Top 15 Unmissable Tourist Destinations in Mountainous City - Gia Lai

If you travel to seek tranquility, Pleiku is the ideal destination. Not as ancient as Hanoi, nor as bustling as Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, or Quy Nhon... Pleiku is simply serene. You will appreciate the fresh and comfortable atmosphere here. You will love the truly high blue sky and wide starry sky, no matter where you stand. The long stretches of road, the interconnected roads, you will enjoy wandering on the sidewalks, then turning a few times, feeling like you're lost, only to turn a few times again and return to the starting point. The feeling of contentment is unparalleled. At night, you only need to sit on the balcony to see the city light up. But at night, it's very quiet, the cars don't honk, they silently pass by, running in the night as if afraid to disturb someone's relaxation.

Similar to the climate of other areas in the Central Highlands, Pleiku has two distinct seasons: rainy season and dry season. The terrain of the plateau is quite challenging and difficult to travel, especially during the rainy season from May to October. The ideal time to visit here is definitely from December to March because during this time, there will be coffee flowers and wild sunflowers blooming all over the beautiful plateau. Tea Lake is a tourist destination in Pleiku that blends harmoniously between the lake and the lush green waters. In 1919, this place was developed for tea cultivation. Located 13km from Pleiku City along the national highway, the road leading to the tea hill is a small road running parallel to 2 rows of pine trees. When you come here in the summer, you will be able to admire the picturesque scenery as if returning to childhood with the bright green color of the tea hills, the faint scent of tea leaves dispersing all worries. When dusk falls, it is also the time when this place blends into many colorful spaces combined with the gentle beauty of nature.

Gia Lai Highland is increasingly becoming a favorite tourist destination for adventure enthusiasts. Renowned for its vast coffee plantations, lush green tea hills, and picturesque lakes, it also boasts unique and impressive architectural landmarks. Among them stands out the temple named Minh Thanh, exuding the mystical charm reminiscent of Japan's Land of the Rising Sun, captivating many visitors with its enchanting allure. Located about 2km southwest of the city center, it is a large Buddhist architectural complex. Minh Thanh Pagoda is a place of worship for local Buddhists. The temple attracts a large number of tourists with its temples and pagodas built in the Japanese architectural style. Minh Thanh Pagoda evokes the solemn atmosphere of a temple, instilling a sense of tranquility in visitors' hearts. Here, visitors cannot help but marvel at the arrangement of trees and ponds by the temple's followers. The decor creates a harmonious and serene space for the temple's solemn ambiance.

The spacious and airy temple courtyard is adorned with charming landscapes, along with the greenery and flowers surrounding the water pond, creating a harmonious and peaceful space for the temple's solemn atmosphere. Upon entering the temple, visitors are immediately impressed by the statue of Quan Âm Bodhisattva placed right in front of the entrance, surrounded by green trees, and the symmetrically arranged unicorn statues. As you step further, you will encounter a large painting depicting the teachings of Buddha reserved for the temple's followers, guiding you to the main hall of the temple. Around the temple grounds, you will easily notice small pathways lined with mossy walls, intertwining vines, bearing the colors of the passing years, showcasing the ancient and venerable beauty.

Wild sunflowers have become a new trend for young people to take photos. Wild sunflower fields are crowded with groups of people coming to take commemorative photos, graduation photos, or wedding photos. In Gia Lai, there is also a place where wild sunflowers bloom, attracting a huge number of visitors. That place is the Chư Đăng Ya volcano. Remnants from the ancient volcano have provided Chư Đăng Ya with fertile soil, making the vegetation here lush. Local people plant green cornfields here. The flowers growing here have a wild and stunning attraction. During the wild sunflower season, yellow flowers bloom across a vast area of land. The delicate petals reaching out amidst the rich nature look truly beautiful. Every year during the wild sunflower season in Chư Đăng Ya, a wild sunflower festival is held with cultural activities that attract tourists.

