Oudong Mountain & Phnom Penh City Tour: Private Full-Day Guide

Climb Oudong Mountain and see what held Cambodia's throne for 250 years

A full-day private tour from Phnom Penh travels 39km to Oudong, Cambodia's former capital, where you climb the mountain to view stupas built by King Norodom Sihanouk and walk among shrines damaged and rebuilt after the Khmer Rouge. After descending, the tour stops in Kompong Luong village known for silverwork, then returns to Phnom Penh to visit Wat Phnom, the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and Independence Monument before hotel drop-off.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Wat Phnom40m · entry included
2. Independence Monument20m · entry included
3. Royal Palace1h · entry included
4. Silver Pagoda30m · entry included

Oudong Mountain and Phnom Penh City Tour

• Travel to Oudong by private vehicle
• Visit palm sugar producing family
• Climb stairs to Oudong Mountain top
• Enjoy views and learn history
• Have traditional Khmer lunch at picnic hut
• Explore shrines and memorials on Oudong slopes
• Visit Kompong Luong silverwork village
• Return to Phnom Penh
• Visit Wat Phnom temple
• Tour Royal Palace grounds
• See Silver Pagoda
• Visit Independence Monument
• See Statue of King Norodom Sihanouk
• Return to hotel and end tour

The experience

The journey starts with a private vehicle ride through rural villages, local pagodas and rice paddies to reach Oudong, about 39km outside the city. On the way, you stop at a family home to watch palm sugar being produced by hand. Your guide explains the history as you climb the stairs to the top of Oudong Mountain, where you stand above the plains and see the stupa built in 2002 by King Norodom Sihanouk, along with the New Preah Sakyamoni Chedi that houses a relic of Buddha. More than 20 Khmer Kings reigned in Oudong before the capital moved to Phnom Penh in 1866, and the guide walks you through that period when the kingdom was caught between the power of Thailand and Vietnam.

The mountain itself holds the marks of Cambodia's recent history. Shrines and Buddha statues were severely damaged or destroyed by the Khmer Rouge in 1977. Some have since been rebuilt. At the base of the hill stands a memorial containing bones of victims from a Khmer Rouge killing field. After exploring the temples and stupas, you eat a traditional Khmer lunch at a picnic hut at the foot of the hill. On the return to Phnom Penh, the tour stops in Kompong Luong, a village that specialized in jewelry-making during the time the royal court was in Oudong and still produces silverwork today.

Back in Phnom Penh, you visit Wat Phnom, the temple atop an 88.5-foot artificial hill that gave the city its name. According to legend, a widow named Daun Penh found four bronze Buddha statues inside a hollow tree in the river and built a shrine to protect them. The site became sacred ground where people pray for good luck and success. The tour then moves to the Royal Palace, the residence of the Cambodian king since its construction over a century ago, and the adjacent Silver Pagoda, whose proper name is Wat Preah Keo Morokat, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, but is called Silver Pagoda for the solid silver floor tiles inside. The final stops are the Independence Monument, a 20-meter lotus-shaped tower built in 1958 to mark Cambodia's independence from France, and the statue of King Father Norodom Sihanouk, completed in 2013. Your guide then drops you at your hotel.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off.
• all entrance fees to Oudong, Wat Phnom, Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and Independence Monument.
• private air-conditioned vehicle.
• cold bottled water.
• hand towel.
• private English-speaking guide.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:00 and 08:30

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (12 to 80 years) · Child (4 to 11 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Royal Phnom Penh Tours

Is this one for you?Choose this if you want to combine Oudong's hilltop views and history with Phnom Penh's main sites in one day: the private vehicle and guide handle routing between the two cities, while the seven-to-eight-hour timeframe leaves your evening free.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 11 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is Oudong Mountain and why was it important to Cambodia?

Oudong was Cambodia's capital city for nearly 250 years before King Ponhea Yat moved the seat of power to Phnom Penh in 1866. More than 20 Khmer Kings reigned there during a period when the kingdom was repeatedly threatened by Thailand and Vietnam. The mountain itself holds stupas and shrines built over centuries, including a stupa constructed in 2002 by King Norodom Sihanouk and the New Preah Sakyamoni Chedi that houses a relic of Buddha.

What can I see at the top of Oudong Mountain?

From the top, you see magnificent views over the plains below. The mountain holds several stupas and shrines to Buddha, many of which were damaged or destroyed during the Khmer Rouge period in 1977 and have since been reconstructed. Chinthes, mythical guardian figures, protect the access to the sacred hill.

What is the Silver Pagoda and where is it located?

The Silver Pagoda, properly called Wat Preah Keo Morokat or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, sits next to the Royal Palace within the same walled compound in Phnom Penh. It takes its common name from the solid silver floor tiles that adorn the temple building. The pagoda compound contains several structures including a library, various stupas, shrines and monuments.

What does the Independence Monument commemorate?

The Independence Monument, or Vimean Ekareach, was built in 1958 and inaugurated in 1962 to celebrate Cambodia's independence from France on November 9, 1953. The 20-meter high monument is shaped like a lotus and also serves as a memorial to Cambodia's war dead. It was designed by Cambodian architect Vann Molyvann.

What happens at Kompong Luong village during the tour?

Kompong Luong is a village famous for its silverwork. The village specialized in jewelry-making during the time the royal court was based in Oudong, and that tradition continues today. The tour stops there on the return journey to Phnom Penh.

What is included in the tour price?

Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, along with all entrance fees to the sites visited. You also receive private air-conditioned transportation, a cold bottle of water during the trip, a hand towel, and a private English-speaking tour guide for the full day.