanks!
    Ciarán

  4. Lara Dunston says

    July 11, 2015 at 1:56 pm

    Hi Ciarán
    Thanks for the kind words.
    Click through to our Where to Stay in Phnom Penh story for our recommended hotels, including a couple of great family options.
    I do not recommend you hire bicycles and cycle the city on your own with kids. The chaotic traffic takes some time to get used to. I think you’d be best doing a cycling tour with a specialist company such as Grasshopper Adventures. Take a look at this tour for instance: http://grasshopperadventures.com/tour-APKP07.php
    Let me know if you need other tips.
    Thanks for dropping by!
    Lara

  5. Ciarán says

    July 12, 2015 at 2:48 am

    Thanks Lara. The Grasshopper Adventures tour sounds ideal. Just what we’re looking for! Their temple tours in Siem Riep look good as well.
    Saying that I’m still working my way through your articles on Cambodia makes it sound like a chore. I’m really enjoying them.
    Ciarán

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Still looking for Christmas cooking inspo? Check o Still looking for Christmas cooking inspo? Check out our seafood recipe collection, especially if you celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve with a fish focused meal in the Southern Italian tradition, transformed by Italian-Americans into the Feast of the Seven Fishes, or like Australians, who celebrate Christmas in the sweltering summer, feast on seafood for Christmas Day lunch, we’ve got lots of easy seafood recipes for you.

Our recipes include a classic prawn cocktail, blini with smoked salmon, a ceviche-style appetiser, and devilled eggs with caviar. We’ve also got recipes for fish soup, seafood pies and pastas, salmon tray bake, and crispy salmon with creamy mashed potatoes.

You’ll find the recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/seafood-recipes-for-christmas-eve-and-christmas-day-menus/
(Link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Merry Christmas if you’re celebrating!! 

#christmas #christmasfood #seafood #fish #recipes #christmasrecipes #foodstagram #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood #picoftheday #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #grantourismo #grantourismotravels #xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas
If you’re still looking for food inspo for Chris If you’re still looking for food inspo for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day meals, my smoked salmon ‘carpaccio’ recipe is one of dozens of recipes in this compilation of our best Christmas recipes (link below). 

The Christmas recipe compilation includes collections of our best Christmas breakfast recipes, best Christmas brunch recipes, best Christmas starter recipes, best Christmas cocktails, best Christmas dessert recipes, and homemade edible Christmas gifts and more.

My smoked salmon carpaccio recipe makes an easy elegant appetiser that’s made in minutes. If you’re having guests over, you can make the dish ahead by assembling the salmon, capers and pickled onions, and refrigerate it, then pour on the dressing just before serving. 

Provide toasted baguette slices and bowls of additional capers, pickles and dressing, so guests can customise their carpaccio. And open the bubbly!

You’ll find that recipe and many more Christmas recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/best-christmas-recipes/ (link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Merry Christmas!! X

#christmas #christmasfood #recipes #christmasrecipes #foodstagram #salmon #smokedsalmon #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood #picoftheday #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #writingacookbook #grantourismo #grantourismotravels 
#xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas
If you haven’t visited our site in a while, I sh If you haven’t visited our site in a while, I shared a collection of recipes for homemade edible Christmas gifts — for condiments, hot sauces, chilli oils, a whole array of pickles, spice blends, chilli salt, furakake seasoning, and spicy snacks, such as our Cambodian and Vietnamese roasted peanuts. 

I love giving homemade edibles as gifts as much as I love receiving them. Who wouldn’t appreciate jars filled with their favourite chilli oils, hot sauces, piquant pickles, and spicy peanuts that loved-ones have taken the time to make? 

Aside from the gesture and affordability of gifting homemade edibles, you’re minimising waste. You can use recycled jars or if buying new mason jars or clip-top Kilner jars, you know they’ll get repurposed.

No need for wrapping, just attach some Christmas baubles or tinsel to the lid. I used squares of Cambodian kramas (cotton scarves), which can be repurposed as napkins or drink coasters, and tied a ribbon or two around the lids, and attached last year’s Christmas tree decorations to some.

You’ll find the recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/homemade-edible-christmas-gifts/ (link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Yes, that’s Pepper... every time there’s a camera around... 

#christmasgiftideas #ediblegifts ##christmasfoodgifts #foodgifts #giftideas #homemadegifts #christmasfood #ediblegiftideas #hotsauce #chillisauce #sriracha #pickles #homemadepickles #recipes #foodstagram #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood 
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This crab omelette is a decadent eggs dish that’ This crab omelette is a decadent eggs dish that’s perfect if you’re just back from the fish markets armed with luxurious fresh crab meat. It’s a little sweet, a little spicy, and very, very moreish.

