Cambodia celebrates three new years. Khmer New Year in mid-April is the big national holiday, Chinese New Year follows the lunar calendar, and the international New Year on 31 December has grown into a city festival in its own right. On New Year's Eve 2026, Phnom Penh turns its riverside into a three-day street party, while Siem Reap packs Pub Street with countdowns before many visitors head out at dawn to see the first sunrise of the year over the Angkor temples. This guide explains what to expect in each city, the fireworks rules that changed recently, and how to plan the trip around Cambodia's best travel season.
Choose Phnom Penh for the biggest public crowd and riverside stages, Siem Reap for nightlife plus the temples, or the south coast around Kampot and Kep if you would rather toast the year in a quiet riverside guesthouse.
Cambodia New Year 2027: essential facts
- Date: Thursday, 31 December 2026
- Biggest crowd: Phnom Penh riverside, with well over a million visitors across 30 and 31 December
- Fireworks: not guaranteed; check the 2026 rules in December
- Season: Cool, dry season; the most comfortable time to visit
- Arrival form: Free e-Arrival card for air arrivals, filed within 7 days before landing
- Visa: Rules depend on your passport; e-visa available for many nationalities
- Money: US dollars and Cambodian riel both used in daily life
- Khmer New Year: Mid-April, the main traditional celebration
How Cambodia celebrates the international New Year
For most Cambodians, the 31 December countdown is a modern, urban event. Families save their temple visits, offerings and water festivities for Khmer New Year in April. December 31 is when young people, expat residents and visitors fill the riverfronts and bar streets, and when city and provincial authorities stage concerts and street events to draw domestic tourists.
In recent years the government has promoted the night as a tourism event. The capital turns its riverfront into a festive hub over several days, and provinces stage their own celebrations. At the same time, authorities have tightened rules on fireworks, which have been banned outright in some years for security reasons. The rules for this year's countdown are published in late December, so check local news in late December before expecting a midnight display.
Fireworks rules have changed: Do not buy or set off fireworks in Cambodia unless authorities have clearly allowed it. Police have enforced bans in Phnom Penh during holiday periods.
If an official display is held, it is usually near the Royal Palace riverfront in Phnom Penh. Expect road closures around Sisowath Quay from the afternoon of 31 December.
Where to spend New Year 2027 in Cambodia
Phnom Penh has Cambodia's biggest New Year's Eve crowd, with stages and food stalls along Sisowath Quay in front of the Royal Palace. Siem Reap combines Pub Street countdowns with a sunrise at Angkor Wat on 1 January, and Kampot and Kep on the south coast offer a quiet riverside or seaside night for couples and slow travellers.
Phnom Penh: the riverside countdown
Phnom Penh's celebration centres on Sisowath Quay, the riverside promenade where the Tonle Sap meets the Mekong, in front of the Royal Palace. The city has recorded well over a million visitors across 30 and 31 December. Stages host concerts, food stalls line the promenade, and the crowd builds steadily from sunset.
For a calmer view, many rooftop bars and hotel terraces along the riverside and around Wat Phnom sell New Year's Eve packages with dinner and a midnight toast. Prices rise sharply for terrace tables facing the river, so reserve early and confirm what is included.
Traffic is the main headache. Roads near the riverfront close or jam from late afternoon, so walk if your hotel is nearby, or take a tuk-tuk or ride-hailing app to a drop-off point a few blocks back.
Two or three days covers the capital, with the riverside, Daun Penh or BKK1 as a base.
Siem Reap: Pub Street countdown and Angkor at dawn
Siem Reap's New Year's Eve revolves around Pub Street and the surrounding lanes of the old market area, where every bar runs DJs and a midnight countdown. The street is pedestrianised at night, so the party flows from bar to bar. Hotels and restaurants along the Siem Reap River run quieter dinners for those who prefer a seat to a dance floor. Give Siem Reap three to four days, with two of them for the temples.
What sets Siem Reap apart is the morning after. Watching sunrise at Angkor Wat on 1 January is a popular way to start the year, and the classic spot by the reflecting pools in front of the western entrance gets crowded early. Buy your Angkor pass in advance from the official ticket channel, arrange a tuk-tuk or driver the night before, and leave town well before dawn.
If you plan to do both, keep New Year's Eve light. A 04:30 start after a Pub Street night is hard, and the temples are best explored with energy for the heat later in the morning.
Allow three or four days in Siem Reap, two of them for temples, and stay around the Old Market or along the river.
Angkor temples: a quieter start to the year
If the Angkor Wat sunrise crowd is not for you, spend 1 January at the temples that most tour groups visit later in the day. Ta Prohm, with its tree roots wrapped around the ruins, and the faces of the Bayon inside Angkor Thom are best early before the heat. Banteay Srei, the small pink sandstone temple known for its carvings, is about an hour's drive from town and pairs well with a countryside ride.
The cool season makes late December the most comfortable time for temple days, but the sun is still strong. Carry water, wear shoulders-and-knees clothing for the active temples, and hire a licensed guide if you want the history behind the carvings.
One to three temple days is typical, and every visit needs an Angkor pass bought through the official channel.
Kampot and Kep: riverside calm on the south coast
Down on the south coast, Kampot, a riverside town known for its pepper farms and French colonial shophouses, offers a much quieter New Year's Eve. Guesthouses and riverside bars hold small parties, and boat trips on the Kampong Bay River at sunset are a popular way to spend the evening. Nearby Kep is famous for its crab market, where freshly cooked crab with Kampot green pepper makes a fine last meal of the year.
The two towns are a few hours by road from Phnom Penh. Book minivans or a private car in advance, as holiday demand is high.
