How to Get to Kampot
By Jason for Discover Kampot Last checked:
Coming to Kampot? Here’s how to get here from the main starting points.
From Phnom Penh to Kampot
Buses and minivans run throughout the day and take three to four hours when traffic behaves. Budget around $7-12. Giant Ibis leaves at 08:00 and 14:45 and allows four hours for the trip. Vireak Buntham and Capitol run other services, so check which departure point works for you.
Bus tickets can often be purchased through the hotel for the same price or a small fee. Pickup at the hotel is included, which makes it worthwhile.
A smaller private taxi from Phnom Penh city is around $50-60 for the vehicle, door to door. Coming straight from Techo International Airport (KTI), published quotes start around $70. Get a price for your luggage and group size before booking.
The train leaves Phnom Penh at 07:00 daily and takes roughly four hours to Kampot. Tickets cost $10 at the station. Online sellers list fares around $11-17. It’s a great way to see the countryside if you’re not in a hurry. They crank the AC, so bring something warm.
From Koh Rong or Koh Rong Sanloem to Kampot
Take the direct ferry from Koh Rong or Koh Rong Sanloem to Kampot when it’s running. The trip takes roughly two to three hours and avoids Sihanoukville and the bad road. Fares range from $15 promotional offers to around $30 or more per person, depending on the operator and booking site.
In low season, especially from July to October during the rainy season, rough weather may stop the direct crossing. The operator may switch you to a ferry to Sihanoukville followed by a bus to Kampot. Check with the operator before you travel whether the boat is going directly to Kampot and whether a replacement bus is included if the route changes.
From Sihanoukville to Kampot
The road between Sihanoukville and Kampot is bad. Don’t judge it by the distance. It’s a rougher trip than it looks.
Take the train. It leaves Sihanoukville at 14:00 and is scheduled into Kampot around 16:12. Tickets cost $7. If the train doesn’t work for your arrival time, minivans are advertised from around $10 and usually allow two and a half to three hours. A smaller private car is advertised from around $50 for the vehicle.
From Siem Reap to Kampot
Take the overnight bus. Giant Ibis leaves at 22:30, with an online scheduled arrival around 08:00, though the operator allows longer. Budget around $28-30 for Giant Ibis; other operators advertise sleepers from around $20. Giant Ibis has sleeper beds and power points, with beds around 1.8 metres long, not ideal for taller people. Check your arrival stop, because it varies by company.
Travelling by day is nine to twelve hours and a long sit. Breaking it in Phnom Penh makes it more manageable if you want to stop there anyway.
From Vietnam, Ha Tien, or Phu Quoc to Kampot
Coming from southern Vietnam, the route goes through Ha Tien and the Prek Chak border crossing. Cross-border minivans run during the day. Budget around $13-18 and allow two to three hours, including the border crossing.
From Phu Quoc, take a ferry to Ha Tien first, then connect with the Kampot transfer. Phu Quoc Express lists a crossing of about one hour twenty minutes, with indicative adult economy fares from 216,000 VND. Check the sailing for your date and leave time between the ferry and the van, especially if you’re travelling in the afternoon.
From Kep to Kampot
Thirty to forty-five minutes by tuk-tuk, taxi, scooter, or shared minivan. Buses and vans are advertised from around $3-5 per person. Check the pickup point before booking.
If you’re based in Kep and have one day for Kampot, go early and keep it simple: old town, the riverfront, maybe a pepper farm or a countryside loop. For a longer visit, Kampot makes the better base, more restaurants, more going on in the evenings, better connections.
Further reading
How Many Days in Kampot? A Local's Guide
Why most travellers leave wishing they stayed longer, how to calculate your days, and how to build your stay around the activities you actually want to do.
Kidnapped by the Khmer Rouge: The 1994 Kampot Train Attack
In July 1994, three backpackers took a train from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville. It was a journey that would lead them into the heart of a Khmer Rouge stronghold in Kampot Province.
Getting from the bus to your accommodation
Tuk-tuk drivers will be waiting when you step off. Some will try their luck with the price.
Before you negotiate, open Grab or PassApp. Both show you the going rate upfront, and you can use that as your reference even if you pay a driver directly rather than booking through the app.
One thing worth knowing: both apps take a serious cut, so the driver isn’t making much on the fare alone. A tip of 50-100% on top of the app price is genuinely reasonable. Think of the apps as a price floor, not a ceiling.
Get your driver’s WhatsApp number. Tip well on the first ride and you’ve got a contact for the rest of your stay, recommendations, day trips, runs to the bus station. It’s one of the more useful things you can do on arrival.
Further reading
Kampot Travel Guide: Local Advice for Your Trip
A local travel guide to Kampot, with honest advice on what to do, how long to stay, when to visit, food, day trips, transport, and local experiences.
How Many Days in Kampot? A Local's Guide
Why most travellers leave wishing they stayed longer, how to calculate your days, and how to build your stay around the activities you actually want to do.
Kidnapped by the Khmer Rouge: The 1994 Kampot Train Attack
In July 1994, three backpackers took a train from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville. It was a journey that would lead them into the heart of a Khmer Rouge stronghold in Kampot Province.