Phnom Penh Medium Tour 5 Days/4 Nights
D1 : Arrival in Phnom Penh
Welcome to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Upon arrival at the Phnom Penh International Airport, our staff will transfer you to the hotel for check in. You will enjoy your lunch at a local restaurant and start your excursion in Phnom Penh by visiting the Independence Monument, which was inaugurated in November 9, 1962 to celebrate Cambodia's independence from foreign rule. Then we'll visit Wat Phnom, a small hill crowned by an active pagoda which marks the founding legend of Phnom Penh. Legend has it that in 1372 Lady Penh fished a floating Koki tree out of the river. Inside the tree were four Buddha statues, so she built a hill ('phnom' means 'hill') and a small temple at what is now the site known as Wat Phnom. Later, the surrounding area became known after the hill (Phnom) and its creator (Penh), hence the name of the city is 'Phnom Penh.'
D2 : Phnom Penh City Tour (Breakfast/Lunch)
Today our staff will pick you up to start exploring the Phnom Penh City starting from the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda. The Royal palace serves as the residence of the King, a venue for court ceremony and a symbol for the Kingdom. It was established in 1866 under the leadership of King Norodom and the French protectorate, though the Palace didn't attain its current general form until about 1920. The Silver Pagoda was first constructed between 1892 and 1902 and is also known as the Wat Preah Keo Morokat and located in the palace complex. So named for its silver tiled floor, it is where the King meets with monks and the royal ceremonies are performed. It also houses a collection of priceless Buddhist and historical objects including 'the Emerald Buddha.' Afterward, we'll continue our trip to the National Museum. This museum was dedicated by King Sisowath in 1920. There are over 5000 objects in display, including the Angkorian era statues, lingas and other artifacts; and also a good collection of pieces from later period such as a special exhibition of post-Angkorian Buddha figures. The museum borders lined with local art galleries, souvenir shops and the Reyum Gallery, which exhibits the works of contemporary Cambodian artists. Our trip will then be followed by lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch you'll enjoy some free time for shopping at Central Market, where you can find an amazing collection of gems and jewelry, also curios, statuary, handicrafts, silk, t-shirts, postcard, and many other stuff.
D3 : Phnom Penh City Tour (Breakfast/Lunch)
Today we'll expand our exploration by shopping at the Toul Tom Poung Market, also known as the Russian Market. It was the foreigners' market during the 1980's when most of the foreigners in Cambodia were Russians, hence the name is 'the Russian Market.' It has a larger, more varied selection of souvenirs, curios and silks than what we can find at the Central Market. Food and drink kiosks are available in the middle of the market for hygienically adventurous visitors. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant. After lunch we'll visit Toul Sleng. It was a high school prior to 1975, and when the Khmer Rouge came to power in 1975 they converted the school into the S-21 prison and interrogation facility, where many Cambodians were killed and tortured. Today Toul Sleng serves as a museum, a memorial and testament to the madness of the Khmer Rouge regime. We'll continue the Choeung Ek Memorial (The Killing Fields), where most of the prisoners from Toul Sleng were killed in this area. After the Khmer Rouge regime, memorials were set up at many of the sites, some containing the bones and remnants of victims gathered from the area. The Choeung Ek Memorial is now a group of mass graves, killing areas and a memorial stupa containing thousands of human skulls and long bones.
D4 : Oudong Mountain (Breakfast)
We change our destination for a trip far from the Phnom Penh City, i.e., to the Oudong Mountain. It was the capital of Cambodia from the early 17th century until 1866, when the capital was finally moved to Phnom Penh. Several temples, stupas and other structures cover three hills, including the ones built by King Monivong (1927 – 1941) and King Ang Doung (1845 – 1859). Several other new temples and shrines have recently been installed on the hill. Lunch will be packed from Phnom Penh. We'll call the day by one hour river cruise in front of the Royal Palace.
D5 : Departure from Phnom Penh (Breakfast)
Enjoy your day free and easy after breakfast until our staff picks you up to airport for your departure flight. End of service.