Phnom Penh: Silk Island Bike Tour with Ferry & Local Crafts

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/22

Duration4h 30m

GroupUp to 12

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Cycle Phnom Penh’s backroads to Koh Dach, meet weavers and cross the Mekong by ferry

You’ll pedal quiet backroads from Phnom Penh to Silk Island by ferry, cycling past farms and orchards with a local guide who knows every shortcut. Watch traditional silk weaving up close, snack on local treats, and share stories with villagers before heading back—expect real warmth and glimpses of daily life you won’t forget.

4h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Phnom Penh Silk Island bike tour

Meet at Siem Reaper bike shop
Bike fitting and briefing
Depart Phnom Penh city
Board ferry to Silk Island
Cycle through countryside and villages
Visit silk weaving craft
Return to Phnom Penh city

The Experience

I nearly missed the turn for the Siem Reaper bike shop—there’s this little alley that doesn’t look like much, but suddenly you’re inside with a bunch of other half-awake folks, picking out helmets. Our guide, Dara, grinned at my clumsy attempt to adjust the seat (he fixed it in two seconds). We set off just as Phnom Penh was waking up—broom sellers calling out, a whiff of grilled pork from a cart somewhere. I didn’t expect the city’s noise to fade so quickly once we started pedaling out toward the river.

The ferry ride to Silk Island (locals call it Koh Dach) is short but weirdly calming. You stand with your bike wedged between baskets of vegetables and people on their way to market. The Mekong looked almost silver in the early light. Once we landed, everything slowed down—a couple of kids waved at us from behind banana trees. The road was dusty and soft under my tires; I kept blinking at how green everything was compared to the city.

Dara led us through tiny farming villages where chickens darted across our path and old men sat squinting at us over mugs of tea. He stopped at a silk weaving house—just a wooden stilt place with looms clacking away underneath. The women weaving let us feel the rough threads before they became that impossibly smooth silk (I still can’t wrap my head around how patient you’d have to be). Dara explained how this craft has been passed down for generations here—Li laughed when I tried to say “silk” in Khmer; I definitely butchered it.

We snacked on something sweet wrapped in banana leaf—I never caught the name—and drank cold water while Dara told stories about growing up near here. Heading back, my legs were tired but not in a bad way. The city felt different after all that quiet green space. I keep thinking about those looms and that ferry ride whenever I hear traffic now.

What’s included

Your morning includes hotel pickup and drop-off, bottled water and snacks along the way, all ferry crossing fees covered, use of a Trek mountain bike with helmet, plus guidance from an English-speaking local expert before returning to Phnom Penh by lunchtime.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Siem Reaper Travel - Phnom Penh Day Tours