Battambang is Cambodia's second city but feels like a slow river town: colonial shophouses, cafés, galleries and a circus school started by refugees. The countryside around it holds Phnom Banan, an 11th-century temple on a hill, Phnom Sampeau with its caves and the evening bat flight, and the bamboo train. Come by bus from Siem Reap or train from Phnom Penh, hire a tuk-tuk for a day or two, and give it three nights.
Compare Battambang with another place →
When to go
November to February is dry and coolest. March to May is very hot. June to October is the rainy season: green and quiet, with afternoon downpours. The river boat from Siem Reap runs only when the water is high enough, roughly the end of the rains into the dry season.
Battambang right now and the next 7 days
Loading the forecast…
Battambang on the map
Tap anything in the list: the map zooms straight to it. Tap your starting city to see the way there.
The area
Getting there
Places to see
Day trips
Battambang · Open in Google Maps ↗
Map by Google. Places are found by name, so check the exact spot in Google Maps before you go.
Step 3 of 11Next: Cost↓What your trip costs
Change anything and the numbers update. Prices are per the way you travel, not a package.
Ballpark ranges, not live quotes. Page updated 18 October 2026. Prices move with season and demand, so check live fares before you book.
On the ground: stay, food, local travel and tickets. Pick a route above to add the journey.
Battambang in 3 days: a day-by-day plan
Our suggested plan, in a sensible order with times. Move things between days, remove them or add more. It saves on this device, and you can share it.
- 11:00Bamboo train (norry)1 h · ₹430 each · About $5 a person, more if you are alone. The tourist line is near Phnom Banan, about 20 km south. Confirm the price before you board.
- 12:30Lunch break
- 13:30Phnom Banan temple1 h 30 m · ₹170 each · About 8,000 riel ($2). 358 steep steps to five towers older than Angkor Wat's.
- 08:00Phnom Sampeau and the bat flightHalf day · ₹350 each · Small entry fee, about $4 a person by shared car up the hill. Stay till dusk for the bats; watching from below is free. The Killing Caves on the hill are a memorial and are hard to see.
- 12:30Lunch break
- 13:30Phare Ponleu Selpak circus2 h · ₹1,200 each · $12–16. Shows on set evenings by students of the arts school. The campus visit is free.
- 08:00Cooking classHalf day · ₹860 each · About $10, market visit included at most schools.
- 13:00Lunch break
How to get to Battambang
One-way prices per person. The cheapest sensible option is marked. Each button opens live times and fares for the date you picked above.
Bus or minivan Cheapest
₹600About $5–8. Several companies, hourly through the morning. Book the day before at your guesthouse or online.
River boat
₹2,150About $20–35, leaves around 7 am. Runs only when the water is high; in the dry season part of the trip is by road. Slow, scenic, through floating villages.
Train
₹690About $8. One train a day, out at 6:40 am. Check the current timetable before you plan around it.
Bus
₹860About $8–12. Capitol runs hourly; Virak Buntham, Sorya and others too.
Getting around once you're there
Tuk-tuk, full day
₹1,500About $15–20 for the bamboo train, Phnom Banan and Phnom Sampeau. Fees are separate. Agree the route first.
Tuk-tuk, in town
₹260Most rides $2–4.
Bicycle
₹170$1–3 a day; some hostels lend them free. The flat river roads are made for it.
Motorbike rental
₹430From about $5 a day. Wear a helmet; police fine tourists who don't.
Where to stay in Battambang
Price per night for the room. The buttons open live availability for your dates.
Dorm
₹430/night$3–8 a bed. Easy place to find others to share a tuk-tuk day.
Guesthouse
₹1,100/night$10–15 for a private room, often with air-con.
Boutique
₹2,600/night$20–40 in a converted colonial shophouse.
Garden hotel
₹6,000/night$55–90 at places like Bambu Hotel. Pool, breakfast, quiet.
What to eat, and what it costs
Num banh chok
₹80Rice noodles with fish-and-herb green curry, a breakfast staple. $0.75–1 at the street stalls.
Night market noodles
₹110About $1.25 a plate by the river in the evening.
Khmer main at a town restaurant
₹350$3–5 for amok, lok lak or a curry.
Meal at a training restaurant or nicer café
₹750$5–12. Some restaurants here train young people from poor families.
Things to do in Battambang
Tap “Add to my plan” and it goes into your day-by-day plan above.
Bamboo train (norry)
₹430About $5 a person, more if you are alone. The tourist line is near Phnom Banan, about 20 km south. Confirm the price before you board.
Phnom Banan temple
₹170About 8,000 riel ($2). 358 steep steps to five towers older than Angkor Wat's.
Phnom Sampeau and the bat flight
₹350Small entry fee, about $4 a person by shared car up the hill. Stay till dusk for the bats; watching from below is free. The Killing Caves on the hill are a memorial and are hard to see.
Phare Ponleu Selpak circus
₹1,200$12–16. Shows on set evenings by students of the arts school. The campus visit is free.
Cooking class
₹860About $10, market visit included at most schools.
Ek Phnom and the countryside by bike
₹17011th-century temple ruin about 8,000 riel. Ride out past rice-paper and fish-paste workshops.
Day trips and next stops
Siem Reap & Angkor
₹600Bus or minivan
Phnom Penh
₹860Bus or the morning train
Pursat
₹340Train toward Phnom Penh
Wat Ek Phnom
₹170Tuk-tuk or bicycle
Know before you go
Mistakes to avoid
- The UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel within 20 km of the Thai border, where there was fighting in 2025 and a tense ceasefire since. Battambang town and its sights are outside that zone; Pailin and the border road are not.
