Cambodia in 10 days: Angkor, Phnom Penh and Kampot

Three bases, with Phnom Penh booked twice

The dated example runs 16–25 November 2026. Sleep in Siem Reap 16–20 November, Phnom Penh 20–22 November, Kampot 22–24 November, then Phnom Penh 24–25 November. That is four plus two plus two plus one: nine nights, with departure on the tenth day. There is no island stop between the river stay and the flight.

Choose a central Siem Reap room for two temple drives and an easier town day. In Phnom Penh, use the same central area for both stays; the bus returns to Road 106, not to your hotel. Stay near Kampot’s riverfront for the two nights, with separate road pickups for the pepper farm and the paddle tour.

The priced city rooms below are Mad Monkey private doubles, which sleep two and have ensuite bathrooms. Both properties describe a social party-hostel setting. In Kampot, Rikitikitavi’s Double Room sleeps two adults and includes breakfast; the hotel publishes no rate for 22–24 November, so ask it for a price before you book.

On 15 October 2026, the UK FCDO advised against all but essential travel within 20 km of Cambodia’s land border with Thailand; Germany warned against travel within 20 km, and France formally advised against travel within 30 km on the Cambodian side. France’s Thailand advice uses 50 km on the Thai side. Our routes keep at least 50 km from the border and use flights from Bangkok; the land crossings are closed. Check your own government’s advice before booking.

Days 1–4: arrive in Siem Reap and give Angkor two full days

On 15 October 2026, Siem Reap Airport Bus listed US$8 each way between Siem Reap Angkor International Airport and its town stop on 7 Makara Road in front of ACE School. The airport counter is on the left after leaving arrivals. Book on the operator’s website. The airport operator places SAI 50 km from Siem Reap provincial town; this is an airport-location figure, not a timed bus journey. The budget uses Royal Angkor Tours’ US$45 one-way SAI–hotel car for 1–3 passengers, booked through its own online form or WhatsApp. It operates 24/7 and allows one large bag, a carry-on and a small bag or backpack per person; cancellation is free until 48 hours before pickup.

Angkor Wat is a temple mountain inside a moat, with galleries rising towards its central towers and bas-reliefs along its walls. Bayon, in Angkor Thom, changes the scale: its towers carry the smiling stone faces for which it is known. Ta Prohm has largely unrestored ruins with trees and vegetation growing among the stonework, making a different setting from Angkor Wat’s temple mountain. Keep these together on the first temple day rather than spending the trip crossing town between separate short tours.

On the second temple day, Preah Khan gives you successive galleries around a Buddhist sanctuary, with vegetation growing among the largely unrestored ruins. Banteay Srei is smaller and richly carved in red sandstone. Angkor Enterprise places it 25 km north-east of the main temple group, so include it in the booked circuit rather than adding an unplanned last-minute drive.

Angkor Friendly Driver publishes a Small Circuit Option 1 with a private SUV for US$50 per vehicle, up to three passengers, and a Big Circuit with Banteay Srei, Option 2, for US$65 in the same vehicle category. Both fit two adults. These prices include the driver, air-conditioned vehicle, parking, fuel, water and towels; a temple guide, meals and the Angkor pass are separate. Book the options by name on the operator’s site.

On 15 October 2026, Angkor Enterprise listed an Angkor pass at US$37 for one day, US$62 for three visiting days with expiry in seven days, or US$72 for seven visiting days with expiry in 30 days.

Buy your Angkor pass on Angkor Enterprise’s official website, select the pass and visit date, enter the quantity and nationality, and pay by credit or debit card or KHQR. Save the emailed e-ticket; digital and printed copies are accepted at entry.

On 15 October 2026, Angkor Enterprise listed Angkor Wat at 05:00–17:30, Bayon at 07:30–17:30 and Phnom Bakheng at 05:00–19:00.

Banteay Srei’s own official listing gives 07:30–17:30, and Preah Khan 07:00–18:30. Cover shoulders and knees at the temples, and stay on marked visitor paths. The three-day pass costs less than two separate one-day passes, so it suits these two full visiting days even if you use day 4 for the town.

On the slower town day, browse Phsar Chas, the Old Market, for traditional items and souvenirs, then explore Alley West for small contemporary galleries and boutiques. Put these between breakfast at SPOONS and dinner rather than adding another long road excursion; leave purchases outside the priced meal model.

