How to Get to Kampot
By Jason for Discover Kampot
Last checked: April 2026.
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. Tickets are $7-12. Giant Ibis and VET are the reliable choices if you want air-con and a seat that actually reclines.
Private taxi is $40-60 door to door. Worth paying if you’re coming straight from the airport or travelling with too much luggage.
The train leaves Phnom Penh at 07:00 and gets to Kampot mid-morning for around $9. It runs daily. Slower than the bus, but 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
Since 2026 there’s a direct ferry from the islands to Kampot. Use it. About two hours, fares run $15-25 (the lower end is a promo price, not the standard), and it skips Sihanoukville and the bad road entirely.
In rainy season (April to November) the weather can affect the schedule, so check before you travel.
If the ferry isn’t running, the backup is:
- Take the island ferry to Sihanoukville.
- You’ll need a tuk-tuk to the train station. They’ll charge tourist prices, so don’t pay more than $5.
- Take the train to Kampot if the timing works.
The road from Sihanoukville is the last resort.
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 departs Sihanoukville at 14:00, reaches Kampot in just over two hours, and runs daily.
From Siem Reap to Kampot
Take the overnight bus. Departures run around 22:00, arriving in Kampot between 07:00 and 10:00. You sleep through most of it and save a night’s accommodation. Giant Ibis leaves at 22:30, gets in around 08:00, costs about $25, and uses proper sleeper buses with private pods, USB chargers, comfortable, unless you’re tall. Other operators run similar for $21-28.
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.
Buses drop you in the old town centre.
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 buses and minivans cover Ha Tien to Kampot in roughly one to two and a half hours.
Coming from Phu Quoc, you need to get from the island to Ha Tien first. Factor that in before booking anything.
From Kep to Kampot
Thirty to forty-five minutes by tuk-tuk, taxi, or scooter. 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 Long Should You Stay in Kampot?
How long to spend in Kampot, from one day passing through to a week of side roads, local spots, and not wanting to leave.
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
How Long Should You Stay in Kampot?
How long to spend in Kampot, from one day passing through to a week of side roads, local spots, and not wanting to leave.
