I had been keen to return to Cambodia for years. I made a brief visit to Siem Reap 15 years ago but didn’t feel like I got to experience the true Cambodia. So when I was invited to attend the GX World Community Tourism Summit by G Adventures I leapt at the chance. G Adventures, brought me out for their Summit, but most of what I did can be experienced on G Adventures tours. What I came home with is a five-day itinerary that covers the best of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, with temples, markets, some seriously good food and a lot of community projects that let you meet the people behind them.
Disclosure: G Adventures covered all of my costs on this trip, including flights and hotels. All opinions are my own.
5 Day Cambodia Itinerary at a Glance
- Day 1, Phnom Penh: Arrive, check in to the Rosewood, explore Central Market and Street 240, then visit Wat Phnom.
- Day 2, Phnom Penh: River cruise to Silk Island, S-21 (Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum), the Royal Palace, and drinks and dinner at the Rosewood.
- Day 3, Phnom Penh to Siem Reap: Stop at the pre-Angkor temples of Sambor Prei Kuk for a community lunch, then on to the Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor.
- Day 4, Siem Reap: Sunrise at Angkor Wat by tuk-tuk, lunch at Spoons, a boat trip through the stilt village of Kampong Phluk, and dinner at Embassy.
- Day 5, Siem Reap: Ta Prohm and Bayon, shopping in Kandal Village and at Artisans Angkor, Pub Street, and an evening show at Phare Circus or with the Medha drummers.
Before You Go: Visas, Flights, Money and Weather
Visas. UK travellers need a visa for Cambodia, and my advice is to sort it out before you fly. Apply online through the official Cambodia e-Visa site and give yourself at least a few working days for approval. You also need to complete the free e-Arrival card in the seven days before you land. Stick to the official sites, as there are plenty of third-party sites that charge you extra for the same thing.
Flights from the UK. The most direct route I found was Thai Airways from London to Bangkok, then a short connecting flight from Bangkok to Phnom Penh. Phnom Penh now has a brand new airport, Techo International, which opened in September 2025. It is a really impressive place with loads of space and lots to offer, and from there it was about a 45-minute drive into town. You can then fly home from Siem Reap, which also has a big, modern new airport.
Money. US dollars are used everywhere in Cambodia, and I paid for most things in dollars. You will often get your change in Cambodian riel, which is perfect for tipping. I could use cards in some places in both cities, but bring plenty of cash, particularly for Siem Reap, where a lot of places only take cash.
Getting around. Download Grab before you go. You can use it to order tuk-tuks and taxis, and even food delivery to your hotel room. I loved taking tuk-tuks everywhere. They are cheap, breezy and a great way to see the city.
Weather. I visited in September, which is the rainy season. The rain was full on, but it came and went all day, so there were plenty of clear spells in between. Wet weather gear is essential. A light waterproof jacket did me well as it is still humid.
What to wear. At temples and the Royal Palace you need to cover your knees and shoulders, so pack light trousers or long skirts and something to throw over your shoulders.
Day 1: Arrive in Phnom Penh
Check in to the Rosewood Phnom Penh
I absolutely loved my stay at the Rosewood Phnom Penh. The hotel takes up the top 14 floors of Vattanac Capital Tower, the city’s tallest building, so the views are something else. I was on the 28th floor, with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over Phnom Penh, which was a fantastic way to get a sense of the city on my first day.
My room was massive. The design is simple and dark, and I had my own lounge area with a full sofa and a table. The bed was one of the most comfortable I have ever been lucky enough to sleep in. The bathroom had a lovely mosaic floor, a walk-in shower, a separate toilet and a sliding door by the bath, so you could lie in the tub looking out into the room or close it off for privacy.
One of my favourite parts of the Rosewood was the pool and spa on the 33rd floor. The indoor lap pool is 22 metres long and has huge windows, so you swim with the city spread out below you. All around the pool are big, comfy loungers, which made it a very relaxing place to hang out. There is a full spa if you want treatments, but what I really enjoyed was walking down the hallway to the sauna and wellness area. There is a jacuzzi where you sit on a kind of steel couch with bubbles all around you, looking out at the city. Fantastic.
