38 Best Places to Visit in Cambodia, Region by Region

Cambodia is a small nation in Southeast Asia, and it blends old traditional culture with a fast-changing modern lifestyle. Most visitors see only Siem Reap. We see that mistake in trip requests every week, because the rest of the country is close: the capital is a 45-minute flight away, the coast a day's drive. Beyond Angkor you get jungle temples, a riverside capital, French colonial towns, pepper farms, white-sand islands, highland waterfalls and the Mekong, where Irrawaddy dolphins still surface.

This page lists 38 places in eight regions, grouped the way you would actually travel them. Each region has its own section, with the time you need, the ticket price in US dollars and rupees, and how to get there. After the places come the fees, the 5, 7 and 10-day routes, flights from India and the best month for each region.

Cambodia's best places at a glance

Map: the best places to visit in Cambodia by region.

Siem Reap and the Angkor temples

Siem Reap is where almost every Cambodia trip begins, and for good reason. Angkor Archaeological Park starts 6 km north of town and holds more than 50 temples on one ticket, the Angkor Pass. Three days is right for a first visit. For deeper, temple-by-temple pages on every stop below, see our guide to places to visit in Siem Reap, and our temples in Cambodia guide for the Hindu and Buddhist story behind them.

1. Angkor Wat

The largest religious monument in the world, Angkor Wat was built in the early 12th century by King Suryavarman II of the Khmer Empire and dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. By the end of the 12th century it had become a Buddhist temple, and it still is one. The design carries the old Hindu idea that the mountains are the home of the gods. Its five towers stand for the peaks of Mount Meru, on a raised platform ringed by a moat 190 m wide.

Come for sunrise. The gates open at 5:00 am and the reflection pools in front of the west entrance fill with tripods by 5:30. Then walk the 800 m of carved galleries, where the east wall shows the Churning of the Ocean of Milk, a scene Indian travellers recognise at once. The top level, the Bakan, is closed to children under 12. Allow three to four hours.

2. Angkor Thom and the Bayon

Angkor Thom, literally "Great City", was established by King Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century. Its walls enclose 9 sq km, with monuments from earlier reigns as well as his own. At its exact centre stands the Bayon Temple, with more than 200 smiling faces carved in stone and looking in every direction. Nobody knows their real purpose. They are said to blend the king's own face with that of the Buddha. Walk in through the South Gate, where the causeway is lined with gods and demons pulling a giant serpent, and give the Bayon and the nearby Terrace of the Elephants about two hours.

3. Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm is the "Tomb Raider temple" of Angkor, a Buddhist monastery founded in 1186 by King Jayavarman VII, where the roots of giant silk-cotton and strangler-fig trees grip the stone. It stands about 3 km north-east of Angkor Wat, 20 to 25 minutes by tuk-tuk from Siem Reap town. India's ASI has led its conservation since 2004. It opens at 7:30 am, and the first hour is the only quiet one.

4. Banteay Srei

Banteay Srei, the "Citadel of Women", was consecrated in 967 CE to Shiva and is carved from pink sandstone so finely that it is called the art gallery of Angkor. Look for Ravana shaking Mount Kailasa on one pediment. It is 35 km north-east of the main temples, so pair it with Kbal Spean or the Landmine Museum, and arrive by 8 am before the tour buses. The Angkor Pass covers it. More in our Banteay Srei guide.

5. Preah Khan and Neak Pean

The temple of Preah Khan was built by King Jayavarman VII in 1191 to honour his father, north-west of Angkor Thom. Hindu carvings and Buddhist motifs share its walls, and because it has been left largely unrestored, nature has reclaimed long stretches of corridor. A short drive east, Neak Pean Temple is a glimpse of how ancient Khmer healthcare looked. Its island shrine sits in a central pool fed by four smaller ones, and pilgrims once bathed here to rebalance the elements of the body. Both are on the Grand Circuit loop.

6. Phnom Bakheng

Phnom Bakheng, a temple on the only hill near Angkor Wat, was built around 900 by Yasovarman I. It is the classic sunset spot, but visitor numbers on top are capped, so start the 15-minute climb by 4 pm. If the cap is reached, Pre Rup on the Grand Circuit gives a quieter sunset over the rice fields.