Our crab omelette recipe was one of our 22 most popular egg recipes of 2022 on our website Grantourismo and it’s no surprise. It’s appeared more times than any other egg recipes on our annual round-ups of most popular recipes since Terence launched Weekend Eggs when we launched Grantourismo in 2010.

If you’re an eggs lover, do check out the recipe collection. It includes egg recipes from right around the world, from recipes for classic kopitiam eggs from Singapore and Malaysia and egg curries from India and Myanmar to all kinds of egg recipes from Thailand, Japan, Korea, China, Mexico, USA, Australia, UK, and Ireland.

And do browse our Weekend Eggs archives for further eggspiration (sorry). We have hundreds of egg recipes from the 13 year-old series of recipes for quintessential egg dishes from around the world, which we started on our 2010 year-long global grand tour focused on slow, local and experiential travel. 

We’re hoping 2023 will be the year we can finally publish the Weekend Eggs cookbook we’ve talked about for years based on that series. After we can find a publisher for the Cambodia cookbook of course... :( 

Recipe collection here (and proper link to Grantourismo in our bio):
https://grantourismotravels.com/22-most-popular-egg-recipes-of-2022-from-weekend-eggs/

If you cook the recipe and enjoy it please let us know — we love to hear from you — either in the comments at the end of the recipe or share a pic with us here.

#recipe #recipes #eggs #eggslover #breakfasteggs #WeekendEggs #egg #breakfast #brunch #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood  #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #lookingforapublisher #writingacookbook  #grantourismo #grantourismotravels
I’m late to share this, but a few days ago Angko I’m late to share this, but a few days ago Angkor Archaeological Park, home to stupendous Angkor Wat, pictured, celebrated 30 years of its UNESCO World Heritage listing. 

That’s as good an excuse as any to put this magnificent, sprawling archaeological site on your travel list this year.

While riverside Siem Reap, your base for exploring Angkor is bustling once more, there are still nowhere near the visitors of the last busy high season months of December-January 2018-2019 when there were 290,000 visitors. 

Last month there were just 55,000 visitors and December feels a little quieter. A tour guide friend said there were about 150 people at Angkor Wat for sunrise a few days ago.

If you’re looking for tips to visiting Angkor, Siem Reap and Cambodia, just ask us a question in the comments below or check Grantourismo as we’ve got loads of info on our site. Click through to the link in the bio and explore our Cambodia guide or search for ‘Angkor’. 

And please do let us know if you’re coming to Siem Reap. We’d love to see you here x

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Our soy ginger chicken recipe will make you sticky Our soy ginger chicken recipe will make you sticky, flavourful and succulent chicken thighs that are fantastic with steamed rice, Chinese greens or a salad, such as a Southeast Asian slaw. 

The chicken can be marinated for up to 24 hours before cooking, which ensures it’s packed with flavour, then it can be cooked on a barbecue or in a pan.

Terence’s soy ginger chicken recipe is one of our favourite recipes for a quick and easy meal. I love the sound of the sizzling thighs in the pan, and the warming aromas wafting through the apartment. 

It’s amazing how such flavourful juicy chicken thighs come from such a quick and easy recipe.

Recipe here (and proper link to Grantourismo in our bio): https://grantourismotravels.com/soy-ginger-chicken-recipe/

If you cook it and enjoy it please let us know — we love to hear from you — either here or in the comments at the end of the recipe on the site or share a pic with us x 

#recipe #recipes #chicken #soygingerchicken #asianfood #southeastasianfood #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #cookingtime #recipe #recipes #comfortfood #foodblog #food #foodstagram #healthyfood #instafood #healthy #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #writingacookbook #grantourismo #grantourismotravels
Who can guess the ingredients and what we’re mak Who can guess the ingredients and what we’re making with my market haul from Psar Samaki in Siem Reap — all for a whopping 10,000 riel (US$2.50)?! 

Birds-eye chillies thrown in for free! They were on my list but the seller I spent most at (5,000 riel!) scooped up a handful and slipped them into my bag. She was my last stop and knew what I was making.

My Khmer is poor, even after all our years in Cambodia, as I don’t learn languages with the ease I did in my 20s, plus I’m mentally exhausted after researching and writing all day. I have a better vocabulary of Old and Middle Khmer than modern Khmer from studying the ancient inscriptions for the Cambodian culinary history component of our cookbook I’m writing.

