Phnom Penh

Culture & History

At 07:15 AM, your Euro Khmer guide will pick you up from your Phnom Penh hotel or guesthouse and drive you to Oudong – home to various temples and three large stupas (places of prayer) The city, now a UNESO World Heritage Site, was home to a succession of kings – you can view the phials at the three stupas. The city’s most impressive structure is the Vihara of the 18-Cubut Buddha. 30 meter high, it is just about survived first the American bombings and the brutal regime of the Khmer Rogue. On the way back to city center, you will have a set lunch at the local restaurant. Heading back to Phnom Penh, stop at the silver smith village of Kompong Luong.

Embark on a journey to discover the local food culture of Cambodia. Enjoy views of some of Phnom Penh’s best-known landmarks, such as the Independence Monument, as you zoom across the city in a tuk-tuk. Meet your guide outside your hotel or residence and hop aboard the tuk-tuk. First stop, enjoy fresh rice noodles topped with traditional sauce and fresh herbs.  Following this, take a seat on the floor and learn about Cambodia's turbulent history over curry and a banana leaf salad. Third stop, pull up a plastic chair at this popular local spot for some crushed eggplant and Cambodia's famous prahok. Learn also about the importance of rice in Cambodian cuisine. Lastly, feast on a selection of meats roasted in a ceramic jar over an open fire. Finally, sink a local craft beer or cocktail at a rooftop bar. At the end of the tour, bid farewell to the guide and the tuk-tuk will drop you back at your hotel, or wherever you like within the city.

On day one at 8:00 AM you will be collected from your hotel in District 1 in Ho Chi Minh City and head to Mekong Delta, enjoying the scenic journey along the way lined by green rice fields. Upon arrival in My Tho, you will stop by Vinh Trang Pagoda the biggest pagoda in the Mekong Delta to learn about the religion of the region. After that, you will take a boat trip to cruise along the Mekong River. Hop onboard a rowboat to explore the small canals to see the locals going about their day. Continue cruising to Ben Tre, get off and enjoy a walk around the village. Stop at a local family home to enjoy tropical fruit, taste the honey tea and honey wine and listen to Vietnamese traditional music performed by the villagers. Check out the coconut candy shop and learn how to make candy, and see handicrafts made from the coconuts and so much more. Take your time snapping photos and enjoy the natural scenery before you head to a local restaurant for lunch consisting of special Vietnamese food. After lunch, enjoy your time relaxing, walking around the village. In the afternoon, you will head to Can Tho, and arrive at 6:00 PM and check into your hotel then enjoy your free time. On day two at 6:00 AM check out of your hotel then take a leisurely boat trip to explore the picturesque tributaries of the Lower Mekong River. Then proceed to Cai Rang floating market which is the biggest floating market in the region. The unique features and main characteristics of the famous market are the trade in fruits and other specialties of the Mekong Delta. Then go and see how Vietnamese vermicelli is made, take a walk around the village and meet the friendly locals. Experience crossing a monkey bridge, made from a single stem of bamboo. Visit an orchard garden and take a break for lunch. In the afternoon, head to Chau Doc to discover Tra Su Bird Sanctuary, where you will visit the wild bird sanctuary on the small boat traveling along a network of canals deep into the forest, observing tropical birds. After that, you will proceed to your hotel in Chau Doc for check-in.  On day three after breakfast at the hotel, take the nice motorized boat trip through the floating village to visit the fish farm and to see how the people in Mekong Delta raise fish on their floating house. Visit the Champa minorities with their traditional towel weaving village. The boat will return to Chau Doc for lunch then back to Ho Cho Minh City at around 5:30 PM. You do have the option to travel to Cambodia on the third day instead. For this option, you would check out the hotel then be transferred to the Pier to board the speed boat to travel to Phnom Penh. Arrive at Sisowath Tourist Pier in Phnom Penh at around 2:00 PM the same day for the end of the tour. For this option, visas would be granted at the border.

Following a hotel pick-up at 08:00 from Phnom Penh City area hotel, your first stop will be Royal Palace. The Royal Palace is one of Phnom Penh’s most splendid architectural achievements. Next, head to Silver Pagoda in Phnom Penh, a phenomenal area in Cambodia filled with hundreds of years of history. You will visit Cambodia's National Museum, offering a charming setting for a stunning collection of ancient Khmer art. Next up, you visit Wat Phnom. The temple has a strong connection with the establishment of the capital city of Cambodia. The current name of the city Phnom-Penh in native language means literally the hill of Ms. Penh. Wat Phnom temple was built in 1373.  After lunch at your own cost, you will board your boat and travel down the Tonle Sap River to where it meets the mighty Mekong River. You are cruising past the floating villages and onto the first of two islands. Your boat will first dock in the village of Prek Bongkong on Silk Island. Enjoy a tour of the working silk farm known as Heng Naysim Traditional Cambodian Weaving House, to see how silks are made by tracing the steps from collecting the silk from silkworms, to crafting the final shimmering sheets. You will have the opportunity to purchase beautiful handmade silk products direct from the farm. You will spend one hour back at Phnom Phen city by the same 1-hour boat ride. You will proceed to visit the Independence Monument. Built in 1955, this symbolizes Cambodian independence gained from French colonialism in 1953. This monument is a copy of the Bakong temple (a temple from the Rolous group of the 9th century). The one-hundred Nagas and snake motif can be seen in  historical, cultural, archeological, and business contexts. At approximately 18:00, you'll arrive back at your hotel in Phnom Penh city area where the tour will end.