7. Phnom Kulen and Kbal Spean

Phnom Kulen, the plateau about 50 km north of Siem Reap, is where Jayavarman II declared himself universal king in 802, the founding moment of the Khmer Empire. Pilgrims climb to a 16th-century reclining Buddha, a riverbed carved with lingas and a waterfall you can swim under. It needs its own US$20 ticket (Rs 1,900), and the road up runs one way, uphill until about 11 am. Kbal Spean nearby is the "River of a Thousand Lingas", a 45-minute jungle walk to Vishnu and Shiva carvings in the stream. Both get our full write-up in the Kbal Spean guide.

8. Beng Mealea

Located about 40 km east of the main Angkor group and about 70 km from Siem Reap, Beng Mealea is a Hindu temple built of sandstone in the early 12th century, in the style of Angkor Wat, with a few Buddhist motifs on its walls. Its history is largely unknown, and it was left to the jungle. You climb over collapsed galleries on wooden walkways, which is half the fun. It is not a World Heritage Site, but it is on the Angkor Pass, or US$10 (Rs 950) on its own. See our Beng Mealea guide.

9. Tonle Sap and the floating villages

The Tonle Sap is Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake, and it swells to several times its dry-season size every monsoon. Three stilt and floating villages are within reach of Siem Reap. Kampong Phluk has the tallest stilt houses and a flooded forest you paddle through by canoe. Kompong Khleang is the largest and least touristy. Chong Kneas is the closest but the most commercial. Go between August and December, when the water is high and the boat rides are longest.

10. Siem Reap town

The town itself earns an evening or two. Pub Street and the night markets are the busy centre. Phare, The Cambodian Circus, puts on an acrobatic show by young Cambodian artists most nights. The Angkor National Museum is the best way to understand the temples before you see them, and two smaller museums tell the harder story of the war years: the Cambodia Landmine Museum near Banteay Srei and the War Museum on the edge of town, with tanks and guns you can touch.

Temples beyond Angkor

Cambodia has five UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Four are temple sites, and three of those are outside the Angkor park. These make the best day trips once you have done the big three.

11. Koh Ker

The archaeological site of Koh Ker in northern Cambodia was once the capital of the Khmer Empire, under Jayavarman IV and Harshavarman II between 928 and 944. More than 10 temples are open, and the highlight is Prasat Prang, a seven-tier pyramid about 36 m high, cleared of jungle on all sides. UNESCO listed it in 2023. It is just over 100 km from Siem Reap, about two hours on sealed roads, and the ticket is US$15 (Rs 1,425). Most days you will share it with a handful of people. Read more in our Koh Ker guide.

12. Sambor Prei Kuk

Sambor Prei Kuk predates Angkor by three centuries. It was Isanapura, the 7th-century capital of the Chenla kingdom, and its brick towers stand in shady forest about 30 km north of Kampong Thom town, roughly halfway between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. That makes it an easy stop on the road between the two. UNESCO listed it in 2017. Tickets are US$10 (Rs 950).

13. Banteay Chhmar

Banteay Chhmar, in the far north-west near the Thai border, is a huge Jayavarman VII temple with Bayon-style face towers and some of the finest bas-reliefs anywhere, including a many-armed Avalokiteshvara. It is about three hours' drive from Siem Reap. A village community runs homestays and meals here, so staying the night puts money straight into local hands.

14. Preah Vihear (closed to visitors)

Preah Vihear is an 11th-century Shiva temple on the Dangrek cliffs, about 210 km north of Siem Reap, and a UNESCO site since 2008. It has been closed to visitors since the Cambodia-Thailand border fighting of July 2025, and in October 2026 emergency propping of damaged structures was still under way. Do not plan a trip around it until reopening is announced. Many older lists and rival guides still send readers there; our Preah Vihear temple guide covers its history.

Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh sits where the Tonle Sap river meets the Mekong, and its sights are all within a short tuk-tuk ride. Two days is enough for the essentials below. For neighbourhood-level detail, cafés and more spots, see our full list of places to visit in Phnom Penh. Day trips run north to Oudong, the royal capital before Phnom Penh, and south through Krong Ta Khmau, the riverside capital of Kandal province.

15. Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda

The Royal Palace is still the king's home, and its gold-roofed throne hall faces the river. Inside the same walls, the Silver Pagoda houses the treasures of Cambodia: an emerald-green crystal Buddha, a life-size gold Buddha set with diamonds, and a floor of more than 5,000 silver tiles. The cloister walls are painted with the Reamker, the Khmer Ramayana, with Rama, Sita and Hanuman in every panel. Tickets are US$10 (Rs 950) for both. It is open 8 to 11 am and 2 to 5 pm, and shoulders and knees must be covered.

