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Offered languages
- English
Discover Oudong, Cambodia's former royal capital, on a private half-day escape from Phnom Penh. Climb to panoramic hilltop views over the sugar palms and receive an authentic blessing ceremony from local monks.
Rise early and set off from Phnom Penh for Oudong, the royal capital where Cambodian kings were crowned between 1618 and 1866.
Climb the ridge linking the two humps of Phnom Oudong, walking past shrines and stupas dedicated to great Khmer rulers including King Monivong and King Ang Duong. Panoramic views over the countryside reward you at the summit, reached either by gravel road or by steps.
The highlight is a personal blessing ceremony. Monks chant while sprinkling water and flowers, a traditional Khmer ritual believed to cleanse misfortune and bring good luck, before tying a sacred string around your wrist to be worn until it falls away on its own.
A Khmer set lunch at a local restaurant lets the morning settle before your return to Phnom Penh.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Hotel pickup is available from most centrally located Phnom Penh hotels. Transfer outside these areas, supplements apply.
Itinerary
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1Phnom Udong
We will pick you up from your Phnom Penh hotel at around 8 am and transfer to Oudong. This ancient capital from the latter stages of the Khmer Empire and crowning site of the king, located atop two parallel ridges 40 km north of Phnom Penh. Oudong was capital of the Khmer Empire from 17th Century until 1866 until it was moved to Phnom Penh. Several temples and religious structure dot the ridgeline and stupas containing the remains of several great Khmer Kings such as King Monivong and King Ang Duong can be found here. These hills were also the site of some of the Khmer Rouge’s most prolonged resistance against the encroaching Vietnamese army in 1979. The summit of Phnom Oudong offers spectacular views of the surrounding countryside and is a favourite picnic spot for residents from Phnom Penh. We stroll through these buildings of times past by before we head out to see one of the monks.
2 hours • Admission ticket included -
2Oudong Temple
The highlight of this half-day (mornings only) is to receive a personal blessing by the monks in which they will perform a traditional ceremony by sprinkling water and flowers while chanting for about 5 to 10 minutes. It is believed that this traditional Khmer blessing ceremony cleanses evil spirits from the past and brings good luck for the coming year. You will feel surprisingly renewed and relaxed after this memorable experience. After the blessing ceremony, you will receive a small string for their wrist from the monks. Bearers of this sacred thread must wear it until it falls off on its own to have a maximum effect on one’s good fortune. To let the whole experience soak in, we offer a Khmer set lunch at a local restaurant before we travel back to Phnom Penh. Arrival at your booked hotel at around 1.30 pm.
2 hours • Admission ticket included
Additional info
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- This tour is operated on full private basis with English-speaking guide. Other languages are on request / subject to availability and supplementary charges may apply
- Return transfers for this excursion apply only / are inclusive for customers staying in and inside Phnom Penh. Transfers outside these areas, including any accommodation outside this area such as Koh Dach, Tonle Bati, and Oudong, any of the river and cruise ferry terminals and Phnom Penh International Airport are excluded. Supplements apply for customers who want to join this excursion outside one of these regions.
- To avoid any issues pertaining obtaining an arrival visa at the airport, please ensure that your passport contains at least two empty pages. Failure to do so may result in not gaining entrance into the Kingdom of Cambodia.
- To respect local customs and respecting the religious sites and temples on this tour, it is customary for guests to take off their shoes before allowed entrance. Your guide will inform you in advance for which of these sites this is applicable.
Additional info
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- This tour is operated on full private basis with English-speaking guide. Other languages are on request / subject to availability and supplementary charges may apply
- Return transfers for this excursion apply only / are inclusive for customers staying in and inside Phnom Penh. Transfers outside these areas, including any accommodation outside this area such as Koh Dach, Tonle Bati, and Oudong, any of the river and cruise ferry terminals and Phnom Penh International Airport are excluded. Supplements apply for customers who want to join this excursion outside one of these regions.
- To avoid any issues pertaining obtaining an arrival visa at the airport, please ensure that your passport contains at least two empty pages. Failure to do so may result in not gaining entrance into the Kingdom of Cambodia.
- To respect local customs and respecting the religious sites and temples on this tour, it is customary for guests to take off their shoes before allowed entrance. Your guide will inform you in advance for which of these sites this is applicable.
- Natural elements of any kind have a destructive effect on electronic equipment. It is the customer’s own responsibility to ensure that any camera, mobile telephone or other device is properly wrapped and protected against these elements. We cannot be held responsible in any way for negligence and/or not following suggestions for any damage related to this.
- Please ensure that you bring sunglasses, a hat /cap and sunblock with a high SPF factor when traveling with us on this tour – even when it is cloudy, the sunrays still have an immense power.
- It is the responsibility of the customer to provide us with the correct hotel information, should pick-up and drop-off services be included in the package. Any changes in accommodation outside 24 hours will be handled accordingly: changes within 24 hours may be on request.
- In the event of no-show or change of accommodation without prior consent and confirmation from us within 24 hours may result in the applicable cancellation charges as outlined in the terms and conditions.
- This tour is only operational in the morning.
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Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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