Cambodia transport: airports, buses, island boats and Vietnam

Four nights near Angkor, then two in the capital

Siem Reap → Phnom Penh is the main route. Four nights give Angkor visiting days without moving rooms; two in Phnom Penh leave a full day for the capital before the flight. Stay centrally in each city, rather than beside the airports. Keep the final Phnom Penh night even if an earlier bus looks as though it could connect with the flight.

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.

For the budget below, the dates are 16–20 November 2026 in Siem Reap and 20–22 November in Phnom Penh. Mad Monkey’s private double rooms are the priced examples; both properties describe a party-hostel atmosphere, so choose a quieter property if that does not suit you. The transport works with other central hotels.

• Day 1: arrive at SAI and take the prebooked Royal Angkor Tours car directly to the Siem Reap hotel. Night: Siem Reap.
• Days 2–4: three Angkor visiting days: Mad Monkey’s guided sunrise tour, then Angkor Friendly Driver’s Small Circuit Option 1 and Big Circuit Option 1 cars. Nights: Siem Reap.
• Day 6: the Royal Palace area and Tuol Sleng, with a four-hour city tuk-tuk package for the visits and Khmer meals between them. Night: Phnom Penh.
• Day 5: ride from your Siem Reap hotel to Giant Ibis’s Khmer Pub Street terminal, arriving by 08:10 for the 08:45–14:45 bus to Road 106, Phnom Penh, then take a Grab Rent car to the hotel. The ride from your hotel to the terminal has no published fare and is not included in the budget. Night: Phnom Penh.

SAI and KTI: two different airport journeys

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; no operator or official page publishes the shuttle’s journey time.

The airport-bus departures from SAI to Siem Reap town were 09:30, 11:00, 12:30, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 17:30, 19:00, 20:00 and 22:00. From town to SAI, they were 05:30, 07:00, 08:00, 10:00, 12:00, 13:30, 15:00, 16:00, 17:30 and 19:00. The operator offers a free drop-off from its town station to hotels within 2 km and a hotel-to-station tuk-tuk pickup advertised at US$2, with no charging unit stated.

For Phnom Penh, book flights to Techo International Airport (KTI), which took over major airline services from the old Phnom Penh airport in September 2025. From Bangkok, travel by air.

KTI to Phnom Penh city: Techo’s own transport page places the airport approximately 20 km south of the city centre. It names standard taxis and the apps Grab, WowNow and PassApp, with an approximate $10–20 airport-to-city fare, depending on the drop-off. Use the official taxi counter or an app quote for the destination. City to KTI: Royal Angkor Tours publishes a one-way car for 1–3 passengers at US$35 plus its US$20 KTI surcharge: US$55 per car. Its transfer covers the hotel or desired city location; book the pickup through its own online form or WhatsApp, specifying KTI and the flight time.

For arrivals outside the shuttle timetable, Royal Angkor Tours offers 24/7 prebooked SAI–Siem Reap hotel transfers at US$45 one way per car for 1–3 passengers. Book on its own website or WhatsApp. It allows one large bag, a carry-on and a small bag or backpack per person; cancellation is free until 48 hours before pickup. This direct-to-hotel car is the arrival service used in the model. The shuttle publishes no baggage allowance, so choose the car for bulky luggage. Allow separately for immigration, baggage collection and the road journey.

For a lower-cost city–KTI option, Cambodia Tourism Board lists the Airport Express Bus between Kouch Kanong Circle Bus Station and KTI, along Monivong Boulevard and Samdech Techo Hun Sen Boulevard. Its guide gives KHR1,500 one way, daily 05:30–23:30, with 50 minutes–1.5 hours off peak and 2–2.5 hours in rush hour. Pay with small cash or Bakong KHQR. The airport stop is a 5–10-minute walk through the terminal car park. The budget below uses the hotel-direct US$55 car instead.

