Self-Launched Ultimate Cambodian Adventure: Bangkok to Bangkok

Fly into Suvarnabhumi Airport and make your way to your guesthouse in the Khao San Road or Silom area — both are well-connected backpacker hubs. Pick up a local SIM card at the airport (AIS or DTAC, ~£5) for easy navigation. Spend the evening exploring the streets, grabbing street food, and getting your bearings. No fixed agenda today — rest up after your flight.

🚌Take the Airport Rail Link from Suvarnabhumi to Phaya Thai station (~£1.50), then taxi or BTS Skytrain to your guesthouse (~£2–4)

🛏NapPark Hostel or Lub d Bangkok Silom (~£12–18/night)

• →Pick up a Thai SIM card at Suvarnabhumi Airport (AIS/DTAC, ~£5)
• →Check in to guesthouse in Banglamphu/Khao San Road area
• →Evening street food wander along Khao San Road or Yaowarat (Chinatown)

Spend the day exploring Bangkok's most iconic sights at your own pace. Start early at Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) and the Grand Palace before the crowds arrive. Catch a Chao Phraya Express boat downriver to Wat Arun for stunning views. In the evening, explore the Chatuchak area or grab dinner at a riverside restaurant.

🚌BTS Skytrain day pass (~£5) and Chao Phraya Express boat (~£1–2)

🛏NapPark Hostel or Lub d Bangkok Silom (~£12–18/night)

• →Visit Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace (entry ~£12, book direct or via GetYourGuide)
• →Chao Phraya Express boat to Wat Arun (~£0.50 per hop)
• →Walk the riverside promenade at sunset
• →Street food dinner at a local market

Fly from Bangkok (Don Mueang or Suvarnabhumi) to Siem Reap International Airport — flights with AirAsia or Bangkok Airways take about 1 hour and can be booked for as little as £30–50 if booked in advance. Alternatively, take a bus/train to the Thai-Cambodian border at Poipet and continue by minibus to Siem Reap (~8–10 hours total, ~£15–20). Arrive and check in to your guesthouse in the Old Market area. Pick up Cambodian riel or USD — both are widely accepted. Explore the Night Market in the evening.

🚌Tuk tuk from airport to guesthouse (~£5–7)

🛏Mad Monkey Siem Reap or Onederz Hostel (~£10–15/night)

• →Fly Bangkok to Siem Reap with AirAsia or Bangkok Airways (~£30–50 if booked ahead)
• →Check in and explore Siem Reap's Old Market (Psar Chas) area
• →Evening at Pub Street and Night Market
• →Try local Khmer dishes: amok fish, lok lak, and nom banh chok

This is one of Southeast Asia's most spectacular days. Wake at 4:30am and take a tuk tuk to Angkor Wat for sunrise — one of the world's great travel experiences. Stay for a guided tour of Angkor Wat itself, then head to the walled city of Angkor Thom and the enigmatic Bayon temple with its giant carved faces. Finish at Ta Prohm, the jungle-engulfed 'Tomb Raider' temple. Buy your Angkor Pass at the official ticket office the evening before to save time. A 1-day pass costs ~£37 and covers all temples. Book a local tuk tuk driver for the day (~£15–18) — many speak excellent English and double as informal guides.

🚌Hire a tuk tuk driver for the full day (~£15–18)

🛏Mad Monkey Siem Reap or Onederz Hostel (~£10–15/night)

• →Sunrise at Angkor Wat (arrive ~5am, tuk tuk from guesthouse ~£5 return)
• →Guided tour of Angkor Wat temple complex (book via GetYourGuide ~£20–25, or hire a local guide at the gate ~£20)
• →Explore Angkor Thom and the Bayon temple
• →Visit Ta Prohm ('Tomb Raider' temple) swallowed by jungle roots
• →1-day Angkor Pass (~£37, purchase the evening before at the official ticket booth)

Spend the morning at leisure — many travellers choose to visit outer temples like Banteay Srei (the 'Citadel of Women', ~35km from town) or relax around the Old Market. For lunch, visit the New Hope Vocational Training Restaurant — an initiative originally supported by G Adventures — where proceeds fund a community school and health centre. In the evening, catch a performance by Phare, the Cambodian Circus, a world-class social enterprise blending acrobatics, theatre, and Cambodian storytelling. Book tickets directly at pharecircus.org (~£12–18).

