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🇰🇭 Itinerary · Cambodia · 30 days

1-month Cambodia itinerary 2026: the grand tour

30 days to loop the country: Angkor, Battambang, the Mekong dolphins at Kratie, the Mondulkiri jungle, Phnom Penh, the South and the islands. Detailed budget and stages.

🔄 Updated June 1, 2026

📅 See the program 🔄 See variants

In brief

Duration

30 days

Stops

8 places

Average budget

€2,000-3,400

Total distance

~1,800 km

Profile

Grand tour

Season

Nov-Apr

Siem Reap 5d · Battambang 3d · Kratie 3d · Mondulkiri 3d · Phnom Penh 3d · Kampot 4d · Kep 2d · Koh Rong 5d

Itinerary map

The route at a glance

Cambodia 1-month itinerary map: Siem Reap, Battambang, Kratie, Mondulkiri, Phnom Penh, Kampot, Kep, Koh Rong Sanloem

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Detailed program

8 days, day by day

1

~€60/day

Siem Reap · D1 to D5 · Angkor in depth

  • D1-2 3-day Angkor pass. Sunrise over Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm.
  • D3 Banteay Srei and Beng Mealea, a temple overrun by jungle.
  • D4-5 Tonlé Sap lake, cooking class, Phare circus, distant temples (Koh Ker, Preah Vihear).
🛌 🛌 Siem Reap, centre · e.g. Viroth's Hotel (5 nights)·🛺 Tuk-tuk by the day·Cambodia guide →
2

~€45/day

Battambang · D6 to D8 · Countryside and arts

  • D6 Bus from Siem Reap (3 h). Bamboo train on the old tracks.
  • D7 Bat exodus at Phnom Sampeau, countryside workshops by tuk-tuk.
  • D8 Phare Ponleu Selpak circus, contemporary Khmer art galleries.
🛌 🛌 Battambang · e.g. Maisons Wat Kor (3 nights)·🚌 Siem Reap-Battambang bus, 3 h
3

~€50/day

Kratie · D9 to D11 · The Mekong dolphins

  • D9 Drive to Kratie via Phnom Penh (long day, ~8 h) or a domestic flight to PP then road.
  • D10 Irrawaddy dolphins by canoe at Kampi, one of the last populations in the world.
  • D11 Koh Trong island by bike, river life, sunsets over the Mekong.
🛌 🛌 Kratie · e.g. Le Tonlé (3 nights)·🚌 Bus to Kratie, long leg
4

~€55/day

Mondulkiri · D12 to D14 · Jungle and elephants

  • D12 Drive to Sen Monorom (4 h), the cool hills of the Northeast and the Bunong minority.
  • D13 Ethical elephant sanctuary (observation, no riding), forest and Bou Sraa falls.
  • D14 Jungle hike, homestay or ecolodge night.
🛌 🛌 Sen Monorom · e.g. Nature Lodge (3 nights)·🚌 Kratie-Sen Monorom bus, 4 h
5

~€50/day

Phnom Penh · D15 to D17 · The capital

  • D15 Drive to Phnom Penh (5 h). Mekong quay at sunset.
  • D16 Tuol Sleng (S21) and Choeung Ek killing fields, to understand the Khmer Rouge.
  • D17 Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, National Museum, markets and social restaurants.
🛌 🛌 Phnom Penh, riverside · e.g. Plantation Hotel (3 nights)·🚌 Sen Monorom-Phnom Penh bus, 5 h
6

~€50/day

Kampot · D18 to D21 · Pepper and river

  • D18 Bus to Kampot (3 h). Sunset by kayak on the river.
  • D19 PGI pepper plantation, tasting, Phnom Chhngok prehistoric caves.
  • D20-21 Bokor national park (former colonial resort), cycling in the countryside, downtime.
🛌 🛌 Kampot, riverside · e.g. Villa Vedici (4 nights)·🚌 Phnom Penh-Kampot bus, 3 h
7

~€50/day

Kep · D22 to D23 · Blue crab

  • D22 Scooter to Kep (40 min). Crab market, blue crab with green pepper.
  • D23 Rabbit Island (Koh Tonsay) by boat, a quiet beach, or Kep national park.
🛌 🛌 Kep · e.g. Knai Bang Chatt (2 nights)·🛵 Scooter Kampot-Kep, 40 min
8

