Is Cambodia safe to travel?
Updated October 2026
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Is a guide mandatory in Cambodia?
No, but strongly advised
At a glance, if you go with your own vehicle
- Roads: 18.8 deaths per 100,000 people a year, about 3.8 times Italy (5.0); WHO Western Pacific region 15.2, world 15.0 (WHO estimate for 2021). (World Health Organization — Global status report on road safety 2023)
- Vehicle, drones and permits Vehicle insurance what the official sources of the country say
Going with your own vehicle?
4 local guides on GuideMeet work in Cambodia: they know the roads, the permits and the areas to avoid. You contact them directly, free and with no commission.
Vut Chan
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Trips with local guides
- The Great tuk-Tuk CHARITY Adventure · Oct 2026
Safety
Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 22 September 2026.
Mines and unexploded ordnance
Mines and unexploded devices are still present in the country and mined areas are often unmarked. The ministry recommends maximum caution and, in particular, not walking tracks in rural or forested areas of Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri and Kratie, including the zones bordering Laos, Vietnam and Thailand and the archaeological sites around them.
Thai border
The land borders between Thailand and Cambodia are temporarily closed. A ceasefire is currently in force, but the situation remains tense. The ministry recommends maximum caution: stay away from the areas closest to the border, follow the instructions of the local authorities through official channels and keep monitoring the situation through the media. It also recommends avoiding travel in the areas closest to the western and north-western border with Thailand, in particular the provinces of Preah Vihear, Oddar Meanchey, Banteay Meanchey, Battambang and Pailin.
Stability and crowds
The country has been relatively calm and internally stable for years. Keep away from demonstrations and crowds, above all in Phnom Penh, and take the usual precautions against petty crime.
Online scams
Online fraud is spreading in Cambodia and across the region. Check how genuine a website is, including ones that look official, before paying anything or handing over personal data, and treat offers of easy deals, unauthorised guides or alternative experiences with suspicion.
Before you rely on this
This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 22 September 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Cambodia before you travel. Where a guide's profile shows “Licence verified”, we found that licence in the official public register; otherwise GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.
Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 22 September 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 7 October 2026.