Phnom Penh visitor route

Eight stops in and around the capital. The route starts where the Tonle Sap and the Bassac meet the Mekong, passes the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda, the National Museum and Wat Phnom, goes out to the old royal capital of Oudong, and ends at two memorials to the victims of the Khmer Rouge. Travel to Cambodia has the practical side of a visit.

Start at stop 1: Phnom PenhFollow in the Explorer

Illustration, as an impression, of the Throne Hall of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh.

1. 1

   Phnom Penh

   The capital, where the Tonle Sap and the Bassac meet the Mekong; its name comes from Daun Penh and the hill she raised.

2. 2

   Royal Palace (Phnom Penh)

   The King's residence on the riverfront, founded in the 1860s when Norodom moved the capital from Oudong; its main halls date from 1913 to 1919.

3. 3

   Silver Pagoda

   Its popular name comes from the 5,329 silver tiles on its floor; it is the royal temple of the Royal Palace.

4. 4

   National Museum of Cambodia

   Cambodia's main museum of Khmer art, designed by George Groslier and opened at Khmer New Year in 1920.

5. 5

   Wat Phnom

   The temple on the hill that gave the city its name; its present main building dates from 1926.

6. 6

   Oudong

   The royal capital from the early 17th century to the 1860s; its hill carries the stupas of past kings.

7. 7

   Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

   A high school built in 1962 that the Khmer Rouge turned into the S-21 prison; it is preserved as a memorial to its victims.

8. 8

   Choeung Ek

   A memorial on the outskirts of Phnom Penh built over the mass graves of a former orchard; part of a UNESCO World Heritage property since 2025.

End of the trail

The eight stops cover the capital from the legend of its founding, through the palace and museum of the early 20th century, to the memorials of the Khmer Rouge years.

Follow in the ExplorerStart again at stop 1: Phnom Penh

Other trails through these places

• Capital to Angkor visitor route Place trail · 6 stops · shares 2