My 14-day Cambodia route · map not to scale
At a glance
- Nights
- 13 nights
- Hotel changes
- 6
- Travel
- Private car throughout, no domestic flight needed
- Best for
- Couples and families with teens who want more than Angkor
- Budget
- From 1,960 USD per person (14 days × 140, 2 travellers, 4★)
The short answer
My sample private Cambodia tour runs 14 days: Phnom Penh, the Mekong at Kratie, Sambor Prei Kuk, four nights at Angkor, Battambang and three quiet nights in the Cardamom Mountains. A ten-day version ends after Battambang. Price is from 140 USD per person per day for two travellers at 4★ (14 days from 1,960 USD per person), confirmed in your written quote.
This page is for travellers who want more from Cambodia than two rushed days at Angkor: couples and families with teenagers who have ten to fourteen days, like a private guide and driver, and would rather see how the country fits together. Most people arrive thinking of Cambodia as a single temple complex. I think of it as a river country with a long history before and after Angkor.
My view is simple. Angkor deserves four nights, not two, and the rest of the route should show the Mekong, the pre-Angkor temples and the quieter west. Then, if the budget allows, finish somewhere green and slow rather than flying home straight after the last temple.
My sample 14-day route for private Cambodia tours
This route is built from two published Metta Voyage itineraries: the overland Phnom Penh to Siem Reap trip by way of Kratie, and the longer route that adds Battambang and the southwest. I have combined them so the hard driving happens early, Angkor sits in the middle with rest built in, and the last three nights are in the Cardamom Mountains.
| Day | Where | What we do | Overnight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phnom Penh | Airport pick-up, rest, then the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda in the late afternoon. | Phnom Penh |
| 2 | Phnom Penh | Cyclo ride to Wat Phnom, the National Museum and its Angkor-era sculpture; a respectful guided visit to Tuol Sleng; a sunset hour on the Mekong. | Phnom Penh |
| 3 | Kratie | Drive north-east along the Mekong by way of Kampong Cham; late afternoon on the river at Kratie. | Kratie |
| 4 | Chhlong, Kampong Thom | Morning market, the riverside village of Chhlong and its wooden house on a hundred columns, Wat Nokor, then on to Kampong Thom. | Kampong Thom |
| 5 | Sambor Prei Kuk, Siem Reap | The brick temples of Sambor Prei Kuk, capital of the Chenla kingdom; the old Naga bridge at Spean Praptos; evening blessing at a village pagoda. | Siem Reap |
| 6 | Angkor | Roluos group in the morning; the eastern circuit and a sunset viewpoint in the afternoon. | Siem Reap |
| 7 | Angkor | Angkor Wat early, Angkor Thom and the Bayon, back to the hotel before the midday heat. | Siem Reap |
| 8 | Siem Reap | A free morning. Ta Prohm and Preah Khan in the softer late-afternoon light. | Siem Reap |
| 9 | Beng Mealea, Banteay Srei | Beng Mealea, the 11th-century temple left to the forest, with a picnic lunch; the pink sandstone carving of Banteay Srei. | Siem Reap |
| 10 | Battambang | Road to Battambang: hilltop caves, French-era streets, Wat Ek Phnom and a late ride on the bamboo train. | Battambang |
| 11 | Kampong Luong, Phnom Penh | Back to the capital by way of the floating village of Kampong Luong on the Tonle Sap. | Phnom Penh |
| 12 | Cardamom Mountains | About two hours by road into the rainforest of the southwest. Afternoon on the river. | Cardamom camp or Koh Kong riverside retreat |
| 13 | Cardamom Mountains | A day with nothing fixed: forest walk, river, spa or simply your deck. | Cardamom camp or Koh Kong riverside retreat |
| 14 | Phnom Penh | Private car to Phnom Penh airport for an afternoon or evening flight. | — |
For a ten-day version, stop after day 11 and fly out of Phnom Penh, or end at Siem Reap after day 10 of the published Cambodia in Depth route — see a published Metta Voyage itinerary there for the day-by-day detail.
Price from
Private Cambodia tours at 4★ level start from 140 USD per person per day for two travellers sharing, with your own guide and driver. These are from-prices, confirmed in your written quote.
| Trip | Rate per person per day | From, per person |
|---|---|---|
| 10 days, 2 travellers, 4★ | from 140 USD | from 1,400 USD |
| 14 days, 2 travellers, 4★ | from 140 USD | from 1,960 USD |
| 14 days, group of 4 (−5%) | from 133 USD | from 1,862 USD |
| 14 days, group of 6 (−8%) | from 128.80 USD | from 1,803 USD |
| Luxury tier (Amansara, Shinta Mani Wild, Song Saa) | from 350 USD | quoted individually |
This route is overland, so it needs no domestic flight. If you prefer to fly between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, domestic flights are not included and are quoted separately. To confirm the trip we take a 30% deposit and a non-refundable 100 USD per traveller holding fee (kept even if you cancel early), separate from the 30% deposit; your quote shows how it is applied to the final invoice. The balance is due 45 days before arrival, and card payments carry a 3.5% fee. If you want to see how these numbers sit on paper, read how to read a private tour quote.
