How to get to Kep

Wondering how to get to Kep? Check our handy guide to getting to Kep from Phnom Penh, Kampot, Sihanoukville, and Siem Reap. We’ll cover all of your options for how to get to Kep, including taxis, tuk tuks, mini-buses, and even a riverboat.

How to get to Kep

Kep is within reach. Here’s how to get there.

How to get to Kep from Phnom Penh

Bus: Phnom Penh Sorya runs four buses a day to Kep, at 7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2:45 p.m. Tickets cost $7 and while they claim that the trip takes 3.5 hours, Sorya buses are known for usually taking at least an hour more than their estimated time, and sometimes several hours more. Sorya is not one of our favorite bus companies in Cambodia — all of their buses are quite old — but this is the only full-size bus that goes from Phnom Penh to Kep and tickets can be purchased online.

Giant Ibis Phnom Penh to Kep

Giant Ibis van chillin’ in Kep waiting to go to Phnom Penh.

Mini-bus: Foreigner favorite Giant Ibis has begun service between Phnom Penh and Kep. Buses run at 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in either direction. The trip takes less than four hours. Tickets cost $10 each way and can be booked online in advance, which means can reserve the best seats.

Cambodia Post runs a daily mini-bus from Phnom Penh to Kep at 7:30 a.m. that leaves from the Phnom Penh main Post Office. The cost is $8 for non-Cambodians and the trip takes just under four hours. We are fans of the Cambodia Post VIP van (read our review of it here). Tickets can be booked online which include free advance seat reservations.

Taxi: A private taxi to Kep costs between $40 and $50 from Phnom Penh. Taxis are the standard Toyota Camry which can seat four passengers, but there’s usually limited space for luggage because they all have a propane tank in the trunk, so don’t plan to bring four massive suitcases with you. The trip takes around 3.5 hours. Taxis can be booked through your guesthouse, or if you’d like to reserve one in advance, you can book a taxi online.

Shared taxi: You can catch a shared taxi at Psar Dang kor in Phnom Penh. The cost is usually $5 per person, but the front seat counts as two. You’ll have to wait until the car is full before it will leave, and full means at least seven passengers (plus the driver). Frankly, we see no reason to take shared taxis other than the desire to have an “authentic experience.”

How to get to Kep from Kampot

We’ve got a whole guide to getting between Kep and Kampot, but here’s the executive summary.

Tuk tuk: The road is now fully paved and tuk tuks cost between $10 and $15 depending on your bargaining skills. This is the price for a one-way trip, but you are looking to make it a day trip, you can make it a round trip for only a few dollars more. The trip takes 35 to 45 minutes.

Taxi: Catching a moto taxi will cost between $3 and $6. A private car taxi will cost $20, but you will need to negotiate to get to that price. You can book a private taxi online in advance for a few dollars more.

How to get to Kep from Kampot

Rith Travel aka Kep Travel and Tours is the easiest way to get to Kep from Kampot.

Mini-bus: Giant Ibis is now running buses between Kampot and Kep. They take about 30 minutes and cost $3. Buses go from Kampot to Kep at 10:45 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. and from Kep to Kampot at 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. At the present time, tickets are not available online but can be bought at the Giant Ibis office in either town.

Rith Travel (also known as Kep Tours and Travel) runs a mini-bus twice a day, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. It takes about 45 minutes and costs $4. Tickets can be purchased online in advance.

We have also taken the Champa Mekong Express bus and would suggest you avoid it.

Boat: There’s a boat, the Crab Shuttle, that goes between Kampot and Kep for $9.50 one-way or $13.50 return.The Crab Shuttle leaves Kampot at 9:30 a.m. and arrives at the Kep Rabbit Island Pier around 11:30 a.m.

For more info, read: How to get from Kampot to Kep (and vice-versa).

How to get to Kep from Sihanoukville

To get to Kep from Sihanoukville you have a few options.

Mini-bus: Rith Travel runs mini-buses direct from Sihanoukville to Kep (with no stopping in Kampot!) three times a day. The current schedule is at 8 a.m., 12 p.m., and 2 p.m. The trip takes about four hours and costs $8. Rith Travel are a little bit disorganized but are a very nice family-run business. We’ve taken their bus from Sihanoukville to Kep and would recommend it. Tickets from Sihanoukville to Kep can be booked online in advance.

How to get to Kep from Sihanoukville

Mr. Dara is our favorite taxi driver in Sihanoukville!

Taxi: By taxi the trip from Sihanoukville takes about three hours and costs $35 to $40. Taxis are almost always Toyota Camrys that can fit four passengers but don’t have a ton of space for luggage. We’ve got more info on recommended Sihanoukville taxi drivers here, or you can book a private taxi online in advance here.

Shared taxi: At Psar Leu in Sihanoukville you can catch a shared taxi (or hire a private one if you choose). Shared taxis cost $5-10 per person and will carry six or seven passengers — plus the driver — in a car that can comfortably fit five. If you want the front seat, you’ll pay more. This is an uncomfortable but effective way to practice your Khmer language skills.

How to get to Kep from Siem Reap

The options from Siem Reap to Kep are slightly more complicated, but it’s still well worth the effort. Here are your options:

Fly, bus, or taxi to Phnom Penh and bus, mini-bus or taxi from there: Here’s a run-down of how to get from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh. From Phnom Penh you can take the bus — Sorya runs this route and although they say it takes 3.5 hours their buses are almost always an hour (or two) over schedule.

If you’re willing to stay overnight in Phnom Penh you can catch the morning Post Office VIP van to Kep, but the bus leaves at 7:30 a.m., which is too early to arrive by plane the same day. The Post Office VIP van is one of the best mini-bus experiences in the country, and we highly recommend it. Tickets can be purchased online in advance.

How to get to Kep from Siem Reap

Sky Angkor Airlines flies Siem Reap to Sihanoukville for cheap.

Fly to Sihanoukville and taxi or bus from there: Both Cambodia Angkor Air and Sky Angkor Air fly between Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. During high season Bayon Airlines also flies this route, but Sky Angkor Air is almost always the cheapest. From Sihanoukville you can take a taxi or the Rith Travel bus, as described in the Sihanoukville section above.

Taxi all the way: A taxi from Siem Reap to Kep costs between $75 and $100 and takes seven or eight hours. If you’re taking a dog with you (they love the beach, after all) this is the best way to go.

Night bus: There is also a Virak Buntham night bus that we would strenuously encourage you to avoid. Between the accusations of sexual assaults on passengers by staff and one of the worst records of night bus crashes in Cambodia, you couldn’t pay us to go on this bus.

Bus tickets purchased through links in this post to BookMeBus generate affiliate sales for us. This does not affect our reviews for specific bus companies or routes! For more about how we deal with advertising, affiliate sales, and stuff like that, you can read more here.

8 Responses to How to get to Kep

    Robert Greenberg says:

    Re: Phnom Penh to Kep. Is the weekend train a viable option?

    Hi! Can u recommend me a good taxi company that can take us from kep to siem.reap? Ideally a company with good reviews for safety on tripadvisor. Thanks!

    bronwyn loeb says:

    If we take the 0730 Cambodia Post mini-bus from Phnom Penh to Kep, do we arrive in time to cross the border to Ha Thien? What is the best way of getting from the Cambodia Post mini-bus stop in Kep to Ha Thien? We were thinking of spending two nights in Ha Thien before moving on to Phu Quoc. Any suggestions on where to stay or where to visit? Thanks.

    Kelly says:

    Hi – any recommendations for private taxi company from Phnom Penh to Kep? Our hotel in Kep has quoted $70

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