The beauty of Chư Đăng Ya carries the simplicity of the Central Highlands land, rugged and rustic yet incredibly charming. Viewed from above, the Chư Đăng Ya volcano resembles a large funnel, with diverse natural landscapes. Surrounding the volcano are ancient trees, shrubs, and colorful flower fields. People often say that Chư Đăng Ya is like a young girl from the mountainous region who loves to beautify herself, and each season this mountain brings its own unique beauty that captivates anyone who sets foot here. When the bright red of the unique flowers blooms, it signals the onset of the rainy season, and at this time the trees become lush green, making the scenery in Chư Đăng Ya brim with vitality. During the dry season, Chư Đăng Ya doesn't become desolate but instead exudes a primitive beauty, with the branches of the trees standing tall as they shed their leaves.

Phú Cường Waterfall cascades over the basalt stream of a dormant volcano. Here, visitors immerse themselves in the space of a towering waterfall cascading down white streams during the rainy season, admiring the picturesque beauty of a ribbon of white silk stretched across the Central Highlands mountains during the dry season. Visiting Phú Cường Waterfall, tourists will have exciting experiences with elephant riding to explore the scenery. Walking amidst the pristine and majestic nature, listening to the rushing sound of the stream, and admiring the gentle flowers blooming somewhere along the rivers, rocky crevices is truly magnificent. Exploring Phú Cường Waterfall, tourists can also capture the moments of the roaring waterfall pouring into the deep abyss, the white water splashing reflecting under the sun creating colorful and enchanting hues.

On the way to the waterfall, the closer you get, the clearer and stronger the echoing sound of the waterfall becomes, as if urging the footsteps of travelers to be faster and faster. After parking, tourists walk into the tourist area, where a long staircase leads down closer to the foot of the waterfall. The Phú Cường Waterfall complex consists of a main waterfall with a rushing, fast, and strong flow, resembling a giant column of water pouring down from above, and there are also smaller waterfalls around, with smaller, softer streams resembling white silk drifting in the sky. The majestic and magnificent beauty of Phú Cường Waterfall makes tourists feel very small amidst the vast expanse of nature. The strong flowing waterfall throws up white foam covering a corner of the sky. On sunny days, the sunlight reflects, creating beautiful rainbow colors, making the scenery truly poetic and romantic.

Nestled amidst the Central Highlands forests, the hydroelectric reservoir is surrounded by majestic forests, enhancing the natural landscape with its serene waters and towering mountains. Along the mighty Sê San River, lies the Yaly Hydroelectric Plant, located in Yaly commune, Chư Pah district, Gia Lai province. Yaly is the second-largest hydroelectric plant in Vietnam, following only the Sông Đà Hydroelectric Plant. Constructed in 1993, the plant became operational after three years and became the largest hydroelectric plant in the Central Highlands, supplying electricity to the people of the region. The reservoir spans 64.5 km2, with a capacity of 720 MW and four turbines, producing up to 3,650 million kWh of electricity annually.

With its poetic and romantic scenery, Yaly has become an attractive tourist destination in Gia Lai for visitors to explore and admire. Adjacent to the Sê San River, Yaly Hydroelectric Reservoir is the largest hydroelectric reservoir in Vietnam. This place not only serves the purpose of providing electricity for the country but also offers an interesting tourist spot when visiting Gia Lai. The surrounding landscape of the hydroelectric reservoir is breathtaking, allowing visitors to capture beautiful memories. Yaly Hydroelectric Reservoir is a clever combination of natural beauty and human ingenuity. The vast reservoir is surrounded by majestic mountains. Renting a small boat to drift on the reservoir, you will float to a small islet. On the islet are two old wooden houses, which exude ancient and unique charm.

It's not just in Dalat that you can immerse yourself in the space of pine hills. But in Gia Lai, there's also a pine hill full of allure. Visiting Hà Tam Pine Hill, tourists will admire the towering pine trees that have been growing for many years. The tall, straight pine trees exude a strong vitality. Moreover, Hà Tam Pine Hill offers exciting experiences with camping or waterfall bathing activities. Immersing oneself under the white waterfall or lighting a campfire at night brings a sense of joy and excitement. Under the cool pine canopies, setting up a small tent, then lighting a fire to grill meat and chatting together is even more enjoyable. The special feature of Hà Tam Pine Hill is the natural pine forest with an area of ​​about 170 hectares, including ancient pine trees.