16. National Museum of Cambodia

Next door in a red sandstone building from the 1920s, the National Museum holds the finest Khmer sculpture in the world, including the 6th-century eight-armed Vishnu found at Phnom Da in Takeo province. An hour here before or after Angkor makes the temples make sense.

17. Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21)

Tuol Sleng was a high school that the Khmer Rouge turned into Security Prison 21, where thousands were held and tortured between 1975 and 1979. The classrooms, cells and walls of prisoner photographs are left as they were found. It is hard to see and important to see. In July 2025 UNESCO inscribed Tuol Sleng, Choeung Ek and the former M-13 prison in Kampong Chhnang together as the Cambodian Memorial Sites, the country's fifth World Heritage Site. Take the audio guide, and read our Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum guide before you go.

18. Choeung Ek Killing Fields

About 15 km south of the centre, Choeung Ek is where most S-21 prisoners were executed. A memorial stupa holds thousands of skulls, and the audio guide, in several languages, walks you through the site in quiet. Most visitors do Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek together in one morning.

19. Wat Phnom and the Riverside

Wat Phnom, on the city's only hill, is the temple Phnom Penh is named after. Legend says a woman called Penh found four Buddha statues in the river here. From it, walk down to Sisowath Quay, the riverside promenade, for sunset, street food and an evening boat on the Mekong. The Independence Monument, built in 1958, is a 10-minute tuk-tuk ride south.

20. Central Market and Russian Market

The Central Market (Phsar Thmei) is a yellow art deco dome from 1937, with jewellery and silver under the centre and food stalls round the edge. The Russian Market (Toul Tom Poung) is a tight maze of fabrics, krama scarves, crafts and noodle stalls. Visit them as landmarks; our things to do in Cambodia guide covers shopping in depth.

21. Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre

About 40 km south of the city, Phnom Tamao cares for rescued sun bears, pileated gibbons, tigers and elephants. It is a half-day trip and a good one with children. Koh Dach, the "Silk Island" on the Mekong, is another easy half day: a ferry ride to weaving villages and a quiet river beach.

Battambang

Battambang is a calm river town of French colonial shophouses, art galleries and rice fields that start where the streets end. It is about three to four hours by road from Siem Reap, and most travellers give it one night.

22. Battambang town and the bamboo train

Walk the colonial streets along the Sangkae river in the morning, then ride the bamboo train, or norry. It is a bamboo platform on wheels, driven by a small motor along a short track at Banan, about 20 to 30 minutes from town. When two meet head-on, one is lifted off the rails so the other can pass. The original line closed when the national railway was restored, so the ride now runs on its own short track.

23. Phnom Sampeau and the bat cave

Phnom Sampeau is a limestone hill 12 km south-west of town with hilltop pagodas and the Killing Caves, a sombre Khmer Rouge memorial. At dusk, millions of bats pour out of a cliff cave in a ribbon that lasts half an hour. On the way, Wat Banan, an 11th-century five-tower temple at the top of 358 steps, is the Angkor Wat of Battambang in miniature.

Beaches and islands

Cambodia's coast runs from Koh Kong on the Thai border to Kep near Vietnam, with dozens of islands off Sihanoukville. Go between December and April for calm, clear water. In the south-west monsoon, June to September, boats stop running and some island resorts close. Our guide to the best beaches in Cambodia compares all of them.

24. Koh Rong

Koh Rong placed ninth in The World's 50 Best Beaches 2026, the first time a Cambodian beach has made the top ten. Long Beach, about 7 km of white sand on the west side, is the reason. Koh Touch village on the east side has the pier, bars and most of the hostels, and the speedboat from Sihanoukville takes about 30 minutes. At night, swim in the bay to see bioluminescent plankton. More in our Koh Rong island guide.

25. Koh Rong Samloem

Koh Rong's quieter neighbour has Saracen Bay, a crescent of soft sand lined with bungalows, plus Lazy Beach and Sunset Beach across the jungle on the west. M'Pai Bay, a fishing village at the north tip, is the place to stay if you want local life with your beach. It suits couples and families more than party crowds.

26. Sihanoukville and Otres

Also known as Kampong Som, Sihanoukville is the port city on the Gulf of Thailand that every island boat leaves from. The city centre changed fast during the casino building boom of 2017 to 2019, so most travellers now skip it and stay at Otres Beach to the south, or go straight to the islands. Bamboo Island and Koh Ta Kiev are short boat rides from Otres for a day of snorkelling.

