Royal Palace Palace

The Royal Palace (Preah Barom Reachea Vaeng Chaktomuk in Khmer) is the official palace complex of Cambodia and the home of the country’s royal family. Built in the mid-1800s on the banks of the Tonle Sap River, it sits at the heart of Phnom Penh and is arguably the centrepiece of the city.

Visitors can explore a cluster of ornate buildings and temples within the walled grounds. The Chan Chaya Pavilion, where kings were once entertained by Apsara dancers and held public audiences, faces the street, while the regal Throne Hall is still used for coronations, state visits and other special occasions and is open to the public. The Royal Treasury holds historical display cases, and the Villa of Napoleon III - originally built in Egypt to house the French Empress Eugenie during the opening of the Suez Canal, then given to the Cambodian king by Napoleon III - stands within the compound.

The complex’s most celebrated attraction is the Silver Pagoda, also known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. It is best to arrive early to beat both the crowds and the heat. Legs and shoulders must be covered - sarongs can be rented on site - and no photography is allowed inside the Silver Pagoda.

The Royal Palace was built after King Norodom relocated the Cambodian capital to Phnom Penh from Oudong. It was raised in 1866 on the site of an ancient citadel known as Banteay Kev, and has been continually occupied by reigning kings ever since - the sole interruption being the era of the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s.

Among its buildings, the Silver Pagoda stands out. Constructed in the 19th century with the aid of French technology, the temple has survived Cambodia’s traumatic modern history remarkably intact, and remains a working religious site as well as a showcase of royal treasures.