3 weeks in Cambodia is the perfect amount of time to appreciate all this beautiful country has to offer. And to help with your trip planning, we have put together a 3-week itinerary for Cambodia that ensures you do not miss out on any of the highlights. From rich culture & history in the North to pristine beaches & islands in the South, Cambodia is a diverse and exciting country to travel. Combine that with backpacker-friendly prices, a wild party scene, welcoming locals and delicious Khmer food, and you’re onto an absolute winner.
We believe you have the right to arm yourselves with as much information as possible before making any decision.
Check below our detailed tips & guide for every places to visit in Cambodia, recommendation regarding the inclusion in each theme you prefer, and what you can do based on the time frame you have.
Tap in to Cambodian culture and history with guided, insightful tours. See the blend of old and new in the capital and venture along the Mekong to charming riverside towns. Get an in-depth look at the temples of Angkor and experience Battambang like a local. Enjoy the beautiful beaches in the south of Cambodia.
Phnom Penh is the charming capital city of Cambodia. This captivating and vibrant city has undeniable charm, with its roadsides teeming with street food stalls and colourful, bustling markets. Phnom Penh’s travel highlights include the thriving art scene, culinary experiences and stunning examples of architecture. The walkable riverfront is lined with parks, restaurants and bars, and you’ll also discover the ornate Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda here. Phnom Penh has a French colonial heritage, and the French influence is evident in the open-fronted shophouses lining the streets and several monuments.
A supremely mellow riverside town, Kratie has an expansive riverfront and some of the best Mekong sunsets in Cambodia. It is the most popular place in the country to see Irrawaddy dolphins, which live in the Mekong River in ever-diminishing numbers. There is a rich legacy of French-era architecture, as it was spared the wartime bombing that destroyed so many other provincial centres.
The KampongThom province is in the southeast of Cambodia and sits between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, which makes it easy to reach along national highway No 6. This region was once regarded as a convenient place to lay over on a journey between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, but is now an attraction in itself and a great place for tourists to visit to experience the charming market town with the ability to easily explore the most attractive temple sites in the country, the friendly locals, the market fruit vendor's and the statues in riverside park.
The life-support system and gateway for the temples of Angkor, Siem Reap was always destined for great things. Visitors come here to see the temples, of course, but there is plenty to do in and around the city when you're templed out. Siem Reap has reinvented itself as the epicentre of chic Cambodia, with everything from backpacker party pads to hip hotels, world-class wining and dining across a range of cuisines, sumptuous spas, great shopping, local tours to suit both foodies and adventurers, and a creative cultural scene that includes Cambodia's leading contemporary circus.
Once the country’s unofficial cultural capital, Battambang used to be the epicentre of Cambodian art and music. Today, the sleepy streets of Battambang are once again bubbling with vibrant cafes, artist-run galleries and boutique shops. Just outside the city, you can find some of Cambodia’s premier outdoor attractions and unusual activities, including the famous bamboo railway.
Founded as a seaside retreat for the French elite in 1908 and a favoured haunt of Cambodian high-rollers during the 1960s, sleepy Kep is drawing tourists back with seafood, sunsets and hikes in butterfly-filled Kep National Park. Its impressive range of boutique hotels squarely targets a more cultured beach crowd than the party-happy guesthouses of Sihanoukville and the islands.
It's not hard to see why travellers become entranced with Kampot. This riverside town, with streets rimmed by dilapidated shophouse architecture, has a dreamy quality; as if someone pressed the snooze button a few years back and the entire town forgot to wake up. The Kompong Bay River – more accurately an estuary – rises and falls with the moons, serving as both attractive backdrop and water-sports playground for those staying in the boutique resorts and backpacker retreats that line its banks upstream from the town proper.
Sihanoukville is the jumping-off point for the best of Cambodia's white-sand beaches and castaway-cool southern islands. The Serendipity Beach area is a decompression chamber for backpackers, who flock here to rest up between travels and party through the night. Away from the hustle south of town is relaxed Otres Beach, where cheap bungalow joints and bohemian-flavoured guesthouses are now neighbours with rather swish boutique resorts.
Adventure, nature, culture, history- Cambodia comes to life on this route. Cycle the real Cambodian countryside, explore ancient temple ruins, stay in authentic homestays, trek remote mountain jungles, camp under the stars, swim in the cool mountain river and more!
The life-support system and gateway for the temples of Angkor, Siem Reap was always destined for great things. Visitors come here to see the temples, of course, but there is plenty to do in and around the city when you're templed out. Siem Reap has reinvented itself as the epicentre of chic Cambodia, with everything from backpacker party pads to hip hotels, world-class wining and dining across a range of cuisines, sumptuous spas, great shopping, local tours to suit both foodies and adventurers, and a creative cultural scene that includes Cambodia's leading contemporary circus.
