Breakfast at hotel.
Our guide and driver will pick you up and take you to the Cheung Ek genocide museum, located 15 kilometers southwest of Phnom Penh and known for the film “Killing Field.” Between 1975 and 1978, more than 17,000 civilians were killed and buried in mass graves here, with many transported after detention and torture in Toul Sleng. We’ll then head back to the city to visit the Tuol Sleng Museum (S21 prison). This prison, previously a secondary school, was used by Pol Pot’s security forces and became the largest detention and torture center under the Khmer Rouge regime. If time permits, we can also have a quick visit to Phsar Toul Tom Pung, known as the Russian Market, where everything is available for sale.
Afternoon, we’ll visit one of Phnom Penh’s most iconic landmarks, The Royal Palace, a complex of buildings serving as the royal residence of the King of Cambodia. Next, we’ll visit The National Museum, home to one of the world’s greatest collections of Khmer cultural material, including sculpture, ceramics, pottery, bronzes, and ethnographic objects from various historical periods, as well as more recent works, such as a beautiful wooden royal barge. Lastly, we’ll visit Wat Phnom, a Buddhist temple on a hill, which symbolizes the name of Phnom Penh. Legend has it that the first pagoda on this site was built in 1372 to house four statues of Buddha discovered by Lady Penh in the waters of the Mekong River. Wat Phnom is a popular spot for locals who come to play and pray for good luck and to admire the sunset. The tour will conclude with a drop-off at your hotel.
Overnight at hotel in Phnom Penh.