Check Prices and Availability for the Rosewood Phnom Penh
Central Market (Phsar Thmei)
Grab a tuk-tuk to Central Market, known locally as Phsar Thmei. It opened in 1937 and sits in a striking yellow Art Deco building with a huge dome in the middle. The dome is really beautiful, and the market itself is huge. I think you could find anything here!
Under the dome you will find jewellery, silverwork and souvenirs, with electronics and clothing too. Head round the sides and you get into the food, and you can buy any food item you can think of. We saw tarantulas, cockroaches and all sorts of insects for sale, blue crabs and a wet market. There are loads of stalls where you can sit down and eat. We picked one that seemed to specialise in chicken soup. It had a massive pot of stock on the go all the time, and the woman ladled it out and added vermicelli noodles and everything else. It cost us all of £2 for a big steaming bowl, and it was delicious.
The market is generally open from around 7am to 6pm, and entry is free.
Shopping on Street 240
Next, head to Street 240, a leafy street behind the Royal Palace lined with independent boutiques and cafés. I went into Elsewhere at number 54, which sells stylish locally made clothing, and I did buy some really nice clothes there. Along the street there are also a couple of boutique hotels with cafés open to non-guests, which are perfect for a coffee stop between shops.
Wat Phnom
Finish the day at Wat Phnom, the hilltop temple that gave the city its name. Legend says a woman called Lady Penh found Buddha statues in a tree trunk floating down the river in the 14th century and built a shrine for them on the hill, and Phnom Penh means “Penh’s Hill”. The current temple dates from 1926, and there is a statue of Lady Penh and a large stupa holding the ashes of King Ponhea Yat. Entry for foreign visitors is around US$1, plus a little more for the small museum. It is only a short tuk-tuk ride from the Rosewood and makes an easy first stop after a long flight.
Day 2: Silk Island, S-21 and the Royal Palace
Breakfast at Brasserie Louis
Make sure you leave time for breakfast at the Rosewood, because the breakfast at Brasserie Louis on the 35th floor is one of the best I have ever had in my life. You can order whatever you want off the menu, with proper dishes like eggs benedict and pancakes. Then there is the buffet. You walk in through the hotel’s Butterfly Patisserie, and honestly it looks like a French patisserie, with an amazing range of pastries. There is an omelette bar, loads of fresh fruit, granola and yoghurts, and fresh juices. I had mango. What I really loved was the dim sum, so I had dumplings and spring rolls for breakfast.
Cruise to Silk Island
We boarded a Crocodile River Cruise boat in downtown Phnom Penh, a classic teak-style boat, and headed up the river to Silk Island. The riverfront in Phnom Penh is the Tonlé Sap River, which joins the Mekong right in front of the city. What I really enjoyed about being on the water was sailing past the whole of Phnom Penh and seeing the mix of old temples and new high-rise skyscrapers side by side. It is great for photos too.
Silk Island, or Koh Dach, sits in the Mekong about 15km north of the city. Once you are dropped off, you hop in a tuk-tuk, and we went past lots of beautiful, colourful temples in pale blues, pinks and peaches. We also saw local zebu cattle, the funny-looking cows with low, floppy ears, which was a lovely glimpse of rural life.
Silk Island Community Centre
Our main stop was the Silk Island Community Centre, which supports around 330 women weavers, most of whom learned the craft from their mothers. It is a community tourism project supported by Planeterra, the non-profit arm of G Adventures. Planeterra was founded in 2003 by G Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip, and it does some awesome work. It helps local businesses in countries like Cambodia with things like interest-free loans and training for owners and staff, looking for projects that create opportunities for people or keep a local tradition alive. G Adventures then brings its travellers to experience them. Here, it is all about keeping silk weaving going and passing it down through families. Silk Island will be added to G Adventures tours in 2027.
