Stand on the northern edge of Buôn Ma Thuột at dusk and you will hear the city before you see it: the low hum of motorbikes, the clatter of a coffee roaster, and somewhere behind it the quiet of an Ê Đê longhouse yard. This is the capital of Đắk Lắk Province in the Central Highlands, a city whose identity is bound up with coffee and with the villages that were here long before the plantations.
Buôn Ma Thuột suits travellers who are curious about coffee at the source, who want to see the Central Highlands rather than just pass through, and who are happy to build a day around a waterfall, a pagoda and a good cup. It is not a city you rush. Most of what is worth your time lies either in town or within an easy trip out of it.
This guide covers the places worth your hours in and around the city, followed by a plan for a single day if that is all you have.
Top things to do in Buôn Ma Thuột
1. Ako Dhong
Ako Dhong, known in Vietnamese as buôn Cô Thôn, is an Ê Đê community on the northern end of the city. It is reachable on foot, though it is worth asking how to get there first. What you find is a pleasant part of town with longhouses surrounded by flowery yards.
Because it now sits within the city, it no longer reads as a village in the usual sense. Go with that expectation and it rewards you: the longhouses and their gardens are the point, not a staged rural scene. Pair it with a coffee stop afterwards, since you are already at the northern end of town.
2. Dray Nur waterfall
Dray Nur waterfall sits about 30 km from Buôn Ma Thuột by taxi. It is an impressive waterfall with a recreation area around it, and it is especially recommended in the wet season, when the water is at its fullest.
Build the trip around the season you are travelling in. If you are here in the wet months, this is the waterfall to prioritise; in the dry season, temper your expectations and treat it as one part of a day out rather than the whole reason for going.
3. Đray Sáp waterfall
Đray Sáp waterfall is another waterfall, roughly 300 m from Đray Nur, which makes the two natural to combine in a single outing. It looks less impressive in the dry season but remains an interesting area to explore.
There is an entry fee of 30,000 dong. Because it is so close to Dray Nur, the sensible approach is to see both on the same trip rather than making two separate journeys from the city.
4. Khải Đoan Pagoda
Khải Đoan Pagoda, officially named "Sắc tứ Khải Đoan tự," is in Thong Nhat Ward. It is the largest Buddhist pagoda in the city and one of the largest in the Central Highlands. It holds historical significance as the last pagoda to receive a royal decree of recognition, a "Sắc tứ," from a Vietnamese king.
The pagoda was initiated in 1951 by Queen Mother Hoang Thi Cuc, principal wife of King Khai Dinh and mother of King Bao Dai, and was built on land she donated. Give it unhurried time and combine it with the rest of your in-town sightseeing rather than treating it as a quick stop.
5. Eatu Café
Eatu Café, at 22 KT Street in Ko Tam village, Eatu commune, is a fair trade coffee cooperative and manufacturer funded by the European Union. It is open for visits.
This is the place to see coffee as a supply chain rather than only as a drink, which matters in a city whose reputation rests on the crop. Contact numbers for the café are +84 9 05 32 66 99 and +84 9 63 24 66 99. Combine a visit with your other coffee drinking in town, and go earlier in the day if you want to see the working side of the operation.
6. Lak Lake
Lak Lake is described as the mother lake of the Central Highlands. It is a natural anchor for a day out from the city.
Pair it with Lady Jiangshan, which lies on the way, so that one journey covers both. Plan the lake for the part of the day when you want to slow down rather than tick things off.
7. Lady Jiangshan
Lady Jiangshan offers breathtaking views from the hill top and from halfway to the top. It is well worth a visit on the way to Lak Lake.
The practical move is exactly that: fold it into your Lak Lake trip instead of making a separate excursion. Since the views come at two points on the climb, you do not need to reach the very top to feel the stop was worthwhile.
8. Ban Don village
Ban Don village, also written Buon Don, is reachable from the centre of Buôn Ma Thuột by bus, with a service running every 30 minutes. To have a seat, wait for the bus at Coop Mart; otherwise the bus is normally full.
Note that the elephant riding experience in Ban Don is now discontinued, so plan the visit around the village itself rather than around riding. Arriving at Coop Mart in good time is the difference between sitting and standing.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at Ako Dhong on the northern end of the city, walking if you can and asking for directions first. The longhouses and flowery yards are best seen before the day fills up. Follow it with coffee at Eatu Café in Ko Tam village, Eatu commune, where the fair trade cooperative is open for visits.
Afternoon. Take a taxi out to Dray Nur waterfall, about 30 km from the city, and walk the roughly 300 m to Đray Sáp waterfall while you are there. In the wet season this is the strongest half-day in the area; in the dry season, treat Đray Sáp as the more modest of the two and enjoy the surrounding area rather than the volume of water.
Evening. Return to the city and visit Khải Đoan Pagoda in Thong Nhat Ward, the largest Buddhist pagoda in the city. It is a calm way to close the day before finding dinner.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get to Buôn Ma Thuột?
Buon Ma Thuot Airport is located southeast of the city and provides direct daily domestic flights to Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City, operated by Vietnam Airlines, VietJet Air, Pacific Airlines and Bamboo Airways.
Can I still ride elephants at Ban Don?
No. The elephant riding experience in Ban Don is now discontinued, so plan your visit to the village around everything else it offers.
Which waterfall should I choose, Dray Nur or Đray Sáp?
You do not have to choose. They are about 300 m apart, so see both on one trip. Dray Nur is especially recommended in the wet season, while Đray Sáp looks less impressive in the dry season but is still an interesting area to explore. Entry to Đray Sáp is 30,000 dong.
How do I reach Ban Don village without a car?
Catch the bus from the centre of Buôn Ma Thuột; it runs every 30 minutes. Wait for it at Coop Mart if you want a seat, because otherwise the bus is normally full.
Decide which season you are travelling in, pick your waterfall accordingly, and start building the rest of your days around coffee and the longhouses.