Phnom Penh · Month comparison

December vs November

November ranks #1 overall vs December at #3. Best all-round month: dry season re-establishes, Water Festival peaks if not in October, city at full energy.

Phnom Penh December — city skyline with modern towers rising above the Cambodian capital in the dry season

December

#3 of 12 months

Best match

Peak dry season excellence — 30°C, minimal rain, and Christmas/New Year visitors lift the riverfront energy.

  • ↑20mm of rain all month — one of the two driest months in Phnom Penh; the full circuit of Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, National Museum, and riverside promenade is achievable in a single comfortable day
  • ↑Coolest month of the year at 30°C with 21°C evenings — genuinely pleasant for walking Sisowath Quay at night and exploring the French colonial quarter at any hour
Phnom Penh November — city skyline with the clock tower at dusk as the dry season returns to Cambodia's capital

November

#1 of 12 months

Best match

Best all-round month: dry season re-establishes, Water Festival peaks if not in October, city at full energy.

  • ↑Bon Om Touk (Water Festival) can fall in November depending on the lunar calendar — if so, the riverside boat races, illuminated floats, and fireworks over the Royal Palace are unmissable; the most spectacular event in Phnom Penh's year
  • ↑Dry season is re-establishing rapidly: 90mm of rain with 7.5 sunshine hours daily; the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, and Killing Fields memorial are all fully enjoyable again
FactorDecemberNovember
Weather score
9
8
Value score
6
7
Crowd score
5
6
Events score
6
9
Atmosphere
8
8
Avg high temp30°C31°C
Monthly rain20mm90mm
Daily sunshine8hrs7.5hrs

December trade-offs

  • ↓International tourist peak: December brings the highest volumes of Western visitors; the Royal Palace and Tuol Sleng Museum can feel crowded by mid-morning
  • ↓Hotel prices are at the premium end of the moderate range; last-minute bookings are difficult and expensive

November trade-offs

  • ↓If the Water Festival falls in November, hotel prices spike significantly for the festival weekend — early booking essential
  • ↓Tourist season rebuilding from the wet-season low: accommodation prices rising from October budget levels; advance planning increasingly necessary
See all 12 months for Phnom Penh →December in detail →November in detail →
Scores compare months within Phnom Penh. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →