The majority of travellers will take their first steps into Cambodia via Phnom Penh airport.

The capital city's international airport is situated just over 9kms from the two to three central neighbourhoods which travellers will choose to be based in for a few nights before moving on to Angkor Wat, Kampot, or the beautiful islands off Sihanoukville.

Our short guide will detail the five main modes of transport from Phnom Penh airport to the city centre, with a clear overview of costs, travel times, and ticket options. It's absolutely possible to arrive at the airport and negotiate your own taxi or tuk-tuk into the city, but we understand that many will prefer the convenience and confidence of booking their airport transfer in advance (especially if arriving in the evening) so we’ve included advice on how to do this online with several reliable companies.

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How To Get From Phnom Airport to City

The airport itself is relatively modern and compact. Once you collect your baggage and pass through the necessary visa checkpoints (more on this later), you will enter the main arrivals hall.

This is the best place to purchase your Cambodian SIM card, and you will easily find the four or five kiosks from the main companies clustered together opposite the arrivals door. You will need an unlocked phone, and will be able to quickly purchase a SIM card (including data) for $15 - $25 USD, depending on the package you opt for.

We've shared further information on how to do this, and the packages available, in this post: Buying Your SIM Card at Phnom Penh Airport.

In addition, you should prepare your money for Phnom Penh in advance. There are a bunch of ATM machines situated in the airport arrivals hall, but taking out a lot of money there, overpaying on an ATM fee, or navigating which ones will actually work with your card simply adds unnecessary stress. As the country operates primarily with the US dollar, bringing at least $50 - 100 USD for your first day in the city and to take care of airport transfers is sensible.

You will have no shortage of offers from drivers to take you into the city, but it's important to take a breath, take your time, and understand potential scams + pitfalls.

Each of the five main options for your transfer to Phnom Penh will bring you to the city in 30-60 minutes, depending on traffic. Prices are all in USD (the primary currency used in Cambodia, as explained in our 23 Things To Know Before You Visit Cambodia, article coming soon - promise!).

Airport Taxis

A fixed pricing system exists with the Airport Taxi Association, dependent upon the area of the city in which you're going to be dropped off. Fares are currently $12, $15, or $18 (February 2020), but the majority of travellers will be staying in the $12 - $15 zones.

A meter will not be used. Payment is cash only, no tip required.

Someone will likely approach you and, once you've agreed the destination and fixed price, you will be given a small form stating both, which will then be provided to the taxi driver outside.

The official taxis are all parked up outside the arrivals terminal (they all have, helpfully, TAXI emblazoned in black text on a yellow stripe) - under no circumstances should go to a taxi which isn't parked here unless it's pre-booked.

If you're confused or hesitant about the 'officialness' of the person approaching you, there is an information counter in the terminal to advise (though it isn't always manned).

Journey Time | 30 minutes - 1 hour
Cost | $15 - $18
Book online | No

A Private Taxi

If you prefer to avoid any of the above, then a private taxi will be the most convenient and most comfortable option to get into the city, especially if you're a family or a group. The driver will meet you at the airport arrivals terminal, help with bags, and do a direct transfer to your hotel in the city centre.

These cost a little more, but have the advantage of allowing you to book and pay online in advance with no negotiation necessary!

We'd recommend using BookMeBus, which is the website we used throughout Cambodia to book and pay for all our bus and ferry tickets online. They have a very well-reviewed private car service for Phnom Penh airport, costing $17 USD - just go to their website, select the 'private taxi' tab, and insert your dates

A slightly more expensive, but well-reviewed Phnom Penh airport taxi transfer service, can also be found and booked online here.

Journey Time | 30 minutes - 1 hour
Cost | $17
Book online | Yes

Tuk-Tuk

Instead of a taxi, we opted for a cheaper tuk-tuk to take us from the airport and into downtown Phnom Penh: it's certainly the most fun way to introduce yourself to Cambodia! There are two types of tuk tuk in the city - the larger chariots with two seat banks facing each other, or the smaller ones with just a back seat for two people and space for your bags behind.

We took a smaller one, but the larger may be necessary depending on your group and your luggage. Unfortunately though, you won't be able to see the tuk-tuk until you've already agreed everything with the driver...but if you get to the vehicle and it's far too tight a squeeze or insecure, you are well within your rights to go with a larger alternative.

For us, the process of getting the Phnom Penh Airport tuk-tuk (after the one our hostel had arranged failed to show up), was to finally accept one of the requests from a fresh-faced driver with his licence / ID around his neck. Telling him our address, he showed us his zones map and we agreed to the fare of $9. This appears to be the fixed price for any tuk-tuk from Phnom Penh airport into the centre (our tuk-tuk from the city back to the airport three weeks later cost only $7 though, and it's standard to get that fare for around $7-8).

Again, if concerned or confused about the process, go to the information desk in the arrivals terminal.

Upon exiting the arrivals hall with him, there was a bank of tuk-tuks on the left - this is in the same drop-off / pick-up lane as the official taxis to the right.

The journey to our hostel took 45 minutes as the late-night traffic was light, and it all went seamlessly.