~€55/day

Koh Rong Sanloem · D24 to D30 · Island rest

  • D24 Drive to Sihanoukville, ferry to Koh Rong Sanloem (45 min). Saracen Bay.
  • D25-28 Deserted beaches (Lazy Beach, Sunset Beach), snorkelling, bioluminescent plankton, diving.
  • D29-30 Final rest days, return ferry and flight home from Phnom Penh to Paris.
🛌 🛌 Koh Rong Sanloem · e.g. The One Resort (5 nights + PP night)·🚌 + ⛴️ Bus then ferry, return via Phnom Penh

How much

Budget for this itinerary (per person, flight included)

Backpacker

€2,000

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €650
  • 🏨 Guesthouse: €12/night
  • 🍜 Khmer canteens: €8/day
  • 🚌 Bus + ferry: €150
  • 🎫 Pass + activities + sanctuary: €250
Recommended

Comfort

€2,700

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €750
  • 🏨 Boutique hotels: €45/night
  • 🍽️ Mixed dining: €18/day
  • 🚌 Bus + ferry + 1 domestic flight: €200
  • 🎫 Pass + guides + activities: €320

Premium

€5,200

per person

  • ✈️ Premium flight: €1,400
  • 🏨 5★ resorts and ecolodges: €170/night
  • 🍽️ Fine dining: €45/day
  • 🚖 Private driver + guide
  • 🎫 Private tours and beach bungalow: €600

Shorter, longer

Other possible durations

1 week

1 week

Angkor and Phnom Penh. The essential formula.

2 weeks

2 weeks

Temples, Battambang, the South and the islands.

You're here

1 month

1 month

The whole country, from the Mekong dolphins to the wild Northeast.

How to get around

Itinerary logistics

Over a month, everything runs by bus (about €150), with an optional domestic flight to cut the long Northeast legs. The grand tour loops clockwise, from the temples to the Mekong, then from the Northeast to the south coast. The roads to Kratie and Mondulkiri are the longest, so plan full transit days.

🚌

Intercity bus Giant Ibis

$8-12 · reliable network · book the day before

🛺

Tuk-tuk for Angkor and countryside

$15-20/day · circuits included

🛶

Canoe to the Kratie dolphins

$8 · 1 h · Irrawaddy dolphins

⛴️

Ferry to Koh Rong Sanloem

$25 · 45 min · from Sihanoukville

Adapt by season

Following the dry season over a month

From November to April, tour as described and finish on the islands, then at their best (reliable ferries). From May to October the monsoon makes the Northeast (Mondulkiri) muddy and Koh Rong crossings uncertain: keep the temples and countryside, which are superb under the rain, but shorten the island. The Kratie Mekong dolphins are seen all year, best in the dry season when the river is low.

Author tips

What I would redo (and change)

✅ Would redo

  • • In November 2023 I pushed all the way to Mondulkiri though I'd been told it was too far: three days in the Northeast jungle, the ethical elephant sanctuary and the Bou Sraa falls were the trip's revelation, a world away from the classic circuits.
  • • The Irrawaddy dolphins at Kratie by canoe at dawn: one of the last wild populations on earth.
  • • Five nights on Koh Rong Sanloem near the end: the real rest after three weeks on the road.
  • • Bokor national park by bike from Kampot, the cool of altitude and colonial ruins.

⚠️ Would change

  • • Take a domestic flight to avoid one of the very long Northeast legs, if the budget allows.
  • • Skip Mondulkiri in monsoon (muddy tracks) and add time in Kampot or on the island.
  • • Book the elephant sanctuary ahead: ethical no-riding slots are limited.

FAQ

Itinerary FAQ

Isn't a month too long for Cambodia? +
No. The country is small, but a month lets you add the wild Northeast (Kratie, Mondulkiri), which short circuits skip. There you find the Mekong dolphins, the jungle and the minorities, far from the Angkor crowds.
Do I need a domestic flight over a month? +
Not essential, but a PP-Siem Reap flight or one for the return avoids a long bus leg. The rest works well by bus for about €150 total. The Northeast involves long roads either way.
Is the Northeast (Mondulkiri) worth the detour? +
Yes over a month. Sen Monorom and Mondulkiri offer cool jungle, waterfalls, elephants in an ethical sanctuary and the Bunong minority culture. It's the least touristy Cambodia.
When should I go for this grand tour? +
November to April, ideal to finish on the islands. From May to October the monsoon makes the Northeast muddy and the ferries uncertain, so keep temples and countryside, superb under the rain, and shorten the island.
How much does a month in Cambodia cost all-in? +
Budget about €2,000 backpacking, €2,700 in comfort and €5,200 premium, flight from Paris included, per person.

Marie Laurent ✓

·

Southeast Asia specialist · itinerary personally tested.

Last updated: June 1, 2026.

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