First Time Guide: How to spend during 2 days in Phnom Penh

The Royal Palace is where the king of Cambodia resides. You will not visit the palace residence, but you will have the opportunity to see a number of royal ceremonial buildings while visiting the palace grounds. The palace is open in the morning from 8-11am and afternoons from 2-5pm. However, they stop entry a minimum of 30 minutes prior to closing, and quickly shuffle people out of the palace area prior to the closure time. The Silver Pagoda however will remain open while the palace is closed. If you plan to take a guided tour, the tour lasts roughly 45-50 minutes and will end in the Silver Pagoda complex. You will need to arrive earlier if you want to return to the palace after your tour has finished. You can not get re-entry to the palace in the afternoon if you went in the morning. Keep that in mind and plan your day accordingly. The cost of entry is $10 per person. While there you can have a guide walk you around the complex. The guides will be out in front of the entrance and you can pick whichever one you want. The price of the guide is an additional $10. Credit cards are not accepted, if you have large bills this is the place to break them. I think the guide is worth the cost to understand not only the history of the sites, but also get background on how the royal family is woven into Cambodian history.