• Day 1 — Monday 16 November: arrive at SAI and take the prebooked Royal Angkor Tours car directly to your room. Have a Khmer meal in town. Night 1: Siem Reap.
• Day 2 — Tuesday 17 November: the Small Circuit with Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and Bayon, then Ta Prohm. The operator gives a 04:30 or 05:00 hotel pickup depending on season and a finish around 16:00; settle the actual pickup when booking. Night 2: Siem Reap.
• Day 3 — Wednesday 18 November: Big Circuit Option 2, including Preah Khan and Banteay Srei. The published hotel pickup is 08:30 and the finish around 17:00. Lunch is extra. Night 3: Siem Reap.
• Day 4 — Thursday 19 November: breakfast at SPOONS, browse Phsar Chas and Alley West at an easy pace, then dinner and packing for the bus. Night 4: Siem Reap.

Days 5–6: the capital, with a full day between buses

For Friday 20 November, Giant Ibis’s 08:45–14:45 Siem Reap → Phnom Penh service was US$17 per seat. Add its US$1 per-person online payment charge: US$36 for two. Board Behind Old Stadium, Khmer Pub Street and arrive at Road 106, Sangkat Doun Penh, Khan Doun Penh, by the Night Market. The scheduled journey is six hours. Giant Ibis lists Mad Monkey on Sivatha Road as a pickup partner, while the room in this plan is on Rose Apple Road. Book the hotel-to-terminal ride separately unless Giant Ibis accepts your hotel address for its complimentary pickup; no operator publishes a fare for that ride, so it is not included in the budget. Reach the terminal by 08:10 for the 08:45 departure. From Road 106, use the Phnom Penh car package in the budget to reach the hotel.

Give the Royal Palace the first part of the full capital day. Its Khmer roofs, gilding and gardens are the setting for the Throne Hall, Chan Chaya Pavilion and Silver Pagoda. It is a royal residence, so only part is open to visitors. Cambodia Tourism Board lists public visiting sessions of 08:00–11:00 and 14:00–17:00, with $10 admission for international tourists. Use the entrance ticket counters and dress respectfully. Ask there about access changes for royal ceremonies; the plan uses the ordinary morning visitor session.

In the afternoon, visit Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, the memorial site of the Khmer Rouge’s S-21 detention and interrogation centre. Its displays preserve evidence of that history; keep the evening quiet afterwards. The museum lists daily opening 08:00–17:00, foreign-adult admission for ages 18 and over at US$5, and a non-Cambodian audio guide at US$5. Buy admission at its entrance on Street 113, corner of Street 350; it accepts cash in riel or US dollars.

For Phnom Penh ground journeys, book Grab Rent instantly in the Grab app: a four-seat car costs KHR65,000 for two hours, and a three-seat tuk-tuk KHR90,000 for eight hours or KHR50,000 for four hours. The model uses separate two-hour car packages for the 20 November terminal arrival, 22 November terminal departure and 24 November terminal arrival; an eight-hour tuk-tuk on the Palace/Tuol Sleng day; and four hours for the National Museum outing. Fuel and driver are included; tolls, parking and overtime are extra. Stay within Phnom Penh city and finish each package by 20:00; confirm luggage space for the car rides. These packages are booked when needed, with no advance reservation.

• Day 5 — Friday 20 November: take the 08:45 bus to Phnom Penh, transfer to the room and leave the afternoon for settling in and a riverfront walk. Night 5: Phnom Penh.
• Day 6 — Saturday 21 November: Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda in the morning, lunch, then Tuol Sleng with its audio guide. Night 6: Phnom Penh.

Days 7–8: Kampot pepper in the morning, the river in the afternoon

For Sunday 22 November, Giant Ibis’s date results listed Phnom Penh → Kampot at 05:00, 08:00 and 13:30, each scheduled for four hours and US$10 per seat. Choose 08:00–12:00 for this plan: US$22 for two including online charges. It uses the Road 106 terminal in Phnom Penh and Street 724 near ABA Bank in Kampot. Departures differ by date, so book the result for your travel date. The Kampot hotel ride from Street 724 has no published fare and is not included in the budget.

At La Plantation, the Farm Tour goes through the pepper and spice plantation and fruit garden, followed by a tasting. Reassembled traditional Khmer wooden houses add another reason to look beyond the rows of pepper. Its November instructions require a visiting slot booked through its website. The farm opens daily 09:00–18:00, with the last visit at 16:00; its restaurant serves breakfast and lunch 07:00–15:00. Cambodia Tourism Board describes the guided walking tour and tasting as free, with paid private tours separate, and places the farm approximately 20 km east of Kampot town. Choose the ordinary guided farm visit for this plan.

