Phnom Penh has been on our family bucket list for many years. We have had expat friends throughout the years who have made this city their home, but we’ve never made it there. So, when the opportunity to visit finally came, we were all very curious about what we would find. We had visited Siem Reap back in 2017 for a quick whirlwind visit of Angkor Wat. During that trip we got to see the ruins, but we felt that we had not really gotten to experience Cambodian life. It was too set up for visitors that it didn’t feel real. So, this trip to the nation’s capital was absolutely packed. We wanted to see it all! We will share here our takeaways of the best things to do in Phnom Penh with kids (and tips for deciding what is best for your kids and what is not appropriate!)
How to Get Around in Phnom Penh
There are several different options when it comes to getting around Phnom Penh, but using a ride sharing app is by far the best way in Phnom Penh.
There are a few different transport apps that exist in Cambodia. We tried one called WowNow, but they only accepted phone numbers from certain countries, so we were unable to use that app.
Another popular transportation app is Grab. We stuck with Grab and it may have been a bit more expensive, but it worked well for us. The locals told us that WowNow prices are a bit better which is why we had wanted to use it. Other popular transport app is PassApp, TADA, and WeGo.
We have enjoyed using the Grab App because it works seamlessly throughout many Southeast Asian countries.
When using a transportation app you can select the type of vehicle you can use. You have three main options in Phnom Penh. You have:
Car: Most expensive option but it gives you air conditioning.
Tuk Tuk: Cheapest option as they are open air and tends to hold the least amount and slower than a car.
Remorque: Slightly more than a tuk tuk as it holds more people comfortably, but sometimes can be slower than a tuk tuk.
The tuk tuk was our preferred method of getting around.
TIP: Large families will need to take two vehicles most of the time. Even a remorque, which has more space, is officially only able to hold 4 people. If you have young children, you could try asking to fit 5 or 6 people into one remorque. We recommend dad and mom both having the Grab app installed on their phone to easily get two vehicles at the same time.
Downtown Phnom Penh was extremely easy to walk. Many things were close together. That said, the sidewalks were hit and miss and the traffic is really chaotic. So, while walking is efficient and easy, all family members need to be mindful at all times.
We don’t recommend a stroller on the streets of Phnom Penh. Keep babies and toddlers strapped on you for safer walking!
Currency in Cambodia
Cambodia’s system of money is very different from other countries in that shopkeepers will take both US dollars and Cambodian riels. However, change is almost always in Cambodian reals. So during your trip you will end up with both currencies in your wallet.
Some places will take credit cards (like well established restaurants at the mall), but you will need to choose which currency you are purchasing your items with. Most places are cash-based for tourists since Cambodians mostly use QR bank transfer at this time, and you need a Cambodian bank to use that type of transaction.
If you are bringing in US dollars to use in Phnom Penh, make sure they are crisp and don’t look too worn. Even slightly wrinkled bills may not be accepted.
Most stores do an easy 4,000 riel to $1 exchange rate when using cash. You can choose which currency to hand them. Shopkeepers may also accept a mix of both currencies for one transaction if that’s what you have available to you.
You cannot change riel back to another currency once you leave Cambodia, so plan accordingly and try to get your money out of riel before you leave.
Is Phnom Penh Safe to Visit with Kids? + One Area to avoid with kids
Phnom Penh is definitely a third world city. The traffic is crazy. The sidewalks are iffy. Everything seems dusty. And you may feel like the shopkeeper at the market is trying to scam you for a little extra on a souvenir. But all in all, we felt extremely safe there.
A couple ways we kept ourselves safe – We always walked or used an e-hailing service like Grab. Set prices meant we didn’t have to haggle. We used common sense safety when it came to money – just pull out what you need, don’t look flashy, keep your bag on your body at all times. We made sure the kids stayed in a single file line behind us when there were no sidewalks.
There is one area in Phnom Penh to stay away from and that is the roads across from the riverside after dusk. The bar scene is really a lot, and we highly recommend not exposing your kids to that if possible. The roads to avoid are the streets that run inland from Preah Sisowath Quay Road (the riverside road) from the Old Market down to La Croisette restaurant, 5 streets down. As long as you stay along the river, it should be safe. If you do find yourself in that area for the evening, we recommend heading to the Royal Palace Park during the evening where you will see local families congregating. A much better atmosphere!
Map of Things to do in Phnom Penh with Kids
See the below map of the locations of the things that we recommend you see in Phnom Penh with kids. Click on each item to see what it is and read about them below.
Things to do in Phnom Penh with Kids
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
When you look up things to do in Cambodia, the first attraction that searches bring up is the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum or S-21 as it is often called. Because it is the main thing, we deemed it appropriate to give it a more in depth look and how it is for children. We will say that this is the least kid-friendly attraction in Phnom Penh. You can read more in depth all about it in our post dedicated to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum for kids.
Can you take kids to a genocide museum? This was a huge question for us as I’m sure it is for your family, so we will walk you through what we did here. The short answer is YES. You can take them. There are no rules about who can come in and who cannot. Some places we’ve visited will not allow young children. Here children 9 and under are free, so it seems that this is an indication of what age they deemed can start going.
