5-Day Cambodia Tour: Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Angkor Wat

On arrival at Phnom Penh International Airport, you will complete immigration and collect your luggage before walking toward the exit gate. A tour representative will meet you there with a sign showing your surname and arrange your transfer into Phnom Penh.

After check-in at your 3 or 4 star hotel, the rest of the day is free. This is a sensible time to rest after your flight, settle into the city, and organize anything you need for the days ahead. Phnom Penh can feel busy at first, especially around the riverfront and central streets, so keep your first afternoon simple if you are arriving after a long journey.

No sightseeing is scheduled today, which gives you flexibility if your flight arrives later than expected. You may spend the evening near your hotel or simply use the time to recharge before tomorrow’s full city tour. Overnight in Phnom Penh.

After breakfast, around 8:30 am, you will be picked up from your hotel. Begin in Phnom Penh at the Royal Palace, the official royal compound, then continue beside it to the Silver Pagoda, known for its collection of Buddha images and ceremonial objects.

Next, visit the National Museum, recognizable for its red Khmer-style building and collection of Cambodian sculpture and artifacts. Lunch is included during the day. You then pass the Independence Monument, built to mark Cambodia’s independence from French rule, before traveling outside the city center to Cheung Ek.

The afternoon addresses Cambodia’s recent past. At Cheung Ek, the memorial and former mass-grave site provide important context for the Khmer Rouge period. Continue to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, also called S-21, a former school used as a prison under the regime. These visits can be difficult, but they give necessary perspective before you continue onward to Siem Reap. Overnight in Phnom Penh.

After breakfast and check-out, you will be transferred from your hotel in Phnom Penh to the bus station for your express-bus journey to Siem Reap. The road transfer takes approximately six hours, with Cambodia’s towns, fields, roadside stalls, and everyday traffic passing outside your window.

This is a travel day rather than a sightseeing day, so plan for a slower pace. Keep your essentials with you for the journey, including water, a light layer for air conditioning, and anything you may want during the ride. The transfer is a useful transition between the capital’s modern history and the temple region around Siem Reap.

On arrival, you will be transferred to your 3 or 4 star hotel for check-in. The remainder of the afternoon and evening is free. Use the time to rest, find a nearby dinner spot, or prepare for tomorrow’s full day among the temples of Angkor. Overnight in Siem Reap.

After breakfast, around 8:30 am, you will be picked up from your hotel. Start at Angkor Thom, the walled royal city associated with King Jayavarman VII, and continue to the face towers of Bayon Temple. You will then stop at the Terrace of the Leper King and the nearby Terrace of the Elephants.

Continue to Baphuon, an 11th-century temple within the Angkor Thom area. Lunch is included during the tour. In the afternoon, visit Ta Prohm, where large tree roots and stone structures meet in ways that make the site’s conservation work easy to see. Paths can be uneven here, so comfortable walking shoes matter.

Finish at Angkor Wat, the central temple of the day and the best place to take time with its long galleries, towers, and carefully planned layout. Your guide helps make sense of the order of the temples and the periods they represent, rather than treating each stop as separate. Return to Siem Reap after sightseeing. Overnight in Siem Reap.

After breakfast, check out from your hotel in Siem Reap. Your departure transfer will be arranged according to your onward flight schedule, allowing time for the journey to Siem Reap Angkor International Airport and airport procedures.

No touring is planned today. Keep your passport, travel documents, and any items needed during the flight in your hand luggage before leaving the hotel. If your departure is later in the day, you can use your remaining time independently, subject to your travel arrangements and hotel check-out timing.

Your Cambodia arrangements conclude with the transfer to the airport for your onward flight. Breakfast is included today; other meals and activities are not scheduled as part of the itinerary.