Cambodia Itinerary (The Ultimate 4 Weeks Backpacking In Cambodia)

Last Updated: August 16 2021

Cambodia is a wonderful country full of history and beautiful landscapes. After spending four weeks travelling through Cambodia, we started to get a true understanding of what this country is like. In this blog post, we will go through all the places that you need to add to your Cambodia itinerary!

Although this country is beautiful, the history is heartbreaking. The Khmer Rouge ruled over Cambodia between 1975-1979 and killed over 1.5 million Cambodians. At the time this was 1/3 of the countries population.

Now tourism is booming and there are many incredible places to see in Cambodia. We spent time exploring the amazing Angkor complex, relaxing on a tropical island and learning the true history behind the Khmer Rouge.

In this itinerary, we will detail all the places you need to visit, what to do there and where to stay. These destinations are a must for the ultimate Cambodia travel itinerary.

The Perfect Cambodia Itinerary

After arriving in Siem Reap from Bangkok, this is the route we took.

Siem Reap-Battambang-Phnom Penh-Kampot-Koh Rong Samloem-Kratie

Our Cambodia itinerary starting in Siem reap

Siem Reap (4 Nights)

In the northwest of Cambodia, Siem Reap is the gate to the world-famous Angkor complex. There are many places to visit in Siem Reap, but the Angkor temples are by far the most popular.

Angkor was the seat of the Khmer kingdom from the 9th-15th century and is now a well known UNESCO World Heritage Site. Over 1,000 temples are located within the Angkor complex, and they attract millions of visitors every year.

Of course, Angkor is the most well-known temple and attracts hundreds of people every morning for sunrise. However, other popular temples here include Bayon, Ta Prohm Temple, and Angkor Thom.

There are two ways to see Angkor, either by tuk-tuk or bicycle. Tuk-tuk drivers are available to hire for $15 a day and they will take you to the sights you want to see. We chose to visit Angkor by bicycle and rented them for $2 each for the day.

The entrance pass to Angkor costs $37 for a one day pass, $62 for three days and $72 for a 7-day pass. Depending on how much time you have, it is best to go for the one day or three-day pass. Although a must for any Siem Reap itinerary, Angkor isn’t the only place to visit in this city.

Siem Reap is a cultural city with temples, markets, and other attractions just outside the city.

Click HERE to read our ‘The top things to do in Siem Reap (the perfect Siem Reap itinerary)’ blog post.

Things to do in Siem Reap

• Pub Street
• Victory Gate
• Wat Preah Prom Rath
• Siem Reap art centre
• Old market
• Angkor National Museum

Where to stay in Siem Reap

Here are accommodation options for places to stay in Siem Reap, based on your budget.

Budget Accommodation

The ’84 Hotel Siem Reap- £5 a night for a large double room with private bathroom.

Medium Budget Accommodation

Cambana Residence- £31 a night for a deluxe king suite with private balcony.

High Budget/Luxury Accommodation

Le Meridien Angkor- £92 for a superior twin room.

Battambang (3 Nights)

Battambang is an interesting city found on the Sangkae River in Northwestern Cambodia. The Khmer temples, Governor’s Residence and colonial buildings found here make it very popular.

We booked a day tour to see the city and the surrounding area for $15. The first place we visited was the Bamboo Train which is a popular tourist attraction just outside the city.

After the Khmer Rouge Regime devastated the railways in Cambodia, locals decided to build Norry’s. They are small wooden platforms with wheels and a motor which were used to transport goods. Now they are used to transport tourists along the lush countryside.

The other sites on the tour included the killing fields and the bat cave.

Things to do in Battambang

• The Killing Caves- A site where the Khmer Rouge would murder local people before throwing them in the cave. A harrowing story but a very interesting site.
• Piphetthearam Pagoda
• Wat Kandal
• Psar Nat
• The Bat Cave
• The Governor’s Residence

Top Tip: at the Killing Caves children will try to show you around as a ‘guide’. Generally, the children are kept out of school to do this and the money you give them will go straight to their parents. We know it can be difficult and we have made this mistake before, but try to avoid giving money to them.

Where to stay in Battambang

There is plenty of cheap accommodation in Battambang and here are some options for you:

Budget Accommodation

Lucky Hostel- £4 a night for a double room with a spotless shared bathroom. There is also a pool and social area with a snooker table and dartboard etc.