Giant Ibis between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh

Giant Ibis’s published daytime schedule lists 08:45, 09:45 and 12:30 in each direction between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Its route guide describes Phnom Penh–Siem Reap as 320 km and six hours. Use the travel-date results for the actual service: for 20 November 2026, its Siem Reap → Phnom Penh search returned departures from 07:45 to 22:30, with scheduled journeys of five to six hours across the returned services. The daytime 08:45–14:45 Universe Luxury is the example for this plan.

For that 08:45 service, the published fare was US$17 per seat. Two seats plus the website’s US$1 per-passenger online payment charge give 2 × (US$17 + US$1) = US$36. The boarding point is Behind Old Stadium, Khmer Pub Street, Siem Reap; arrival is Road 106, Sangkat Doun Penh, Khan Doun Penh, Phnom Penh, by the Night Market. For the hotel ride, the budget uses Grab Rent’s two-hour city car package at KHR65,000, booked instantly in the Grab app; its four seats fit the pair.

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

Giant Ibis’s terms say to reach the terminal 35 minutes before departure. Electronic tickets are accepted; show the ticket or valid identification to board. Its baggage allowance is one carry-on and up to two pieces of stored luggage, with a 25 kg stored-luggage limit; excess luggage may cost more. Complimentary hotel pickup is only from listed partner properties, when arranged with tickets bought a day ahead: wait in the lobby one hour before departure. It is not offered for night buses, and the company does not provide hotel drop-offs. The ride from a Siem Reap hotel to the terminal has no published fare and is not included in the budget.

Tickets are non-refundable, with one exchange permitted within a year of purchase; contact the company at least 24 hours before departure. Its FAQ limits a free change to a route at the same or a lower price. Settle the next hotel before paying for the bus.

For Phnom Penh sightseeing, Grab Rent lists three-seat tuk-tuks at KHR32,000/50,000/70,000/90,000 for two/four/six/eight hours; the model uses four hours on day 6. Packages include fuel and driver, but exclude tolls and parking, and must finish by 20:00 within Phnom Penh city. No advance booking is required; book instantly in the Grab app. Tuk-tuk overtime is KHR150 per minute, so keep the planned visits within the package. Use a separately booked airport car for KTI.

Kampot and Sihanoukville need their own days

For Phnom Penh → Kampot, Giant Ibis uses Road 106, Sangkat Doun Penh, Khan Doun Penh; the Kampot stop is Street 724 near ABA Bank. Its 22 November 2026 results listed 05:00–09:00, 08:00–12:00 and 13:30–17:30, each four hours at US$10 per seat. The separate 24 November return results listed 08:30–12:30 and 13:30–17:30 at US$10, or 19:00–23:00 at US$12, from Street 724 back to Road 106. Book your actual date on Giant Ibis’s website.

For a 22–24 November Kampot extension, select the 08:00 outward and 08:30 return buses: 2 people × 2 directions × (US$10 + US$1 online charge) = US$44. This prices both road legs; Kampot room nights, meals and local rides are additional, and it is separate from the six-night model.

For Phnom Penh → Sihanoukville on 1 November 2026, Giant Ibis returned 07:45–10:45 at US$18 per seat. The 4 November return choices were 13:30–16:30 or 19:00–22:00 at US$18. Both directions take three hours in those dated results, between Road 106 in Phnom Penh and Phe Street, Sangkat 3, next to Sihanoukville Autonomous Port. Including the US$1-per-seat online charge each way, two adults’ round-trip road tickets total US$76. Add GTVC return tickets for two at US$60 for a US$136 road-and-boat subtotal. Rooms, meals, port charges and rides to the terminal, pier or beach are not included. The bus stop and boat check-in are separate addresses; keep mainland nights around the ferry and before a flight.

Rail is a southern-route alternative: Royal Railway lists Phnom Penh–Takeo–Kep–Kampot–Sihanoukville, from Central Railway Station, Sras Chork, Daun Penh. Book through the passenger-booking link on its site or call +855 78 888 582 / 583 (office hours 06:00–20:00). The site publishes no fare table or train times, so rail is not included in the budget.

