Full day Phnom Penh Classic Tour with Lunch

Around 9:00 AM, your English speaking guide and driver will be meeting at your hotel to start a full day sightseeing of Phnom Penh. We firste visit the Royal Palace, located on the shores of the Mekong. Inside its walls are the Throne Hall, the Chan Chaya Pavilion, used for performances of classical dance, the Napoleon III Pavilion, and the King and Queen's residential quarters. Next stop will be the Silver Pagoda, home to a glittering array of Buddhist statuary. The Silver Pagoda is also called the Pagoda of the Emerald Buddha, it is located in the walls of the Royal Palace. Inside, its floor is made up of 5,000 silver blocks. Depending on interests, we can also visit the National Museum, home to the world’s leading collection of Khmer sculpture. Situated near the Royal Palace, Cambodia's National Museum offers a charming setting for the stunning collection of Khmer art. Predominantly worked in stone, the sculptures date from both the Angkorean and pre-Angkorean eras, complimented by more recent examples of Cambodian art. The museum is housed in a terracotta-roofed structure of traditional Cambodian design, which was built between 1917 and 1920.

Lunch at local Restaurant. In the afternoon, we visit the French Quarter, Central Post office and Wat Phnom, Landmark of Phnom Penh. An optional visit to Toul Sleng Museum which enduring memorials to the gruesome and brutal rule of Khmer Rouge. The site is a former high school which was used as the notorious Security Prison 21 by the Khmer Rouge regime from its rise to power in 1975 to its fall in 1979.

This afternoon, we visit the Central and Russian Markets. The Central Market (Psar Thmey) is distinctive for its central domed building built by the French in 1937 with 4 wings leading off it. The Russian Market (Psar Toul Tom Pong) is an excellent place to pick up a few bargains, especially antiques, souvenirs and cheap brand-name clothes. Calling for the day, we will stop at the Independent Monument before heading back to your hotel.

Highlight

First recorded a century after it is said to have taken place, the legend of the founding of Phnom Penh tells of a local woman, Penh (commonly referred to as Daun Penh ("Grandmother Penh" or "Old Lady Penh") in Khmer), living at Chaktomuk, the future Phnom Penh. It was the late 14th century and the Khmer capital was still at Angkor near Siem Reap 350 km (220 mi) to the north. Gathering firewood along the banks of the river, Lady Penh spied a floating koki tree in the river and fished it from the water. Inside the tree she found four Buddha statues and one of Vishnu. The discovery was taken as a divine blessing, and to some a sign that the Khmer capital was to be brought to Phnom Penh from Angkor. Highlights of Phnom Penh city, Royal Palace, National Museum, Art Galleries, Training schools, Wat Phnom, landmark of the city, street foods,Genocide Museum and famous Russian Market