🚌Tuk tuk for temple day trip (~£15)

🛏Mad Monkey Siem Reap or Onederz Hostel (~£10–15/night)

• →Morning visit to Banteay Srei temple via tuk tuk (~£15 tuk tuk return)
• →Lunch at New Hope Vocational Training Restaurant (Khmer cuisine, ~£5–8)
• →Evening performance at Phare Cambodian Circus (book direct at pharecircus.org, ~£12–18)

Take a morning bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh along National Road 6. Several operators run this route daily including Giant Ibis (highly recommended for safety and reliability) and Mekong Express — journey time is approximately 6 hours and costs around £8–12. Sit-back, enjoy the countryside scenery, and arrive in Phnom Penh by early afternoon. Check in to your guesthouse near the Riverside or BKK1 area. Explore the riverside promenade as the sun goes down.

🚌Giant Ibis or Mekong Express bus Siem Reap–Phnom Penh (~£8–12)

🛏Onederz Hostel Phnom Penh or The Pavilion (~£12–18/night)

• →Morning bus Siem Reap to Phnom Penh with Giant Ibis or Mekong Express (~£8–12, book at giantibistravel.com)
• →Arrive Phnom Penh, check in near the Riverside or BKK1 area
• →Evening stroll along the Sisowath Quay riverside promenade
• →Dinner at a local Khmer restaurant (~£4–7)

Spend the morning exploring two of Phnom Penh's most important cultural landmarks. The Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda complex dazzles with its gilded spires and sacred Buddha statues (entry ~£8). Right next door, the National Museum of Cambodia houses the world's finest collection of Khmer art (entry ~£5). Grab lunch at a local restaurant near the riverside before spending the afternoon wandering the French Quarter's colonial architecture. End the evening at the Central Market (Psar Thmei) to browse handicrafts and street food.

🚌Tuk tuk around the city (~£3–5 per ride), or rent a bicycle (~£3/day)

🛏Onederz Hostel Phnom Penh or The Pavilion (~£12–18/night)

• →Visit the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda (entry ~£8)
• →Explore the National Museum of Cambodia (entry ~£5)
• →Walk the French Quarter and admire colonial architecture
• →Afternoon browse at Central Market (Psar Thmei)
• →Sunset drinks along Sisowath Quay

Experience Phnom Penh the traditional way — by cyclo (a three-wheeled bicycle rickshaw). Join a guided cyclo tour departing from Wat Phnom, winding through busy streets past stunning French colonial buildings including the Central Post Office, Van's Restaurant, and arriving at the Royal Palace and National Museum. Cyclo tours can be booked through your guesthouse or directly with Cyclo Centre, a social enterprise employing cyclo drivers (~£8–12 per person). Spend the afternoon at leisure — the Foreign Correspondents' Club (FCC) balcony is perfect for a sunset Angkor beer overlooking the Tonlé Sap river junction.

🚌Cyclo tour (~£8–12), tuk tuk for other journeys (~£3–5)

🛏Onederz Hostel Phnom Penh or The Pavilion (~£12–18/night)

• →Guided cyclo tour from Wat Phnom through colonial Phnom Penh (book via Cyclo Centre, ~£8–12)
• →Pass the Central Post Office, Royal Palace, and National Museum by cyclo
• →Afternoon at leisure — visit Wat Phnom hilltop pagoda (entry ~£1)
• →Sunset drinks at the Foreign Correspondents' Club (FCC) rooftop balcony

One of the most sobering and important days of the trip. Start with the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21 Prison), the former high school turned Khmer Rouge detention and torture centre — a deeply moving experience with guided audio tours included in entry (~£5). In the afternoon, take a tuk tuk to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek (~15km south of the city, ~£4 tuk tuk). Entry includes an exceptional audio guide (~£5) that carries personal survivor testimonies. Allow several hours at each site. Return to the city and take time to reflect — many travellers find a quiet dinner near the riverside helpful after this powerful day.

🚌Tuk tuk to S-21 and Choeung Ek and back (~£8–12 total)

🛏Onederz Hostel Phnom Penh or The Pavilion (~£12–18/night)

• →Guided tour of Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum / S-21 Prison (entry incl. audio guide ~£5, also bookable via GetYourGuide)
• →Tuk tuk to Choeung Ek Killing Fields (~£4 each way)
• →Self-guided audio tour of Choeung Ek memorial (~£5 entry)
• →Quiet dinner at a riverside restaurant to reflect on the day

Head east to Kratie, one of Cambodia's most charming riverside towns and home to the rare Irrawaddy river dolphins. Take a morning bus or shared taxi from Phnom Penh to Kratie (~4–5 hours, ~£7–10). Check in to a guesthouse on the Mekong riverside. In the afternoon, hire a local boat at Kampi (10km north of Kratie) to search for Irrawaddy dolphins in their natural habitat — one of only a few freshwater dolphin populations in the world (boat hire ~£5–8 per person). Ride a bicycle around Koh Trong island opposite Kratie at sunset.