Note that bag, camera, and mobile phone snatching from tourists in tuk-tuks is a real issue in Phnom Penh - we have shared more information and advice on this serious issue in our ‘9 Things to Know Before You Visit Phnom Penh’ guide.

If you have time and the inclination, it is possible to walk a few 100 metres from the arrivals hall to the gate on the main road outside, and either take a $6 tuk-tuk from there or hail one of the dozens that pass every minute. However, we honestly would not recommend this option for first-timers in Cambodia or Asia - saving the $3 just isn't worth the extra hassle or risk. Similarly, there were a few moto-taxis at the airport offering to take us into the city for $5, but we wouldn't recommend this either.

Journey Time | 45 minutes - 1 hour
Cost | $9
Book online | No

Public Bus

At less than 50 cents per person, this is undoubtedly the cheapest way to travel from Phnom Penh Airport to the city!

We didn't take this option due to our late arrival time and the increased time it adds to the journey into Phnom Penh. The public bus network is quite new for the city, and buses are usually air-con. If you arrive during the daytime and have time on your hands, then it seems like a pretty straightforward process.

- Exit the airport and walk the minute or so to Russian Federation Boulevard
- Find the bus stop (Google Maps), which is #59 on the route
- You want to take the Number 3 bus, and then disembark at one of the final few stops

If taking the Phnom Penh airport bus, we'd highly recommend working out which stop is best for your hotel or hostel in advance: the bus passes through the Russian Boulevard, 7 Makara Bridge, Kampuchea Krom Boulevard, Phasar Thmey Market, Norodom boulevard, and terminates at the Night Market on Street 106. You can view the full route for the #3 Phnom Penh Airport Bus, including all stops, here.

The public airport bus runs from 5:00am to 8:30pm, and costs only 1,500 KHR ($0.35). However, no change is given on board and several travellers note that they were not allowed to pay with US dollars. Therefore, it's a good idea to break a note in the airport before taking the bus.

Journey Time | 1 hour
Cost | 1,500 KHR / $0.35
Book online | No

The Airport Shuttle Train

Opened to much fanfare in 2018, the new Phnom Penh airport shuttle train was intended to relieve some of the heavy traffic on the roads and cut journey times to 15 minutes.

Traveller reports since then have noted that the 56-seater service is irregular, journeys are closer to 30 minutes, and take-up has been quite poor (no doubt related to the regularity and lack of timetables online).

However, it remains the fastest way from the airport to Phnom Penh.

If we were visiting Phnom Penh in future, our main concern about taking the train would be that it is only useful if accommodation is close to the single, final stop at Phnom Penh Railway Station (Google Maps). Although centrally located, for many popular hostels it would still require a decent walk with all your luggage (not ideal) or a further negotiated tuk-tuk ride for the final leg.

If you go for the train, you will find the Royal Railway booth inside the arrivals hall for further information. Alternatively, you can just take the short walk out to the Phnom Penh Airport Railway Station (Google Maps) to buy your ticket and await the next departure. The service is meant to run every 30 minutes, from 6 a.m. to either 17.45 or 20.30 (again, reports differ!)

Journey Time | 25-35 minutes.
Cost | $2.50 one-way
Book online | Sort of - there are several websites which claim to allow you to book a ticket online, but we went through the process and wouldn't recommend it. Just buy it at the train station instead!

The App Options

Although the train and the public bus are definitely the cheapest options to get from Phnom Penh airport to the city, two new-ish apps have also reduced the cost associated with airport taxis and tuk-tuks.

Both Grab and Pass are popular ride-hailing apps in Cambodia, and essentially operate like Uber. The fares for airport runs are often under $10 for taxis and about $7 for tuk-tuks. However, being able to use them would necessitate getting your SIM card purchased and working, then downloading and signing up for the app at the airport.

For some people, that process may not worth the small savings.

Quick Tips for Travelling from the Airport to Phnom Penh

Regardless of the option you take to travel into the city, or what time your flight arrives, it's important to note the following:

It's best to have small USD denominations (1, 5s, and 10s) with you to pay for the transport.
Note that prices may be few dollars higher if you're arriving at night (i.e. after 8 pm)
A KK Star Airport Shuttle Bus also operated the express route to/from the airport, but its service either seems to have reduced dramatically or it no longer operates. If you hear differently, do let us know.
Many hostels will also arrange for taxis or tuk-tuks to meet you at the airport for little extra about the usual price - however note that it really is not uncommon (indeed, this happened to us and many others) for the driver not to show up.
Always have an offline Google maps of Phnom Penh downloaded before you fly, and have your hostel / hotel starred - you can then use your navigation GPS offline to to follow the route into the city for increased confidence. Read this post (coming soon!) to learn how to quickly download Google Maps offline.
Have the street name of the hostel available on your phone and in hard copy (in case your battery dies) to to show the driver.
There really is a risk of bag or phone snatches for first-timers in Phnom Penh, so please remember this for any mode transport you take into the city. Find out more, plus tips to reduce the risk, in ‘9 Things To Know Before You Visit Phnom Penh’.