Phnom Oudong
Cambodia's Royal Capital for 250 Years, Crowned with the Stupas of Kings
Photo: Lars Olsen
Phnom Oudong — Quick Facts
- What is it?
- temple — Cambodia's Royal Capital for 250 Years, Crowned with the Stupas of Kings
- Where?
- Kandal , Cambodia
- Entry Fee
- Free (small parking and vendor fees at the base)
- Opening Hours
- Daylight hours, roughly 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Time Needed
- 2–3 hours (half-day trip from Phnom Penh)
- Best Time
- Early morning for cool air and clear plains views; avoids midday heat on the stairway
- Dress Code
- Cover shoulders and knees — this is an active religious site; remove shoes and hats inside shrines
- Don't Miss
- Standing beneath the silver-white Sanchak Mony Chedei — the relic stupa crowning the ridge — with rice plains stretching to the horizon on every side
What to See at Phnom Oudong
The Royal Stupas
Oudong was the seat of the Khmer court for two and a half centuries before King Norodom moved the capital to Phnom Penh in 1866. The summit ridge is lined with the funerary stupas of former monarchs — including those associated with King Ang Duong and King Sisowath Monivong — each in a different style, some weathered and moss-streaked, others recently restored.
Sanchak Mony Chedei — the Buddha Relic Stupa
The tallest and most striking structure on the ridge is the modern silver-white stupa completed in the early 2000s to enshrine a relic of the Buddha, transferred here with great ceremony from Phnom Penh. Its tiered spire, guardian lions and elephant-flanked doorways make it the mountain’s photographic centrepiece.
The Climb
A stairway of roughly 500 steps climbs the ridge from the main entrance — broken by rest pavilions and patrolled by confident macaques (keep food and loose items zipped away). From the top, flat rice country extends in every direction, dotted with sugar palms and distant mountain ranges.
Around the Mountain
At the foot of the hill sit an enormous reclining Buddha, working monasteries, and the Vipassana Dhura Buddhist Centre — one of Cambodia’s largest meditation complexes, worth adding to the same visit.
How to Get to Phnom Oudong
Phnom Oudong is about 40km northwest of Phnom Penh, off National Road 5.
- Tuk-tuk or private car: The standard option — around 1–1.5 hours each way; most drivers quote a half-day round trip
- Organised tour: Phnom Penh operators combine Oudong with the silversmith village of Koh Chen on the same route
- Combine stops: Oudong + Koh Chen + a Mekong-side lunch makes a natural day out of the capital
Practical Tips
- Weekends bring Khmer families and picnic crowds — go on a weekday morning for a quieter climb
- Vendors at the base sell drinks, grilled chicken and lotus seeds; there is little shade on the stairway, so carry water
- Watch the monkeys: they will snatch bags, bottles and sunglasses
- This remains a deeply sacred site for Cambodians — behave as you would at any active pagoda
Nearby Attractions
- Vipassana Dhura Buddhist Centre — the vast meditation complex at the mountain’s base
- Koh Chen (Silversmith Village) — family silver and copper workshops on the same road back to Phnom Penh
Nearby Attractions in Kandal
village Koh Dach (Silk Island)
A Mekong Island Where Every House Has a Loom
village Koh Chen (Silversmith Village)
Family Workshops Forging Silver and Copper for Generations
experience Lkhon Khol Wat Svay Andet
The Last Troupe of a UNESCO-Listed Masked Dance-Drama
temple Vipassana Dhura Buddhist Centre
Cambodia's Largest Meditation Centre, at the Foot of the Royal Mountain
Useful Links
Practical Info
- Entry Fee
- Free (small parking and vendor fees at the base)
- Opening Hours
- Daylight hours, roughly 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Time Needed
- 2–3 hours (half-day trip from Phnom Penh)
- Best Time
- Early morning for cool air and clear plains views; avoids midday heat on the stairway
- Dress Code
- Cover shoulders and knees — this is an active religious site; remove shoes and hats inside shrines