The bell of this tower is rung to order the gates of the Royal Palace compound to be opened or closed.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
1.31 MILES
In 1975 Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken over by Pol Pot’s security forces and turned into a prison known as Security Prison 21 (S-21); it soon became…
Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre
20.07 MILES
This wonderful wildlife sanctuary for rescued animals is home to gibbons, sun bears, elephants, tigers, lions, deer, enormous pythons and a massive bird…
National Museum of Cambodia
0.24 MILES
The National Museum of Cambodia is home to the world’s finest collection of Khmer sculpture: a millennium’s worth and more of masterful Khmer design…
Royal Palace
0.09 MILES
With its classic Khmer roofs and ornate gilding, the Royal Palace once dominated the skyline of Phnom Penh. It's a striking structure near the riverfront,…
Killing Fields of Choeung Ek
5.74 MILES
Between 1975 and 1978, about 20,000 men, women, children and infants who had been detained and tortured at S-21 prison were transported to the…
Psar Thmei
0.84 MILES
A landmark building in the capital, the art deco Psar Thmei (literally 'New Market') is often called the Central Market, a reference to its location and…
Ramayana Mural
0.1 MILES
The Silver Pagoda complex is enclosed by walls plastered with an extensive and, in parts, spectacular mural depicting the classic Indian epic of the…
Throne Hall
0.08 MILES
The main attraction in the palace compound is the Throne Hall. Topped by a 59m-high tower inspired by the Bayon at Angkor, it was inaugurated in 1919 by…
Nearby Phnom Penh attractions
2. Silver Pagoda
0.03 MILES
Within the Royal Palace compound is this extravagant temple, also known as Wat Preah Keo or Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The Silver Pagoda is so named…
4. Mondapa
0.04 MILES
This building once housed richly decorated sacred texts written on palm leaves (now moved to the safety of air-conditioned storage).
5. Shrine of King Norodom Suramarit
0.04 MILES
This is the shrine of King Norodom Suramarit, the father of King Sihanouk who reigned from 1955 to 1960 following his son's abdication from the throne.
6. Napoleon III Pavilion
0.04 MILES
Check out this curious iron pavilion, located south of the Throne Hall. Given to King Norodom by Napoleon III of France in 1876, it was hardly designed…
7. Shrine of Princess Kantha Bopha
0.05 MILES
This shrine is dedicated to Kantha Bopha, one of former King Father Sihanouk’s daughters, who died of leukemia when she was just four years old. There are…
8. Pavilion for Royal Celebrations
0.06 MILES
The royal family celebrate important festivals in the Khmer calendar in this pavilion.