Phnom Penh in 2 Days: City Core on a Budget

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2 days: the royal core, then the memorial half-day

Two days is enough for Phnom Penh’s essential list, the Royal Palace and National Museum on Day 1, the Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek memorials on Day 2. Budget $25-40 a day shoestring or $50-90 mid-range. Want more time for day trips? See the 4-day itinerary .

Book these before you go

  • Your e-visa (evisa.gov.kh, about $36) and e-Arrival Card (arrival.gov.kh), both before departure
  • A PassApp or Grab account loaded for tuk-tuk rides, it fixes the fare and skips the haggling
  • Crisp, unmarked US dollar bills, torn or old notes get refused at shops and ticket counters alike

Day 1: Royal Palace, museum, riverside

Morning, visit the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda (about $10), shoulders and knees covered or you won’t get in. Walk over to the National Museum (about $10) for the region’s best Khmer art. Afternoon, browse Central Market’s Art Deco dome, free to walk. Evening, eat at Friends (215 Street 13) or grab street food along Sisowath Quay, then walk the riverside for sunset at the actual Tonle Sap-Mekong confluence.

Day 1 real costs: Royal Palace ~$10, National Museum ~$10, tuk-tuks ~$5-8 total, dinner ~$6-10.

Keep your palace and museum tickets, guards sometimes check them again near the exit.

Day 2: Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek

Morning, Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21), $5 admission plus about $5 for the audio guide, worth it. Allow 2 hours; it’s a heavy, graphic visit and deserves an unhurried one. Take a tuk-tuk (about 30-45 minutes) to Choeung Ek Killing Fields for the afternoon, $6 including the audio guide, and allow another 1.5-2 hours. Evening, decompress with a quiet riverside dinner rather than more sightseeing.

Day 2 real costs: Tuol Sleng ~$10 with audio guide, tuk-tuk to Choeung Ek ~$10-15 round trip, Choeung Ek ~$6, dinner ~$6-10.

Give yourself space after Choeung Ek, don’t schedule anything demanding right after, most visitors want a quiet evening.