Give the south coast at least three days, sleeping in one of Kampot's riverside guesthouses. Couples and slow travellers like it most.
Phnom Penh vs Siem Reap for New Year's Eve
Phnom Penh suits travellers who want a big public crowd along the river, rooftop bars with views over the Tonle Sap and Mekong, and a city to explore on 1 January. Siem Reap is the better pick if Angkor is the point of the trip, since a sunrise at Angkor Wat on New Year's morning is a short tuk-tuk ride from Pub Street, though you will need a very early start after a late night. Kampot and Kep suit couples and families who want a quiet evening, and they are about three hours by road from the capital. Many visitors split the trip: two nights in Phnom Penh, then a short domestic flight or a six-hour bus to Siem Reap.
What you need to enter Cambodia: e-Arrival card, visa and airports
Every traveller arriving by air at Phnom Penh, Siem Reap–Angkor or Sihanoukville must complete the free Cambodia e-Arrival card online within seven days before landing; it was made mandatory from July 2024. It does not replace a visa. Visa rules depend on your passport: many nationalities can apply for a tourist e-visa through the official government portal, some qualify for visa on arrival, and ASEAN citizens generally enter visa-free. Ignore third-party websites charging fees for the free arrival card. For more about longer stays, see our guide to working and living in Cambodia.
Phnom Penh's main gateway is now Techo International Airport, which opened in September 2025 to replace the old city airport and lies about 20 km south of the centre; an airport express bus runs to the city from early morning until late evening, and the drive takes roughly half an hour to an hour in holiday traffic. Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport, opened in 2023, is around 40 to 50 km from the town, so allow about an hour for the transfer.
Where to stay for New Year's Eve in Cambodia
In Phnom Penh, stay along or just behind Sisowath Quay, the riverside promenade where the crowds gather. Daun Penh district puts you within walking distance of the river, the Royal Palace and the evening bars. BKK1 is a short ride south and quieter, with more boutique hotels and restaurants.
In Siem Reap, hotels within a few minutes' walk of Pub Street let you join the countdown and leave when you like. The quieter riverside area and the Wat Bo neighbourhood across the river suit visitors planning an early start at Angkor on 1 January. In Kampot and Kep, riverside guesthouses and seaside bungalows fill with domestic visitors over the holidays.
Book a room with good air-conditioning and ask whether windows face the street, since music carries late on 31 December in both cities. Many Siem Reap hotels have pools, which helps in the afternoon heat, and several arrange tuk-tuk drivers for temple days. In Phnom Penh, riverside rooms with a balcony give a view of the crowd without the crush.
Getting home after midnight in Cambodia
There is no public transport late at night, so tuk-tuks and ride-hail apps do the work. Grab and PassApp both operate in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, giving a fixed price before the ride, which helps on a night when street drivers raise fares. In Phnom Penh, streets near the riverside are crowded and some may close to traffic, so walk a few blocks inland before booking. In Siem Reap, Pub Street is compact and most central hotels are within walking distance.
Agree on the drop-off point before getting into a tuk-tuk, show the hotel's name in Khmer if you have it, and keep small dollar notes or riel ready. Hotel staff can call a trusted driver if apps are slow. Hold bags on your lap in open tuk-tuks, as snatch thefts from passing motorbikes do happen at night.
If you are staying outside the centre in Phnom Penh, ask the hotel in advance whether the gate is locked at night and how to reach the night guard.
What New Year's Eve in Cambodia costs
Typical spending, as of October 2026
| Item | What to expect | How to keep it down |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside and Pub Street | Free to join | Arrive early for a spot near the river |
| Hotel nights | Prices rise around the riverside and Pub Street | Book a few weeks ahead |
| Hotel and rooftop parties | Ticketed countdown packages with drinks | Compare inclusions; some include a buffet |
| Angkor on 1 January | Normal Angkor pass prices apply | Buy the pass online or at the official ticket centre |
| Tuk-tuks and apps | Higher fares on the night | Use Grab or PassApp for a fixed price |
Angkor passes are sold only through the official Angkor Enterprise ticket centre and website, at $37 for one day, $62 for three days and $72 for seven days as of 2026, and multi-day passes need a photo. A tuk-tuk for a full day around the temples costs a fixed daily rate agreed in advance. Day-to-day food is cheap, with noodle soups and rice dishes at markets costing a dollar or two, and a draught beer on Pub Street often costs very little, though prices rise on the night itself.
Tips for New Year's Eve in Cambodia
- Book early for both cities. Riverside hotels in Phnom Penh and central Siem Reap fill for the holidays. Reserve when your flights are confirmed.
- Carry small dollar notes. US dollars are used for most tourist payments, with change often given in riel. Small notes make tuk-tuk fares easier.
- Walk to the riverside. Roads close near Sisowath Quay on the night. Staying within walking distance saves a long wait in traffic.
- Respect temple rules. Cover shoulders and knees at Angkor and active pagodas, and do not climb on fragile carvings.
- Guard your phone. Bag and phone snatching happens in crowds and from passing motorbikes. Keep belongings on the side away from the road.
- Compare domestic links. Flying between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap saves a long road trip. Check options on our flight search.
More ideas for the turn of the year are in our New Year's Eve celebration destinations guide, and the main Cambodia page has more on the country.
Riverside rooms in Phnom Penh and central stays in Siem Reap go quickly for 31 December. Compare hotels now. Find a hotel
This destination also appears in our list of budget New Year getaways, with other affordable places to celebrate.
Planning a trip to Phnom Penh? Read our Phnom Penh travel guide or search flights.
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