Weekend trips near Pleiku

Stone Mountain (Núi Đá)

Want a view over the city without going far? Stone Mountain is opposite the entrance to the old city cemetery, and at dawn you see the whole town sunk in mist. Climb up to the rocks, wait for the sun and photograph the city in the mist. Clouds are best between 5 and 7 am, thickest the morning after two or three sunny days with rain at night, from September to November; wake after 7 am and the good window has passed.

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Phan Đình Phùng Pine Hill (Đồi thông Phan Đình Phùng)

For a picnic close to town, Phan Đình Phùng Pine Hill is the easy choice. It has been compared to a small version of the Đà Lạt pine forest on the Gia Lai plateau. Go late in the afternoon, when the sun slants through the pines and the photos come out warmest. Spread a mat or camp under the trees. Weekends get crowded and groups leave rubbish around the hill, so come on a weekday if you can, and take your own rubbish down, especially batteries and bottles.

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Hàm Rồng Mountain (Núi Hàm Rồng)

Hàm Rồng is worth the early alarm. At 1,028 m it is what Pleiku people call the “roof” of the city. The summit is nearly 15 km out: about 15 minutes by scooter, then five minutes up a steep, winding pine road, and from the top you look down on the whole city. A provincial radio and television station sits on the summit, staffed round the clock, so it is a viewpoint, not a picnic spot. Clouds are best at dawn, thickest after two or three sunny days with rain the night before, so check yesterday’s weather before you set the alarm. Day and night temperatures up there differ by 10 to 15 degrees C, so bring a light jacket, and stay home during or just after rain, when the road is slippery and misty.

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Đồng Xanh Park (Công viên Đồng Xanh)

Đồng Xanh gives families and anyone short on time a quick look at highland culture. It is a culture park in An Phú ward, with rebuilt longhouses, grave statues, bronze drums and fossil-wood trees of the Central Highlands peoples, plus gong performances. The grounds are green, with gentle games for kids and older visitors alike. Since Đồng Xanh recreates cultural buildings, pick Plei Ốp village instead if you want a real village. Open daily from 7:30 am to 7:30 pm.

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Hundred-year-old pine row (Hàng thông trăm tuổi)

The pine row is on the road to Biển Hồ Chè: a stretch of nearly 1 km under pine branches, with trees that turned a hundred in 2025. Walk or ride slowly; it is loveliest at dawn when mist lingers and the sun comes through the needles. Locals jog here too, and along the way you will find a few mobile coffee stalls set up in decorated old cars. Both share one road, so if you are going to Biển Hồ Chè anyway, you need no separate outing.

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Tân Sơn Dam (Đập Tân Sơn)

Tân Sơn Dam is a halfway stop on the road to Chư Đăng Ya. The scenery is calm and pretty, and it draws young people who like taking photos. Stop for pictures of the water, then carry on; the volcano is in our Chư Đăng Ya volcano guide. If you are not going that way, the dam is a long detour.

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Đăk Đoa Pink Grass Hill (Đồi cỏ hồng)

The pink grass hill in Đăk Đoa district (old name) is a picnic spot. The grass appears at the start of the dry season, when the rain stops across the plateau. The dry season in Gia Lai runs from November to April, and that is when families come to picnic and camp. Any other time, the grass is not there, so go elsewhere.

Kon Ka Kinh National Park (Vườn quốc gia Kon Ka Kinh)

Kon Ka Kinh is for forest walks and a full free day. The park is in the north-east of Gia Lai, 50 km from Pleiku, recognised as an ASEAN Heritage Park, and its highest peak reaches 1,748 m. You can walk through primary forest and see banyan trees about 500 years old. The best season is the dry season, November to April. With only half a day, pick something nearer; the drive alone eats most of it.

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