Phnom Penh · Month comparison

September vs November

November ranks #1 overall vs September at #12. Best all-round month: dry season re-establishes, Water Festival peaks if not in October, city at full energy.

Phnom Penh September — solitary figure by the Tonlé Sap riverside as the monsoon floods the river to its annual maximum

September

#12 of 12 months

Avoid

220mm of rain — the statistical peak of the monsoon; only visit if weather is genuinely irrelevant to your plans.

  • ↑Cheapest month of the year: extraordinary hotel rates across all tiers, including properties that would otherwise be well out of budget in dry season
  • ↑Pchum Ben (ancestor festival, date varies by lunar calendar): Cambodians bring offerings to pagodas at dawn for 15 days — an authentic cultural immersion that few tourists witness
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
FactorSeptemberNovember
Weather score
2
8
Value score
9
7
Crowd score
9
6
Events score
4
9
Atmosphere
4
8
Avg high temp31°C31°C
Monthly rain220mm90mm
Daily sunshine5hrs7.5hrs

September trade-offs

  • ↓220mm of rain is the second-wettest month in Phnom Penh's calendar — sustained downpours, localised flooding near Boeung Keng Kang, and daily outdoor disruption
  • ↓Weather score is capped at 2: conditions are genuinely difficult for any destination involving outdoor exploration, including the Killing Fields memorial
  • ↓Humidity reaches 85% — the most uncomfortable combination in the year; even short walks feel exhausting and the city smells of wet earth and standing water

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 →September in detail →November in detail →
Scores compare months within Phnom Penh. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →