We didn’t have long in Sihanoukville before we were heading off again. Our travel today is from Sihanoukville to Kampot. Kampot is known for its riverside location, great chill-out options for travelers, a fabulous National Park, and, for us, Kampot Pepper. There are some fabulous plantations here that grow herbs, spices, and yes, the Kampot pepper, but first, we had to get there. It’s not far from Sihanoukville to Kampot, and there are several options to travel this route. So here are the different ways to go from Sihanoukville to Kampot, how long they take, how much they cost, and what your choices are. Here’s our guide on how to get to Kampot from Sihanoukville.
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BEST WAY TO TRAVEL
Best Way to Go from Sihanoukville to Kampot
The best option for traveling to Kampot from Sihanoukville is to take a minivan. It’s quick, comfortable and the best way to travel.
Where is Kampot
Kampot is located on the Praek Tuek Chhu River, to the south of the Elephant Mountains, and just 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the Gulf of Thailand. The town and the area are known for the production of high-quality pepper and fish sauce. Since 2010 Kampot Pepper has been a certified geographic indication product as the climate in Kampot Province, in the foothills of the Elephant Mountains gives a perfect terroir for growing pepper. It’s been grown here since the 13th century!
Anyways, enough of my obsession with pepper.
Kampot is 101 kilometers (62.75 miles) from Sihanoukville, 26 kilometers (16 miles) from Kep, and 153 kilometers (95 miles) from Cambodia’s capital city, Phnom Penh.
How to Go from Sihanoukville to Kampot – Transport Options
In this guide on how to go from Sihanoukville to Kampot, we’ll cover the fastest way to travel from Sihanoukville to Kampot, the easiest way to go to Kampot from Sihanoukville, and the most popular way to get to Kampot from Sihanoukville.
You can take a private transfer, a minivan, or a train from Sihanoukville to Kampot.
How to get to Kampot from Sihanoukville
There are several ways that you can travel to Kampot from Sihanoukville, what’s best for you will depend on what time you can leave and where you are in Sihanoukville. Buses and minivans leave from their own company offices in Cambodia (you can read more about this in our guide to Cambodian transport) and there isn’t such a thing as a centralized bus station. Also if you’re planning to get the train, then you’ll need to plan on how to get to the railway station in Sihanoukville.
Minivans from Sihanoukville to Kampot
It’s 101 kilometers (62.75 miles) by road from Sihanoukville to Kampot and taking a minivan from Sihanoukville to Kampot is the most popular way to go from Sihanoukville to Kampot.
There are 3 different minivan companies that go to Kampot from Sihanoukville. Some of them, like the Champa Tourist Bus, offer a pickup from certain hotels or hostels (we stayed at Onederz in Sihanoukville and our trip to Kampot included pick up from there).
There are 7 minivans/buses a day that go from Sihanoukville to Kampot.
Check the times of the minivans from Sihanoukville to Kampot here.
It takes about 3 to 4 hours to go from Sihanoukville to Kampot by van – there may be some waiting around for connecting vans to drop off from the Koh Rong to Sihanoukville boats.
If you haven’t managed to book a ticket that includes a pickup, then you can see where the offices are on our map, but also 12GoAsia’s booking system shows you where the pick-up and drop-off areas are before you book.
The van and seats were pretty crummy (compared to the van we had on our Siem Reap to Battambang trip), but the A/C worked and the driver wasn’t dangerous.
The first minivan of the day from Sihanoukville to Kampot leaves at 08:15 and the last minivan to Kampot from Sihanoukville leaves at 14:45. Check availability, prices, and book seats on minivans from Sihanoukville to Kampot here.
We took the Champa Tourist Bus to Kampot from Sihanoukville and were collected from the Onederz Hostel and taken to their offices, where we sat and waited for about 20 minutes for the boat from Koh Rong to arrive. We arrived in Kampot and left the bus just around the corner from the Champa Tourist offices.
You’ll be dropped off, in Kampot either at the office of the bus company that you use or close to it.
Train from Sihanoukville to Kampot
Since the trains were reinstated in Cambodia it’s been possible to get a train from Sihanoukville to Kampot. There’s one train a day that you can take and the train to Kampot from Sihanoukville takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes. The train station in Sihanoukville is about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) from where most people will stay. Tuktuks in Sihanoukville aren’t cheap and it’ll cost you US$5 upwards to get there.
There’s an additional consideration, that the train doesn’t run everyday, so check the timetable now, before you make further plans!
There are only economy (regular) seats available on this train, and you can check availability and book your seats here.
Once the train arrives in Kampot you’ll be about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) from the main tourist area, and that will cost another US$5 upwards for a tuk-tuk to get you there. Otherwise, it’s a hot, dusty, no sidewalks route march to get there.
Taxi from Sihanoukville to Kampot
Taking a private taxi to Kampot from Sihanoukville is the fastest way to go to Kampot, as you’ll get transported from your hotel in Sihanoukville to your hotel in Kampot. If there are four or more of you, this is likely a really good deal. If you can find a group of 9, then it’s a SERIOUSLY good deal, as you can book the entire van! It is the most comfortable way to travel. You can check prices for Sihanoukville to Kampot taxis here.
Map of Bus Company Offices & Train Stations for going from Sihanoukville to Kampot
You can see the full map of bus company offices and train stations for the route from Sihanoukville to Kampot here
The quickest way to get from Sihanoukville to Kampot
The quickest way to get to Kampot from Sihanoukville is to take a transfer. It takes about 3 hours to go to Kampot from Sihanoukville from door to door and you can book a taxi from Sihanoukville to Kampot here.
The cheapest way to go from Sihanoukville to Kampot
The cheapest way to get to Kampot from Sihanoukville is to take a minivan or bus – reserve your seats here. Technically the train tickets are cheaper, but unless you’re going to walk to and from the train stations in both Sihanoukville and Kampot, you’ll also have to pay for a tuk-tuk to get there.
The most popular way to go from Sihanoukville to Kampot
The most popular way to get to Kampot from Sihanoukville is to take the bus. It’s even better if you book one that includes a pick-up from your hotel or hostel in Sihanoukville. Once you get to Kampot most of the places to stay are in a concentrated area.
Popular Routes Around Cambodia
If you’re traveling around Cambodia, then check out these popular routes that we’ve taken and written up. You’ll also want to read our guide to transportation in Cambodia.
- How to Go from Phnom Penh to Chau Doc (Cambodia to Vietnam by Boat)
- Go from Kampot to Phnom Penh
- Going from Phnom Penh to Mondulkiri
- How to Go from Sihanoukville to Kampot
- How to go from Mondulkiri to Siem Reap
- How to Go from Siem Reap to Battambang
- Going from Battambang to Phnom Penh
- How to go from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap
- Here’s how to go from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh – Vietnam to Cambodia
Travel Tips for Exploring Cambodia
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- Download and install a VPN BEFORE you travel to Cambodia > discount coupon here
- Arriving by air? Book your airport transfer with Welcome Pickups here.
- Book the best Cambodia tours and guides on Get Your Guide
- Save money in Cambodia with a Wise debit card
- Read about getting around Cambodia in our guide to Cambodian Transport
- Book Buses in Cambodia with 12goAsia
- Book accommodation in Cambodia with Booking
Final Words on How to Go from Sihanoukville to Kampot
It’s just 101 kilometers from Sihanoukville to Kampot, and the quickest journey will take you about 3 hours to get there. Minivans and buses are a really easy way to do this route, and if the time of the train suits you, then you can also take the train to Kampot.
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