Dak Lak & Gia Lai | 4 Days 3 Nights

What to Bring / “Good-to-Buy” Items

Small VND notes for local markets (honey, coffee, rice-wine, brocade).
High-SPF 50 sunscreen, wide-brim hat, light wind-breaker (night temp 18-20 °C).
Broken-in trekking shoes, flip-flops, long socks (anti-leech).
Power bank, spare memory card – endless photo chances!
Personal meds (cold pills, allergy tabs, insect repellent).

Optional Upgrades (extra cost)

4-star hotel upgrade: + USD 25/guest/night.
Private tour (no join-in): quotation on request.
Elephant activities at Dak Lak (bathing & feeding): + USD 15/guest.
Pack light, travel smart, and get ready for four days of red-soil adventure!

Transportation
Bus, Airlines
Accomodation
3 Stars Hotels
Maximum Altitude
5,416 metres
Departure from
Kathmandu
Best season
Feb, Mar, Apr & May
Tour type
Eco-Tour, Hiking
Meals
All meals during the trek
Language
English, Spanish, French, Chinese
Fitness level
Easy to Moderate
Minimum Age
12
Maximum Age
65
Group Size
1 - 8
Destinations
Daklak, Gia Lai, VietNam
Activities
City Tour, Cycling, Hiking, Jungle Safari, Peak Climbing, Skiing, Trekking
Trip Type
Budget Travel, Child-friendly, Cultural, Dog-friendly, High Altitude, Home Stay, Inbound, Nature Friendly, Viet Nam tours, Volunteer Travel, Weekend Trips

Itinerary

Cost

FAQs

Map

Day 01 :

HCMC → Buon Ma Thuot – Jeep Sunrise – Coffee Workshop (L, D)

05:30 Pick-up at Tan Son Nhat airport; short flight to Buon Ma Thuot (Vietnam Airlines/Vietjet).
08:00 Meet 1970 US-Army Jeep; drive to Ea Nuol hill (680 m) for sunrise and first drip coffee.
10:30 Visit specialty coffee mill “B’Lao”: screening, roasting, cupping. Roast your own 200 g souvenir.
12:30 Lunch at “Cơm Lá” restaurant: chicken grilled in bamboo, wild veggies, ant-salt dip.
14:30 Dak Lak Museum – Ede culture, gongs, epics.
16:30 Check-in 3-star downtown hotel. Free time to stroll night market.
19:00 Dinner: dry chicken rice & coconut-coffee.
20:30 Optional craft-beer bar “Mê Cà-phê” (IPA infused with local beans).

Day 02 :

Yok Don NP Trek – Dray Sap Waterfall – Jungle Stilt-House (B, L, D)

07:00 Pack and store luggage on bus.
08:00 Enter Yok Don National Park – last dry dipterocarp forest in SE Asia.
08:30 6 km easy trek along S’repok River; look for red-faced langur footprints.
11:30 Picnic lunch: rice in rattan, grilled venison, wild banana.
13:00 Continue to Dray Sap (“Smoke-Water”) fall; swim & relax.
15:00 Transfer to wooden stilt-house inside the park (solar lights, mosquito nets).
16:00 Cooking class: bamboo-tube rice & clay-wrapped chicken.
18:30 Jungle dinner with elders. Private gong show: 5 gongs, rice-wine, Xoang dance.
22:00 Sleep under leaf roof, stars above.

Day 03 :

Yok Don → Gia Lai – Red-Soil Cycling – T’Nung Lake Raft (B, L, D)

06:00 Breakfast with forest coffee.
07:30 Depart for Pleiku via Ho Chi Minh West Road. Photo stop at longest bamboo bridge over Ba River.
11:00 Pick-up mountain bikes at Sea-Lake Resort. 14 km ride through tea hills & cashew farms on basalt red soil.
12:30 Picnic baguette-hot pan & pâté under cashew trees.
14:00 Down-hill to T’Nung Lake (volcanic crater).
15:00 Bamboo raft drifting; listen to J’rai princess legend.
16:30 Check-in Pleiku 3-star hotel.
18:30 Dinner: dry Pleiku noodles with charcoal-grilled pork.
20:00 Free walk around lake, night city lights.

Day 04 :

Pleiku – M’Lieng Village – Highland Market – HCMC (B, L)

07:00 Check-out.
08:00 Visit M’Lieng village (Cham tower, J’rai culture space).
09:30 Chư Sê highland market: buy wild-honey, rice-wine, brocade.
11:30 Farewell lunch: 10-leaf roll-ups with fermented fish sauce.
13:00 Transfer to Pleiku airport; fly back HCMC (VN… ~15:00).
16:30 Land at Tan Son Nhat. Tour ends.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Expand all

How fit do I need to be to do this trek?

Annapurna Base Camp is a Grade B or a moderately difficult trekking route. So any fit person can do this trek, even if you do not have any previous experience. You should be aware of what to expect and mentally prepare for it. Then, as long as you will too, you can.

How long do we walk every day when doing Annapurna Base Camp trekking?

On average, you walk about 4 to 6 hours per day. One or two days can be as less as 3hrs and one or two days can be as long as 7hrs.

What is the highest altitude reached in this trek?

The highest altitude reached is 4190m. This is the elevation of Annapurna Base Camp. ABC is the highest we will climb in this trek.

What about battery charging and hot shower facilities?

Yes, you can charge batteries en route. Charger should be brought. There are hot shower facilities as well. You may have to pay a certain amount for both ($1-$2). Negotiate. Also, a hot water facility could be free at a lower elevation.

Are there ATMs on the way to Annapurna Base Camp?

No. There are no ATMs on this trek route. You will have to draw enough cash in Pokhara or Kathmandu. There are a number of ATMs in these cities. Everything is paid in Nepali rupees. So money should be exchanged before the start of the trek.

What about internet access?

Yes. The Internet can be accessed in most places. Sometimes, there might be some technical problems. The Internet in Nepal is not as fast as you are used to and at times you can just lose connection.

Is it necessary to hire Guides/trekking agency for Annapurna Base Camp trekking?

Not really. It depends on you. If you want, ABC trekking can be done independently. You could hire a guide and a porter by yourself instead of going through an agency or not hire a guide at all. Although, not having a guide can be a little problematic during the offseason.

It really depends on you. Is it your first time in Nepal? How confident are you of being able to find your way around? How pressed on time are you? If you go through an agency, it will be costlier but everything will be planned. You will only have to come, trek and return.

How much do guides and porters cost?

For the Annapurna region, pay for guides range from $20 to $30 per day and porters take $15 to $25 per day.