Medium Budget Accommodation

Vimean Sovannaphoum Resort- £21 a night for a standard twin room with a balcony and pool access.

High Budget/Luxury Accommodation

La Villa- £54 a night for a standard double room with breakfast and pool access.

Phnom Penh (5 Nights)

Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia and sits on the Mekong River. There are lots of things to see in Phnom Penh and most are related to the history of the Khmer Regime.

The history here makes it a difficult city to visit. For many years the Cambodian people were called liars, and no one believed in the Khmer Rouge. That is why it is important to learn the countries history.

A must for any Phnom Penh itinerary is the S21 Prison and The Killing Fields. The S21 Prison (also known as Tuol Sleng genocide museum) was a school before it was turned into a prison by the Khmer Rouge.

They closed down all education and brought people here to torture and then execute them. The entrance fee is $5 without audio and $8 with audio.

The Killing Fields (also known as Choeung Ek) is one of the most popular Phnom Penh tourist attractions and are found on the outskirts of the city. We will give prior warning, this place is extremely emotional. People were brought here to be executed and then thrown in ditches including women and small children.

This site shows how this country has suffered and is a must if you want to learn the history of Cambodia. The entrance fee for the Killing Fields is $8 with an audio guide.

We spent a couple of nights in Phnom Penh for travel purposes which we haven’t included in the timeline. Phnom Penh is the travel hub of Cambodia so it is where we found the most direct and cheap transport. It is also where we travelled onward to Vietnam.

Click HERE for our ‘8 best things to do in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’ blog post.

Things to do in Phnom Penh

• The Royal Palace
• Wat Phnom
• Central Market
• National Museum of Cambodia
• Preah Vihear Preah Keo Morakot
• The statue of King Father Norodom Sihanouk

Where to stay in Phnom Penh

You will want to stay central in Phnom Penh to ensure most attractions are easily accessible. Here are some accommodation options for you.

Budget Accommodation

B52 Hostel- £9 a night for a double room.

Medium Budget Accommodation

EMAN-SIM BOUTIQUE HOTEL- £26 a night for a deluxe double room and breakfast.

High Budget/Luxury Accommodation

Residence 105 Hotel and Apartment- £46 a night for a one-bedroom suite.

Kampot (5 Nights)

Kampot sits on the Preaek Tuek Chuu River in Southern Cambodia. It is a beautiful city and there are lots of things to see and do. Kampot is one of the most popular cities to visit in Cambodia, and you should include it in your itinerary.

A must for any Cambodia itinerary is the firefly cruise, which is an amazing experience. At night you board one of the boats with an open deck and head upriver to find the magical fireflies. The trees will light up with fireflies, and it’s a beautiful thing to see. It is, even more, relaxing with a cool beer in hand!

You can book the firefly cruise with any of the boats, or you can do a tour of Kampot. The tour costs $13 and takes you on a day trip to Bokor Mountain and gives you a ticket for the firefly cruise. Food is included in the tours and they show you what Kampot has to offer.

Things to do in Kampot

• Durian Roundabout
• Old French Bridge
• The Casino
• The Old Catholic Church
• The Eay Mao Monument
• The Abandoned Palace

Where to stay in Kampot

Kampot is located right on the river so there are plenty of great accommodation choices with beautiful views.

Budget Accommodation

Good Morning Kampot- £8 a night for a double room.

Medium Budget Accommodation

Bamboo Bungalow- £26 a night for a double room with a lake view.

High Budget/Luxury Accommodation

Pippali Boutique Hotel- £40 a night for a superior double room.

Koh Rong Samloem (7 Nights)

Koh Rong Samloem (also known as Koh Rong Sanloem) is where we spent most of our time in Cambodia. It is a tropical paradise and a place we won’t hesitate to go back to.

Koh Rong Samloem is located just off the coast of Sihanoukville and is next to the more popular island of Koh Rong. Koh Rong is the party island, and we wanted somewhere quiet and relaxing to spend our Christmas so we chose Koh Rong Samloem.

Only 300 people or so live on the island, making it the perfect place to relax. Most of the accommodation is on the beach so you only have a few steps to get to the beautiful ocean.

This island is the perfect place to snorkel, we swam amongst so many tropical fish including clownfish and parrotfish.

Click HERE for our ‘visiting Koh Rong Samloem – the tropical paradise of Cambodia’ blog post.