Air is a coast-to-Angkor alternative: Air Cambodia advertises a daily Sihanoukville (KOS) → Siem Reap (SAI) flight, booked on its own website. No fare or flight time is published on its offer page, so the flight is not included in the budget; the six-night route arrives internationally at SAI and does not need it.

Island boats: choose the beach and the exact pier

GTVC runs scheduled speedboats between Sihanoukville and Koh Rong or Koh Rong Samloem. Book through its website or Sihanoukville office. Weather and demand can change the schedule.

For GTVC’s 22 October 2026 displayed services, Sihanoukville Autonomous Port, Gate 1 → Community Pier, Koh Rong was US$17 one way or US$30 return per adult, departing 08:00, 11:00, 14:00 and 16:00, taking 45 minutes. The reverse to Gate 1 departed 08:45, 11:45, 14:45 and 16:45, taking 40 minutes. The same displayed departure times and fares applied between Gate 1 and Orchid Resort–GTVC, Koh Rong Samloem, with 30-minute crossings in both directions. Fares and times apply to those endpoints only.

GTVC’s booking results list Sihanoukville Autonomous Port, Gate 1, as the mainland boarding point for these departures. Follow the boarding address on your ticket; the company’s general contact page uses the name Tourism Pier.

GTVC’s Koh Rong records name Community Pier on Koh Rong, with other stops including Koh Toch Beach; its Koh Rong Samloem records name Orchid Resort–GTVC. Select the stop that serves your hotel when booking: the island name alone does not settle the final beach transfer.

Be at the pier 30 minutes before departure. GTVC includes one bag up to 20 kg. Return tickets are open-dated: arrange the return at its counter or pier. If bad weather prevents the departure, GTVC says it refunds the ticket.

The return booking needs both the date and the island departure pier. For two adults the return boat costs 2 × US$30 = US$60. This is an extension to the six-night route, with extra hotel nights, and none of its costs is in the week’s total. Port charges, rides to the pier and beach transfers on the island are not included.

Buva Sea is the other main operator on this coast; book through its own enquiry channel: support@buvasea.com or 097 8888 950 / 069 888 950. This guide gives no Buva Sea fare or crossing time, and GTVC’s fares and times above do not apply to it.

Bangkok by air; Vietnam through a visa-compatible crossing

For Siem Reap, use Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI). Book the Bangkok–Siem Reap leg by air.

Thai Airways publishes Bangkok services to both SAI and KTI. Choose the airport matching the start of the trip, then get the carrier’s flight times, fare and baggage for the travel date. For the two-city week, arriving at SAI and leaving from KTI saves a return to Siem Reap.

Phnom Penh → Ho Chi Minh City by Giant Ibis uses Bavet International Checkpoint in Svay Rieng and Moc Bai on the Vietnamese side. Vietnam’s national tourism authority lists Moc Bai among the land gates at which foreigners may enter and leave using an eVisa. Check the current nationality rules in the Vietnam entry guide and, if you need a visa, obtain one valid for that checkpoint before buying the bus. Giant Ibis asks for a printed eVisa and offers printing at its terminal; do not expect to apply for a Vietnamese visa at the land border.

For 23 November 2026, Giant Ibis’s date search returned 06:00, 08:00, 09:45 and 13:35, each scheduled for seven hours. The 06:00–13:00 example cost US$34 per seat, or US$70 for two including the US$1 per-person online charge. It leaves Road 106 in Phnom Penh and lists 303 Phan Ngu Lao, Ho Chi Minh City as its arrival address. Follow the attendant through both countries’ immigration checks; the border wait is part of the journey.

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.

