Cambodia is simply a breathtaking country and has definitely become one of my favorites. The people, the mesmerizing nature, numerous amazing temples, and don’t let me get started with the food. I can’t recommend Cambodia often enough. And not only a trip to the temples of Angkor.
Don’t get me wrong, Angkor is an incredible experience, but Cambodia is just so much more than just Angkor. That’s why we wrote down our Cambodia itinerary for you to motivate you to get out there and see as much of Cambodia as you can. And I hope that with this Cambodia Travel itinerary, you will fall in love with Cambodia as much as we did.
What to find out in this post
- 1 Your first time in Cambodia?
- 2 1-Month Cambodia Itinerary
- 3 Cambodia Map
- 4 Day 1-3 Phnom Penh
- 5 Day 4 Kep
- 6 How to get around
- 7 Day 5-8 Kampot
- 8 Day 8- 16 Otres Beach, Sihanoukville, Koh Rong
- 9 Day 17 Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh
- 10 Day 18 Phnom Penh to Battambang
- 11 Day 19-21 Battambang
- 12 Day 22Â By boat to Siem Reap
- 13 Day 23-29 Siem Reap & Angkor
- 14 Day 30 Departure
- 15 Travel Insurance for Cambodia
- 16 Do you want to go to Cambodia on a budget?
- 17 Already packed everything?
- 18 More Info for taking Away
Your first time in Cambodia?
Before starting your trip there are some things I wish I would have known before going to Cambodia. (Click here to read it) It’s full of super useful information for your trip about the culture and the country.
1-Month Cambodia Itinerary
Cambodia Map
Day 1-3 Phnom Penh
In the capital of Cambodia, we will start our trip through this wonderful country. There are two main reasons to start our trip here. 1. Most flights are the cheapest when going to Phnom Penh. 2. Here, you can learn many things about the dark history of the country and I think it is great to know these things already from the beginning of your trip. Thie helps you to understand the locals and the culture better.
We entered Cambodia by bus coming from Ho Chi Minh City. Therefore, Phnom Penh was a suitable starting point for us as well.
In Phnom Penh, there is a lot to see. The Cambodian capital is full of wonderful temples and buildings.
You can find my Top 10 Things to do in Phnom Penh here.
Day 4 Kep
Kep is a little town in the South of Cambodia which is famous for its crap market. It’s nice to have a little walk around here. But unfortunately, we can’t really recommend the beach. In general, a walk around was enough for us and we left again the same day to Kampot. If you want to stay a little bit longer, you can stay the night. There are several busses leaving daily to Kampot from here.
How to get around
You can either book your buses and public transport on-site or online in advance. You can find the best and most trustworthy option to book your tickets for Cambodia online by clicking here.
Day 5-8 Kampot
Kampot became my absolute favorite in Southeast Asia. We went there not expecting anything. Our plan was to stay one night and then move on to the beach. Little did we know that we would end up staying much longer.
Kampot is the perfect place to relax, take walks along the riverside, and have great day trips.
Not far from Kampot, you can find the Bako National Park. Here, you can find beautiful waterfalls, temples, and an abandoned French Casino. You can find my article about the Bokor National Park here.
I can just recommend you to visit Kampot. Click here to read my full article about Kampot.
Day 8- 16 Otres Beach, Sihanoukville, Koh Rong
Did you know that Cambodia also offers amazing beaches? You can find them in the South of the country. Sihanoukville is probably the most popular beach destination in Cambodia. Anyway, if you aren’t looking for parties, you might be happier staying in the near Otres Beach area. (Around 7 km away from Sihanoukville). Here you can find a beach area way quieter and easier to relax in.
Koh Rong is an island accessible from Sihanoukville by boat. If you are looking for a place with fewer parties, you might want to stay on the smaller neighbor-island Koh Rong Samloem.
Day 17 Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh
Unfortunately, there is no direct route between Sihanoukville and Battambang/Siem Reap yet. That’s why you have to go back to Phnom Penh first in order to get to Battambang. However, the bus trip is long and exhausting and the ride can get quite shaky. That’s why we decided to have a stop-over in Phnom Penh for another night and relax a little before the long trip.
By the way, we realized that the estimated journey time was always much shorter than the actual trip. So better expect 1-2 hours more when taking a bus in Cambodia.
Day 18 Phnom Penh to Battambang
After having a good rest in Phnom Penh, your trip can go on. For the trip, it is nice to bring some snacks and water, but there are usually also breaks to grab some food in between.
Day 19-21 Battambang
Battambang surprised us positively. Besides the popular bamboo train, there is a lot to see. Several temples as well as the bat cave that is located a little bit outside of town. It is worth it taking some time to also see the non-touristic temples of the city. You can find my whole article on Battambang here.
