20 days backpacking in Cambodia is the perfect amount of time to see a bit of everything: temples, beaches, museums, nightlife and countryside. This itinerary starts in Siem Reap and finishes in Phnom Penh, but can also be done in the reverse order. Similarly, with the islands Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem, you can do these in any order, just make sure you time it so you are in Koh Rong for a Saturday to enjoy Nestival. This relaxed 20-day Cambodia itinerary is perfect for anyone backpacking Southeast Asia at a slower pace, who wants plenty of time to relax or even visit the same sites multiple times. Do you have less than 20 days backpacking in Cambodia? Check out my 7-day itinerary and 14-day itinerary.
Day 1- Siem Reap
Day one of this Cambodia backpacking itinerary is your arrival day in Siem Reap. If you’re coming overland from Thailand or Laos, the earliest you can expect to arrive is 5 pm. If you’re flying and arrive earlier than this, enjoy a free afternoon relaxing at the hostel pool or exploring and shopping in town around Pub Street. Once you’ve arrived make sure you sort out the essentials: get a SIM card, visit an ATM, book a sunrise tour of Angkor Wat and organise a breakfast box or buy some snacks for tomorrow.
For dinner, head to The Christa Restaurant for your first taste of Khmer food. Stay for one or two casual drinks if you like, but make sure you get an early night’s sleep before a pre-sunrise wakeup tomorrow!
Day 2- Siem Reap
Today is an incredibly early wakeup for an amazing bucket list experience: watching the sun rise over Angkor Wat. Your guide will first drop you off at the ticketing office (make sure you purchase a 2-day ticket) and then to Angkor Wat to watch the sunrise. Afterwards, you’ll take a 1-2 hour guided tour of Angkor Wat itself, before enjoying your breakfast box/snacks.
Spend the remainder of the morning touring temples and religious monuments such as Ta Phrohm (the Tomb Raider temple), Angkor Thom, Bayon Temple and Baphuon Temple. Return to your hostel for lunch and to avoid climbing the temples in the hottest part of the day.
In the afternoon, depending on your energy levels, you have two options. If you’re exhausted, treat yourself to an afternoon siesta or laze around by the hostel pool. If you have the energy, head out to Apopo to learn about the hero landmine detector rats. This will probably only take around 1-2 hours of your afternoon.
For dinner, head to Travancore for a hearty Indian feast. Line your stomach with plenty of rice and Naan, as tonight you’ll experience the best of Siem Reap nightlife: Pub Street. Start your night at Mad Monkey Hostel participating in their nightly event and enjoying their drink specials. As the hostel bar closes for the night, head to Pub Street with all your new friends to dance and play drinking games at Temple Skyline Lounge.
Day 3- Siem Reap
After what may or may not have been a late night, you have the morning at your leisure. If you’re feeling a bit rough, enjoy a sleep-in or morning swim in the hostel pool to wake up. If you feel lively and didn’t make it to Apopo yesterday, the morning is a great time to visit.
Grab a quick lunch at your hostel before heading back to the Angkor Wat Complex to explore more temples. Spend the later afternoon hours visiting Nokor Thum, Banteay Srei, Sra Srang and Pasat Kravan. For sunset, head to either Angkor Wat or Sra Srang to experience a sunset over the temples.
For dinner, hop in a Tuk Tuk bound for Road 60 market. This is a local night market with hardly any tourists, selling authentic Cambodian street food. Grab dinner here, then head to the local fair on this road. Here you can play games such as bumper cars and shooting games. Afterwards, head back to the city centre. If you fancy another night out, head to Pub Street, just be aware tomorrow is a bumpy journey to Phnom Penh.
Day 4- Siem Reap to Phnom Penh
Wake up at any time (sleep in if you wish) and grab a leisurely breakfast at your hostel. Whenever you’re ready, book a shared van transfer heading to the next backpacking destination: the capital city of Cambodia, Phnom Penh.
The journey will take around 6 hours with one food/bathroom stop. Pre-warning, the journey is pretty sweaty and bumpy so better not to be deathly hungover. Ideally, the best time to get this transfer is at around 11-12, so you arrive in Phnom Penh around dinner time.