27. Ream National Park

Ream National Park, next to Sihanoukville's airport, protects mangroves, beaches and islands, with boat trips through the mangroves to quiet sand and a good chance of hornbills and kingfishers. Koh Thmei, an almost uninhabited island inside the park, has one resort and a shell-strewn shore. Read our Ream National Park guide.

28. Koh Kong and the Cardamom Mountains

Koh Kong, near the Thai border, is the gateway to the Cardamom Mountains, one of the largest rainforests left in mainland Southeast Asia. Base yourself on the Tatai river for kayaking and waterfalls, or at the Chi Phat community ecotourism project for jungle treks. It is a two to three day add-on for nature lovers.

Kampot and Kep

Kampot and Kep sit 25 km apart on the south coast, about three hours by road from Phnom Penh. Kampot is a sleepy riverside town of colonial shophouses; Kep is a seaside village famous for crab. Two nights cover both.

29. Kampot and its pepper farms

Kampot pepper carries an EU Protected Geographical Indication, and the farms between Kampot and Kep grow black, red and white pepper on the same vines. Most farms show you round for free and sell by the bag; La Plantation charges for guided tours. In town, take a sunset boat on the Praek Tuek Chhu river and watch the fireflies on the banks.

30. Bokor National Park

Bokor Hill Station, built by the French in the 1920s at about 1,000 m, is for those hungry for adventure. Its abandoned buildings, an old Catholic church and the shell of the Bokor Palace hotel stand in cloud on the plateau, and there are hiking routes through the forest to the Popokvil waterfall. Older guides say it is closed for reconstruction and impossible to reach. That is long out of date: a paved road now climbs from Kampot to the top in about an hour, and the plateau also has the large Thansur Bokor resort. Hire a car or tuk-tuk, or ride a scooter if you are confident on hairpins.

31. Kep and the crab market

Kep's crab market is a row of wooden shacks on the water, where women pull crab baskets straight out of the sea and cook them with fresh Kampot green pepper while you wait. Kep Beach is short and calm, and the national park behind the town has an easy 8 km loop with sea views. Our Kampot beach guide has more on the coast here.

32. Koh Tonsay (Rabbit Island)

Koh Tonsay is a 20 to 30 minute boat ride from Kep. There is no road and almost no electricity, just a strip of hammocks, simple bungalows and seafood shacks. The community boat leaves at 9 am and 1 pm; a private boat costs about US$25 (Rs 2,375) return for up to six.

The wild north-east

The north-east is Cambodia without the crowds, with the Mekong, red-dirt roads, waterfalls and ethnic minority villages. It needs three to four days and is best in the dry months, December to April.

33. Kratie and the Irrawaddy dolphins

Kratie is a quiet Mekong town, and 15 km north at Kampi pool, a small group of critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphins surface around the boats. The boat ticket is about US$10 (Rs 950) a person for an hour. Go when the river is low, December to April, when the dolphins gather in the deep pool and are easiest to see. Koh Trong island opposite town is good for a bicycle loop.

34. Mondulkiri

Mondulkiri is the cool, rolling highland province on the Vietnamese border, with January nights around 17°C. Sen Monorom is the base. From there, the Bou Sra waterfall is a two-tier drop into the jungle, and ethical elephant projects run by the Bunong community let you walk with retired working elephants instead of riding them.

35. Ratanakiri

Ratanakiri, farther north, centres on the town of Banlung. Its highlight is Yeak Laom, a near-perfect round crater lake ringed by forest, where you can swim from wooden jetties. Beyond lie waterfalls, gem-mining villages and Virachey National Park, one of the largest protected areas in the country, which you can trek only with a licensed guide.

Off the beaten track

If you have seen the classics, these places get you into the Cambodia most tourists miss. All are within about three hours of Phnom Penh.

36. Kirirom National Park

Kirirom is a pine-covered plateau about two hours south-west of Phnom Penh, and it feels nothing like the rest of the country. Cool air, waterfalls and the ruins of an old royal retreat make it a weekend escape for city families.

37. Kampong Cham

Kampong Cham is a Mekong river town where Wat Nokor, an 11th-century temple, has a modern pagoda built inside its old walls. Koh Paen island, across the river, was famous for a bamboo bridge rebuilt by hand every dry season. A concrete bridge has carried the traffic since 2018, but a bamboo crossing has been put up again for visitors in recent dry seasons, so ask in town before you go.