We were taken through every step of making silk. It starts with the cocoons, which look like little pieces of gnocchi. They get boiled, and honestly it almost looks like a tasty stew. The women then pull threads out of the boiled cocoons and wind them onto a wheel. Next comes the dyeing, and the colours were amazing. Finally, we watched them work the wooden looms, turning the threads into throws, carpets and lengths of silk. You see the whole process from beginning to end.
There is a very nice café with high ceilings and fans, and of course a shop, which was full of beautiful silk wraps in every size you can think of.
S-21 (Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum)
In the afternoon we went to one of the darker sides of Cambodia’s history, the Khmer Rouge regime under Pol Pot. S-21 was a high school before it was turned into a prison, one of nearly 200 the regime ran across the country. Anyone taken to S-21 was generally not expected to survive. More than 18,000 prisoners have been identified, and it is estimated that around 20,000 people passed through.
It is a very sobering site. It is quite haunting, particularly when you see how incredibly small the cells were, and in Cambodia’s heat you can only imagine what that was like. There are signs showing the prison rules, such as answering every question and not pretending to be ignorant, and photos of the very small number of survivors. One of the last survivors, Chum Mey, has often been at the museum to share his story with visitors and sell his memoir. It was upsetting, but it is an important thing to do.
Entry is US$5 for adults, and the audio guide is well worth adding. The museum is generally open from 8am to 5pm.
The Royal Palace
Then we headed to the Royal Palace, which is really quite beautiful. It is a big complex. The main building is the golden-spired Throne Hall. A real surprise was the Napoleon III Pavilion, a grey-blue cast-iron building that was a gift from Napoleon III of France in 1876 and looks completely different to everything around it. Then there is the Silver Pagoda, properly Wat Preah Keo Morakot, whose floor is laid with more than 5,000 silver tiles. You can go inside the main buildings but you can’t take photos, so I only got the outside, but they are spectacular and well worth seeing.
Entry is around US$10 and includes the Silver Pagoda. The palace opens from 8am to 11am and from 2pm to 5pm, and it closes for royal functions, so check before you go. The visitor entrance is near Street 240, so you could easily combine the two. Remember to cover your knees and shoulders.
Drinks at Sora and Dinner at Brasserie Louis
That evening we went to Sora, the Rosewood’s bar on the 37th floor, which was super cool. I loved the ceiling, covered in silver mirrored balls. There is also an outdoor terrace, and although the weather was pretty grim, I went out to have a look and the views of the city were amazing. If the weather is better, you can sit out at the outdoor bar. It is very high-end and impressive, and in 2025 it became the first bar in Cambodia to make the Asia’s 50 Best Bars extended list. It opens daily from 5pm.
We then had dinner at Brasserie Louis. The hotel is very strong on sourcing locally, and this was one of the highlight meals of the trip. We had delicate ravioli-style parcels in a bone broth, beef rolled in a pasta sheet, and an amazing chocolate dessert.
Check Prices and Availability for the Rosewood Phnom Penh
Day 3: Phnom Penh to Siem Reap via Sambor Prei Kuk
Getting from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap
We travelled to Siem Reap by bus, stopping at Sambor Prei Kuk along the way, which made for a long but brilliant day. If you are travelling independently, you have a few options:
- Fly: the quickest option, at around 45 to 50 minutes in the air, but remember to allow for the transfers to and from both airports.
- Private car: takes roughly five to six hours and lets you stop at Sambor Prei Kuk on the way, which is what I would recommend.
- Bus: the cheapest option, taking about five to seven hours. Giant Ibis and Larryta are two of the well-reviewed operators.
Sambor Prei Kuk
Sambor Prei Kuk was the ancient capital of Isanapura, and its brick temples date back to the 7th century, around 500 years before Angkor Wat. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017 and is known for its intricate sandstone carvings and its octagonal temples, which are unique in Khmer architecture.