Once you arrive in Phnom Penh, head to Bassac Lane for dinner and drinks. Highly recommend Backstreet Bar for its amazing pizzas and great vibes. Enjoy bar hopping along Bassac Lane, but make sure you get an early night before a big (and sombre) day tomorrow, that it will be best not to be hungover for.
Day 5- Phnom Penh
Grab a quick breakfast at your hostel, before a big day learning about Cambodia’s tragic history of genocide and the Khmer Rouge Regime. After breakfast, head to your first stop Tuol Seng Prison (also called S21 Prison). Spend the morning listening to the audio guide tour detailing the history and stories of those who lived and died in this prison. You will be here for roughly 2-3 hours.
After you’ve finished your visit to the Tuol Seng Prison, grab a quick lunch at Siso Bakery (less than a 5-minute walk from the prison museum). Afterwards, grab a Tuk Tuk and head towards The Killing Fields (also called Choeung Ek Genocidal Centre). Here, you’ll spend the remainder of the afternoon listening to the audioguide detailing the tragedies that occurred here. This should take around 2 hours.
Next, make your way back to Phnom Penh City centre and treat yourself to a good dinner after what is a very heavy day. Sample any one of the restaurants on Bassac Lane (I recommend Elia Greek Restaurant). After dinner, enjoy a drink or two on Bassac Lane, if you feel up to it. Then, get an early night before a big day of sightseeing tomorrow.
Day 6- Phnom Penh
Wake up early for a morning of shopping at the Russian Markets. It’s best to get here as early as possible (between 7 am and 9 am is recommended) to avoid the heat. Spend this period shopping for and trying on designer brands for a fraction of the price. Once you’ve shopped enough to run out of room in your luggage, drop your clothes back at your hostel and head for brunch. The best brunch spot in Backyard Cafe!
After a busy morning of shopping and brunching, head to the National Museum to learn more about Cambodia’s history (not as heavy as yesterday I promise). After spending an hour or two exploring the exhibits, walk to the nearby Royal Palace. Make sure you enter the Royal Palace before 3:30 pm as they close early. You should only spend an hour or so in the Royal Palace complex.
In the late afternoon, walk through Riverside Park along the riverbank to Wat Phnom Penh. Explore this famous temple, which the city of Phnom Penh is named after. You should spend around 45 minutes exploring Wat Phnom Penh, and then make your way back to Bassac Lane for dinner.
After dinner, head to Mad Monkey Hostel to participate in their nightly events like trivia, beer pong competition or a pub crawl. After you’ve made friends and taken advantage of the drink specials, head to Club Love for a late night of dancing.
Day 7- Phnom Penh to Kampot
Wake up (maybe slightly hungover) and enjoy a leisurely late-morning brunch at Backyard Cafe before saying goodbye to Phnom Penh.
Your next destination Kampot is only a 3-4 hour van journey away, but it is a very bumpy journey! Make sure you’re fully recovered from the night before boarding the van. I would recommend leaving at around 1-2 pm so you’re in Kampot in time for dinner.
For dinner, head to Karma Traders Hostel rooftop bar to watch the sunset and eat good food. Stay for a few drinks and participate in their social events. Make sure you get an early night, before a big day of exploring the countryside tomorrow.
Day 8- Kampot
Wake up early and grab a quick breakfast at your hostel, before a big day of exploring. Either by renting a motorbike or via Tuk Tuk, you’re going to explore to countryside to the east of Kampot.
After you’ve sorted your transportation, make your way to your first stop: Kampot Pepper Farm. Enjoy a free guided tour of the farm and pepper-tasting. Once you’ve explored the pepper farm, make your way to Kep Beach. Here you can relax on the beach or swim. For lunch head to Kep Crab Market to try some fresh seafood, cooked to your liking.
