How to get from Sihanoukville Airport to the city centre

Why visit Sihanoukville?

Sihanoukville is a bustling coastal town in southwest Cambodia. Also called Kampong Som, it’s a tourism hotspot known for its casinos, modern hotels, and vibrant nightlife. With its strategic port and airport, the town is an ideal starting point when visiting the nearby islands of Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem.

For some, Sihanoukville is no more than a transit hub. But if you have extra time, you can explore the map to find gems like the golden sands of Ochheuteal Beach and the luxury resort of Kompong Dewa. Immerse in the local culture at the market during the day. And at night, check out Sokha Hotel and Sky Bar for an electric buzz.

Sihanoukville Airport

Sihanoukville Airport also known as the Sihanouk International Airport (KOS) is Cambodia’s third-largest international airport. The airport, like the province itself, is named after King Norodom Sihanouk who reigned between 1941 and 1955.

There are 2 ways to travel the 25 kilometers (16 miles) from Sihanoukville Airport to the city centre. You can choose between the taxi and TukTuk. The journey takes 30 minutes - 1 hour and the quickest way is by tuktuk. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by tuktuk with tickets starting at $20 (81,000 KHR).

If you want to experience a local ride, you can go from/to Sihanoukville Airport by tuk-tuk. You’ll find a couple of tuk-tuk drivers waiting at Sihanoukville Airport. However, the price is quite high and won’t save you much money compared to taking a taxi.

Tuk-tuk fares from the airport to the city centre start at $20 (81,000 KHR) and travel time takes 30 minutes - 1 hour depending on the traffic. Tuk-tuk drivers in Sihanoukville are in general not price-friendly and don’t offer you much comfort.

When taking a tuk-tuk, make sure to agree on the price beforehand.

Unfortunately, there are no airport buses operating from/to Sihanoukville Airport. This makes the taxi the most convenient and practical way to reach Sihanoukville centre.

Taking the taxi to the centre used to take around 20-30 minutes, but this has changed. A more realistic expectation is 35 minutes from Sihanoukville Airport to Sihanoukville centre.

Note: One of our readers commented that it took almost 2 hours to reach the centre from the airport. It’s only a 20 km journey, but bear in mind that it always depends on the traffic. Therefore we recommend always booking one night in Sihanoukville before you continue by ferry to Koh Rong.

You can find the taxi service counter at the arrival area just before heading out of the airport. The taxi fares cost around $20 (81,000 KHR) – $25 (101,000 KHR) for a trip from the airport to the Sihanoukville city centre.

Dragon Taxi, Tourist Small Car Association and Friendship Taxi Association are some of the most popular taxi services operating from the airport in Sihanoukville. No matter with which company you travel, we recommend always agreeing on a price before getting in the taxi.

To avoid queues at the airport you can book a taxi in advance with Cambotickets. Fares start at $30.50 (122,000 KHR) for a 4-seater car.

Although Grab is available in Cambodia, you can’t use any online taxi apps from Sihanoukville Airport. There is kind of a taxi mafia controlling the fares and they don’t allow taxi apps. For this reason, even short taxi trips in Sihanoukville can be quite expensive.

Taxi options from Sihanoukville Airport to the city centre