The temples are set in lush forest and spread over quite a wide area, split into three main groups: Prasat Sambor, Prasat Tao (the “lion temple”, named after the stone lions guarding its stairs) and Prasat Yeay Poeun. Compared to Angkor Wat, it is so quiet and peaceful, and you can just wander between the temples. It is far smaller than the whole Angkor complex, but you get more atmosphere and a better sense of what this place might have been like. There is moss everywhere, and nature feels like it is taking over. There were monkeys hanging out too, which was fun.
The highlight for me, and the image Sambor Prei Kuk uses in all its branding, is Prasat Chrei near the entrance, a temple that has been completely taken over by a tree. Its roots wrap right around the brickwork, and it is phenomenal.
Entry is US$10 for foreign visitors, and the site is open from around 7am to 5pm. Walking between all three groups is roughly 6 to 7km on flat forest trails, so wear good shoes.
Lunch with the Sambor Prei Kuk Community
On the way into the site we saw local people using old machines to shell cashew nuts, which was fascinating. Then we went to the Sambor Prei Kuk community tourism project, another Planeterra partner, where local families offer homestays so you can spend the night. We were treated to a spectacular Cambodian meal with lots of sticky rice, local desserts, amazing fruit and other local treats. This lunch is already part of several G Adventures tours.
Check in to the Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor
In Siem Reap we stayed at the Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, which was absolutely stunning. I had never stayed in a Raffles before, and it has that beautiful colonial feel. It opened in 1932 as Siem Reap’s first grand hotel, and guests over the years have included Charlie Chaplin, Charles de Gaulle and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The building is pure white and surrounded by huge gardens.
My room wasn’t as big as at the Rosewood, but it was stunning, with beautiful hardwood floors, two big double beds and a lovely rug. There was a big daybed in dark teak with gorgeous gold cushions, a ceiling fan, and an old-school telephone, which was a cute detail. The bathroom had a tub, really high-quality fittings and a window with blinds, so you could leave it open while you showered if you liked.
We had dinner at the hotel’s Café d’Angkor buffet, which was absolutely fantastic.
Check Prices and Availability for Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor
Day 4: Angkor Wat Sunrise, Spoons and Kampong Phluk
Sunrise at Angkor Wat with Tuk Tuk Lady
We got up at 4am for sunrise at Angkor Wat, and one of the highlights of the whole trip was being driven there by the women of Tuk Tuk Lady. It was started by Kim Sokleang, known as Ms Kim, a single mum who began driving a tuk-tuk in 2013 to support her two sons, at a time when there were hardly any women drivers. She moved to Siem Reap in 2015 and went on to set up a group of women drivers. For a lot of these women, it is a real opportunity. Driving a tuk-tuk is fun, and it lets them earn their own money. Planeterra has supported the group with training and mentoring and by connecting them with travel companies.
The women were so fun and friendly, and I love what they have done with their tuk-tuks. They are very feminine, and each one has its own little design details, like drink holders and small vases of fresh flowers on the side. You can book them through their website.
Because I was there in the rainy season, we didn’t get an amazing sunrise, but it was still pretty beautiful. The best spot for photos is in front of Angkor Wat by the reflecting pool on the left-hand side, which is definitely the place to get the classic shot. Then we went inside the main temple. You could easily spend hours walking around, and there are fantastic photo opportunities everywhere.
There are lots of stairs at Angkor Wat, but there is also plenty to see without climbing any.
Two tips: bring a tripod for shots of yourself from a distance, and wear bright colours, because they really stand out against the dark stone.
Angkor Pass: a one-day pass costs US37,athree-daypassUS62 and a seven-day pass US$72. Buy online at the official Angkor Enterprise site or at the ticket office. Angkor Wat opens at 5am for sunrise. If you buy your pass after 5pm the day before, it is valid the next day, so you skip the early-morning queue. You will need to cover your knees and shoulders here.
After sunrise, head back to your hotel with Tuk Tuk Lady for breakfast and a rest before the afternoon.
