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Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum: Our most recommended tours and activities

From Phnom Penh: Killing Fields and Prison S21 Tour

1. From Phnom Penh: Killing Fields and Prison S21 Tour

Choose between a morning or afternoon 4.5-hour of the Killing Fields and the Security Prison S21. Start with a ride to the Genocide Museum (also known as Prison S21). The prison comprises 4 buildings with exhibitions in several rooms. Prison survivors are sometimes present to talk to visitors and share their experiences. After an hour and 15 minutes at the museum, meet the tour assistant at the main entrance to continue the tour. During a 30-40-minute drive to the Killing Fields, watch a documentary on the Khmer Rouge regime. There will be around 1 hour and 15 minutes to explore the site. Audio guide is available in 15 languages along with a map of the fields.

Phnom Penh: Private City and Genocide Tours

2. Phnom Penh: Private City and Genocide Tours

1. The first stop will be at a couple of the most significant sites in Phnom Penh, Wat Phnom and Lady Penh Statue. Before visiting the actual Temple you will see the statue of Lady Penh, who Phnom Penh is named after. Learn her story before taking the steps up to the Wat (Temple). Entry fee: $1pp 2. Wat Onnalom was originally built in 1442 after the capital was founded in 1434 by King Ponhea Yarth. It is one of the most important monasteries in Phnom Penh. Free entry. 3. The National Museum was built in 1920 while Cambodia was a French colony. It is worth visiting, if only from the outside, to admire one of the best examples of traditional Cambodian style building. Free 4. The Royal Palace is most beautiful in the morning with the sun as it faces east. Perfect for photography opportunities. The public park in front is popular with local people to relax and socialise with family and friends. Outside visit only: Free. 5. The Cambodian Vietnam Friendship Monument commemorates the former alliance between the two countries. It is located not far from the Royal Palace in Botum Park. Free. 6. The King Norodom Sihanouk Statue stands impressively on the largest park strip in Phnom Penh. It was built in honour of the King in 2013 after his death the year before. Free. 7. The striking Independence Monument is nearby, representing independence of Cambodia from French colonisation which lasted for 90 years, from 1863 - 1953. It was built in 1958 and completed in 1962. Free 8. The darker and tragic side of Cambodian history takes us to the Genocide Museum. Formally a school, the site became a significant centre of imprisonment and torture during the Khmer Rouges reign. Approximately one and half hours is a suitable time to spend here. An audio guide is included in the entry fee of $10 pp. 9. We make a lunch stop at a local restaurant before heading to the Killing Fields, 45 minutes from the city. This is the second significant historical site of Khmer Rouge Genocide in Phnom Penh. An audio guide is included in the entry fee of $6pp. 10. The Russian Market is a great place to pick up Khmer products for souvenirs, many of which have been sourced from local businesses and organisations. Free. 11. Explore Diamond Island at the end of the tour, the 'Paris of Phnom Penh'. A swamp prior to 2000, it now continues to develop as a satellite city to the main central city of Phnom Penh. Along the way you will see the Patriarch of Monks Statue, the Buddhist Institute, the Cambodian Parliament Building, China Town and other newer developments of the capital. Nearby is the confluent of the Tonle Sap, Upper and Lower Mekong Rivers and Tonle Bassac. You will learn the significance and uniqueness of the rivers that meet here and flow through Cambodia. Free.

The killing Field and S21 half day tour.

3. The killing Field and S21 half day tour.

For this haf-day tour, the travelers will be picked up directly at the hotel or at the departure point. For the whole the tour, the travelers will be accompanied and escorted in the comfortable van by the tour guide from the hotel or the picking up point plus a very warm welcome and hospitalities by the tour guide. On the way from Phnom Penh to the Killing Field, the tur guide will be doing presentation about Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot as, it takes around 25 minutes and 15 Kilometers. At the Killing Field, the travelers will experience the seeing and getting more deeper understanding about the atrocities committed by Khmer Rouge, like seeing the bones, the rags of bones, the clothes, the rags of clothes, the Killing Trees ( where more than 300 children and babies were slaughtered at the tree, their heads were smashed against that tree), the graves and the mass graves and specially the memorial stupa full of 9000 skulls, classified into sex, age, nationalities and causes of death). Then the travelers are coming back to the city center to visit the Genocide Museum ( S21). At the Museum, the travelers will find out a lot more about that regime and especially the atrocities to the victims at that prison. Even more shocking, the travelers will see the blood, small toilets of the prisoners, rooms, cells, photos ( with sad and hopeless eyes contact and facial expression looking to the travelers). The visitors will even be able to have chance to see the survivors and they will be telling the travelers how they could survive from that brutal prison. It is building by building. Then the tour guide will escort you back directly to the travelers' hotel by the professional driver safe and sound. During the whole tour, travelers can ask any questions and raise any concern.

