Cheap flights to Phnom Penh

Quick summary

Why watch Phnom Penh with SniperAir

A changing river capital, worth catching at the right moment

Phnom Penh is Cambodia's capital and largest city, where the Tonle Sap and Mekong meet in the south of the country. It brings together a gold-roofed Royal Palace, a Silver Pagoda, a national museum, the hill temple that gave the city its name and a long riverfront. It is also a city with a painful recent history, which several memorial sites help visitors understand.

For anyone searching flights, one point deserves attention: Techo International Airport, opened in September 2025, replaced the old city airport for commercial flights. Prices and displayed codes may vary by airline. An alert lets you follow fares to Phnom Penh without checking every day, including connections via Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City or Singapore if you wish.

Airport and getting into town

A new airport south of the capital

Distances and times are approximate, based on Wikivoyage (EN, DE) and Wikipedia (EN); the sources disagree on distance and timetables change. We do not quote fares.

An express bus links the airport and the city about every ten minutes, roughly from 05:30 to 23:00, in about an hour according to Wikivoyage (EN, DE). Tuk-tuks and taxis are also possible; Wikivoyage (EN) warns of a torn-banknote scam and advises checking small notes before paying.

Phnom Penh is also linked by road to Siem Reap, Sihanoukville and neighbouring Vietnam. A passenger train has run to Sihanoukville since 2016 according to Wikipedia (EN). For comparison, you can also watch Siem Reap (SAI) and Bangkok airports.

Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and Wat Phnom

Golden roofs, a hill temple and the river

The capital grew around Wat Phnom, built in the 14th century according to the legend of a widow named Penh. It became the seat of government in 1866 under King Norodom I, according to Wikipedia (FR, DE). The places illustrated below are the Silver Pagoda, a hall of the Royal Palace and Wat Phnom; the riverfront, markets and Independence Monument are described in text.

The Silver Pagoda

Inside the Royal Palace compound, the Silver Pagoda owes its name to a floor covered with silver tiles, though guides disagree on how much. Wikivoyage (EN) says photography is not allowed inside; shoulders and knees must be covered at the palace entrance.

The Royal Palace

The Royal Palace's Throne Hall was built in the 1860s under Norodom I (Wikipedia, EN). Its tiered roofs, golden spires and yellow walls are typical of royal Khmer architecture. The palace is the king's residence, so visiting hours are limited to a morning and an afternoon slot (Wikivoyage, DE, ES).

Wat Phnom

On an artificial hill of about 27 m (Wikipedia, DE), Wat Phnom is the shrine that gave the city its name. Surrounded by a park amid the traffic, it overlooks the nearby streets. Monkeys live there and may grab unattended drinks (Wikivoyage, EN).

The riverfront, markets and Independence Monument, in text

Sisowath Quay is a roughly 5 km promenade of restaurants and hotels (Wikipedia, EN); the Independence Monument dates from 1958 (Wikipedia, DE) and its fountains liven up weekend evenings (Wikivoyage, EN). The Art Deco Central Market dates from the 1930s; the Russian Market draws shoppers for clothes and souvenirs, according to Wikivoyage (EN).

Museums, memory and culture

The National Museum and memorial sites to visit with respect

The National Museum of Cambodia

Designed in the early 1920s by architect George Groslier (Wikipedia, EN), the National Museum holds a large body of Khmer art: about 5,000 objects according to Wikivoyage (ES). It is a good introduction before heading to Angkor.

Khmer Rouge memorial sites

From 1975 to 1979, under the Khmer Rouge regime, the city was forcibly evacuated and its people dispersed across the countryside; detention centres operated there, including S-21, a former school (Wikipedia, FR, EN, ES). It is now the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. About fifteen kilometres to the south, Choeung Ek is a memorial where a stupa honours the victims. These places are open for remembrance and education: visit them calmly and quietly.

Preparing your visit

Wikivoyage (EN) advises respectful dress at Choeung Ek, with long trousers and no sleeveless tops. Allow time, and do not hesitate to cut the visit short if it is too distressing. A French-language guide recommends starting with Tuol Sleng to understand the context before Choeung Ek. We give no figures or prices.

Food and drink

Khmer cooking, markets and neighbouring influences

A cuisine to discover

The sources we checked say little about typical dishes, so we avoid naming any without cross-checking. Wikivoyage (EN) says the city offers Khmer cooking, street food and French, Thai and Vietnamese influences.

Markets and evenings

Night markets and covered markets, including Orussey, described by Wikivoyage (EN) as more authentic and cheaper than the Central Market, are good places to eat local. Street stalls are also used by residents (Wikivoyage, ES).

Social-enterprise restaurants

Wikivoyage (DE, ES) mentions a non-profit restaurant whose staff are former street children. Ask locally to discover this kind of initiative.

Getting around

Tuk-tuks, apps and motorbike taxis

Tuk-tuks and apps

Tuk-tuk fares are negotiated before setting off; ride-hailing apps (PassApp, Grab, Tada, WeGo) avoid haggling and are often cheaper, according to Wikivoyage (EN, DE). Metered taxis are also recommended.

Motorbike taxis and buses

Motorbike taxis are inexpensive for short trips. The city has a city-bus network whose number of lines varies by source (nine, thirteen or twenty-one); signs are sometimes in Khmer only (Wikivoyage, DE, ES).

Traffic and walking

The centre is compact, with distances of around ten minutes. Traffic is dense and dangerous for pedestrians (Wikivoyage, EN). Wikivoyage (EN) advises against driving yourself.

Budget and precautions

A moderate price level, to be checked

Price level

We give no ranges or figure-based comparisons because we could not cross-check them on two independent, up-to-date sources: Royal Palace admission fees, for example, differ from page to page. In Cambodia, payments are made in riel and US dollars.

Flights

The flight is the most variable item. SniperAir monitors prices to Phnom Penh and compares them with the route's history, but it does not sell or book tickets. Watching Siem Reap (SAI) as well can help if you combine two stops.

Entry rules and precautions

Entry rules for Cambodia depend on your nationality, notably for the visa: check them on official sites and read your country's travel advice. Bag-snatching occurs; avoid walking alone at night away from the main roads, which are poorly lit (Wikivoyage, EN, DE).

Best time to go

Hot all year, with a rainy season from May to October

The climate is tropical monsoonal, with temperatures between about 22 and 35 C according to Wikipedia (EN, DE, ES). The exact months of the rainy season and annual rainfall vary between sources, so we do not publish precise figures. Check the forecast before you go.

By length of stay

What to do in Phnom Penh depending on how long you stay

In pictures

Phnom Penh in pictures

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions about flights to Phnom Penh