After lunch make your way through the stunning Cambodian countryside, spotting many cows and pigs to Phnom Chngok Cave Temple. Explore the temple within the cave and enjoy the picturesque views from atop the staircase of the lush countryside. After the cave temple, it should be late afternoon, so make sure you get back to the city before dark.
For dinner, treat yourself to a hearty Italian meal at L’osteria. Afterwards, head to Karma Trader Hostel to participate in their nightly events or have an early night if you need it.
Day 9- Kampot
In the morning, head to Cafe Espresso Roastery for a chilled brunch (and maybe some journalling). In the early afternoon, either by scooter or Tuk Tuk head to Bokor Hill Station.
Spend the afternoon touring through the eerie abandoned area, while hopefully spotting wild monkeys and other wildlife that have reclaimed the previously commercial area. Make sure you hit key sites such as Bokor Hill Station, The Black Palace, Lok Yeay Mao Statue and Popokvil Waterfall.
Make sure you’re back in Kampot town before dark and make your way to Burger Shack for a quick and easy feed. Get an early night’s sleep tonight, in preparation for a big one tomorrow.
Day 10- Kampot
Start the day off with breakfast at Cafe Espresso Roastery, before setting out to explore the town of Kampot on foot. Take a walk along the river, marvel at the massive durian statue in the middle of town and just generally enjoy the hustle and bustle of Kampot.
Grab lunch at a local spot: Ecran Noodles before a big afternoon of drinking and adventure. That’s right, you’re heading to the famous Arcadia Waterpark. Spend the afternoon enjoying slides, swings, kayaking and making friends with the other backpackers over a few beers. In the late afternoon, head on the sunset party boat to enjoy drinks, dancing and jumping off the boat with a stunning backdrop.
Stay at Arcadia for dinner and to party for the rest of the night. Have as rowdy or as quiet of a night as you can handle, just keep in mind tomorrow is a travel day.
Day 11- Kampot to Koh Rong
Grab breakfast at your hostel, before departing on the mid-morning transfer to Sihanoukville, bound for your next backpacking destination: the beautiful islands of Cambodia. You can visit either of the islands first; however, make sure you time your visit so you will be on Koh Rong on a Saturday for the full day. This might mean visiting Koh Rong Samloem first and Koh Rong second (the order really makes no difference). This itinerary will focus on Koh Rong first, but just reverse the order for your own travel plans.
Once you’ve arrived in Sihanoukville, jump on the next ferry to Koh Rong, which should have you arriving by 4 pm that day. After arriving at your beachfront hostel, enjoy a sunset swim before heading to Enocafe for a lush Italian dinner. At night, head to either Nest Hostel or Mad Monkey to participate in their nightly event and make friends to form a team for Nestival.
Day 12- Koh Rong
If today is Saturday then that means it is the famous Nestival day. If it’s not Saturday, you can skip ahead to the activities on days 13-15 of the itinerary and circle back to this day when it is a Saturday.
Start the day of Nestival, with a hearty breakfast at your hostel and a chilled morning lounging on the beach. When it gets to midday, head to Nest Beach Club for pre-drinks, to brainstorm your team name and apply your bodypaint.
Nestival kicks off at around 2 pm with wheelbarrow races, sac races, tug of war and other fun team events. Spend the afternoon drinking, hopefully winning games and making friends. You can order food from Nest Beach Club throughout the day and night to sustain yourself. Continue partying into the night when the hostel turns into a big dancefloor with more drinking games like beer pong.
Day 13- Koh Rong
Wake up (probably feeling pretty hungover) after a big day of drinking yesterday and just take it easy. Grab a greasy breakfast/lunch at your hostel, before jumping on a boat headed for Long Beach.
Spend the afternoon lazing on the beach, swimming and then watching the best sunset on Koh Rong! After sunset, jump on a return boat back to the main area of Koh Rong and try some traditional Khmer food at White Rose Restaurant. After dinner, either head to Nest or Mad Monkey hostels for a few drinks or get an early night if you need the rest.
Day 14- Koh Rong
Have a leisurely morning at your hostel having breakfast and relaxing on the beach, before boarding a day boat tour around midday.