At 8:00 AM, start your tour of the charming capital with a visit to the city’s namesake, Wat Phnom. The pagoda was built to house Buddhist relics washed ashore by the river. After, you will visit the Royal Palace built in 1866 by King Norodom. See the different structures of this pagoda-style compound and stroll in its beautiful garden. Visit the Silver Pagoda named because of it’s floor that is comprised of 5,000 silver tiles. A gold Buddha encrusted with 9,584 diamonds and a small 17th century emerald and baccarat crystal Buddha are also housed here. Continue to the nearby National Museum. Built in 1917, it is an exceptional example of traditional architecture and is exclusively devoted to preserving and displaying Khmer art and sculptures. Hundreds of pieces are housed here including both pre-and post-Angkorian pieces. At 12:00 PM, your tour will come to an end and your guide will transfer you back to your hotel.

Enjoy a safe and reliable private taxi transfer from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap onboard your choose of vehicle options: a Lexus RX300 or a Mercedes Istana minivan. Along the way, you will enjoy the landscape of the general life of Cambodian people as well as several city centers. You can also stop for a break to have a look at the city, and throughout your entire tour will also enjoy the atmosphere of an air-conditioned vehicle. You will receive door-to-door service from the start to the end, with your guide dropping you off at any location in Siem Reap that you wish.

See the highlights of Phnom Penh and learn more about the history of Cambodia, starting with the Royal Palace, built by the French in 1866 after King Norodom relocated the royal capital from Oudong. Explore the palace complex to admire the Khmer architecture on the banks of the Tonle Sap and Mekong River. See the magnificent Silver Pagoda made of 5,329 silver tiles, and hear about different Khmer kings, resident at all times, except during the rule of the Khmer Rouge. Gaze in awe at the jeweled Buddha statues and the Angkor Wat-style Bell Tower. Learn about the turbulent years of the Khmer Rouge at the infamous Tuol Sleng Museum, located in a former high school that was used as the notorious Security Prison 21. See exhibits that tell the stories of some of the estimated 20,000 prisoners murdered and dumped on the notorious Killing Fields.

Following an 7:300 AM pickup and welcome at your hotel or guest house by your driver/guide, you will depart from Phnom Penh by car to Kompong Cham province, a 124 km (77 mile) drive away. This ride should take about 2 hours. Kampong Cham, the most populous province in Cambodia, is a gateway to North-Eastern side of the country and its beautiful scenery. Visit Wat Nokoh, featuring an ancient temple that dates back to the 12th century. A short tour of Kompong Cham includes examples of colonial architecture in the city, and a walk through the relaxing and quiet town that was once an important trading post during the French colonial period. Following lunch at a local restaurant, drive to Chup to visit a rubber plantation and factory established in the region by the French. In the late afternoon drive back to Phnom Penh to your hotel or guesthouse.

A guide will pick you up at your hotel and drive you to Phnom Penh City. Your first stop is Wat Phnom, a 14th-century Buddhist temple. At 27 meters, it is the highest religious structure in the city. Your next destination is the Royal Palace (under renovation) – a majestic building constructed in 1866 by King Norodom. Stroll through its beautiful gardens while admiring the various pagoda style structures. The silver pagoda is named after its floor, which comprises of 5,000 silver tiles. Inside, it houses a gold Buddha encrusted with 9,584 diamonds. Finally, you will visit the National Museum – a museum dedicated to preserving the Khmer art. Among the hundreds of pieces are examples of pre and post Angkorian art.

Get an insight into the art and culture of the Khmer Empire on a half-day tour of Phnom Penh, and experience life in the city today at one of the most vibrant markets. You will start your tour at the National Museum of Cambodia, which houses Khmer art and sculptures from different periods of Cambodian history. See bronze statues, stone heads, and traditional ceramics among the 14,000 items in the museum's collection. Inspired by Khmer temple architecture, the museum complex was constructed between 1917 and 1924, and renovated in 1968. Continue to the Russian Market, named from the time when most foreigners in Cambodia were Russians. Bargain for souvenir gifts among the stalls selling silks, carvings, and curios. End your tour at Wat Phnom, Phnom Penh’s namesake temple. Enjoy lovely views over the tree-lined avenues of Phnom Penh at sunset, and explore the shrines, pagodas, and murals depicting stories from the Reamker - the Khmer version of the Ramayana - the grounds.