Things to do in Koh Rong Samloem

• Snorkelling
• Walk to Clear Water Bay
• Go on a plankton tour
• Hike around the Island

Where to stay in Koh Rong Samloem

The only place you should stay in Koh Rong Samloem is ‘My Way’. This place is right on the beach, and the host made our stay special.

The lady who runs this place is from France and runs the accommodation with her mum. We left considering them to be good friends, and they even looked after us when we both got sick!

My Way can be found on Airbnb, and it only cost us £11 a night for a double room and shared bathroom. Alex has now built an extra room with a sea view and ensuite bathroom which is just beautiful. You find ‘My Way’ on Facebook here!

Kratie (3 Nights)

Kratie is a quaint little town that sits on the Mekong River. If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the cities, Kratie is the place.

The main reason we headed to Kratie was to try and find the infamous Irrawaddy dolphin. The Irrawaddy dolphin is a rare species of river dolphin found in Southeast Asia. We were lucky enough to see about 10 dolphins on our boat trip!

By looking on Tripadvisor you can find several tour guides who will take you to the river. This is how we organised our tour and he picked us up from our hotel. First of all, he took us to a local couples house and taught us how to make noodles from scratch, and then took us to the river.

The boat trip costs $9 each for 60 minutes or 90 minutes in the rainy season. This is a must for any Cambodia itinerary because the dolphins are extremely endangered so it is a magical experience.

Click HERE for our ‘where to find the endangered Irrawaddy dolphins in Cambodia’ blog post.

Things to do in Kratie

• Kaoh Trong
• Phnom Sambok Pagoda
• Food Markets
• Walk along the Mekong River

Where to stay in Kratie

Here are some accommodation options for Kratie.

Budget Accommodation

Balcony Kratie- £7 a night for a large double room. There is also a rooftop bar and pool table.

Medium Budget Accommodation 

Mombrocheabrey hotel- £16 a night for a double room.

How to get around Cambodia

Getting around Cambodia is relatively easy, apart from a few squished journeys where the bus had been overbooked. Apart from this, we didn’t have any problems.

To book transport in Cambodia either ask your accommodation, use a travel agent or book online through 12goasia.com. Most of the time if you ask your accommodation, they will sort it for you!

When booking with tour operators or travel agents, watch out for any extra charges. Some will try to charge you far more than you need to pay, so shop around. If you aren’t sure, book your transport through 12goasia.com.

They are a company who sell transport tickets all over Asia, and we use them a lot throughout our travels. There isn’t a need to worry about getting around Cambodia, as there are plenty of options.

We have listed the prices we paid for transport in Cambodia so you have an idea of the price. The price below is for the two of us, although prices may have increased since we travelled to Cambodia in 2018.

The cost of transport in Cambodia

Siem Reap-Battambang: By bus for £9.50.
Battambang-Phnom Penh: By bus for £15.
Phnom Penh-Kampot: By bus for £13.
Kampot-Koh Rong Samloem: £51 for a bus and boat return ticket.
Koh Rong Samloem-Phnom Penh: Boat return ticket already paid and by bus for £16.
Phnom Penh-Kratie: By bus for £20.
Kratie-Phnom Penh: By bus for £11.
Phnom Penh-Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam): By bus for £22.

Booking.com

We have put together the perfect itinerary for Cambodia, and we hope you enjoy it! Cambodia is an amazing country and one we won’t soon forget.

If you have visited any of these places or followed this Cambodia itinerary then let us know in the comments below!

P.S If you want to follow our travels, you can find our Instagram HERE.

Thank you for reading,
Jack & Abbie.

MORE CAMBODIA BLOG POSTS

The Top Things To Do In Siem Reap (The Perfect Siem Reap Itinerary)

All You Need To Know About S21 Prison & The Killing Fields Of Phnom Penh

The Best Photogenic Spots In Cambodia

Where To Find The Endangered Irrawaddy Dolphins In Cambodia

10 Things You Need To Know Before Going To Cambodia

Visiting Koh Rong Sanloem – The Tropical Paradise Of Cambodia

Travelling To The Cambodian Border From Bangkok

Battambang’s Bamboo Train – A Must Do When Visiting Cambodia

The Ultimate Guide To Angkor Wat – Cambodia’s Top Tourist Attraction

8 Best Things To Do In Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Must See Destinations)

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