Where I’d stay
At the 4★ rate we choose a central 4–5★ hotel in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Battambang and name it in your quote. Kratie and Kampong Thom are small river towns, so expect the best available hotel rather than a resort (on the published route, the Kratie rooms are fan-cooled); we name it in your quote too. If you want to upgrade one stay rather than all of them, these are the three I would look at.
Amansara, Siem Reap. King Sihanouk’s 1962 guest villa, now 24 suites ten minutes from Angkor Wat. A daily guided temple excursion, breakfast, one main meal and afternoon tea are part of the stay, and three nights is the usual length.
Shinta Mani Wild – Bensley Collection. Fifteen tents designed by Bill Bensley along a river in a 350-hectare tract of the Cardamom rainforest, about two hours by road from Phnom Penh. You arrive by a 400-metre zipline, the rate includes meals, drinks, activities and spa, and three nights is the minimum. This is the upgrade that fits days 12 to 14 above.
Song Saa Private Island. Twenty-four villas on two islets in the Koh Rong Archipelago, inside a protected marine reserve. If you would rather end on a beach than in the forest, we place it as the last three or four nights after Angkor and Phnom Penh.
The default ending, at the 4★ rate, is a riverside tented retreat near Koh Kong, the same low-impact stay used in the published Discover Cambodia route. My advice on upgrades is in upgrade one hotel, not all of them.
Why private, and how I’d adjust it
A private guide and driver matter more in Cambodia than people expect. The distances are long, the roads are better in some stretches than others, and the temples reward a guide who can change the order on the day to avoid the crowds and the heat. In our experience, the single most useful thing a private guide does at Angkor is decide what you skip.
- Older travellers. Days 3 to 5 include drives of four to six hours with stops, so I keep day 8 free, drop Beng Mealea if the walking worries you, and take Angkor Wat in the early morning only. Our guides plan the temples around shade and steps.
- Families with teenagers. The bamboo train, the floating village and the Cardamom days usually do more for engagement than another temple. See keeping teenagers engaged on a long trip.
- Shorter trip. Ten days works well without Battambang and the southwest; Angkor keeps its four nights.
- Longer trip, or with Vietnam. Cambodia joins Vietnam naturally through Siem Reap or Phnom Penh. My route for that is on the Vietnam and Cambodia tour page.
- Season. November to March is the easiest window, with dry roads and cooler days. From February to July the Tonle Sap is often too low for the floating-village boats, and our team swaps in a silk farm or village pagodas instead. Ask us about your month before you book.
Mistakes I see most often
- Two days for Angkor. It leads straight to temple fatigue at Angkor. Four nights with a free morning is my minimum for a first visit.
- Treating Phnom Penh as a transit stop. The National Museum and Tuol Sleng explain what you see later. We recommend two full nights.
- Ending on the last temple. After a week of early starts, three quiet nights in the forest or on an island are what most guests remember.
- Comparing quotes by total only. Check what each day includes, who guides it and which hotel is named. Our checklist is in red flags in a tour quote.
Metta Voyage has handled more than 2,000 bookings, and the published Cambodia routes are the base for this one. We recommend you send us your dates and pace, and our team will adjust the days rather than the other way round. For the longer version with the coast, see the published Discover Cambodia 14-day itinerary.
Sources
Travel and destination information: Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia (tourismcambodia.org).
Checked and updated 11 November 2026. — David, for The Metta Voyage team.
Questions about this trip
How much does a private Cambodia tour cost?
From 140 USD per person per day for two travellers sharing at 4★ with a private guide and driver, so 14 days is from 1,960 USD per person. Groups of four save 5% and groups of six save 8%; the price is confirmed in your written quote.
How many days do I need in Cambodia?
Ten days covers Phnom Penh, the Mekong and four nights at Angkor. Fourteen days adds Battambang and a slow ending in the Cardamom Mountains or on an island.
What is the best month for a Cambodia tour?
November to March is ideal on our published routes, with dry roads and cooler days. From February to July the Tonle Sap is often too low for the floating-village boats, so we adjust that day; ask us about your month.
Are flights included?
International and domestic flights are not included. This route is overland, but if you prefer to fly between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, the flight is quoted separately.
Can I change the route?
Yes. Every trip is private, so we shorten or lengthen it, swap the Cardamom ending for an island, or join it to Vietnam or Laos. Your written quote shows the final days and hotels.
