Phnom Penh Festivals on a Budget: 3 to Plan For
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Phnom Penh’s festival calendar, 3 dates worth planning around
Phnom Penh runs on a handful of major festivals rather than a packed year-round calendar, and each one reshapes the city, and its hotel prices, for a few days. Here’s what’s actually on the calendar for 2026, and what to expect if your dates line up.
Khmer New Year (Chaul Chnam Thmey), 14-16 April 2026
The biggest family holiday of the year, marking the end of the harvest season. Expect many businesses to close or run reduced hours as locals travel to see family, and a quieter city center than usual outside the temples, which see heavier visits for offerings and blessings during these three days. Dress modestly if you’re visiting a pagoda during this window, and expect crowds at any temple you do visit.
Pchum Ben, 10-12 October 2026
A 15-day observance culminating in these final days, when Cambodians pay respects to ancestors by offering food to monks on their behalf. Pagodas get busy and traditional Khmer treats appear at markets around the city. This falls during the wettest part of the year, September-October, so plan around rain as much as the crowds when you’re timing a visit.
Water Festival (Bon Om Touk), approximately 23-26 November 2026
Phnom Penh’s single biggest event, marking the end of the rainy season with illuminated boat races on the Mekong at Sisowath Quay. This turns the riverside into the busiest it gets all year, book accommodations well ahead if your trip lines up with these dates, and expect the promenade itself to be dense with both locals and visitors well into the evening.
Temple etiquette during any festival
Whichever of these you catch, the same basics apply at any pagoda: shoulders and knees covered, shoes off before entering, and quiet, unobtrusive behavior inside. Ask before photographing monks, and don’t point your feet toward a Buddha image. A small donation is appropriate if you’re offered something at a ceremony, but it isn’t required of visitors.
Planning around the calendar
If avoiding crowds matters more than catching an event, target the weeks between these three dates. If you want the spectacle, the Water Festival is the one worth building a trip around, it’s Phnom Penh’s most distinctly local event and not something replicated at this scale anywhere else in the country.
Read more: the main Phnom Penh guide has the rest of the city’s marquee list, and the travel tips guide covers the practical basics for any time of year.