Phnom Penh: Tuol Sleng & Choeung Ek Half-Day Private Tour

Two Sites That Changed Cambodia Forever, in One Afternoon

You visit Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, where the Khmer Rouge held and tortured 17,000 prisoners, then travel 15km to Choeung Ek memorial, built over mass graves where thousands were executed. Your private guide walks you through both sites, and hotel pickup and dropoff mean you don't arrange transport yourself. The half-day format gets you through both in one afternoon.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum2h
2. Choeung Ek Genocidal Center2h

Visit Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek Museums

• Explore Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
• Travel 15km southwest to Choeung Ek
• Visit Choeung Ek Genocidal Center
• Return to hotel and drop off

The experience

"How many people came through those gates?" The question hangs in the air as your guide stands in front of the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh. The answer is 17,000. Only seven survived. What was once a high school became the Khmer Rouge's center for interrogation and torture, and the rooms still hold thousands of photographs of victims: faces staring out from the walls, each one a person who was brought here and never left. You move slowly through the building, seeing the materials used for interrogation, the cells, the records kept with brutal precision. It's not easy to look at, but it's necessary.

After Tuol Sleng, your private driver takes you about 15 kilometers southwest toward Choeung Ek. The route itself matters: prisoners from the museum were transported this same way to their execution. Choeung Ek started as an orchard and a Chinese cemetery before 1975. During the regime, it became one of the killing fields where more than 17,000 people were executed, most of them already broken from Toul Sleng. Today the site holds mass graves and a memorial stupa containing thousands of skulls. It's quiet now, and that quietness is part of what makes it a place to sit with what happened rather than just pass through.

The half-day tour includes hotel pickup and dropoff, so you don't navigate the city alone or worry about transport. Your guide speaks English and knows the history, not just the facts, but the weight of them. The tour takes around four to five hours total, which is enough time to spend real time at each site without rushing, and short enough that you're back at your hotel by early afternoon.

What’s included

Your tour includes hotel pickup and dropoff in Phnom Penh, private transportation with air conditioning, a private English-speaking guide, drinking water, and travel insurance. The guide leads you through both Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and Choeung Ek memorial, explaining the history and context of each site.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day15 departure times: the first at 07:30, the last at 14:30

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (6 and older) · Child (2 to 5 years): free · Infant (under 2): 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.

Paid on siteUS$ 8

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats available

Operated by Private Tour Guide-Phnom Penh

Is this one for you?This tour is for anyone who wants to understand this chapter of Cambodian history without arranging transport or navigating the sites alone: the private guide and pickup mean you can focus on what you're seeing rather than logistics, and the half-day length fits into a larger itinerary.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (2 to 5 years): free; Infant (under 2): free.

How long is the tour?

Around four to five hours, including hotel pickup and dropoff.

What's included in the price?

Hotel pickup and dropoff, private driver, air-conditioned transportation, private English-speaking guide, drinking water, and travel insurance.

How far is Choeung Ek from Phnom Penh?

About 15 kilometers southwest of the city center.

Is this tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes. All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible, and transportation is wheelchair accessible as well.

What's the difference between Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek?

Tuol Sleng was the interrogation and torture center where prisoners were held and photographed. Choeung Ek is the execution site where most of those prisoners were killed. The tour visits both.

Do I need to book in advance?

It's recommended, especially if you're traveling during peak season. Check availability with the operator.