It boils down to whether you should bring them. Ultimately that comes down to parental and child tolerance. Each family and person is different.
There is a nice courtyard in the complex with benches. You will not find any graphic content in the courtyard except for a few unmarked graves.
We chose to keep our 9 year old in the courtyard and not participate in any of the museum.
Our 11 year old told us it was too much and quit a few minutes after we started, so he joined his brother in the courtyard.
The 13 year old made it through half before deciding it was enough. The 16 year old managed the whole thing.
We would say it is not appropriate for preteen and under. However, it is safe to go and acceptable for only some of the family to go through the museum. But you will have to pay for everyone as the courtyard is inside, and there is no good place outside to wait.
There are a few small family run restaurants across the road, but an adult would have to miss out in order to supervise.
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
Price
Adults: $5usd
Children: $3usd (under 10 years old free)
Audio guide: $5 per device/headset
CASH only
Hours
8:00am - 5:00pm
Daily
SOSORO Preah Srey Içanavarman Museum (Cambodia Museum of Economy & Money)
SOSORO museum was by far our favorite place to visit in Phnom Penh as a family! This new museum is all about the history of money in Cambodia. This museum is right near the downtown, so it’s easy to walk to!
At the entrance we paid for our tickets and we picked up one of the kids’ guide booklets. The kid’s guide was the best decision because the booklet goes through the museum with you and gives you the information in a nice way! Each section of the museum has different puzzles that you need to figure out by looking at the displays and finding information.
The museum went mostly by era with lots of visuals of money for each section. There was a ton of information to read if you wanted to take your time. We found that our teen wanted to read a lot, so having the booklet for our younger kids to do really helped give her time.
The last few rooms are modern economics and more talk about the National Bank of Cambodia. I thought we would quickly finish because the kids booklet was already done, but instead we spent a long time in these sections. They had lots of games that you could play on different screens. A favorite display was how to tell if a bill is fake or not. We really got competitive on the game Guess the Currency.
We spent about two hours total in the museum in the end. It was far longer than we had anticipated, but well worth it. We would recommend this for kids in Phnom Penh over most everything else!
There is a small souvenir shop and fun photo booth props at the end to finish off your time with a photo. Since you aren’t allowed to take pictures inside the museum, this is a fun way to end your visit!
Cambodia Museum of Economy & Money
Price
Foreigner: $5usd
Child: 2,000riel ($.5usd)
Audio guide: 12,000riel
Kids Booklet: 2,000riel
Hours
9:00am - 6:00pm
Every day (closed Mondays)
Wat Phnom
Wat Phnom is a well-known temple in the Phnom Penh city center. It is located in the center of a large roundabout. The roundabout has been made into a nice public park. To go up the stairs to the top of the temple, you need to pay $1 as a foreigner. Free for locals. The park around the temple is free.
Wat Phnom
Price
Foreigner: $1usd
Hours
7:00am - 7:00pm
Daily
Wat Phnom’s Bats
We chose not to pay to see the full temple as we lived in Thailand for many years and are quite ‘templed’ out. Instead, we wanted to see the area around the wat. We were giddy with excitement because the park is known for is bats!! That’s right: BATS! As a family we love seeing bats. Who would have thought that hideously gross winged mammals would be something that everyone in our family would end up loving. Anyway, when we heard about bats inside the middle of the city, we just had to see it!
We were not disappointed.
The bat tree is along the path around Wat Phnom. It’s easy to find because there are actually 3 or 4 trees that are absolutely packed with bats. And the ground is filled with guano. They obviously come through and spray it clean fairly often because there wasn’t but a days worth.
Make sure to not sit directly under the trees. We spent a good long time sitting (under a different tree) and watched as they would cool themselves by fluttering their wings. They would fly around as they needed to get comfortable. This was definitely exciting for us all!
Wat Phnom’s Playground
Next to the Wat Phnom roundabout is an amazing city playground. It was a nice break during our walk around the city center. There are also ice cream vendors who came through selling ice cream sticks for 1,000riel each ($.25 USD). Ice cream is being generous. More like frozen juice sticks, but they did have frozen black glutinous rice with coconut milk. Our daughter loves that flavor.
The Royal Palace
The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh is a top attraction on many lists of the city. But for kids, this can be a hit or miss. We spent two days walking the city and decided that if we found time to go to the royal palace, then we would go. With so many other fun things to walk around and see, we ended up visiting the area only at nighttime. This ended up being ideal for our family because it was really pretty at night. However, we only could see it from the outside.
If your family enjoys visiting palaces, government buildings, or temples, then it might be worth it for your family to explore this palace as well. It is a huge area and there is a lot to walk around and see. The price is steep if going with a big family, but again, it may be worth it for you to see the sight.
TIP: you can see the tops of many of the buildings from outside the palace grounds without having to pay to go inside.
We ended outside the Royal Palace after dinnertime. At that point, the Moonlight Pavilion (a building in the Royal Palace that sits right on Samdach Sothearos Boulevard) was all lit up and the Royal Palace Park was full of people. There were vendors selling snacks and kids running around playing. Several vendors were also selling toys. The atmosphere was lovely!