For the river, SUP Asia’s River Discovery Tour starts and finishes at Champa Lodge, with palm groves and a fishing village along a calm stretch of water. The shared tour costs US$20 per person, takes two hours, and accepts one to six people. Choose the 15:30 daily session, common to the operator’s tour text and booking form, and book through the form. It provides life jackets; it advises non-swimmers to choose a private lesson and tour instead.

Champa Lodge is 5 km from Kampot centre and gives tuk-tuk access from the town. Ask Rikitikitavi to arrange one driver for hotel → La Plantation → Champa Lodge → hotel, with a morning farm reservation and arrival at Champa Lodge by 15:00 for the 15:30 paddle. La Plantation does not publish how long the Farm Tour takes, and no operator publishes a fare for this driver route, so agree the price and the farm end time with the driver. The ride is not included in the US$20 paddle ticket or in the budget.

• Day 7 — Sunday 22 November: the 08:00 bus to Kampot, hotel check-in and an unhurried afternoon by the river. Try a Kampot-pepper dish at dinner. Night 7: Kampot.
• Day 8 — Monday 23 November: the reserved morning guided Farm Tour and tasting, lunch, then the 15:30 SUP Asia River Discovery Tour from Champa Lodge. Night 8: Kampot.

Days 9–10: return to Phnom Penh, then fly from Techo

For Tuesday 24 November, Giant Ibis’s Kampot → Phnom Penh results listed 08:30–12:30 and 13:30–17:30 at US$10 per seat, plus 19:00–23:00 at US$12. Choose 08:30–12:30, or US$22 for two with online charges. Board on Street 724 and return to Road 106, then continue to your final Phnom Penh room. The Kampot hotel ride to Street 724 has no published fare and is not included in the budget.

The afternoon is for the National Museum of Cambodia, whose sculpture, ceramics and ethnographic objects cover the pre-Angkorian, Angkorian and later periods. It opens daily 08:00–17:00, with last ticket sales at 16:30. Foreign visitors aged 18 and over pay US$10. Photography is not allowed inside the galleries, but the exterior and courtyard may be photographed.

Techo International Airport (KTI) is the departure airport on day 10. Its own transport page places it approximately 20 km south of Phnom Penh city centre. Book Royal Angkor Tours’ one-way city–KTI car for 1–3 passengers: US$35 base plus its US$20 KTI surcharge = US$55 per car. Use its own online form or WhatsApp, give the flight and hotel, and agree the departure pickup time. This is the operator’s departure fare, separate from the airport’s arrival-direction taxi estimate.

• Day 9 — Tuesday 24 November: the 08:30 bus back to Phnom Penh, the hotel and the National Museum in the afternoon. Keep this last night even if an earlier flight looks cheaper. Night 9: Phnom Penh.
• Day 10 — Wednesday 25 November: check out and take the separately booked hotel-to-KTI ride for the flight. The plan does not put a Kampot bus before the flight on this day.

Five Khmer dishes across the three stays

The meal stops follow the route: noodle breakfast and saraman in Siem Reap, fish amok in Phnom Penh, then pork rice and pepper-sauce beef in Kampot. The restaurant menus price real dishes, not a national daily food allowance. Use the included Kampot hotel breakfast where it suits you, and leave a meal break outside each bus journey.

SPOONS serves breakfast 07:00–11:00 daily. Rikitikitavi’s menu lists bai sait chrouk, barbecue-pork rice with an omelette and pickled vegetables, at US$4.25, and its pepper-sauce beef loc lac at US$8.75. Tell each restaurant about allergies before ordering.

Ten-day budget for two adults: published prices

Prices checked on 15 October 2026, for two adult foreign visitors sharing double rooms on 16–25 November 2026. Every amount in the total is published by the hotel, operator or attraction: US$827.98 + KHR335,000, with currencies kept separate and not converted. Seven city room nights are included; the two Kampot nights are listed under “not included” below.

The city rooms sleep two and are priced per room at each hotel’s own dated rate for the room type. Room taxes and breakfast are not included unless the hotel says otherwise. Rikitikitavi’s Double Room accommodates two adults and includes breakfast, but the hotel publishes no rate for 22–24 November.

