Coffee plantations & Buôn Ma Thuột
The world's largest robusta-growing region — estate tours show the harvest, roasting and tasting culture of Vietnamese coffee at its source.
🖼 5 photosThe coffee capital of Việt Nam — waterfalls on the Sêrêpốk and a new window to the Phú Yên coast.
About Đắk Lắk
Đắk Lắk is the coffee heart of Việt Nam — red-soil highlands where robusta rows stretch across the plateau around Buôn Ma Thuột, and waterfalls thunder on the Sêrêpốk river. Since the 2025 merger the province also runs down to the former Phú Yên coast, linking mountain to sea.
Most visitors come for the coffee — estate walks, roasting rooms, a proper tasting at the source — then find the M'nông longhouses on Lắk lake, the twin falls of the Sêrêpốk, and the basalt columns of Gành Đá Đĩa waiting at the coast. A week here runs from plantation mist to open sea.
Top things to do in Đắk Lắk
Dray Nur & Dray Sáp waterfalls
Twin waterfalls on the Sêrêpốk river — multi-tiered cascades through jungle and a swimmable base pool, best visited in the wet season.
Lắk lake & M'nông longhouses
A highland lake ringed with hills — village stays in traditional M'nông stilt houses and boat tours among the mountains.
Mũi Điện cape & Bãi Môn
A lighthouse cape on the former Phú Yên coast with a crescent of pale sand below — one of the first places in Việt Nam to catch the sunrise.
Yok Đôn National Park
Lowland forest reserve home to wild elephants, gaur and gibbons — ethical elephant-watching and guided jungle walks available year-round.
Gành Đá Đĩa basalt coast
The former Phú Yên coast now in Đắk Lắk — tall basalt columns rising from shallow turquoise water, a quiet fishing village and stunning rock formations.
Eat & drink
Robusta coffee culture
Freshly roasted beans from the estates, prepared strong and dark — the truest coffee experience, tasted where it grows.
Gà nướng cơm lam (charcoal-grilled chicken & bamboo rice)
Local chicken grilled over charcoal, served with sticky rice roasted inside bamboo — a signature highland meal.
Tuy Hòa seafood
The coastal strip brings fresh fish, shrimp and squid — grilled simply or in clear broths at small harbor shops.
Ô Loan lagoon oysters
The saltwater lagoon yields sweet oysters — eaten raw on the shell or lightly grilled at waterside hamlets.
Stories from Đắk Lắk
9 stories·Latest story: Jul 31, 2026
The CentreBuôn Ma Thuột Travel Mistakes: What to Avoid for a Better Trip
The CentreOne Day in Buôn Ma Thuột: An Itinerary That Works
The CentreWhat a day in Buôn Ma Thuột really costs, by travel style
The CentreBuôn Ma Thuột with Children: What Works and What to SkipFirst time & safety
Where to stay in Đắk Lắk
16 properties in the directory
Tips & FAQ
The practical questions we hear most about Đắk Lắk, answered briefly.
When do I visit for coffee harvest?
October to December — the peak harvest season when plantations are busiest and tour guides take visitors into the picking.
How do I link the highlands and the coast?
The pass road from Buôn Ma Thuột down to Tuy Hòa takes ~4h — a scenic descent from coffee country to the sea, best done in daylight.
Is elephant riding available?
Ethical elephant-watching tours (without riding) are available in Yok Đôn; the focus is on natural behavior and habitat.
Is it worth going to both highlands and coast?
Yes — the province now spans both; 3 days Buôn Ma Thuột/Lắk, 2 days Gành Đá Đĩa/Tuy Hòa is a complete journey.
Plan your trip
Getting there
Buôn Ma Thuột airport is the highland gateway, with flights from Hà Nội, Đà Nẵng and Hồ Chí Minh City; Tuy Hòa airport and the coastal rail line serve the seaside half.
Getting around
Rent a car for the coffee estates and highland circuits; on Lắk lake you switch to boats from the lakeside villages.
How to pace it
- 1
Day 1–2 — coffee & culture
Coffee-estate tours in Buôn Ma Thuột, roasting workshops and a night in an M'nông longhouse on Lắk lake.
- 2
Day 3 — the waterfalls
Dray Nur and Dray Sáp waterfalls with a swim below the falls, then the pass road east toward the coast by late afternoon.
- 3
Day 4–5 — coast
Drive to Gành Đá Đĩa basalt coast, explore Ô Loan lagoon and Tuy Hòa fishing villages — end with fresh seafood.
Areas of Đắk Lắk
Buôn Ma Thuột
The coffee capital — plantations, roasting facilities, markets and the heartland of robusta culture.
Lắk lake
Highland retreat — mountain views, M'nông villages, boat tours and stilt-house homestays.
Yok Đôn
Dry dipterocarp forest along the Sêrêpốk — elephant-watching walks and ranger-guided trails.
Tuy Hòa coast
Working fishing town, harbors and fresh seafood — the gateway to the sea from the highlands.
When you're ready
Ready for Đắk Lắk?
Tell us who is coming and what you want to see. A specialist replies with a route and a clear price — usually within a few hours.
Plan this trip