Spend the afternoon snorkelling, stopping off at remote beaches, swimming, relaxing on the boat and even trying your hand at fishing. The tours usually include a beach BBQ with fish you’ve caught that day followed by a night snorkel to see Plankton.
You should arrive back at your hostel by 9-10 pm (depending on the time of year). If you feel like drinking, you can head to either Nest or Mad Monkey Hostels again.
Day 15- Koh Rong Samloem to Koh Rong Samloem
Have an easy morning enjoying the beach at your hostel and having brunch before jumping on a midday boat to the neighbouring island of Koh Rong Samloem, the final destination of this backpacking Cambodia itinerary.
After checking into your hostel, spend the late afternoon chilling on Saracen Beach, swimming and enjoying a leisurely walk along the distance of this long beach.
Head to Big Easy for dinner for great burgers and drink specials. If it’s a Wednesday night, make sure you stay for their trivia night, which is great for making friends!
Day 16- Koh Rong Samloem
Grab a lazy brunch at Onederz Hostel Restaurant, before a day of beach hopping. At around late morning/midday, start a short walk through the jungle to the other side of the island.
Spend the first few hours at Sunset Beach (the more remote of the two beaches) to enjoy relaxing on the beach and swimming. Then head back through the jungle to Lazy Beach for more swimming, relaxing on the beach and snorkelling. Grab a drink from the resort bar and watch a stunning beach sunset!
After sunset, head back through the jungle (using your phone as a flashlight) to the Saracen Beach area. Grab dinner at Sara Resort, to try their famous seafood BBQ, where fresh seafood is cooked to your liking in front of you on the beach. After dinner, head to Onederz Hostel for a few drinks and to enjoy their bar games. If you fancy a later night out, head to Lucky Sun Bar to listen to reggae music until late into the night.
Day 17- Koh Rong Samloem
Start the day with a leisurely eggs benedict brunch at Big Easy Restaurant. At around midday, join a boat tour to visit the more remote parts of the island.
Spend the afternoon snorkelling, exploring the north of the island such as the M’Pai Beach area, swimming, and relaxing on the boat. The tours usually include a beach BBQ with fish you’ve caught that day followed by a night snorkel to see Plankton.
When you return after dark, head to either Onederz or Big Easy for a couple of drinks if you fancy. If you like hiking, make sure you get an early night sleep.
Day 18- Koh Rong Samloem
If you fancy some physical exercise, make sure you wake up early to leave on a hike to the old lighthouse by 9 am at the latest. Spend the morning walking (and sweating) through the jungle path to the southernmost point of the island. Here you can pay just $1 to climb to the top of the lighthouse, where you’ll be rewarded with panoramic views of the island.
Afterwards, make your way back along the jungle trail, to avoid hiking between the hottest hours of the day (12-2 pm). In the afternoon, either head to Lazy Beach or just relax on Saracen Beach after a big morning of walking. You could also get a massage at any of the resorts with spas along Saracen Beach if you wanted to really relax.
For dinner, try some local Khmer food at Onederz restaurant. Spend the evening, having a few drinks on the beach to say goodbye to the islands, before a long travel day tomorrow.
Day 19- Koh Rong Samloem to Phnom Penh
Grab a quick breakfast at your hostel, before a morning boat transfer back to Sihanoukville. From there, transfer to the town to board a van transfer back to Phnom Penh. What time you leave is up to you, as transfers run throughout the day. You may want an extra morning on the island to enjoy the beach.
Personally, I preferred to leave around 10-11 so I was in Phnom Penh for dinner time. Enjoy your last dinner in Cambodia at a restaurant of your choice along Bassac Lane. Depending on your departure time tomorrow, you may want to bar-hop along this street again to have one last night out in Cambodia.
Day 20- Phnom Penh
This last day is at your leisure, depending on where you’re going next and what time you’re departing. Many backpackers head to Vietnam, which is an early morning bus to get across the border.
If you have the day, spend it shopping again at the Russian Markets, brunching at Backyard Cafe or chilling at one of the many pools at Onederz Hostel.
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