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Things to Do in Phnompenh in November
November weather, activities, events & insider tips
Low Season · Budget Friendly
November Weather in Phnompenh
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
87°F (31°C)
High Temp
73°F (23°C)
Low Temp
4.7 inches (119 mm)
Rainfall
70%
Humidity
Is November Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
Advantages
- + Come late rainy season the Mekong and Tonle Sap are swollen and swift, good for sunset boat trips that slide across liquid bronze, with far fewer tour boats jostling for the same view.
- + Hotel rates drop 30- 40% from peak season, and you'll find rooms free at riverside properties that demand 60-day advance bookings from December through March.
- + November's afternoon storms scrub the air for 30, 45 minutes, leaving the city scented with wet frangipani and diesel, Phnom Penh's trademark perfume that vanishes once the dry months set in.
- + Markets brim with seasonal harvest: pomelos the size of softballs, dragonfruit that tastes like fruit instead of water, and morning glory so crisp it cracks when vendors knot it into bundles.
Considerations
- − Humidity locks at 70% and refuses to shift, you'll feel it on the climb to Wat Phnom, where stone steps stay slick with condensation even when skies stay dry.
- − Thunder rolls in between 2, 5 PM on 60% of afternoons, cutting temple visits short and forcing riverside cafés to drop their plastic curtains.
- − King tides push river water over the quay. The stroll from Night Market to Sisowath Quay can mean ankle-deep soup of river mud and motor oil.
Best Activities in November
Top things to do during your visit
Mekong River Sunset Cruises
Higher water and post-storm clarity turn the river into a mirror, good for shots of the Royal Palace and floating villages. The 5:30 PM departure times itself to temple bells drifting across the water while bats spill from riverside trees, a soundtrack absent in the dry-season scrum.
Booking Tip: Reserve 2, 3 days ahead through licensed operators (see current options in booking section below). Morning light flatters photographs. But sunset cruises catch the city flicking on its lamps, pick your priority.
Central Market Food Tours
Built in 1937, the Art-Deco cathedral of commerce stays cooler when November storms hit, and vendors are keener to deal in low season. Sample prahok-stuffed rice cakes that vanish once tourists flood back, and grab num pang whose bread hasn't dried out in all-day heat.
Booking Tip: Arrive hungry at 8 AM while stalls are still setting up. Vendors have time to explain ingredients. Licensed food-tour guides track which stands swap produce with the season, see current tour options in booking section below.
Tuol Sleng and Killing Fields Educational Tours
Fewer visitors in November mean you can linger. The S-21 audio guide has space to detail why the second-floor bloodstains matter, and your own footsteps echo down the old corridors, an acoustic detail drowned when the hallways fill.
Booking Tip: Arrange guides 1, 2 days ahead through licensed operators who lived through the regime. The silence of smaller groups sharpens the emotional punch, so schedule recovery time in a riverside café afterward.
Russian Market Antique Hunting
November showers keep the covered market tolerable while you hunt Indochinese coins, 1960s textiles, and war-era Zippos. Rain drumming on the tin roof turns bargaining into theatre, and vendors bargain harder when foot traffic thins.
Booking Tip: Collectors show up at 7 AM when fresh stock surfaces. The maze is designed to confuse, get lost. Carry small-denomination cash, and check the booking section below for guided antique tours.
Wat Phnom Temple Visits
The 27-meter (89-foot) hill catches breezes that desert the city in hot season, and November storms stack dramatic clouds around the central stupa. Monkey troops, spooked in peak months, reclaim the sacred figs, and fortune-tellers near the gate have time to unpack your future.
Booking Tip: Show up at 6 AM for monk chants or at 4 PM when storm clouds mass. The 400-meter (0.25-mile) climb feels steeper in the humidity, pause at the lion statues.
Where to Stay in Phnompenh in November
Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for November travellers.
November Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
Early November
Water Festival (Bon Om Touk)
When the Tonle Sap reverses flow, Phnom Penh throws its biggest party: boat races, concerts, fireworks. The quay becomes a three-night camp-out under string lights, with families grilling bananas wrapped in sticky rice. 2026 dates aren't out, but expect early November.
November 9
Independence Day
November 9 marks Cambodia's 1953 break from France. Military parades roll down Norodom Boulevard while traditional dancers perform in front of the Independence Monument, floodlit all night. Locals picnic on the traffic circle grass, an only-in-Cambodia take on national pride.
Packing Checklist
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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
The promenade between Street 178 and 144 goes under water at king tides, locals detour one block inland while tourists scramble for dry shoes and puzzled tuk-tuk drivers.
November's afternoon storms hand photographers the city's finest light show, Royal Palace's golden spires cutting through purple storm clouds, a scene that happens far more often than most shooters expect
Street 13's food vendors pivot to harvest fare in November, track down pumpkin custard ladled straight from actual pumpkin shells, a treat that vanishes once the season ends
The Russian Market's covered corridors run 5-7 degrees cooler than the street outside, sharp shoppers plan their hunt around the 2-5 PM storm window
Avoid These Mistakes
Packing outdoor activities into the 2-5 PM slot when storms roll in, locals simply shift to indoor spots or stretch lunch through these hours
Thinking November equals dry season, the city still collects 4.7 inches of rain over 10 days, delivered in theatrical bursts that send outdoor diners running
Locking riverfront rooms without checking tide charts, king tides plus storms can swamp ground-floor spaces along Sisowath Quay
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