How to Get from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap: Bus, Flight, or Ferry for Americans

The express bus: cheapest and the local default

The bus is what most Cambodians take and what most budget-minded American travelers should take too. Since the expressway opened, the express coaches run a steady 6 hours city-center to city-center, and the fare sits between $12 and $18 USD depending on the operator and how nice the seat is. Departures are roughly hourly through the day from the bus offices clustered around central Phnom Penh, plus a few overnight sleeper runs.

What you actually get for the price

The mainstream operators — Giant Ibis, Mekong Express, and Vireak Buntham among them — run air-conditioned coaches with assigned seats, USB charging, Wi-Fi that works about half the time, a bottle of water, and a snack. The premium operators are worth the extra two or three dollars for the legroom alone if you are tall; American knees and the standard local seat pitch do not always agree. Sleeper buses with flat-ish berths run overnight and save you a hotel night, though light sleepers tend to regret them.

Book a day or two ahead in the high season (November to February) and you can walk on the rest of the year. Most operators let you reserve online and pay by card, or you pay cash in USD at the office. Bring your passport — you will not be asked for a visa on a domestic leg, but the booking name should match your ID, and the bus offices double as drop-off points for the hotel pickup vans.

The domestic flight: fastest, lands at SAI

If your trip is short or you have a 4:30 a.m. Angkor sunrise on the schedule, fly. The hop between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap is 45 minutes in the air, and Cambodia Angkor Air and a couple of regional carriers run several flights a day. One-way fares land between $60 and $90 USD when you book ahead, climbing toward $120 USD if you buy on the day in peak season. Round it up to about 2.5 hours door-to-door once you factor in getting to the airport, check-in, and the transfer at the far end.

Here is the detail that trips up Americans planning in advance: Phnom Penh’s airport moved. As of September 2025 you fly out of Techo International Airport (KTI), the large new field southeast of the city — the old PNH code is retired. On the Siem Reap end you land at Siem Reap-Angkor International (SAI), which sits about 40 minutes from the temple district and the town center. If you are still deciding where to base your whole trip, our guide on which Cambodia airport to fly into walks through KTI versus SAI for your international arrival.

Flying makes the most sense in two cases: you are on a 5-to-7-day trip where a lost half-day actually hurts, or you are connecting straight from an international arrival and want to keep moving. It makes the least sense if you are watching the budget — the flight is four to six times the bus fare for a saving of three or four hours, and that math rarely favors flying for travelers with time on their hands.

A practical note on baggage and timing. Domestic carriers in Cambodia run tight luggage allowances and weigh checked bags strictly, so a heavy suitcase can add a fee that erodes the convenience. Show up 90 minutes before a domestic departure; the terminals are small and fast, but a single tour group at security can stack the line. Pay in USD or by card at the counter for any extras.

The river ferry: scenic, slow, and seasonal

The Tonle Sap ferry is the romantic option and the one most likely to disappoint if you book it blind. When it runs, the boat tracks up the river and across the great lake past stilt-house and floating villages, and the light on the water at the right hour is genuinely worth the trip. Expect 5 to 7 hours and a fare in the $25-35 USD range. It is slower and pricier than the bus, so you are paying for the view, not the speed.

The catch is the water level. The ferry only runs reliably during the wet season and the high-water months that follow it — roughly July through early February in a normal year. In the dry season the lake drops, the channel silts up, and the service either stops or limps along on small boats that can run aground. If a tout in Phnom Penh sells you a dry-season ferry ticket in March, be skeptical; ask the hotel to confirm the boat is actually sailing before you pay.

Comfort is basic. The boats are functional rather than luxurious, the indoor cabin can get warm, and most experienced travelers ride part of the way on the roof for the air and the view — bring sun cover, water, and a dry bag for anything that cannot get splashed. The ferry suits travelers who treat the journey as part of the trip and have a flexible day to give it. If you need to be in Siem Reap by a set hour, take the bus or fly.

Sorting the visa so the rest is just logistics

None of these three options involves a visa, a border, or a checkpoint — Phnom Penh to Siem Reap is entirely inside Cambodia. The visa work happens once, before you ever board a bus, plane, or boat: you enter Cambodia at the airport with your eVisa, and after that you move freely between the cities as a domestic traveler. There is no second visa for the second city and no new arrival form for an internal flight.

What you do need locked in before you fly is the eVisa itself and the e-Arrival Card. The Tourist eVisa is $80 USD all-in and approved in 3 business days, delivered as a printable PDF by email — you carry it for the international arrival, not for the domestic leg. Give yourself the full window: start the eVisa as soon as your dates firm up, then handle the e-Arrival Card inside the 7-day pre-arrival window. If you want the timing mapped out, our processing-time and planning guidance pairs naturally with the 7-day Cambodia itinerary for travelers on a shorter trip.

One more connection worth planning if you are flying internationally into Phnom Penh and heading straight north: getting out of the airport has a few moving parts now that KTI has replaced the old field, and our Techo airport transport guide covers the ride into the city and your onward options in detail. When your dates are set, apply for your Cambodia eVisa and keep the PDF on your phone and printed — then the only decision left is bus, plane, or boat.

Next steps and related reading for Americans: apply for your eVisa when your dates are firm, bookmark our Cambodia visa hub for United States citizens as the canonical reference, and use the FAQ below to settle the last few transport questions before you book.