The Royal Palace
About
The Royal Palace. 8:00AM-10AM & 2:00PM-5PM. ***NOTE*** The Royal Palace is closed for 3 months as of October 2012 due to the death of the king. The Silver Pagoda is still accessible at the same entrance fee. Including the two magnificent pagodas in the Palace Grounds, the Silver Pagoda and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, are among the few public buildings in Phnom Penh really worth seeing. They were built in the 19th century with French technology and Cambodian designs, and have survived the traumas of the 20th century surprisingly well intact. See them early in the day before it gets too hot. No photography is allowed inside the Silver Pagoda and some of the Palace buildings. You're expected to dress decently (no bare legs or shoulders), but you can rent sarongs and oversized T-shirts for 1,000 riel (plus US$1 deposit) at the entrance. US$6.25 or 25,000 Riel. The Napoleon III Palace is currently under makeover and is covered by construction netting (Feb'12). In general, the Palace complex has a more structured, formal, organised and harmonious layout with a clear and specific architectural style compared to that in Bangkok, which has more hodge podge of styles.