Phnom Penh: S-21 Prison and Killing Fields Half-Day Tour

4. Phnom Penh: S-21 Prison and Killing Fields Half-Day Tour

At 8:00 AM, depart from your hotel and drive to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, located about 16 kms south of Phnom Penh. Here,you will experience a very moving and confronting experience. The Killing Fields were the final resting place for over 17,000 men, women, children and infants between 1975 and 1978. It is estimated the Khmer Rouge Regime took the lives of between 2 and 4 million Cambodians during their destructive and devastating time in control between 1975 and 1979. Your guide will provide you with a detailed tour of the fields. Continue to Tuol Sleng Museum. In 1975, Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken over by Pol Pot’s security forces and turned into a prison known as Security Prison 21 (S-21). It rapidly became the largest center of detention and torture in the country. Prisoners were repeatedly tortured and coerced into naming family members and close associates, who were in turn arrested, brought to S21, tortured and eventually killed. Spend time discovering the harrowing truths of the prison. At 12:00 PM, your tour comes to an end and your guide will transfer you back to your hotel.

Phnom Penh: Historical Guided Tour

5. Phnom Penh: Historical Guided Tour

Our driver and knowledgeable guide will be waiting for you at your hotel, ready to take you on an incredible journey. Royal Palace is your first stop are home to King Sihamoni and closed off to the public, but you will be able to visit the sacred Silver Pagoda that lies in the palace complex. This sacred site provides an opportunity to experience a unique part of Cambodian history, culture and art that no other place in the country can offer. Then, head to the Wat Phnom when exploring the city and it is a 14th-century Buddhist temple that stands at 27 meters tall, making it the highest religious structure in this area. This temple has a long history, offering visitors insight into the culture and religion of Cambodia. The complex features several highly decorated structures, including a large stupa at its center. Your included visits to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum will introduce you to the tragic legacy of the Khmer Rouge. Your expert guide will tell you the story of this period in detail, allowing you to gain a deeper understanding of this dark chapter in Cambodia's history.

Phnom Penh: Tour of Tuol Sleng Prison and Choeng Ek Memorial

6. Phnom Penh: Tour of Tuol Sleng Prison and Choeng Ek Memorial

You will be picked up from your hotel at the preferable time you selected by a shared A/C transport to visit the highlights of Phnom Penh and learn more about the history of Cambodia from our professional tour guide, starting with S-21(Security Prison 21)of Tuol Sleng that was In 1975, Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken over by Pol Pot’s security forces and turned into a prison. Spend time discovering the harrowing truths of the prison, and then drive to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, located about 16 kms south of Phnom Penh. You’ll visit the memorial built in memory of the more than 17,000 victims who were killed at Choeung Ek by the Khmer Rouge. Transfer you back after this half day tour completed.

Tour in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

7. Tour in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

and accompany you to prominent locations rich in history and art. A one day tour in Phnom Penh, We will first visit the Wat Phnom sanctuary hill temple. The National Museum, 1.5 km away from Wat Phnom, has collections of Khmer art, including sculptures, Khmer pottery, bronzes, and ethnographic artefacts. After that, we'll proceed to the Royal Palace, a structure with Khmer architecture that includes a defensive wall (kampeng), throne hall (preah thineang), temple dedicated to the Emerald Buddha (Wat Preah Keo Morakot), stupas (chedei), towering spires (prang prasat), mural paintings, and head to the independent monument. The Toul Sleng Genocide Museum will be the next destination; it commemorates a tragic period in history in an effort to inspire visitors to spread peace. Next, we'll explore the killing fields, which are a number of site in Cambodia where the Khmer Rouge dictatorship is believed to have executed and interred more than 1,000,000 people. We really hope you enjoy Phnom Penh and our trip itinerary to the fullest.