🚌Bus or shared taxi Phnom Penh–Kratie (~£7–10); bicycle hire in Kratie (~£2–3/day)

🛏Le Tonlé Guesthouse or Star Guesthouse Kratie (~£8–14/night)

• →Morning bus or shared taxi Phnom Penh to Kratie (~£7–10)
• →Hire a local boat at Kampi to spot Irrawaddy river dolphins (~£5–8 per person)
• →Bicycle hire and ride around Koh Trong island (~£2–3)
• →Sunset along the Mekong riverside in Kratie town

Return to Phnom Penh by morning bus or shared taxi (~4–5 hours). Depending on your Bangkok flight time, you may have a few hours to revisit the riverside or grab a final Khmer meal. Fly Phnom Penh to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang — AirAsia and Bangkok Airways operate this route from around £35–60. Alternatively, take a direct overnight bus to Bangkok (~12 hours, ~£20–25) if you prefer to save money. Check in to your Bangkok guesthouse for the final leg.

🚌Bus Kratie–Phnom Penh (~£7–10); flight Phnom Penh–Bangkok (~£35–60)

🛏NapPark Hostel or Lub d Bangkok (~£12–18/night)

• →Morning bus back from Kratie to Phnom Penh (~£7–10)
• →Final Khmer lunch near Phnom Penh riverside
• →Fly Phnom Penh to Bangkok with AirAsia or Bangkok Airways (~£35–60, book in advance)
• →Check in to Bangkok guesthouse

If it's a weekend, Chatuchak Market is unmissable — over 15,000 stalls selling everything from vintage clothing to street food and antiques (free entry, open Sat–Sun). On weekdays, head to the Or Tor Kor fresh market or MBK Center instead. Spend the afternoon exploring the artsy neighbourhood of Ari or the street food lanes of Ekkamai. In the evening, take the BTS Skytrain to Asok or Silom for Bangkok's legendary night scene.

🚌BTS Skytrain day pass (~£5)

🛏NapPark Hostel or Lub d Bangkok (~£12–18/night)

• →Chatuchak Weekend Market (free entry, Sat–Sun) or Or Tor Kor fresh market on weekdays
• →Street food lunch (~£3–5)
• →Explore Ari or Ekkamai neighbourhood for local coffee shops and street art
• →Evening in Silom or Sukhumvit nightlife areas

Explore Bangkok by water — join a longtail boat tour through the Chao Phraya River and the small canals (klongs) of Thonburi district on the western bank, passing wooden stilt houses, spirit shrines, and orchid farms. Book via GetYourGuide (~£15–20) or hire a longtail boat privately at Tha Chang pier (~£20–30 for a group). Afterwards, walk to Wat Pho — home to the legendary 46-metre reclining Buddha with mother-of-pearl-encrusted feet (entry ~£4). Wat Pho is also the birthplace of traditional Thai massage; enjoy a 1-hour session at the on-site school (~£8). End the day at the iconic Pak Khlong Talat flower market.

🚌Tuk tuk and BTS Skytrain (~£5–8)

🛏NapPark Hostel or Lub d Bangkok (~£12–18/night)

• →Longtail boat Klong tour through Thonburi canals (book via GetYourGuide ~£15–20, or hire at Tha Chang pier ~£20–30 for a group)
• →Visit Wat Pho and the Reclining Buddha (entry ~£4)
• →Traditional Thai massage at Wat Pho massage school (~£8 for 1 hour)
• →Evening visit to Pak Khlong Talat flower market

Enjoy a final Thai breakfast — try jok (rice congee) or pad kra pao (basil stir fry) at a local shop. If time allows, pick up last-minute souvenirs at MBK Center or the weekend markets. Head to your departure airport — allow at least 2–3 hours before your flight. Take the Airport Rail Link from Phaya Thai to Suvarnabhumi (~£1.50, 30 minutes) or a taxi to Don Mueang (~£7–10).

🚌Airport Rail Link Phaya Thai–Suvarnabhumi (~£1.50) or taxi to Don Mueang (~£7–10)

🛏N/A — departure day

• →Final Thai breakfast at a local shop (~£2–4)
• →Last-minute souvenir shopping at MBK Center or nearby markets
• →Airport Rail Link to Suvarnabhumi Airport (~£1.50) or taxi to Don Mueang (~£7–10)