So when one seller totalled my purchases I thought she said 5,000 riel but she handed back 4,500 riel! The sum total of two huge bunches of herbs and kaffir lime leaves was 500 riel.

Tip: if visiting Siem Reap, use Khmer riel for local shopping. We’ve mainly used riel since the pandemic started— rarely use US$ now as market sellers quote prices in riels, as do local shops and bakeries, and I tip tuk tuk drivers in riels. I find prices quoted in riels are lower.

Psar Samaki is cheaper than Psar Leu, which is cheaper than Psar Chas, as it’s a wholesale market, which means the produce is fresher. I see veggies arriving, piled high in the back of vehicles, with dirt still on them — as I did on this trip. 

The scent of a mountain of incredibly aromatic pineapples offloaded from the back of a dusty ute was so heady they smelt like they’d just been cut. More exotic European style veggies arrive by big trucks in boxes labelled in Vietnamese (from Dalat) and Mandarin (from China), such as beautiful snow-white cauliflower I spotted.

Note: the freshest produce is sold on the dirt road at the back of the market.

#cambodia #siemreap #foodwriter #foodblogger #foodphotography #igfood #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #instadaily #picoftheday #market #siemreapmarket #psarsamaki #marketfresh #vegetables #healthyfood #marketshopping #traveltips #foodtravel #culinarytravel #localtravel #cooking #cookingtime #curry #homemade #currypaste #grantourismotravels
My Vietnamese-ish meatballs and rice noodles recip My Vietnamese-ish meatballs and rice noodles recipe makes tender meatballs doused in a delightfully tangy-sweet sauce, sprinkled with crispy fried shallots, with carrot-daikon, crunchy cucumber and fragrant herbs. 

The dish is inspired by bún chả, a Hanoi specialty, but it’s not bún chả. No matter what Google or food bloggers tell you. Names are important, especially when cooking and writing about cuisines not our own.

This is an authentic bún chả recipe:  https://grantourismotravels.com/vietnamese-bun-cha-recipe/ You’ll need to get the outdoor BBQ/grill going to do proper smoky bún chả meat patties (not meatballs).

My meatball noodle bowl is perhaps more closely related to dishes such as a Central Vietnam cousin bún thịt nướng (pork skewers on rice noodles in a bowl) and a Southern relation bún bò Nam Bộ (beef atop rice noodles, sprinkled with fried shallots (Nam Bộ=Southern Vietnam) though neither include meatballs. 

Xíu mại= meatballs although they’re different in flavour to mine, which taste more like bún chả patties. Xíu mại remind me of Southern Italian meatballs in tomato sauce.

In Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, home to millions of Khmer, there’s bánh tằm xíu mại. Bánh tằm=silk worm noodles. They’re topped with meatballs, cucumber, daikon, carrot, fresh herbs, crispy fried onions. Difference: cold noodles doused in a sauce of coconut cream and fish sauce. 

Remove the meatballs, add chopped fried spring rolls and it’s Cambodia’s banh sung, which is a rice noodle salad similar to Vietnam’s bún chả giò :) 

Recipe here: (link in bio) https://grantourismotravels.com/vietnamese-meatballs-and-rice-noodles-recipe/

For more on these culinary connections you’ll have to wait for our Cambodian cookbook and culinary history. In a hurry to know? Come support the project on Patreon. (link in bio)

#recipe #recipes #vietnamesefood #cambodianfood #asianfood #southeastasianfood #ricenoodles #rice #noodlebowl #meatballs #igfood #igfoodie #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood  #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #writingacookbook #writingacambodiancookbook #patreon #patreoncreator #grantourismo
It is pure coincidence that Pepper’s eye colour It is pure coincidence that Pepper’s eye colour matches the furnishings of our rented apartment. So, no, I did not colour-coordinate the interiors to match our cat’s eyes. 

I keep getting DMs from pet clothing brands wanting to “partner” with Pepper and send her free cat clothes and cat accessories. Although she did wear a kerchief for a few years in her more adventurous fashion-forward teenage years, I cannot see this cat in clothes now, can you? 

#pepper #blackcat #blackcats #blackcatsofinstagram #blackcatsrule #blackcatsmatter #cat #cats #catsofinstagram #catstagram #catlover #catlovers #catlove #catoftheday #catphoto #catpic #catpics #cambodiancat #cambodiancatsofinstagram #catlife #catloversclub #catoftheday #catgram #catstagram #cats_of_instagram #catphotography #catsofig #catsoftheworld #catsofinsta #cats🐱 #siemreap #cambodia

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