4-day Phnom Penh Classic tour

Arrival in Phnom Penh airport and transfer to the hotel (room may not be ready until the afternoon)

Lunch at local restaurant
14:00 hours
Visit to Wat Phnom, Phnom Penh's namesake.
Set on top of a tree-covered knoll 27m high, Wat Phnom is the only hill in town. According to the legend, the first pagoda on this site was erected in 1373 to house four statues of Buddha washed ashore by the waters of the Mekong and discovered by a woman name, Mrs Penh. West of the vihara is an enormous stupa containing the ashes of King Ponhea Yat (reigned 1405 to 1463). Today, many people come here to pray for good luck and success and return to give offerings (such as a garland of jasmine flowers or bananas, of which the spirits are said to be especially fond) promised when their prayers have been answered.
Visit the beautiful National Museum, built in 1917. It is an exceptional example of traditional architecture and is exclusively devoted to preserving and displaying Khmer art and sculptures. Hundreds of pieces are housed here including both pre-and post-Angkorian pieces.
Next to the National Museum, gleaming in gold, is the Royal Palace is one of Phnom Penh's most splendid architectural achievements. It was built in 1866 by His Majesty Preah Bat Norodom, great grandfather to our current King. The Royal Palace is built on the site of the old town. This site was especially chosen by a Commission of Royal Ministers and Astrologers because it had great geographical significance in relation to the King, who was regarded as a direct descendant of the gods, whose role it was to live and govern on earth under the influence of heaven.
The Royal Palace contains some spectacular buildings including the Throne Hall and its 59-meter tower, The Royal Treasury and the Napoleon III Villa and the Silver Pagoda, also known as the Pagoda of the Emerald Buddha of which the steps are crafted from Italian marble and the regal floor made of more than 500 solid silver blocks.

The magnificent 17th century emerald Buddha statue is made of jade. Another treasure is the life-sized solid gold Maitreya Buddha which weighs 90 kilograms and is adorned with 9,584 diamonds. The Silver Pagoda is home to a number of unbelievable treasures.
Return to your hotel in the end of afternoon.
Dinner not included

Accommodation at hotel (quoted separately)

Meal included:
Lunch at local restaurant

Phnom Penh

Little would you guess that a bustling city such as Phnom Penh has a beautiful authentic countryside just across the river. To go and discover this part of the city, you will board one of the nicest boats in Phnom Penh and start your cruise where the Tonle Sap and Mekong River meet, up the Mekong towards Silk Island (Koh Dach).
Cambodian silk production and weaving, thrived from the 13th century until the arrival of the Khmer Rouge in the mid-70s. The know-how of the craftsmen who survived that terrible period is continuing in villages of silk-weavers, notably on Silk Island.
Hop on a tuktuk with your guide and head to the ferry port and cross the Mekong to the island of Areyksat. Once arrived, you will drive north, alongside the Mekong, to visit the silk weaving commune of Prek Bongkang.
Continue to your next ferry to Koh Oknha Tei, and cross the small island to the bridge leading to Koh Dach (Silk Island). On Silk Island, you will be able to observe local farm life as you ride through the small villages and communities, you will visit the local pagoda as well as silk weaving families before heading back to the city for lunch.

14:00 hours

After lunch, visit the Russian Market (Psah Tuol Thom Pong), a lively local market extending outdoors where you will find antiquities, silver and gold jewelry, gems, silk, kramas, stone and wood carvings, as well as T-Shirts, CDs and other souvenirs.

Then, continue to visit the notorious Tuol Sleng Museum (S21 prison). This former school was used as a prison by Pol Pot's security forces and became the largest center for detention and torture during the rule of the Khmer Rouge

Return to your hotel in the end of afternoon.

Meal included:
Lunch at a local restaurant

08:00 hours
Depart Phnom Penh for Udong, Cambodia's former capital, rich in history and boasting stunning views of charming countryside, rolling hills and temple backdrops.

Start the exploration of this old town at the colourful Vipassana Dhura Buddhist Meditation Centre and hear about the school of Vipassana or Insight Meditation. Afterwards, walk up the steps to the various temples in the area and head to the famous three large stupas where the ashes of three former kings remain preserved. Take in the wonderful views of the plains below. Stop to enjoy a picnic lunch, before heading to the silversmith village of Kompong Luong. Once the royal port of Udong, the village has been home to generations of silversmiths perfecting their art.

Pic-nic lunch at Udong

Return to Phnom Penh in mid-afternoon.

To finish the day, go aboard the most beautiful and unique wooden catamaran in Cambodia and enjoy a sunset cruise on the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers, watching the city's landscape and the Capital's Riverside.

After the sunset cruise, return to your hotel, or ask to be dropped in town, as you prefer.

Dinner not included
Accommodation at hotel (quoted separately).
Meal included:
Picnic lunch

08:00 hours
A tuk tuk will pick you up and take you on an exploration providing a comprehensive architectural tour of this bustling city.

Discover the architectural landscape of the bustling and ever-changing Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. The Phnom Penh Heritage Tour is a digital (audio-visual) tour by tuk tuk, which highlights the architectural heritage dating back to the era of the French Protectorate.

Cambodia was under French rule for nearly a century leaving some of Phnom Penh's buildings with a curious mix of both French and native Cambodian features. The most significant concentration of these colonial buildings are located in the centre of the city, near the Royal Palace, Wat Phnom, Post Office Square and Norodom Boulevard. Architecturally speaking, Phnom Penh is a comparatively new city. Before the late 19th century the city was comprised of a few pagodas and clusters of wooden structures along the riverfront.

When the tour is finished, unless you have combined this tour with another, the tuktuk will drop you off either at your hotel or in town center.

Lunch not included

Time at leisure until transfer to Phnom Penh airport for departure flight to the next destination.