Under an hour in the air separates Ho Chi Minh City from Phnom Penh, with three or four flights a day. But the road is short too: six and a half hours by bus via Bavet. And through Chau Doc, you can travel up the Mekong by speedboat, border included.
Photo by Piseth Mao on Pexels
Boarding pass · nonstop
one way · Ho Chi Minh City, from
Search your dates
Today's best fare
$119
fare checked October 12, 2026; it changes with your dates
Compare on AviasalesAffiliate link · opens in a new tab
All three make sense: the plane is fastest, the bus cheapest, the boat the most scenic. Times are for the trip itself; by air, add the drive to both airports.
Right for you if
You want to leave from downtown and arrive in central Phnom Penh, no airport: several departures each morning, 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Not for you if
You don't enjoy long road trips and a border crossing by coach.
Right for you if
You're short on time, or connecting to a long-haul flight.
Not for you if
You count door to door: Techo is about 20 km from Phnom Penh.
Right for you if
You want to enter Cambodia by river: the speedboat leaves Chau Doc at 7 a.m. and reaches Phnom Penh around 1:30 p.m.
Not for you if
You hold a Cambodian e-Visa: it isn't accepted at the river crossing, so you'll need a visa on arrival.
The lowest one-way fare seen for each departure month.
One way, lowest fare seen
Source: Aviasales via Travelpayouts, lowest one-way fares seen in recent days, checked October 12, 2026. “–”: no fare seen for that departure month.
Techo replaced the old airport, which was in town. It's farther out: factor the transfer into your arrival plans.
1,500 riel
The Phnom Penh city bus line, 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., makes 4 stops as far as the train station. Cash, riel only; 1 to 2 hours depending on traffic.
$10 to $20
Desks in the arrivals hall, or Grab, PassApp and WowNow. The fare depends on the neighborhood. Allow 45 minutes to 1.5 hours for about 20 km.
from about $15
On 12Go, a private sedan can be booked ahead from about $15, an SUV for around $40. Handy for a night arrival or with family.
Phnom Penh sits where the Mekong meets the Tonle Sap: a good start to head up to Kratie, or back down to the delta by river.
Photo by Chetra Chann on Unsplash
Photo by Adriaan Castermans on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo by Christophe95 on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sources: flights and times, Kayak (October 2026); fares, Aviasales via Travelpayouts (weekly check); buses, Seat61 (June 2026), redBus and Giant Ibis; boat, Hang Chau Tourist (2026 fares); e-Visa, VisasNews (August 2025) and Mekong Tourism (January 2025); transfers, Techo International Airport, Nomad Lawyer and GeckoRoutes (2026), 12Go (checked October 11, 2026). Updated October 12, 2026 by Pierre-Marie Coupry.