Quick answer: 10-day Cambodia itinerary covering Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 through Day 10. Best months: November-March (cool dry season). Avoid April-May (extreme heat) and June-October (monsoon).. Total cost: US$800-1400 backpacker / US$1800-2800 mid-range per person. Cambodia is one of SE Asia’s cheapest..
Ten days for Cambodia = 4 nights Siem Reap (Angkor temples) + 2 nights Phnom Penh + 3 nights Koh Rong/coast + 1 buffer. Internal flights essential. Built across 2 personal Cambodia trips.
Day-by-day breakdown
Day 1
Arrive Siem Reap. Stay in Old Market area or Wat Bo. Easy first evening: Pub Street nightlife + Cambodian BBQ dinner.
Day 2
Angkor Wat sunrise: tuk-tuk pickup 4:30am for the iconic sunrise. Small Circuit afternoon (Bayon + Ta Prohm jungle temple).
Day 3
Grand Circuit Angkor + outer temples: Preah Khan + Neak Pean + Banteay Srei (1 hour out, pink sandstone). Sunset Pre Rup.
Day 4
Tonle Sap Lake + floating villages day trip (Kampong Phluk village). Afternoon Apsara dance show evening.
Day 5
Fly Siem Reap to Phnom Penh (45 min, $50-80). Settle near Riverside or Sisowath Quay. Evening dinner on Mekong.
Day 6
Phnom Penh sober history day: Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21) + Choeung Ek Killing Fields. Royal Palace + Silver Pagoda afternoon for contrast.
Day 7
Drive Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville (4h via Highway 4) then ferry to Koh Rong (30 min) or Koh Rong Samloem (45 min). Settle in beach bungalow.
Day 8
Koh Rong Samloem (quieter than Koh Rong) beach day: Saracen Bay swimming + sunset bioluminescent plankton tour.
Day 9
Snorkel/dive day OR boat trip OR kayak to nearby uninhabited islands. Long Set Beach if on Koh Rong.
Day 10
Ferry back to mainland + drive/fly to Phnom Penh for international flight home. Or extend trip to Battambang or Kep.
What to book ahead
- Angkor Wat Pass: 3-day pass $62 (most common), 1-day $37, 7-day $72. Buy at ticket office not online – online tickets only for individual temples.
- Internal flights: Cambodia Angkor Air + Cambodia Airways. Siem Reap to Phnom Penh $50-80, 30-60 days ahead.
- Koh Rong accommodation: Book 1-2 months ahead Dec-Feb peak. Eco-bungalows + mid-range resorts $40-150/night.
- Tuol Sleng + Killing Fields: Open access, no booking needed. Allow 1 full day for both. Audio tour highly recommended.
A local insider tip
Skip the heavily-touristed Angkor Wat sunrise scrum and instead watch sunrise at Pre Rup or Phnom Bakheng – same golden light, 90% fewer tourists. Then visit Angkor Wat at 11am when tour groups leave for lunch and you have it nearly empty. Counter-intuitive but proven across multiple visits.
Best time for this trip
November-March (cool dry season). Avoid April-May (extreme heat) and June-October (monsoon).
The night-bus risk and a smarter beach swap
One sequencing decision here is about safety, not scenery: avoid overnight buses between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. In November 2025 a night coach on that route crashed off a bridge, killing 16 passengers, with driver drowsiness cited. Travel that 4.5 to 6.5 hour leg in daylight on a reputable operator like Giant Ibis or Mekong Express, both of which run multiple daytime departures.
Reconsider the coast, too. Sihanoukville has been overrun by casino construction and organized-crime operations, and many travelers now skip it entirely; if you want beach time, ferry straight to Koh Rong Samloem or route south to the calmer Kampot and Kep instead. The Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville drive on Highway 4 still takes about 4 hours.
For a stronger 10 days, trade one coast night for Battambang, three hours south of Siem Reap, where the bamboo train (norry) and the Phnom Sampeau killing caves give real texture. In Siem Reap itself, watch sunrise from Pre Rup over the Angkor Wat crowds, and use Grab or PassApp to dodge inflated tuk-tuk fares.
Frequently asked questions
Is 10 days enough for Cambodia?
How much does a 10-day Cambodia trip cost?
Is Cambodia safe?
Yes – tourist zones are completely safe. Scams (overpriced tuk-tuks, fake closed tourist sites) more than crime. Use Grab/PassApp instead of street tuk-tuks for fair prices.
Tipping in Cambodia?
Common but not required. $1-2 for tuk-tuk drivers, 10% at restaurants, $2-5/day for tour guides. Tipping in USD is fine.
Best time for Angkor?
November-February (cool dry). Sunrise temple visits start 5am. Afternoon temples (after 3pm) are quieter. Avoid April-May (40°C+ temples brutal).
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John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.