38. Kampong Chhnang

Kampong Chhnang, on the Tonle Sap river north of Phnom Penh, is known for its pottery villages, where women shape clay pots by hand on the ground, and for a floating village far less visited than those near Siem Reap. The former Khmer Rouge prison M-13, in the same province, is part of the 2025 UNESCO memorial listing.

Entry fees in US$ and rupees

Cambodia prices tourist sites in US dollars, and you can pay in dollars everywhere. Small change comes back in riel. The rupee figures below use US$1 = Rs 95, the rate in late October 2026; check the day's rate before you travel.

Buy the Angkor Pass only from Angkor Enterprise, at its ticket centre on Road 60 in Siem Reap or on its official website. The pass carries your photo and is checked at every temple. Children under 12 enter free with a passport. Ticket validity and opening hours were checked in November 2026 against Angkor Enterprise, and prices against recent site and guide listings.

How many days do you need in Cambodia?

Five days covers Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. Seven adds the south coast, and ten lets you reach an island or the north-east. These are the routes we plan most often, and each one maps onto a bookable Cambodia tour package.

Travellers short on time ask us most often whether to cut Phnom Penh. Our answer is no. The Royal Palace and Tuol Sleng tell you more about modern Cambodia in a day than anywhere else, and a 45-minute flight connects it to Siem Reap. Cut the beach instead if you must.

Getting to Cambodia from India and getting around

IndiGo flies nonstop from Kolkata to Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI) on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, leaving Kolkata at 3:35 am and landing at 8:00 am. The route restarted on 1 October 2026 after a monsoon pause. From Delhi, Air Cambodia flies nonstop to Phnom Penh, now served by the new Techo International Airport (KTI), which replaced the old airport in September 2025. From Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad you fly one-stop via Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Ho Chi Minh City. Overland, many travellers come from Bangkok by bus or train to Aranyaprathet and cross into Cambodia at Poipet, about three hours from Siem Reap.

Indian passport holders need a tourist visa. Apply for the e-visa at evisa.gov.kh (US$30 since January 2025, down from US$36), or get a visa on arrival at the main airports. Every air arrival must also complete the free Cambodia e-Arrival card at arrival.gov.kh within seven days before landing. Our Cambodia visa guide for Indians walks through each step, and the how to reach Cambodia page has every route from India.

Inside Cambodia, tuk-tuks handle the cities and the Angkor circuits, private cars with drivers handle day trips, and comfortable minivans and buses link the main towns. For temples, a guide on the first day is worth it.

Best time to visit each region

November to February is the best time to visit Cambodia overall, dry and with highs of 30 to 33°C. Each region has its own sweet spot, though, set by the monsoon and the rise and fall of the Tonle Sap. Our best time to visit Cambodia guide has month-by-month rain and temperatures.

Tips for Indian travellers

Food. Siem Reap and Phnom Penh both have several Indian restaurants with pure-vegetarian menus, and Khmer cooks will make fried rice, noodles or amok without meat or fish sauce if you ask clearly. On the islands and in the north-east, choices are thinner, so carry snacks. Our list of Indian restaurants in Cambodia names them.

Money. Carry crisp, untorn US dollar notes in small denominations. ATMs dispense dollars in the cities, but not on Koh Rong or in rural areas.

Dress. Cover shoulders and knees at Angkor Wat's top level, the Royal Palace and every active pagoda. A light scarf solves it.

Hindu heritage. Look for Vishnu at Angkor Wat (the Churning of the Ocean of Milk), Shiva at Banteay Srei, Kbal Spean and Koh Ker, and the Ramayana painted round the Silver Pagoda. India's ASI restored Angkor Wat between 1986 and 1992 and works at Ta Prohm today.

Time and connectivity. Cambodia is 1.5 hours ahead of India. A local SIM with data costs a few dollars at the airport, and Wi-Fi is everywhere in the towns.

Cambodia rewards anyone who goes past Siem Reap. Start with three days at Angkor, add Phnom Penh, then choose the coast, Battambang or the north-east depending on the season. For activities, from cooking classes to river cruises, read our guide to things to do in Cambodia. When you know which places you want to see, our Cambodia tour packages can be built around them.

Sources: Angkor Enterprise ticket information (angkorenterprise.gov.kh), UNESCO World Heritage Centre (whc.unesco.org), Government of Cambodia e-visa portal (evisa.gov.kh), The World's 50 Best Beaches 2026, airline schedules for IndiGo and Air Cambodia. Fees and closures checked November 2026.

Edited by TravelTriangle