Phnom Penh: Sunset & Dinner Cruise with Live Khmer Music

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.58 (342 reviews) 74% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/50

Duration2h

GroupUp to 100

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Phnom Penh river cruise with dinner, sunset views and traditional music

You’ll drift along Phnom Penh’s rivers at sunset with live Khmer music in your ears and local dishes on your plate. Watch floating villages go by, share laughs with new friends over dinner, and see the city light up from a whole new angle. Includes one-way pickup so you can relax right from the start.

Step-by-step itinerary

Sunset and evening dinner cruise

Board cruise at 5 pm
Enjoy live traditional Khmer music
Cruise past Phnom Penh riverfront
View Royal Palace from boat
See floating villages on Mekong River
Watch sunset near river junction
Cruise up Tonle Sap River
View Phnom Penh skyline after dark
Pass under Japanese Friendship Bridge
Return to port

The Experience

You know that feeling when the city noise just sort of fades out and you’re left with the sound of water slapping gently against the side of a boat? That’s how it started for me on this Phnom Penh sunset cruise — standing up top, warm air brushing my face while the sky slid from gold to something almost purple. Our guide, Dara, handed me a drink (I tried to say “thank you” in Khmer and got it half-right — he grinned anyway) and pointed out where the Tonle Sap meets the Mekong and Bassac. I didn’t expect to see so many colors reflected in the water or hear live Khmer music drifting from the upper deck. It was subtle, not touristy at all.

We cruised past floating villages — actual homes bobbing on the river — while families waved from their little boats. The smells from the kitchen started sneaking up around then; something garlicky and sweet, maybe lemongrass too. Dinner was buffet style (all-you-can-eat, which I definitely tested), and I ended up next to a couple from Battambang who showed me how to wrap lettuce around grilled fish properly. The sun dropped behind Phnom Penh’s skyline right as we passed the Royal Palace. I tried to take a photo but honestly, it didn’t do it justice.

After dark, everything felt softer — lights along the riverfront flickered past as we turned up the Tonle Sap. Kids were running along the shore near the Japanese Friendship Bridge, shouting something I couldn’t catch over the music. There was this moment where everyone just went quiet watching the city glow across the water. I still think about that view sometimes; it’s different seeing Phnom Penh from out there instead of in it.

What’s included

Your evening includes one-way pickup service (if selected), live traditional Khmer music as you sail past Phnom Penh’s landmarks, a welcome sunset cocktail (with certain packages), plus an all-you-can-eat buffet dinner prepared onboard before returning after dark along the illuminated riverfront skyline.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Cambo Cruise