Use the longer stays for Khmer meals

Have the slower restaurant meals in Siem Reap, when four nights leave room around the temple drives, rather than relying on a bus rest stop for lunch. The dishes below are on the restaurants’ own menus: two from SPOONS and two from HAVEN. SPOONS serves its breakfast menu 07:00–11:00 daily; HAVEN’s menu includes 10% VAT and its service note says no service charge is added.

Keep cash for smaller local journeys and a separate meal stop on the intercity travel day.

Tell the restaurant about allergies before ordering. On the transfer day, keep a meal outside the bus schedule rather than treating the included snack as lunch.

A six-night budget for two

Checked on 15 October 2026, this budget covers 16–22 November 2026 for two adults sharing a room. It uses published prices only: room rates, the named transport, Angkor passes, activities and selected meals. It comes to US$673.48 + KHR115,000; the two currencies are not converted. All six room nights, the SAI hotel car, the intercity bus, the three Angkor days, the Phnom Penh local packages and the KTI car are counted.

Both room prices are Mad Monkey’s own dated rates for a private double that sleeps two, with an ensuite bathroom: from US$26.38 a night for the Siem Reap Superior Double and from US$35 a night for the Phnom Penh Standard Double, both on 15 October 2026. Taxes and breakfast are not included.

For days 3 and 4, book Angkor Friendly Driver through its own enquiry form or WhatsApp: Small Circuit Option 1, US$50 per car, and Big Circuit Option 1, US$50 per car, each for up to three passengers with hotel pickup and return. Small Circuit has an early sunrise pickup and finishes around 16:00; Big Circuit runs from 08:30 to about 15:00. Each includes an English-speaking driver, air-conditioned car, fuel, parking, water and towels; meals, the Angkor pass and an accompanying temple guide are excluded. The driver waits outside the temples.

Not included: the Siem Reap hotel-to-terminal ride, room taxes and breakfast, Grab parking, tolls and overtime, Royal Palace admission, meals beyond those listed, flights, visas, airport-bus, rail and domestic-air fares, and the Kampot, island and Vietnam extensions.

• Four Siem Reap nights, 16–20 November: Mad Monkey Superior Double, sleeps two, from US$26.38 a night on 15 October 2026, the hotel’s own rate; the hotel’s four-night total is US$105.50.
• Two Phnom Penh nights, 20–22 November: Mad Monkey Standard Double, sleeps two, from US$35 a night, the hotel’s own rate on 15 October 2026; US$70 for the stay. Room subtotal for all six nights: US$175.50.
• Main and local transport: Royal Angkor Tours SAI–hotel car US$45; two 20 November 08:45 Siem Reap–Phnom Penh bus seats including online charges US$36; city–KTI car US$55. Dollar subtotal: US$136. Phnom Penh terminal–hotel Grab Rent car, two hours KHR65,000, plus day-6 city tuk-tuk, four hours KHR50,000: KHR115,000.
• Angkor: two three-day passes at US$62 = US$124. Mad Monkey’s Sunrise Angkor Wat Temple Tour with lunch and a drink, 2 × US$18 = US$36, departing from its lobby; the park pass is separate. The two Angkor Friendly Driver cars add US$100, including their temple-day hotel connections.
• Tuol Sleng: two adult admissions at US$5 plus two audio guides at US$5 = US$20.
• Selected meals for the pair: one SPOONS num banh chok breakfast, 2 × US$3.50 = US$7; one SPOONS beef saraman meal, 2 × US$8.99 = US$17.98; one HAVEN fish amok meal, 2 × US$7.50 = US$15; one HAVEN lok lak meal, 2 × US$8 = US$16; one Malis Phnom Penh beef lok lak meal, 2 × US$13 = US$26. Meal subtotal: US$81.98, plus the lunch already included with the temple tour.
• Arithmetic: US$175.50 rooms + US$136 main transport + US$124 passes + US$36 guided tour + US$100 temple cars + US$20 Tuol Sleng + US$81.98 selected meals = US$673.48, plus KHR115,000 Phnom Penh local packages. Everything listed under “Not included” is extra.