Colonial Half Day Phnom Penh Cyclo Architecture Tour

Explore Phnom Penh's colonial and religious architecture aboard a traditional cyclo, guided past private buildings and hidden landmarks from 1910 onward, on a relaxed 3 hour tour through the city's back streets. Board a traditional cyclo for a slow, pedal-powered look at a side of Phnom Penh most visitors miss. Your guide leads the way through streets and alleys in search of the city's architectural character. Wide, tree-lined boulevards and French colonial buildings from 1910 onward recall Phnom Penh's past as a French colonial capital, a striking contrast to the modern skylines of other Asian cities. Beyond the well-known landmarks, this tour also takes in private residences and lesser-known examples of religious architecture, some reached only on foot down alleys too narrow for a cyclo. Cyclos still ply these streets today much as they did in colonial times, offering an unhurried, open-air way to watch the city go by. A relaxed journey through Phnom Penh's architectural history.

1. 1

   Phnom Penh

   1.5 hours

   The relaxing means to explore Phnom Penh and its architecture starts right from the doorstep of your centrally-located hotel as we transfer you to the meeting point. It is here where you are welcomed by an English-speaking guide and well-trained ‘chauffeur’ who assist you in stepping into your private cycle (a Cambodian bicycle-powered rickshaw). The wheels slowly turn, creating a cool flow as you venture through the streets and alleys in search of striking buildings and characteristics in the capital’s architecture. Your knowledgeable guide offers a brief historical and cultural introduction to the city, as you make your way calmly with traffic passing by, specifically highlighting the colonial buildings from 1910 onward. You soon see that you are not alone using this laid-back way to move through the city: pedalled rickshaws still ply the streets as in colonial days and provide an excellent opportunity for sightseeing and people watching as well as the taxi service.

2. 2

   Phnom Penh

   1.5 hours

   Not only those buildings of immense importance pass and landmarks on an ordinary half-day pass the revue. This 3-hour ride also includes a selection of private buildings, and some less obvious examples of religious architecture, both to be admired from the in- and outside. Guests may require to sometimes walk into smaller alleys, where cyclos cannot go, to get a glimpse of hidden treasures. Your cyclo driver slowly makes its way back to the central meeting after this extraordinary tour of seeing what is often not shown and where we scratch the historical surface of this dynamic city. From here, a car/van waits for you for the final stretch to your Phnom Penh Hotel.

• 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.
• The mentioned excursion durations are approximations; we are unable to exactly predict the total duration from pick-up to drop-off based on unforeseen circumstances such as traffic and weather conditions and the routing the driver has to take to get all customers on the vehicle.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.