- Thailand closed its land crossings with Cambodia in 2025. Don't plan to go on overland via Poipet without checking the current status.
- Landmines remain in rural parts of the province. Stay on paths and roads outside town.
Ways to spend less
- Share a tuk-tuk day with two others from your hostel. The price is per tuk-tuk, not per person.
- Take the morning train from Phnom Penh. It is cheaper than most buses and you see the countryside at walking speed.
- Be at Phnom Sampeau before sunset and buy a beer from the stalls below the cave. The bats come out for half an hour.
Before-you-go checklist
Battambang in pictures
Tap a photo to see it full size.
Step 11 of 11Next: FAQ↓Questions people ask
When is the best time to visit Battambang?
Jan–Feb, Nov–Dec is the best time. November to February is dry and coolest. March to May is very hot. June to October is the rainy season: green and quiet, with afternoon downpours. The river boat from Siem Reap runs only when the water is high enough, roughly the end of the rains into the dry season.
How do I reach Battambang?
Bus or minivan: Siem Reap (SAI) → Battambang, 3–4 h, about ₹600 one way. River boat: Siem Reap → Battambang via the Tonlé Sap and Sangkae River, 6–9 h, about ₹2,150 one way. Train: Phnom Penh → Battambang, Royal Railway, 6 h 45 m, about ₹690 one way. Bus: Phnom Penh → Battambang, 5–6 h, about ₹860 one way.
How much does a 3-day trip to Battambang cost?
On the ground (stay, food, local travel and tickets), one person spends about ₹4,500 on a shoestring, ₹9,900 mid-range or ₹22,500 in comfort over 3 days. Add the journey: the cheapest sensible option is bus or minivan (Siem Reap (SAI) → Battambang) at about ₹600 each way.
How many days do you need in Battambang?
3 days is right for most people. That covers Bamboo train (norry), Phnom Banan temple, Phnom Sampeau and the bat flight, Phare Ponleu Selpak circus without rushing.
Is Battambang good for families or solo travellers?
Battambang works best for solo, couples, groups. Solo travellers find it easy and cheap.
Is vegetarian food easy to find in Battambang?
Possible but needs asking: Khmer cooking uses fish sauce and prahok (fermented fish) in most dishes. Café and Indian restaurants in town have clear vegetarian menus; at stalls say 'tom saich' (no meat) and 'tom teuk trei' (no fish sauce).
Will my phone and cards work in Battambang?
Buy a local SIM on arrival; cheap data, good coverage in town and on the main roads. Hotels and some cafés take cards. Tuk-tuks, stalls and fees are cash. Cambodia runs on US dollars and riel side by side. Bring clean, untorn dollar notes; change comes back in riel ($1 = about 4,000 riel).
Guides for Battambang
Longer reads from our blog that cover this trip.
Sources and last check
Checked 11 October 2026. Fees, hours and rules change, so confirm on the official site before you pay.
- gov.uk OfficialFCDO all-but-essential advice within 20 km of the Thai land border; 2025 fighting, ceasefire 27 Dec; landmines in border area; Battambang not named
- en.wikivoyage.orgBus operators and times from Phnom Penh, $5–12; train Phnom Penh 06:40, $8, Pursat $4; boat from Siem Reap $20; tuk-tuk $2–4 in town; bicycle $1–2, motorbike from $5, helmet fines; bamboo train $5; Phnom Sampeau $3 incl. Banan; circus $16; cooking class $10; restaurant mains $3–5; hostel and hotel prices (listings updated up to Jan 2026)
- discovercambodia.info2026: num banh chok $0.75–1, restaurants $3–12, dorm $5–8, guesthouse $10–15, Bambu $55–90, tuk-tuk Sampeau $10–12 and half-day $10–15, bamboo train $5, circus $8–14, bus Siem Reap $5–8 and Phnom Penh $8–12, boat $20 seasonal, bicycle $1–3
- bordertobeach.com2026: bus Siem Reap $6–12, river boat $25–35 roughly Oct–Apr, tuk-tuk day $15–20, bamboo train $5, circus $12–15, dorm from $8, boutique $20–40; Thai land borders closed as of June 2026
- adventuresofjellie.comNight-market noodles $1.25, Banan temple 8,000 riel, Ek Phnom 8,000 riel, Phnom Sampov bat area 4,000 riel, car up Sampov $4 per person, bamboo train $5
- hurriyetdailynews.comThailand shut land crossings with Cambodia in 2025, including Aranyaprathet–Poipet for tourists
Similar underrated places
NanA sleepy riverside town of Lanna temples and famous murals, with salt wells and a cloud-forest national…From ₹1,700/day · Jan, Nov–Dec
TaipingCentury-old rain trees bending over a lake under a cloud-forest hill, in the old tin town that got…From ₹1,500/day · Jun–Jul
Kampot & KepA sleepy French-era river town under a misty mountain, pepper farms in the hills, and a seaside crab…From ₹1,350/day · Jan–Feb, DecMake the plan yours
Set your dates and group at the top, shape the days, then book each piece directly.
Back to the planner ↑Costs are indicative ballparks for doing it yourself and change with season and demand. Always check live fares, rates and opening rules before you book. Trip Under is not a travel agency: we sell nothing, take no commission, and every booking link goes straight to the provider. Photographs come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences; see credits.
By Gokul · Updated 18 October 2026 · Photo: Martpan · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · Photo: Isderion · CC BY-SA 3.0 de · source · Photo: Christophe95 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · Photo: Jam Smooth · CC BY 2.0 · source · Photo: Martpan · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