No one can accurately determine when these pine trees originated, but with their massive trunks, towering up to 5 or 6 people embracing, and their branches shading a vast area, these pine trees are likely hundreds of years old. According to forest management statistics, there used to be many ancient pine trees with diameters like this, but due to time, many have fallen, and now only about 20 trees remain. However, following the laws of nature, new green shoots are regenerating every day, making this natural pine hill more vibrant. Fresh air, natural mountain forests, and beautiful scenery are the feelings of those who experience Hà Tam Pine Hill. And this is considered one of the most fascinating eco-tourism experiences for those who want to explore nature.

Visiting T’nưng Lake, don't miss out on Tea Lake Sea. This place has become an interesting virtual living spot for young people. Formed around the 1920s, Tea Lake Sea overwhelms the eyes with the green color of tea terraces. In the early mornings here, tourists can feel the gentle scent of tea leaves, admire the dewdrops on the tea leaves, and welcome the faint sunlight of the morning. The color mix between the sky's azure and the green of the tea terraces will give you impressive photos. The entire space of the tea hill evokes a peaceful and tranquil feeling in people's souls. In the dreamy early morning, the dew on the leaves brings a fresh and pure beauty. When the sun rises, the whole space brims with vitality, the green color becomes richer under the radiant golden sunlight. And in the evening, the lake sea turns dreamy, surreal, and extremely beautiful with shades of pink and purple at sunset.

What makes the beauty of that tea hill so wonderful is the extensive green color of tea plantations spreading across the hillsides. An immense space full of nature's greenery bursts with intense vitality amidst the Central Highlands' sun and wind. If you visit the tea hill in the summer, the scorching heat of the sun seems to vanish, leaving only extreme freshness. Take a deep breath of the scent of tea trees, of the red soil, of the mountain forests to feel the bursting vitality of nature in your chest. Tea Lake Sea, green for generations, has brought life to the people here, absorbing nutrients from the earth, crystallizing from the land and sky to create good, fresh tea trees, thereby providing livelihoods for countless generations. The agile hands harvesting tea, the drops of sweat soaking their clothes, are the beauty of diligent labor.

Pleiku Prison sits atop a high red hill on Yết Kiêu Street, Diên Hồng Ward, Pleiku City, Gia Lai Province. In 1925, the French built this prison to detain common criminals, mostly ethnic people living in the Central Highlands. In 1940, amidst the vigorous revolutionary movement, it became a labor camp imprisoning communist soldiers and patriots. The total area of the detention camp is about 7 hectares, surrounded by sturdy 3-meter-high walls with barbed wire fences. There are two guard posts at the northwest and southwest corners with armed soldiers on duty 24/7, and a guardhouse is positioned to the east.

Today, Pleiku Prison, although not fully intact, still preserves many artifacts and traces that testify to the heinous crimes of the enemy and the indomitable spirit of struggle and dignity of the communist patriots. In 2015, the Memorial Monument for Pleiku Prisoners of War was hastily constructed on the site of the old prison to honor the revolutionary figures who fell for an independent and free country. Pleiku Prison opens its doors to visitors free of charge on weekdays. Witnessing the various forms of heinous torture that have been reconstructed, surely each of us feels a sense of pride and emotion, engraving the great contributions that our ancestors have made to the independence of our nation today.

If you're someone who loves to explore majestic beauty, then Dragon Jaw Mountain is a place you can't miss. Anyone who has visited Gia Lai, specifically Dragon Jaw Mountain, shares a common impression: the beauty of Dragon Jaw Mountain is a blend of majestic grandeur and serene tranquility, with a hint of mountainous mystery. Standing atop the mountain, you can overlook the city from above. The vast coffee fields, lush green tea hills... all appear in their most magnificent way. Moreover, you can 'hunt clouds' and capture beautiful photos from over 1000m above sea level. Dragon Jaw Mountain embodies the characteristics of a dormant volcano, standing out on the ground, with its deep crater, although there are no lakes or ponds on the mountain, the vegetation here remains evergreen all year round. During wartime, this mountain was a military base for the U.S., but in peacetime, it was chosen as the telecommunications transmission site for the entire province.