The two temple-car prices cover a private vehicle for the pair, not two seats charged separately. A temple guide and meals are excluded from those cars. The river price is the shared tour that two people can join, not a private group minimum.

Not included: both Kampot room nights at Rikitikitavi; the hotel-to-terminal ride in Siem Reap unless Giant Ibis accepts your hotel for free pickup; the Kampot rides between Street 724 and your hotel; the hotel–farm–Champa Lodge–hotel driver; Grab tolls, parking and overtime; room taxes and breakfast where not stated; meals other than the five dishes below; restaurant tax and service; flights, visas, tips and shopping. A temple guide is also excluded. The ordinary guided farm visit and tasting are free; a paid private tour or cooking class would change the total.

• City rooms, seven nights: Siem Reap Mad Monkey Superior Double, 16–20 November, US$105.50 for four nights; Phnom Penh Mad Monkey Standard Double, 20–22 November, US$70 for two nights; the same room category, 24–25 November, US$33 for one night. Priced room subtotal: US$208.50. Rikitikitavi’s two Kampot nights are not included.
• Airport cars and three buses: Royal Angkor Tours SAI–hotel car US$45; Siem Reap–Phnom Penh US$36; Phnom Penh–Kampot US$22; Kampot–Phnom Penh US$22; Royal Angkor Tours city–KTI car US$55. Subtotal: US$180, including online charges for both passengers on all three buses.
• Phnom Penh local ground: three separate two-hour Grab Rent car packages at KHR65,000 = KHR195,000; day-6 eight-hour tuk-tuk KHR90,000; day-9 four-hour tuk-tuk KHR50,000. Total: KHR335,000, before tolls, parking or overtime. These city-only packages do not cover KTI or any Kampot ride.
• Angkor passes and cars: 2 × US$62 = US$124; Small Circuit private SUV US$50 + Big Circuit Option 2 private SUV US$65 = US$115. Subtotal: US$239.
• Capital visits: Royal Palace 2 × $10 = $20; Tuol Sleng 2 × (US$5 admission + US$5 audio guide) = US$20; National Museum 2 × US$10 = US$20. Capital admissions subtotal: US$60.
• Kampot river and farm: 2 × US$20 = US$40 for the shared SUP Asia River Discovery Tour; ordinary La Plantation guided farm walk and tasting free. The farm and river road transfers are not included.
• Selected meals for the pair: SPOONS num banh chok 2 × US$3.50 = US$7; SPOONS beef saraman 2 × US$8.99 = US$17.98; Malis Phnom Penh fish amok 2 × US$16 = US$32; Rikitikitavi pepper loc lac 2 × US$8.75 = US$17.50; Malis Phnom Penh beef lok lak 2 × US$13 = US$26. Subtotal: US$100.48. Tax and service are not included.
• Arithmetic: US$208.50 city rooms + US$180 airport and intercity transport + US$239 Angkor + US$60 capital admissions + US$40 river + US$100.48 selected meals = US$827.98, plus KHR335,000 Phnom Penh local packages.

Tickets and arrival documents to settle before travelling

Book Giant Ibis directly on its website, choose your departure and seat, and check the fare for your date before paying.

Giant Ibis accepts electronic tickets and asks passengers to arrive at the terminal 35 minutes before departure. Show the ticket or valid identification to board. Its baggage allowance is one carry-on and up to two stored pieces with a 25 kg stored-luggage limit; heavier luggage may cost more. Hotel pickup applies only to listed partner properties, arranged with a ticket bought a day ahead; be in the lobby one hour before departure. There is no hotel drop-off service.

Tickets are non-refundable, with one exchange allowed within a year, requested at least 24 hours before departure; the FAQ limits a free change to a route at the same or a lower price. Keep the terminal addresses with the hotel bookings so the local driver does not take you to another company’s station.

For SAI arrival, the airport bus’s published departures to town were 09:30, 11:00, 12:30, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 17:30, 19:00, 20:00 and 22:00. Its town stop offers free onward drop-off to hotels within 2 km; a hotel outside that area needs its own ride quote. No operator or official page publishes the bus journey time, and the airport lists SAI 50 km from Siem Reap provincial town. The plan uses the priced direct hotel car described on day 1.

For arrival by air, complete Cambodia e-Arrival even if you already have a visa. Submission is free and opens seven days before arrival; the immigration department also permits submission on arrival.