Private Phnom Penh City Tour with Mekong River Boat Trip

Royal Palace, temple ruins, and a working silk farm in one day

A private full-day tour of Phnom Penh with an English-speaking guide, hotel pickup and drop-off, visiting the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, National Museum, Wat Phnom, and Independence Monument, plus a boat trip down the Mekong River to Silk Island to watch traditional silk weaving. All entrance fees and transport are included. Lunch is at your own cost.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Royal Palace1h · entry included
2. Silver Pagoda30m · entry included
3. National Museum of Cambodia1h · entry included
4. Wat Phnom1h · entry included
5. Mekong Delta1h · entry included
6. Independence Monument1h · entry included

Phnom Penh city tour and Mekong boat trip

• Hotel pick-up at 8 am
• Visit Royal Palace
• Explore Silver Pagoda
• Tour National Museum
• Visit Wat Phnom temple
• Lunch at own cost
• Boat trip on Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers
• Tour Heng Naysim Weaving House on Silk Island
• Return boat ride to Phnom Penh
• Visit Independence Monument
• Return to hotel by 6 pm

The experience

The tour starts with pickup from your Phnom Penh hotel at 8am and heads straight to the Royal Palace, one of the city's most significant architectural landmarks. From there you move through the Silver Pagoda, filled with centuries of Cambodian history, then to the National Museum to see its collection of ancient Khmer art. Wat Phnom comes next. The 14th-century temple that gave the city its name (Phnom Penh means "the hill of Ms. Penh" in Khmer). Each stop is included in the entrance fees, and your guide handles the logistics.

After lunch on your own, you board a boat at the Tonle Sap River and travel downstream to where it meets the Mekong. The boat passes floating villages and docks at Prek Bongkong on Silk Island, where you spend an hour at Heng Naysim Traditional Cambodian Weaving House watching silk being made from silkworm cocoons to finished fabric. You can buy directly from the weavers if you want. The return boat ride back to Phnom Penh takes another hour.

Your final stop is Independence Monument, built in 1955 to commemorate Cambodia's independence from French rule. The tour ends around 6pm when your driver drops you back at your hotel. The entire day runs about 10 hours with an air-conditioned private vehicle and an English-speaking guide throughout.

What’s included

• English-speaking guide throughout the day.
• private air-conditioned vehicle with hotel pickup and drop-off.
• entrance fees to Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, National Museum, Wat Phnom and Independence Monument.
• Mekong River boat trip to Silk Island and the traditional weaving house.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day5 departure times: the first at 08:00, the last at 10:00

Book up to8h before

AgesAdult (3 and older) · Infant (under 3): 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.

Prices and times updated 11 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportPublic transport nearby

Operated by Mam Holidays

Is this one for you?The 10-hour commitment means you'll see the major sites and take the river trip, but it leaves no room for a second neighborhood or a leisurely lunch break in the city. Book this if you want the landmarks and the Mekong experience in a single day. If you prefer a slower pace or want to add evening dining, split the sites across two days instead.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Infant (under 3): free.

What is Wat Phnom and why does it matter to Phnom Penh?

Wat Phnom is a 14th-century temple built in 1373 with a direct connection to the founding of Cambodia's capital. The city's name itself comes from the temple: Phnom Penh means "the hill of Ms. Penh" in the native language, referring to the legend of a woman named Penh who found Buddha statues on the riverbank.

How does the silk farm visit work on Silk Island?

After the boat ride down the Mekong, you dock at Prek Bongkong village on Silk Island and spend one hour at Heng Naysim Traditional Cambodian Weaving House, a working farm where you see the entire process from collecting silk cocoons to weaving the finished fabric. You can purchase handmade silk products directly from the weavers.

What's included in the price and what do I pay for separately?

The tour includes an English-speaking guide, all transport in an air-conditioned private vehicle, hotel pickup and drop-off, all entrance fees to the sites, and the Mekong River boat charge. Lunch is not included and is at your own cost.

What time does the tour start and end?

Hotel pickup begins at 8am from your Phnom Penh hotel. The tour ends around 6pm when you're dropped back at your hotel, making it a full 10-hour day.