Lunch at Spoons
For lunch we went to Spoons, a training restaurant run by SPOONS Cambodia, a local non-profit that started life as EGBOK (“Everything’s Gonna Be OK”) in 2009. It gives young Cambodians from disadvantaged backgrounds training in hospitality, with around 75 students a year. It is also a Planeterra partner and will join G Adventures tours in 2027. Anyone can eat here, and I highly recommend you do.
There is gorgeous outdoor seating under a bamboo roof with ceiling fans. The food was phenomenal, and the level of detail was amazing, particularly with the colourful rice-based desserts. There are so many interesting Cambodian dishes to try, including crispy crickets and crispy silkworms, which are not what you normally get to eat. You will find Spoons on Bamboo Street in the Wat Damnak area. It hasn’t always opened every day, so check before you go.
Kampong Phluk Floating Village
In the afternoon we went to Kampong Phluk, another Planeterra community partner that will join G Adventures tours in 2027. It sits about 30km from Siem Reap on the edge of Tonlé Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. Every rainy season, the Mekong floods so much that the Tonlé Sap River reverses direction and the lake swells to several times its dry-season size. Tonlé Sap is incredibly important for Cambodia, providing around 60% of the country’s inland fish catch.
Because of the floods, the houses in Kampong Phluk are built on stilts that are six to ten metres high, and people use boats to get around. We went out on one of the bright blue boats and sailed through the village, so we could see the different houses and how people live. There are even restaurants you can stop at. If you moor the boat, someone will pull up in a little floating shop, like a 7-Eleven on a boat, selling food and drinks. Then we went right out to the edge of the lake, where there is nothing but water on the horizon. You can see why people sometimes call it an ocean. It made an excellent afternoon trip.
Dinner at Embassy
That night we had dinner at Embassy, a beautiful, high-end restaurant in Siem Reap’s French Quarter. It is led by chefs Kimsan Pol and Kimsan Sok, known as the “Kimsan Twins” even though they aren’t related, and the whole team, in the kitchen and front of house, is female. The room is stunning, with a beautiful ceiling and a little pond inside.
The set menu changes every month to follow the seasons. When I was there, we started with smoked grouper with green mango, which arrived under a glass dome that was lifted off with a flourish and lots of steam. Next was a sweet and sour duck soup with eggplant and jackfruit, then charcoal beef tongue with turnip and bamboo shoots, and a choco palm fruit cake for dessert. With all the theatre and sauces poured at the table, this was a proper high-end dining experience and really wonderful. Book ahead, as it fills up.
Day 5: Ta Prohm, Bayon and Siem Reap’s Best Shopping
Ta Prohm and Bayon
Use your Angkor Pass for a morning at two more of the temples. Ta Prohm is the one made famous by the Angelina Jolie film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. It was built in the late 12th century by King Jayavarman VII and has been left much as it was found, with enormous tree roots growing over the walls. Bayon, at the centre of the ancient city of Angkor Thom, is known for its towers carved with around 200 huge, calm smiling faces. The two temples are close together, so they fit easily into a morning. Go early to avoid the crowds and the heat.
Relax by the Raffles Pool
Back at the Raffles, I spent some time by the absolutely stunning pool, which is massive. There is a spa too, if you want a treatment after all that temple walking.
Check Prices and Availability for Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor
Made in Cambodia Market and Kandal Village
Our guides recommended the Made in Cambodia Market, a small market where everything is made by local people. It is on Oum Khun Street, just west of the Shinta Mani Angkor hotel, and opens from around midday.
From there we walked to Kandal Village, centred on Hap Guan Street, which was really cute. It is a mix of little shops with vintage jewellery and some really nice clothing stores, plus cafés for a break.
Artisans Angkor
Artisans Angkor is much more than a shop. It is a big complex with a beautiful lake, a café and a wonderful shop with the most beautiful designs. It was set up to give young Cambodians free training in traditional crafts, and you can watch the artisans at work carving stone and wood, lacquering and painting on silk. If you want to buy Cambodian-made pieces, this is the real thing.
