Phnom Penh Royal Palace, S21 and Killing Fields Full-Day Tour

Wat Phnom and the Grandma Penh shrine

The day begins at Wat Phnom, the pagoda on the only hill in Phnom Penh, where according to legend a wealthy widow called Penh found sacred Buddha statues in a tree carried down by the flooded river in 1372 and raised a mound and a shrine to house them. The city that grew around the hill took her name, and her shrine is the first stop before the stairway. Your guide tells the story at the shrine, then climbs with you between the naga balustrades to the sanctuary at the top.

Inside, the murals show scenes from the Buddha's life and the hall is busy with locals lighting incense; around the hill a shaded park holds a large flower clock. The visit takes about thirty minutes, with the small entrance fee paid at the gate. Wat Phnom is open daily from early morning, and starting here puts the whole history of the city in order before the rest of the Phnom Penh city tour.

The Royal Palace compound and the Silver Pagoda

The Royal Palace has been the residence of Cambodia's monarchs since the 1860s, a walled compound on the riverfront whose golden-roofed Throne Hall, topped by a four-faced spire, is the symbol of the nation. The tour spends about an hour and a half here, walking the gardens between the halls and the Moonlight Pavilion, with your guide explaining the ceremonies that still take place and the mix of Khmer and French design. The halls themselves are viewed from outside, as they are not open to the public.

Within the same compound stands the Silver Pagoda, named for the thousands of silver tiles that pave its floor, which holds the emerald Buddha and a gold Buddha set with diamonds among its treasures; the cloister around it is painted with the Khmer version of the Ramayana. The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh is open mornings and afternoons with a midday break and closes for royal ceremonies; the entrance fee is paid at the gate, and modest dress is required.

Wat Botum Park, the Norodom Sihanouk statue and the Independence Monument

South of the palace, the city opens into parks and boulevards lined with monuments. In Wat Botum Park stands the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Monument, a tall concrete sculpture from 1979 commemorating the alliance that ended the Khmer Rouge regime. Across the avenue, the bronze statue of King Norodom Sihanouk rises under a golden canopy in the middle of a garden dedicated to him, where Cambodians still leave flowers and incense.

At the roundabout beyond stands the Independence Monument, the dark sandstone lotus tower built in 1958 to mark freedom from French rule and modelled on the central tower of Angkor Wat, and a short drive away the Constitution Monument marks the return of constitutional monarchy in 1993. Your guide explains each stop in about ten minutes, with time for photos; together the parks tell the story of modern Cambodia from independence to the present.

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, the former S21 prison

After lunch the tour turns to the years from 1975 to 1979. Tuol Sleng was a secondary school in a quiet southern neighbourhood until the Khmer Rouge turned it into Security Prison 21, their main interrogation centre; the four classroom buildings around the frangipani courtyard were divided into cells and used for questioning, and almost everyone who entered was later sent to Choeung Ek. The regime photographed each prisoner on arrival, and the wall of those portraits in Building B is the most sobering part of the visit.

Your guide walks you through the interrogation rooms, the cells and the exhibitions, and an audio guide is available on site for those who prefer to continue at their own pace; the visit lasts about an hour and a half. The museum opens daily, the entrance ticket is paid in cash at the gate, shoulders and knees must be covered, and large bags are not allowed inside.

Choeung Ek Genocidal Centre, the Killing Fields

Choeung Ek, about fifteen kilometres south of the centre, is the former orchard where prisoners from Tuol Sleng were executed and buried in mass graves; today it is a memorial park of lawns, trees and marked grave sites around a tall glass-sided stupa, built in 1988, that holds the remains recovered from the ground, arranged on many levels. The drive from Tuol Sleng takes about forty minutes, and the visit, with your guide or the on-site audio guide, about an hour and a half.

A marked path leads around the graves, the former detention building and the memorial tree, and the stupa is the place where visitors pause, remove their shoes and leave a flower. A Killing Fields and S21 tour is a heavy afternoon, but it is the reason most travellers come to Phnom Penh, and seeing the sites after the palace and the monuments gives them their context. The entrance fee is paid at the gate in cash.

Central Market and the end of the day

The day ends on a lighter note at the Central Market, Psar Thmei, the great yellow art-deco dome of 1937 whose four wings radiate from a central hall. Under the dome are the jewellers and watch stalls, and along the wings everything from fabrics and clothing to flowers, electronics and snacks; it is the best place in the city for Khmer souvenirs such as silk scarves, silver and krama cloth, and prices are negotiated.

Your guide gives you time to walk the hall and the plaza outside before the vehicle takes you back to your hotel, about eight hours after pickup. The market is open daily from early morning until late afternoon, so the stop fits naturally at the end of a Phnom Penh highlights day tour.