Khmer Rouge History: Private Tour of Phnom Penh's Main Attractions
Phnom Penh
Embark on a private tour of Phnom Penh's main attractions and delve into the dark history of the Khmer Rouge. Explore the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center, then visit iconic landmarks like Wat Phnom and the Independence Monument.
Duration: 6 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Phnom Penh - This city was once considered one of the most beautiful in Orient, and despite its recent turbulent history it still retains a colonial charm.
  • Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum - Today, meet your personal guide and driver and drive at your hotel lobby.

You will then have the option to learn of the Khmer Rouge’s horrific crimes at Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, the guide would divulge in the backstory and history of the museum in depth. 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 the largest such center of detention and torture in the country. More than 17,000 people held at S-21 were taken to the extermination camp at Choeung Ek to be executed; detainees who died during torture were buried in mass graves in the prison ground. Room after room the museum displays photographs of men, women and children covering the walls from floor to ceiling; virtually all the people pictured were later killed.

  • Choeung Ek Genocidal Center - Next, you’ll continue to visit the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek Genocide Center (16 km south of Phnom Penh), you’ll be accompanied by a guide to inform about the history of the center. Between 1975 and 1978 about 17,000 men, women, children and infants (including nine westerners) detained and tortured at S-21 prison were transported to the extermination camp of Choeung Ek. They were often bludgeoned to death to avoid wasting precious bullets. Fragments of human bone and bits of cloth are scattered around the disinterred pits. Over 8,000 skulls, arranged by sex and age, are visible behind the clear glass panels of the Memorial Stupa, which was erected in 1988.
  • Wat Phnom - Next, continue visit the city’s namesake, Wat Phnom. Located on one of the few hills in this pancake-flat capital, the first pagoda was originally built in 1373 to house Buddha statues discovered in the Mekong by a woman named Penh. This gives us the modern name of the city, Phnom Penh or Hill of Penh. Cambodians come to the shrine to pray for luck in love and life, employment and exams, so there it is always a bustling place.
  • Statue of King Father Norodom Sihanouk - The Statue of King Father Norodom Sihanouk is a large Bronze Memorial. It is located in the Independent Square in the Centre of Phnom Penh.
  • Independence Monument - The Independence Monument in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, was built in 1958 to memorialize Cambodia’s independence from France in 1953. It stands on the intersection of Norodom Boulevard and Sihanouk Boulevard in the centre of the city. It is in the form of a lotus-shaped stupa, of the style seen at the Khmer temple at Banteay Srei and other Khmer historical sites. The Independence Monument was designed by the Cambodian architect Vann Molyvann. It stands 37 meters tall. During national celebrations, The Independence Monument is the center of activity. A ceremonial flame on the interior pedestal is often lit by a royal or high official on these occasions, and floral tributes line the stairs. Every year, The Independence Monument is visited by foreign tourists and locals alike. Behind the monument is the Norodom Sihanouk Memorial, constructed in 2013.
  • Wat Ounalom - Wat Ounalom is another of Phnom Penh’s five original monasteries (1422). it housed the Institute Bouddhique and library. On the riverfront about 250 meters north of the Royal Palace, facing the Tonle Sap River near the Royal Palace, this pagoda serves as the headquarters for one of Cambodia’s most revered Buddhist patriarchs . Ounalom Pagoda, Phnom Penh is one of the major tourist attractions in Phnom Penh. With respect to the numerous pagodas, parks, monuments and museums, the city of Phnom Penh in Cambodia is an idea destination for the vacationers. A visit to the Ounalom Pagoda, Phnom Penh will render a pleasurable experience to your trip to this city.
  • Central Market - The impressive Central Market is one a city landmark. Originally completed by the French in 1937, this striking structure is known as Psar Thmei in Khmer or New Market. The huge dome is wonderfully ventilated, a testament to the design, and this market is loaded with anything and everything available in Cambodia. Buy with caution, as this market has a reputation for overcharging or ‘shaving your head’ as Cambodians like to call it.
What's Included
  • VAT, taxes, and service charges included
  • Guidance from a Professional Licensed English-Speaking guide
  • Access to all listed attractions with entrance fees covered
  • Private, air-conditioned transportation with an experienced driver
  • Three bottles of mineral water per person, per day
What's Not Included
  • Meals other than specified as included
Additional Information

Enjoy comprehensive private touring with a private guide and driver visit Phnom Penh Main Attractions.

Learn about Cambodia’s more recent history during the Khmer Rouge’s horrific crimes at Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a former high school that the Khmer Rouge turned into a center for interrogation, torture and death. 17,000 people passed through the gates of this prison and only seven lived to tell the tale.

Visit to the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center (Killing Field). Choeung Ek was turned into an extermination camp for political prisoners. The remains of 8985 people were exhumed from mass graves and are kept in a memorial stupa here.

After the tour of the two mains attractions, we then continue trip to the five locations, such as, Wat Phnom, The Statue of King Father Norodom Sihanouk, the Independence Monument, then Wat Ounalom and Central Market.

Location
Phnom Penh
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
June 2024
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