The capital of Cambodia! If you find yourself in Phnom Penh, there’s a chance that, like us, you’re using it as a gateway to somewhere else in South East Asia. It is still worth a day or two of your time though. There are a number of things to do in the city, and the good news is it’s very budget friendly. Here are some wonderful Phnom Penh activities to do in the city to keep you entertained, without breaking the bank!
Note: Cambodia uses the US dollar as one of its official currencies. All of the prices used in this blog post are in USD.
The Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda
Royal Palace cost: $10
The Royal Palace is where the king of Cambodia lives and it is a beautiful building!
Silver Pagoda cost: $3 plus an extra $2 to take photos inside
The Silver Pagoda is inside the Royal Palace and also has a small entry fee. If you do choose to go inside the Palace and the Pagoda, remember to wear pants that cover the knees and shirts that cover the arms and shoulders. While these buildings do have entry fees, they’re wonderful to look at from outside too if you’re on a tight budget! You can take some great pictures from the grass outside them for no cost at all!
Phnom Penh Night Market
Cost: Free to visit
This market is only open from 5-11pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights so unfortunately we weren’t able to visit. However it would be a great way to experience some local culture and have a look around at the various stalls selling food, local goods, flowers, jewellery and accessories! Also, don’t forget to take cash as most stalls don’t accept card, as is the same with most places in Phnom Penh.
National Museum
Cost: $10 (the grounds are free)
The National Museum of Cambodia is just around the corner from the Royal Palace and is well worth a visit if you can swing the entry fee. We bought tickets on arrival but check out their website here for more information. It holds a variety of artefacts from different areas of the country throughout its history. If you want to avoid paying for activities, no worries! You can walk into the grounds for free and marvel at the beautiful building from the outside.
Central Market
Cost: Free to visit
If you want to really immerse yourself in the local Cambodian culture, the Central Market is the place to go. It is absolutely bustling with people selling everything from jewellery, flowers and produce and honestly is a bit overwhelming. But it’s worth it even for just a short visit!
Sisowath Quay
Cost: Free
This is a beautiful walk along the river that goes past the Royal Palace. It also goes past many shops and cafes and is a really nice place to stroll along if you’ve got a spare hour or two.
Statue of Sihanouk Norodom and the Independence Monument
Cost: Both free
The statue is to commemorate a former king and the monument was built in 1958 to celebrate Cambodias independence from France in 1953. These are located opposite each other and are two mighty looking buildings that are well worth a visit while in Phnom Penh.
Watch our YouTube video on Phnom Penh here to see everything we got up to during our visit to the city:
So there you go! Not too much to do but also enough to keep you interested for a day or two. It’s a very interesting city so if you go, let us know what you thought!
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