🇰🇭 Cambodia
Sweet spot Apr–May, Oct. Peak Nov–Feb. Skip Sep.
When to go
Cambodia, month by month
Updated August 2026 · How we decide →
Typical weather
What Phnom Penh is usually like
What a typical day looks like, hour by hour: 8am when you get up, 2pm in the afternoon, 8pm when you are out in the evening — on Cambodia’s own clock, at Phnom Penh. Ten-year averages (2011–2020) measured at the capital, so this is Phnom Penh, not the whole of Cambodia, and a mountain or a coast a few hours away can be nothing like it. Averages, not a forecast: a typical January rather than any particular one.
| ✓January, peak season | 24.1°C | 32.2°C | 28.4°C | 23 mm | 11h 31m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✓February, peak season | 24.6°C | 33.5°C | 29.8°C | 12 mm | 11h 46m |
| March, in-between | 26.6°C | 35.3°C | 31.1°C | 32 mm | 12h 03m |
| ★April, cheap sweet spot | 27.9°C | 35.7°C | 30.6°C | 86 mm | 12h 22m |
| ★May, cheap sweet spot | 28.6°C | 34.8°C | 29.9°C | 156 mm | 12h 39m |
| June, in-between | 27.9°C | 33°C | 29°C | 157 mm | 12h 48m |
| July, in-between | 27.4°C | 32.7°C | 28.7°C | 157 mm | 12h 44m |
| August, in-between | 27.4°C | 32.8°C | 28.6°C | 170 mm | 12h 31m |
| ✕September, avoid | 26.9°C | 31.9°C | 27.8°C | 264 mm | 12h 12m |
| ★October, cheap sweet spot | 26.5°C | 31.9°C | 27.7°C | 227 mm | 11h 53m |
| ✓November, peak season | 26°C | 32.1°C | 28°C | 104 mm | 11h 36m |
| ✓December, peak season | 24.6°C | 31.4°C | 27.7°C | 35 mm | 11h 27m |
Twelve months in order. Tap any heading to sort by it — the driest month, the longest day, the afternoon closest to the one you like.
The colour is the month, not the weather: ★ cheap sweet spot · ✓ peak season · in-between · ✕ avoid.
Temperature and rainfall are ERA5. Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026; neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for any use of this information. Daylight: MET Norway, measured on the 15th of each month — the sun does not change, so that figure is exact rather than an average. Rainfall is a monthly total; daylight is sunset minus sunrise.
Right now
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Nov–Feb is the golden window; April is furnace-hot but empty.
A closer look
Cambodia in a bit more detail
The cheapest good life in the region, and the simplest paperwork.
What it costs — our estimate
These are estimates, not quotes. Researched by hand in pounds for two people travelling together, August 2026. A figure like this can never be exact — it moves with the season, the exchange rate and how you travel — so treat it as a starting point and put your own numbers into how long would your money last.
What it's like
Phnom Penh and Siem Reap are where almost everyone stays — Angkor is the reason most people come, and the coast is quieter and cheaper again. The country runs largely on US dollars, so budgeting is unusually easy for a first long trip.
Worth knowing
Worth pairing with the health links above: this is a country where travel insurance with medical evacuation cover matters more than most, and that is a policy question to settle before you fly rather than a page we should answer for you.
One of four countries we've researched in depth so far, because they're the ones we're going to first. Visas, entry rules and health are deliberately not covered here — they change constantly and getting them wrong matters, so we link to the official pages instead of restating them.
Getting in, and staying safe
Visas, entry rules and health — the official pages
Entry rules, visa requirements, vaccinations and safety advice for Cambodia all live on the pages below. Each one goes straight to Cambodia, not to a search box.
We link to official sources and stop there. We do not check, summarise, rank or verify them — always read the official page itself before you travel, and read the one for your own nationality. We are an independent site with no government connection.
At a glance
The practical bits
| Plug types | A, C, G |
|---|---|
| Voltage | 230V |
| Emergency numbers * | 117, 118, 119 |
| Currency | Cambodian riel (KHR ៛) |
| Language | Khmer |
| Dialling code | +855 |
| Driving | On the right |
| Coastline | 443 km of coastline |
Loading either connects your browser to Google Maps.
* Emergency numbers can change, and can vary by region within a country. Always confirm with your accommodation or the nearest embassy before you travel.
One way to see it
AdOrganised tours and day trips in Cambodia, on Viator — a way to see what is bookable and what other people rated. We earn a commission if you book through that link, and you pay exactly the same either way. We do not choose, rank or check what appears there, and nothing on this page changes because of it.
Worth knowing
The bits you learn in your first week
Getting around
- Grab works in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap — and locals also swear by PassApp for cheap tuk-tuks with app pricing.
- The three-wheeled 'remork' tuk-tuk is the classic ride — agree the price first if it's not through an app.
- Intercity: comfortable buses and shared minivans link Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and the coast for a few dollars — 12go shows them all.
- Scooters: same insurance-void warning as everywhere. Rules are looser here in practice, which is exactly how travellers end up uninsured in a crash.
Money and ATMs
- Cambodia runs on US dollars — ATMs mostly dispense USD, often in big $50/$100 notes. Riel comes as change for small amounts.
- ATM fees are steep: $4–10 per withdrawal depending on the bank (Vattanac around $4 with a $500 limit was the best standard deal we found).
- So: few, large withdrawals; keep small riel/dollar notes for tuk-tuks and markets.
- Torn or marked dollar notes get refused — check what the ATM and shops hand you.
- Always decline dynamic currency conversion.
Staying online
- Airalo covers Cambodia for arrival; for longer stays a local Smart or Cellcard SIM is a few dollars with generous data — passport needed.
A few words of Khmer
| English | Khmer | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | សួស្តី | soo-sa-day |
| Thank you | អរគុណ | ar-kun |
| Yes (m/f) / No | បាទ / ចាស — ទេ | baht / jah — tay |
| How much? | ថ្លៃប៉ុន្មាន | t'lai pon-maan |
| Too expensive! | ថ្លៃណាស់ | t'lai nas |
| English | Khmer | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | សួស្តី | soo-sa-day |
| Thank you | អរគុណ | ar-kun |
| Yes (m/f) / No | បាទ / ចាស — ទេ | baht / jah — tay |
| How much? | ថ្លៃប៉ុន្មាន | t'lai pon-maan |
| Too expensive! | ថ្លៃណាស់ | t'lai nas |
| Delicious! | ឆ្ងាញ់ | ch'ngain |
| Not spicy | មិនហឹរ | min hel |
| Where is the toilet? | បន្ទប់ទឹកនៅឯណា | bantup teuk nov ai na |
| Help! | ជួយផង | chuay phong |
| Sorry | សុំទោស | som toh |
| The bill, please | គិតលុយ | kit luy |
| Water | ទឹក | teuk |
| I don't understand | ខ្ញុំមិនយល់ទេ | k'nyom min yuol tay |
| One / Two / Three | មួយ / ពីរ / បី | muay / pee / bei |
| Goodbye | លាហើយ | lea haey |
| No problem | អត់បញ្ហា | ot panha |
Researched by hand, last checked Aug 2026. Fees, licence rules and app coverage change often — treat this as a starting point and check anything that would cost you money or cover.