Phnom Penh is the charming capital city of Cambodia. This captivating and vibrant city has undeniable charm, with its roadsides teeming with street food stalls and colourful, bustling markets. Phnom Penh’s travel highlights include the thriving art scene, culinary experiences and stunning examples of architecture. The walkable riverfront is lined with parks, restaurants and bars, and you’ll also discover the ornate Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda here. Phnom Penh has a French colonial heritage, and the French influence is evident in the open-fronted shophouses lining the streets and several monuments.
Sihanoukville is the jumping-off point for the best of Cambodia's white-sand beaches and castaway-cool southern islands. The Serendipity Beach area is a decompression chamber for backpackers, who flock here to rest up between travels and party through the night. Away from the hustle south of town is relaxed Otres Beach, where cheap bungalow joints and bohemian-flavoured guesthouses are now neighbours with rather swish boutique resorts.
Located near the coast of Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Koh Rong is famous for its serene beauty. Often described as an ‘island paradise’ by visiting tourists, the island boasts pristine white sandy beaches, warm crystal-clear ocean waters, and a hot tropical climate.
This trip is one of the best trekking in Cambodia to discover the life of people along the Mekong river, visit the hill tribe people in the northeast, nature and National Park, visit to the community in Chambok, Phnom Penh capital, Angkor complex, Kulen and Beng Mealea. We walk approximately 107km. The path is less rocky and climb, then mostly flat.
The life-support system and gateway for the temples of Angkor, Siem Reap was always destined for great things. Visitors come here to see the temples, of course, but there is plenty to do in and around the city when you're templed out. Siem Reap has reinvented itself as the epicentre of chic Cambodia, with everything from backpacker party pads to hip hotels, world-class wining and dining across a range of cuisines, sumptuous spas, great shopping, local tours to suit both foodies and adventurers, and a creative cultural scene that includes Cambodia's leading contemporary circus.
A supremely mellow riverside town, Kratie has an expansive riverfront and some of the best Mekong sunsets in Cambodia. It is the most popular place in the country to see Irrawaddy dolphins, which live in the Mekong River in ever-diminishing numbers. There is a rich legacy of French-era architecture, as it was spared the wartime bombing that destroyed so many other provincial centres.
Located on the Tonlé San near its confluence with the Mekong, Stung Treng is a quiet town. Loaded with largely untapped tourist potential, Stung Treng could benefit from the increased traffic if people stuck around. The main attractions are near the Lao border, where you can kayak out to a pod of Irrawaddy dolphins then continue downstream along a pretty stretch of the Mekong dotted with flooded forest. Further north, thundering rapids cascade over the border, a spectacular sight that's a continuation of the huge Khone Falls.
Popular Ratanakiri Province is a diverse region of outstanding natural beauty that provides a remote home for a mosaic of peoples – Jarai, Tompuon, Brau and Kreung minorities, plus Lao.
There are many activities like: Swim in clear volcanic lakes, shower under waterfalls, or trek in the vast Virachey National Park.
Named after the ethnic Cham people originating in the area, Kampong Cham Province is in a lowland region with a huge stretch of the Mekong River running alongside it. Known for its rural charm, riverside activity and quaint city life in the province’s urban centre – also called Kampong Cham, many people travel here from nearby Phnom Penh for a slice of ‘real Cambodia’. While the city has a mixture of French colonial architecture and a combination of Chinese and traditional Khmer influences, the broader province is all about rustic charm, working the land or fishing in the river. With a number of off-the-beaten-track Angkor-era temples to visit too, Kampong Cham Province has a little bit of everything that better-known Cambodian resorts have to offer, but on a smaller scale and with fewer people.
Phnom Penh is the charming capital city of Cambodia. This captivating and vibrant city has undeniable charm, with its roadsides teeming with street food stalls and colourful, bustling markets. Phnom Penh’s travel highlights include the thriving art scene, culinary experiences and stunning examples of architecture. The walkable riverfront is lined with parks, restaurants and bars, and you’ll also discover the ornate Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda here. Phnom Penh has a French colonial heritage, and the French influence is evident in the open-fronted shophouses lining the streets and several monuments.
Sihanoukville is the jumping-off point for the best of Cambodia's white-sand beaches and castaway-cool southern islands. The Serendipity Beach area is a decompression chamber for backpackers, who flock here to rest up between travels and party through the night. Away from the hustle south of town is relaxed Otres Beach, where cheap bungalow joints and bohemian-flavoured guesthouses are now neighbours with rather swish boutique resorts.