From a distance, Dragon Jaw Mountain can be seen in various shapes, sometimes like a trapezoid, sometimes resembling half a circle, and when viewed from above, the mountain looks like a giant funnel. If you have the opportunity to reach the summit, you can admire the panoramic view of the city, the coffee, rubber, tea, and pepper plantations stretching across the hills. With an altitude of over 1000m above sea level, the air on the mountain top is very fresh, covered with clouds, and mist, creating a very romantic scene. Not only that, the two sides of the road to the mountain top are beautiful with the golden color of wild sunflowers. With winding roads, this is an ideal destination for adventurous trips of young people. Not only beautiful in scenery, but this place is also associated with the legendary love story of the beautiful Chư H’Drông - the daughter of a powerful prison warden, and Rơ Ran Ly - a honest, hardworking young man from a poor family. This place will attract a large number of tourists from both domestic and international to visit and explore.

Tây Sơn Upper Path served as the initial base for gathering forces in the early days of the rebellion of the 3 brothers of the Tây Sơn family. From this base, in the late 18th century under the leadership of the Tây Sơn brothers, a glorious chapter was written in the tradition of fighting against foreign invaders and ending the division of the country for nearly 200 years during the Trịnh - Nguyễn period. In 1991, the Tây Sơn Upper Path Monuments in An Khê town, Gia Lai province were recognized as a National Historical and Cultural Relic, consisting of 6 clusters with 17 relics related to the uprising of the 3 Tây Sơn brothers, among which An Khê Đình, An Khê Trường, An Khê Lũy, Gò Chợ... are the central sites of the relic complex. To preserve historical artifacts, the Tây Sơn Upper Path Museum in An Khê town was built with a budget of 11 billion VND on an area of 43 hectares. The museum currently houses 140 artifacts mainly paintings, photos of relics, some production tools, gongs, and jars of the Bahnar people.

The museum here preserves many artifacts. Along with the artifacts are the landmarks in the complex such as An Khê Đình, An Khê Trường, Gò Chợ, important locations where the Tây Sơn brothers interacted with the Ba Na ethnic people here for trading goods. During the trading and exchanges, the Tây Sơn brothers, especially Nguyễn Nhạc, mobilized local people to join the revolutionary army to gather rebel forces. This area also includes Gò Chợ, a trading point, and around Đình, there is An Khê rampart, a wall surrounding the rampart but now no longer exists...Today, this place is where important festivals are held to commemorate the merits of the Tây Sơn brothers. Through the ups and downs of history, the Tây Sơn Upper Path Monuments have always been a source of pride for many generations born and raised in the Tây Sơn Upper region. It is not only a testament to the glorious history and noble martial tradition associated with the Tây Sơn rebellion that contributed to the nation-building and defense of the nation, but also a tourist attraction for both domestic and international visitors to come and explore, especially during the Lunar New Year celebrations.

Heaven's Pit is a cluster of 14 waterfalls, located between two mountain alleys with a length of 1.5 - 2 km, surrounded by lush green mountains. Among the system of 14 waterfalls, waterfall number 2 stands nearly 70 meters tall, majestic and imposing. Its vertical position gives a profound feeling of towering heights whether viewed from the top or looked up from the foot of the waterfall. Perhaps that's why locals named this place Heaven's Pit. Heaven's Pit originates from two streams: Nước Bon stream in Hoa Binh village, Tú An commune, and Tà Dinh stream in An Xuân 2 hamlet, Xuân An commune, An Khê town flowing downstream to Vĩnh Thạnh district, Bình Định province. Legend has it that nearly 300 years ago, the three Tây Sơn brothers led their troops through Heaven's Pit from Lower Path to Upper Path to gather soldiers for their uprising, with the first contact point being Tây Sơn Nhị now in the areas of Cửu An and Xuân An communes of An Khê town.

