Cambodia
Phnom Penh in December
☀️ Dry seasonWarm, humid and mostly dry.
🎒 Pack: light, breathable clothes & sunscreen · quick-dry fabrics · sunglasses & hat
Why December scores 8.6What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort8.4
- ✓Warm (31°C highs / 22°C lows)
- !Very humid/sticky (dew point 21.2°C)
- ✓Mostly dry (~32 mm rain)
- Air quality8.3
- ✓Moderate (PM2.5 ~16 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline7.0
- ·Increased caution
| Dec | Jan | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 8.6 Excellent | 8.7 Excellent |
| Season | ☀️ Dry season | ☀️ Dry season |
| High / low | 31° / 22° | 32° / 22° |
| Rain | 32 mm | 12 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 21° | dew pt 19° |
| PM2.5 | 16 µg/m³ | 13 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Phnom Penh weather-station normals. Rainfall: Phnom Penh weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsDecember 2026
No long holidaysNo long public-holiday weekends this month. School holidays aren't counted, so check those if you want to avoid family crowds.
Other public holidays: Peace Day in Cambodia (29 Dec)
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore Phnom PenhEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyCambodia's capital at the meeting of the Mekong and Tonlé Sap rivers, with royal and Buddhist landmarks, busy markets and sobering Khmer Rouge history sites.
No major events on our calendar for December.
Coming up later
Khmer New YearDate variesUsually 13 or 14 to 16 April
Three days of New Year celebrations with temple visits and games.
Why go: Many residents leave the city and businesses close.
Where: Nationwide
Pchum BenDate variesKhmer lunar calendar — usually September or October
A 15-day festival honouring ancestors with offerings at pagodas.
Why go: The last three days are public holidays and the city empties.
Where: Pagodas nationwide
Water Festival (Bon Om Touk)Date variesLunar calendar — usually late October or November
Dragon boat races and illuminated floats marking the reversal of the Tonlé Sap's flow.
Why go: The riverside is extremely crowded.
Where: Sisowath Quay and the Tonlé Sap river
Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda
The king's residence and a temple with a floor of silver tiles.
💡 Shoulders and knees must be covered.
National Museum of Cambodia
A museum of Khmer art in a red traditional-style building.
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
A former school turned Khmer Rouge prison known as S-21.
Choeung Ek
The memorial at the 'Killing Fields' outside the city, with a stupa of victims' skulls.
Wat Phnom
A hilltop temple marking the city's legendary founding.
Russian Market
Tuol Tom Poung market, a covered maze of stalls selling textiles, crafts and food.
Fish amok
Fish steamed in a coconut curry custard, often in a banana-leaf cup.
Num banh chok
Rice noodles with green fish curry and fresh herbs, a breakfast dish.
Bai sach chrouk
Grilled marinated pork with broken rice, a common breakfast.
Lok lak
Stir-fried beef with a lime and pepper dipping sauce.
Kuy teav
Rice noodle soup with pork or beef, eaten at breakfast.
Kampot pepper
Prized pepper from southern Cambodia, with geographical indication status.
Cambodian silk
Hand-woven silk scarves and fabric.
💡 Russian Market and fair-trade shops
Krama
The traditional checked cotton scarf used across Cambodia.
Palm sugar
Sugar from the sugar palm, a national symbol.