Royal Palace
Price
40,000riel ($10usd)
Hours
8:00am - 5:00pm
Sisowath Riverside Park and Boat Cruise
The riverside of Phnom Penh city center is technically along the banks of the Tonle Sap River. But right below the city center is the confluence with the Mekong River. The confluence is where the Tonle Sap joins the Mekong. This means there is a lot to explore between the two rivers!
You can pick up a river cruise right on the side of the river. There are several different places to get a boat. Our tips are – Know what you want before you go and know the price you are willing to pay for your family. If you are just looking for a short ride down the river in the middle of the day, this should cost you a lot less than an hour ride in the evening. Expect to haggle for the best price.
Even if you chose not to take a boat ride there are walkways along the river that are enjoyable. You can find vendors here and there selling food along the pathways. We found one selling fried bugs and some others selling grilled meats on a stick.
Markets, Markets, and more Markets
There were A LOT of shopping options in Phnom Penh. We visited several different markets in our travels around the city. We’ll outline quickly here the differences and what can be found at each market.
We don’t generally shop a lot on our travels, but we love to see local markets and experience how shopping is done by locals. In the case of Phnom Penh, we also found a lot of kids’ clothes that were factory overrun, so we did get caught up in some clothes shopping as well! Gotta keep them kids clothed.
Where: On the Riverfront
When: Night / After 5:30pm
What You Will Find
Souvenirs, clothes, a few food stalls in the back with mats to sit down on, but much smaller in size than the rest of the markets we visited.
Where: Behind and diagonally-across from the Phnom Penh Night Market
When: Daylight hours (perimeter open in the evening)
What You Will Find
Fresh food and clothes, sellers did not pay attention to us as we walked through.
Where: 20-minute walk southwest from the night market/Wat Phnom or a quick tuk tuk ride
When: 7:00am – 7:00pm
What You Will Find
Souvenirs, paintings, jewelry, more touristy items. This is definitely the largest tourist market. We even saw a Cambodian dance happening. It is mostly covered making it less hot than the other markets.
Where: 20-minute tuk tuk drive from the Phnom Penh night market on the riverside; 10-minute walk from the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
When: 10:00am – 4:00pm
What You Will Find
Clothes, clothes, and clothes! Factory overruns that are being sold because of potential small defects. Cheapest prices on clothing. They also have a small section of sit-down food and smoothie stalls. This is by far the hottest market, and the smoothies were a necessity.
Malls
When it comes to traveling with kids, having kid-friendly “normal” activities is always a nice addition to days of tourist attractions. And when you are in Phnom Penh with kids the malls are a great place to spend a few hours! The malls are full of kid-friendly restaurant options and activities.
If you have been to some of the large Southeast Asian cities like Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, you know what you will find in a mall. The malls in Phnom Penh did not disappoint. They had cinemas, amusement parks, arcades, etc.
After walking out in the heat looking at sights, taking a tuk-tuk to a mall and hanging out was a great option. If your kids need some familiar food, you can find Dairy Queen, Boost, or Krispy Kreme! (For the salty food lovers, our kids love Potato Corner french fries!)
Foods to Eat/Best Restaurants with Kids
Phnom Penh has a great street food scene with stalls found on streets throughout the city. We definitely recommend that while you plan what to do in Phnom Penh with your kids, you should also plan to try some local food.
In the morning, you can find stalls selling Bai Sach Chrouk (pork and rice). It is seen as a breakfast food, but we were able to also order it at a stall for lunch. We also enjoyed Banh Sung, a noodle soup with spring rolls.
For kids, there are a lot of drink stalls around! Fruit smoothies, although we didn’t find them as cheap as in Thailand, we still enjoyed the variety. Since it is so hot and chaotic on the streets of Phnom Penh, stopping for a smoothie helped everyone’s attitudes! We found drink stalls just walking down the roads in central Phnom Penh, as well as along the parameters of markets.
While we love roadside stalls and street food, we can’t miss out on talking about Brown Coffee. This is the big coffee chain around town, and we loved stopping here between sights. The main reason – self-serve water! In all honesty, they had a great selection of food and drinks (for the picky eater too!). Getting something small while sitting in the air conditioning and drinking water was a huge relief and energy booster.
How many days
There really are many different things to do in Phnom Penh, so in order to fully enjoy them (and add some cool down breaks in!), we would recommend three full days. If you are choosing not to go to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, that would free up half a day.
Conclusion
Did we get to experience Cambodian life like we wanted? Yes and no. We saw a lot of the city, and found there were many more things to do in Phnom Penh than we had originally expected. To feel like we got the full flavor of the city, I would have liked to have stayed a few more days and really feel the rhythm of the city. But with the attractions we chose, we learned history, culture, and saw a bit of nature too!
Phnom Penh may not be at the top of many families’ lists of places to visit in Southeast Asia, but we recommend that it is not a place to ignore. We tried to compare Phnom Penh to the many other cities we have visited and lived in around Southeast Asia, but in the end, it really is its own unique place. It has its own identity and shouldn’t just be lumped as the same as other cities. It is definitely worth a visit with kids.