Day 22Â By boat to Siem Reap
Did you know that you can go from Battambang to Siem Reap by boat? Even though there also is a bus operating between the two important cities in Cambodia it might be a great experience to take the boat instead. (And this comes from someone that actually tries to avoid boats as much as possible) Your journey starts early in the morning. During this ride, you can not only see great landscapes but also are able to have a look at the floating villages. Going with this boat, you can actually have a look at the real-life in the village. If you get there with a tourist tour from Siem Reap, they will bring you to shops with which they have contracts in order for you to buy stuff.
On the way, you will do a stop-over in one of the floating restaurants being able to have some lunch. If you want to know more about the boat tour from Battambang to Siem Reap click here to read my full article.
Day 23-29 Siem Reap & Angkor
In Siem Reap, you will probably find more tourists than in the rest of Cambodia combined. The temples of Angkor are attracting thousands of tourists to come here every year.
Siem Reap was quite different from the rest of the country with its huge night market selling souvenirs, drinks, and food. You can find many bars and even clubs around.
One evening, we spent in a tuk-tuk that was used as a mini-bar. You could sit inside having a drink. When buying a drink, you could also choose your favorite song the be played via youtube. We really liked the idea. It was something truly unique to us.
The temples of Angkor are just a stone’s throw away from Siem Reap and an incredible highlight. We decided to go with the 3-day ticket. The great thing is that those days don’t necessarily have to be consecutive and therefore we were able to relax one day after each day we spent in Angkor. Thus, we had a lot of time to discover the area, relax, and work. And even more to enjoy the Khmer cuisine.
Get all information about Visiting Angkor and about all the main temples there in my Ultimate Angkor 3 Days Tour Guide here.
Day 30 Departure
And then there comes the day where you have to say Goodbye again. It’s unbelievable how fast one month can go by. With a backpack full of memories, you can go back home now. Either you can take a flight from Siem Reap or go back to Phnom Penh from here. For us, our journey let us to Koh Chang, Thailand from here.
Travel Insurance for Cambodia
When going to Cambodia (or any other destination), you should definitely have a travel Insurance. They might seem expensive at first glance, but you simply never know what is going to happen. We had to visit the hospital once in Cambodia and were super happy that we had insurance that completely covered us.
These days, the most popular travel insurance is World Nomads. There are two main reasons why it is so popular.
1. It is easy. You exactly know what your insurance is going to cover and the consultation is simply great. There is always a contact person if you need advice.
2. It is affordable. They say you shouldn’t be greedy when it comes to your health. But obviously, you don’t want to spend more on your insurance than necessary, ain’t I right?
Just insert your travel data into the field below and get your insurance price without any commitment. Or if you want to know more about World Nomads click here for all information.
Do you want to go to Cambodia on a budget?
… without missing any experience? Then you will love my Cambodia Budget Guide. There, you can get all the information on how to save money and how much your Cambodia travel Budget should be.
Already packed everything?
In case you are wondering what to bring on your Cambodia adventure (or what not to bring), you should definitely check out my Southeast Asia Packing Guide for her and him.
More Info for taking Away
Always helpful and full of great travel advice: The Lonely Planet Cambodia.
One of the most popular travel guides to Cambodia: The DK Eyewitnes Guide to Cambodia and Laos.
this is a great itinerary! i’ve only been to siam reap and phnom penh before but there are other places i want to visit. will definitely refer to your itinerary when i start my trip planning for cambodia! thanks for sharing!
Hi Queenie,
Thank you for your comment. I hope it helps you 🙂
Great detailed post! 🙂 I would love to visit Cambodia and check out your guides more in detail.
Hi Lorial,
thanks for your comment. If you have any further questions let me know 🙂
I love this. Thanks for sharing the long itinerary for Cambodia. I feel like too often it gets brushed over as a quick stop for a couple of days, so this is great!
Hi Lauren,
I totally agree. I feel like Cambodia is a country to see slowly if you have the chance 🙂
I was in Cambodia as well and I can also really recommend the area around Kratie. i loved it there.
Hi Ellis,
Thank you so much for your recommendation. 🙂
Wow, there are so many amazing places to see in Cambodia! I would love to spend some time travelling in Cambodia, and also combine it with a trip to Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. I’ve heard of the main tourist spots around Cambodia, but had never heard of Kampot and Battambang before. Both look incredible! Thanks for sharing your Cambodia experience 🙂
Hi Christie,
I’ve never heard of those places either before I went to Cambodia. And now Kampot is one of my favorite places in the world 🙂
Woahhh One month long itinerary seems sorted for my sabbatical year. i love slow travelling and been planning to visit Cambodia or Vietnam!
Hi Ashfina,
I am sure you will love it if you like to travel slow. Let me know if you have any further questions 🙂
Nice itinerary. We also went to Cambodia some years ago. If you have enough time, I can also recommend to visit Banlung, if you want to be off the path. We did a three days jungle trekking there.
Hi Diana,
Thank you so much for your recommendation