Half Day Tour of Tuol Sleng and Choeng Ek Killing Field

8. Half Day Tour of Tuol Sleng and Choeng Ek Killing Field

Your Euro-Khmer guide will pick you up from the hotel that you stayed in Phnom Penh and our guide & driver drive you to the killing fields of Choeung Ek – 15 km south of Phnom Penh. The infamous killing fields have a bloody history. Once an orchard and a Chinese cemetery, the Khmer Rogue, lead by Pol Pot, turned the place into what became known as the killing fields. Over four years they massacred and buried 2.5 million people. After remembering the dead, return to Phnom Penh to visit Tuol Sleng Prison. Meaning hill of the poisonous trees, Pol Pot turned a once popular high school into a high security prison. 20,000 people were imprisoned there, many of whom were tortured for information. Today it serves as a museum and a reminder of darker days. Your Euro-Khmer guide will return you to your hotel or guesthouse in the early evening.

Phnom Penh Small Group City Tour

9. Phnom Penh Small Group City Tour

See the highlights of Phnom Penh and learn more about the history of Cambodia, starting with the Royal Palace, built by the French in 1866 after King Norodom relocated the royal capital from Oudong. Explore the palace complex to admire the Khmer architecture on the banks of the Tonle Sap and Mekong River. See the magnificent Silver Pagoda made of 5,329 silver tiles, and hear about different Khmer kings, resident at all times, except during the rule of the Khmer Rouge. Gaze in awe at the jeweled Buddha statues and the Angkor Wat-style Bell Tower. Learn about the turbulent years of the Khmer Rouge at the infamous Tuol Sleng Museum, located in a former high school that was used as the notorious Security Prison 21. See exhibits that tell the stories of some of the estimated 20,000 prisoners murdered and dumped on the notorious Killing Fields.

Phnom Penh Private Tour: Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, S-21

10. Phnom Penh Private Tour: Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, S-21

Explore the troubled, but fascinating history of Cambodia on a 6-hour sightseeing tour in Phnom Penh, and visit some of the city’s most beautiful pagodas and palaces, as well as the infamous genocide museum of Tuol Sleng. Following a hotel pick-up, your guide will take you to the Royal Palace, built in 1866 by the French after King Norodom relocated the royal capital from Oudong. Located on the western banks of the Tonle Sap River and Mekong River, the palace complex features stunning Khmer architecture, divided into 4 main compounds. The grounds of the Palace are also home to the Silver Pagoda, which received its name because its floor is made of 5,329 silver tiles. Learn about the Khmer kings, resident at all times, with the exception of the period when the Khmer Rouge took control in 1975. See gold and jeweled Buddha statues in the Silver Pagoda, and the Angkor Wat style Bell Tower. Then, learn about the turbulent years of the Khmer Rouge at the infamous Tuol Sleng Museum. Located in a former high school that was used as the notorious Security Prison 21, the Genocide Museum traces the story of the Killing Fields and the torture and executions that took place from 1975-79. See exhibits that tell the stories of some of the estimated 20,000 prisoners that were killed. Return to the city center for a drop off at your hotel, or a riverside café or bar if you want to take in the sunset.

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What people are saying about Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

Overall rating

4.5 / 5

based on 351 reviews

This tour is a great start to any trip to Phnom Penh and to Cambodia in general. Be ready to live the most intense emotional rollercoaster ever, as you’ll go from the magnificent Royal Palace to monuments that were the theater of the darkest times in human history. If you have children under 20 with you don’t take them on this tour, though. I’m an adult and some monuments traumatized me.

We really enjoyed our tour. Our guide Sophy was extremely helpful, kind and very informative. He also gave us lots of nice recommendations of things to do and places to eat in Phnom Penh after our tour. We would really recommend this tour. Thanks Sophy.

This is a pick up and trip off tour. As such, it was fine. The museums are informative, respectful and heartbreaking, but an essential experience for adults visiting Cambodia.

My guide was great & super helpful! It was lovely getting into a cool bus with a refreshing complimentary bottle of water after hours walking around outside in the heat.

Excellent guide who really brought history to life for us.