Entry and the workshop tours are free, and there is a free shuttle out to its silk farm too.
Lunch at Angkor Hand-Pulled Noodles and Pub Street
For lunch we went to Angkor Hand-Pulled Noodles and Dumplings near the market in Siem Reap, where you can watch the noodles being pulled by hand. It was absolutely delicious and incredibly cheap, at about £3 for a bowl of noodles.
Then take a wander along Pub Street. It is famous, super touristy and a bit tacky, but you really do have to do it.
Evening: Phare Circus or Medha
For your last night, you have two great options. The first is Phare, The Cambodian Circus, a high-energy show combining theatre, music, dance and circus skills. The young performers trained at the Phare Ponleu Selpak arts school, and they were fantastic. Shows are at 8pm every night and last about an hour. There are no animals, and you can chat to the performers afterwards. Tickets in the best seats are US$38 for adults.
The second is Medha, Cambodia’s first all-female drum troupe, who perform with the support of Cambodian Living Arts. Drumming in Cambodia has traditionally been for men only, so these women are breaking new ground, and they are incredibly high-energy. I saw them perform during my trip, and you can catch their show, Forbidden Rhythms, at Bambu Stage in Siem Reap. Check their schedule before you go, as they don’t perform every night.
Heading Home
Siem Reap Angkor International Airport opened in October 2023 and is a really good, modern, big airport. It is about 50km from the city, so allow around an hour for the transfer.
Can You Do This Cambodia Itinerary with G Adventures?
Yes, much of it. G Adventures tours in Cambodia already include stops such as the Sambor Prei Kuk community lunch, and the Tuk Tuk Lady drivers feature on some of their trips. Silk Island, Spoons and Kampong Phluk are being added to G Adventures tours in 2027. If you prefer to travel independently, everything in this itinerary can also be booked on your own.
FAQs: 5 Day Cambodia Itinerary
Is five days enough for Cambodia?
Five days is enough to see the highlights of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, including the Royal Palace, S-21, Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm and Bayon, plus a stop at Sambor Prei Kuk on the way between the two cities. You won’t see everything, but you will get a real feel for the country.
Do UK citizens need a visa for Cambodia?
Yes. UK passport holders need a tourist visa. The easiest option is to apply online through the official e-Visa site, evisa.gov.kh, before you travel. You also need to complete the free e-Arrival card online in the seven days before you arrive.
What currency should I use in Cambodia?
US dollars are widely accepted and are what most visitors use. You will often get change in Cambodian riel, which is handy for tips. Cards are accepted in some places in the cities, but carry cash, especially in Siem Reap.
What is the best way to get from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap?
Flying is quickest at around 45 to 50 minutes. A private car takes around five to six hours and lets you stop at Sambor Prei Kuk on the way. Buses are the cheapest option and take around five to seven hours.
What should I wear to visit Angkor Wat and the Royal Palace?
Cover your knees and shoulders at temples and at the Royal Palace. Light, loose trousers or a long skirt and a top with sleeves work well in the heat. Bright colours also look great in photos against the dark stone of the temples.
Is September a good time to visit Cambodia?
September is the rainy season, so expect heavy downpours, but in my experience the rain came and went throughout the day with plenty of clear spells. Pack wet weather gear, and don’t expect a perfect Angkor Wat sunrise. The upside is lush green countryside and the floodwaters at Kampong Phluk at their highest.
Is Cambodia suitable for older travellers?
Yes. There are lots of stairs at Angkor Wat, but there is plenty to see without climbing. Sambor Prei Kuk involves flat walking on forest trails. The heat is the biggest challenge, so start early, take breaks in the middle of the day and use tuk-tuks to get around.
Amanda O’Brien is the creator and editor of The Boutique Adventurer. She has visited 80 countries and is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers as well as the IFTWTA. She is passionate about wine had has just completed Level 3 of the WSET. Born in Australia, she lives in London.