★★★
Budget
Phnom Penh Infinity Pool Down to $25/N - M Residence
From $43 / night
Check Prices on Trip.com →
Things to Do in Phnompenh in January
January weather, activities, events & insider tips
Shoulder Season · Good Value
January Weather in Phnompenh
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
88°F (31°C)
High Temp
71°F (21°C)
Low Temp
0.5 inches (13 mm)
Rainfall
70%
Humidity
Is January Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
Advantages
- + Cooler mornings at 24°C/75°F turn the 6 AM bike rides along the Tonlé Sap riverbank into pure pleasure, a habit locals have kept since the 1980s when petrol shortages left bicycles as the sole option.
- + January marks the height of Cambodian wedding season - expect gold-painted Lexus convoys inching past Wat Phnom each Saturday afternoon, horns blasting Khmer pop songs that bounce between colonial facades.
- + A brief, warm drizzle strikes around 3 PM and vanishes within 20 minutes, leaving the air thick with frangipani and incense drifting from riverside pagodas - January alone delivers this daily ritual.
- + Riverfront restaurants haul their tables onto Sisowath Quay at 5 PM when the temperature dips just enough for locals to claim sidewalk seats, sparking spontaneous street dining impossible in other months.
Considerations
- − UV index climbs to 8 by 9 AM - the sort of sun that slices through SPF 50 in under two hours, which is why tuk-tuk drivers sport hoodies even when the mercury reads 30°C (86°F).
- − Chinese New Year triggers a week-long accommodation squeeze around January 25-31, with riverside hotels doubling rates and the typically quiet rooftop bars at Phnom Penh Tower turning into no-go zones.
- − Seventy percent humidity keeps cotton shirts wet for hours - locals swapped to linen decades back. Yet tourists still arrive in polyester blends that trap heat like greenhouse sheeting.
Best Activities in January
Top things to do during your visit
Royal Palace Complex Morning Tours
January's 24°C (75°F) mornings suit the 90-minute palace stroll before tour buses invade. The silver pagoda's 5,329 tiles of actual silver won't scorch bare feet at 8 AM as they do at noon, and the early light ignites the emerald Buddha's 2,086 diamonds into a blaze of color.
Booking Tip: Show up by 7:30 AM; guards enforce the dress code (shoulders and knees covered). Licensed guides cluster outside the east gate - bargain for palace plus National Museum combos that wrap before the 11 AM heat arrives.
Mekong Island Cycling Routes
Ferries to the river islands (Koh Dach and Koh Oknha Tei) depart every 20 minutes starting 6 AM, taking 10 minutes each crossing. January's dry banks let you cycle the full 12 km (7.5 mile) loop of Koh Dach on firm dirt instead of sinking into mud.
Booking Tip: Carry cash for the ferry - small boats, no cards. Pick up bicycles on the island. The first shop by the pier has been family-run since 1998 and their bikes still have brakes that work, unlike the tourist rentals in Phnom Penh proper.
Tuol Sleng Museum Half-Day Tours
January's lighter humidity lets you linger 2-3 hours inside S-21 without walls dripping condensation. The audio guide, offered in 15 languages, includes survivor testimonies recorded last year - updates happen only each January when former prisoners return to town.
Booking Tip: Be there at 9 AM sharp - by 11 AM the heat and grim history flatten most visitors. The museum shuts at 5 PM but guards, veterans since the 1980s, lock the doors at 4:30 PM without exception.
Russian Market Food Walks
Toul Tom Poung market's covered aisles remain tolerable under January's sun - the central food court dishes out num pang (Cambodian sandwiches) on crusty baguettes that draw 15-minute lines at 11 AM. Cooler air keeps the fermented fish section from reeking.
Booking Tip: Food tours kick off at 9 AM when fresh produce rolls in. Seek guides operating since 2015 - they know which stalls own refrigeration that still functions, important during January's swinging temperatures.
Choeung Ek Memorial Cycling
The 15 km (9.3 mile) pedal from Phnom Penh center to the killing fields feels agreeable in January's dry dawn - the route threads through real village life where women scrub laundry in the river and kids wave at cyclists. January's dry soil hides the bone fragments that rain usually exposes.
Booking Tip: Roll out at 7 AM from Wat Botum Park - the bike shop unlocks at 6:30 AM and their mountain bikes survive National Road 2's potholes. Pack water - vendors at the memorial triple prices once you leave city limits.
Where to Stay in Phnompenh in January
Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for January travellers.
January Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
January 7th
Victory Day Celebrations
January 7th celebrates the 47th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge fall. T-55 tanks from the 1979 liberation roll past Independence Monument starting 8 AM - locals grab curb space from 6 AM while hotels lay out special Khmer breakfast buffets built from 1979-era recipes.
Late January (varies by lunar calendar)
Chinese New Year
The week before Lunar New Year turns Central Market into a maze of red paper and fireworks. Khmer-Chinese lion dancers weave through Phsar Thmey at 6 PM nightly, their firecrackers loud enough to trigger car alarms across the district.
Packing Checklist
Bookmark this page — your progress is saved between visits
Need the full list with shopping links?
Climate-specific gear, brand recommendations, and what to leave at home.
View Phnompenh Packing List →Essential Tips
Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
Insider Knowledge
Riverside beer gardens along Sisowath Quay run happy hour 5-7 PM because January's cooling evenings make outdoor drinking irresistible - locals dub it 'beer o'clock' and it begins the instant sunlight touches the palace roof.
Street food vendors at Phsar Thmey shift their positions every January, following Chinese New Year crowd flows, the finest num pang cart relocates to the north entrance during festival week, a practice dating back to 2014.
Hotel rooftop pools are heated in January because 24°C (75°F) nights feel chilly to locals accustomed to tropical warmth, the pool at Phnom Penh Tower holds 28°C (82°F) year-round, drawing expats like clockwork.
The Russian Market food section shuts at 6 PM sharp in January while vendors head to evening Chinese New Year festivities, arrive before 5 PM or you'll miss the num banh chok (Khmer noodles) prepared by the same woman since 1992.
Avoid These Mistakes
Booking riverside rooms for an 'authentic' stay, the Chinese New Year fireworks kick off at 11 PM and blast hourly until 6 AM, a detail hotel websites conveniently omit.
Wearing shorts to temples, even January's hot days see guards refusing entry at Wat Phnom for bare knees, a policy unchanged since the 1990s.
Hopping tuk-tuks without agreeing the fare first, January's tourist increase lets drivers charge double. Yet locals still hand over 2,000 riel (50 cents) for short hops, the same since 2010.
Explore More Activities in Phnompenh
Didn't see anything interesting yet?
Browse Viator's full catalog of tours, day trips, food experiences, and private guides in Phnompenh.
See All Phnompenh Tours on Viator