To conquer, explore Heaven's Pit, travelers depart from An Thạch hamlet, Xuân An commune, following the trail under the keo and bạch đàn trees, they will encounter Đá Trải stream. From here, travelers leisurely stroll to let their bare feet soak in the cool water, glide over the smooth sand. Following the stream, travelers admire the pristine, majestic yet picturesque nature, listening to the gently flowing stream with a relaxed feeling in the fresh air. Passing through the rugged scattered rocks will lead to waterfall number 1. Here, travelers enjoy watching the sky, mountains, taking photos with the waterfall's white foamy spray. Looking up at the straight-stacked rocks hugging tightly together but leaving gaps, while the water flows, forming a waterfall several tens of meters long like a flowing white silk ribbon, winding along with the sky. Here, travelers rest, relax, sit on the large flat rocks like a mat, enjoy food, drinks, admire the pristine, majestic natural scenery, take selfies with friends...

Thanks to its majestic scenery and romantic charm, Xung Khoeng Waterfall has been attracting more attention from people, with its gentle beauty increasingly evident to anyone who comes here. With its favorable location and the contribution of flowing streams, Xung Khoeng Waterfall is like an ideal ecological tourist area welcoming everyone to explore. Visiting Gia Lai and checking in at Xung Khoeng Waterfall is a wonderful experience not to be missed by travel enthusiasts. Despite not being as famous as Phu Cuong Waterfall or Bau Kan Waterfall, Xung Khoeng Waterfall is not situated amidst dense forests but near a residential area, in Ia Drang commune, Chu Pah district, about 30 km southwest of Pleiku city center. If you travel from the center of Chu Pah district, it only takes about 5 minutes. Although located near a residential area, Xung Khoeng Waterfall in Gia Lai still maintains its wildness and the unique beauty of the Central Highlands. The waterfall has a height of 40 meters, resembling a white silk stretched across the mountain's back. Surrounding the waterfall are mountain cliffs, grass, trees, especially large old trees providing shade for the water lake at the foot of the waterfall. The scenery around the waterfall is covered with rocks, moss, and lush green grass and trees, creating a wild and impressive beauty. The landscape at this famous waterfall in Gia Lai changes with the seasons. During the dry season, the water volume from the Ia Drang stream flowing to the waterfall is relatively low, revealing wide areas of the waterfall with moss-covered rocks stacked on top of each other, giving a beautiful ancient look.

Green Field Park located in Ward 5, An Phu commune, Pleiku city, Gia Lai province. This place is considered a resting place, a place of relaxation, and an opportunity to explore the cultural identity of the North Central Highlands, invested in construction by Gia Lai Cultural and Tourism Company. With an area of about 8ha, Green Field Park stretches over the An Phu rice paddy fields and within the village of Gia Rai, Ba Na ethnic groups... Therefore, the architecture of stilt houses, longhouses, communal houses, tombs, T’rung musical instruments, and statues are all modeled and recreated the life and production activities of the ethnic people. The One Pillar Pagoda built in Green Field Park follows the model of the “Tay Thien One Pillar Pagoda” in Hanoi, both in proportion and architecture. Therefore, when visiting here, this image will help travelers reminisce about one of the sacred and proud spiritual architectural works of the Vietnamese people.

Adorning the surroundings are the statue of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara rescuing from suffering and disaster, the Thanh Tai Pavilion, the Tam Quan Gate, and two stone elephants symbolizing the art of hunting and raising forest elephants of the Central Highlands indigenous people, surrounded by harmoniously arranged precious trees. Here, there is also a water park with the first wave pool in the Central Highlands, a mini zoo with many precious birds and animals such as Ostriches, Deer, Storks, Bears, Crocodiles... along with a system of guesthouses with bungalows serving guests who need accommodation... Besides the designs imbued with the cultural identity when traveling to the Central Highlands, this stop is also invested in building cultural and spiritual works towards the origin, towards the ancestral land to commemorate the contributions of the Hung Kings. Specifically, tourists will feel peaceful and free when respectfully paying homage at the temple of Hung King.