Best time to visit Phnom Penh for beach weather
When is beach season in Phnom Penh? Warmest sea temperatures, best sunshine, and most reliable conditions for swimming and water activities.
Best month
January
Peak dry season: 31°C, near-zero rain, and the Royal Palace at its most accessible.
↑Only 15mm of rain all month — the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, and National Museum are all fully enjoyable outdoors without rain contingency
↑Cool by Cambodian standards at 31°C with pleasant evenings on Sisowath Quay; the riverside promenade is at its most comfortable for walking
↑Water Festival atmosphere lingers from November — tuk-tuk drivers and riverside restaurants operate at full capacity with competitive pricing
All months ranked — Beach weather
Best match
Peak dry season: 31°C, near-zero rain, and the Royal Palace at its most accessible.
#1 for beach weather
Best match
Peak dry season excellence — 30°C, minimal rain, and Christmas/New Year visitors lift the riverfront energy.
#2 for beach weather
Best match
Best all-round month: dry season re-establishes, Water Festival peaks if not in October, city at full energy.
#3 for beach weather
Best match
Near-perfect dry season continues — the driest month of the year with 8.5 sunshine hours daily.
#4 for beach weather
Best match
Late dry season — heat building toward 35°C but Khmer New Year preparations create rising energy.
#5 for beach weather
Strong option
Khmer New Year (mid-April) transforms the city — the most significant cultural event in Cambodia's calendar.
#6 for beach weather
Worth considering
Wet season begins: 155mm of rain and the tourist infrastructure quietens — for budget travellers only.
#7 for beach weather
Worth considering
Deep wet season — 175mm of rain and lowest tourist volumes; museums make the best use of time.
#8 for beach weather
Worth considering
Wet season continues — 165mm of rain; only worthwhile as a budget base for travellers unfazed by daily downpours.
#9 for beach weather
Worth considering
Heavy monsoon continues — 180mm and 83% humidity; only for travellers who plan around the rain.
#10 for beach weather
Avoid
Wettest month (250mm) — but Bon Om Touk Water Festival (Oct/Nov) delivers one of Asia's great spectacles.
#11 for beach weather
Avoid
220mm of rain — the statistical peak of the monsoon; only visit if weather is genuinely irrelevant to your plans.
#12 for beach weather