Yok Don Elephant Sanctuary tour: Wildlife rescue and Don Village

Yok Don pairs a working elephant sanctuary with lunch inside a living village

A guided tour of Yok Don Elephant Sanctuary and Don Village near Buon Ma Thuot combines visits to an animal rescue center, traditional meals with local communities, and self-guided options inside the national park. The tour runs 7 to 8 hours with a live English or Vietnamese guide, air-conditioned vehicle transport, bottled water and travel insurance included. The national park entry ticket is booked separately.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Don Village and Yok Don Park

• Lunch and explore Don Village
• Meet Lao, Ede, and Mnong communities
• Try traditional food
• Explore Yok Don National Park
• Optional elephant experience or trekking
• Optional national park cycle tours

The experience

Yok Don sits in the Central Highlands as a dipterocarp forest ecosystem where an elephant rescue center operates alongside conservation work. The tour opens with the sanctuary itself: a place where rescued animals live and where you see firsthand how protection and rehabilitation happen. After that comes Don Village, where Lao, Ede and Mnong communities still live and cook. Lunch happens there, built on traditional food the families prepare. It is not a staged meal but part of how the village eats.

The second half of the day is yours to shape. Yok Don National Park sits open for self-paid activities: trekking routes, bicycle tours through the forest, or simple walking. Your guide and vehicle stay available, but the itinerary stops directing you. This split (guided morning, self-directed afternoon) is what lets the tour fit inside a single day without rushing the sanctuary or the village.

Transport is air-conditioned and pickup is included from your hotel in Buon Ma Thuot. The guide speaks English or Vietnamese depending on which you choose at checkout. Bottled water travels with you, and travel insurance is built in. The national park entry fee is separate and paid on arrival.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned vehicle transport with pickup from your Buon Ma Thuot hotel.
• live guide in English or Vietnamese.
• traditional lunch in Don Village with local Lao, Ede and Mnong families.
• bottled water throughout the day.
• travel insurance.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (under 1)

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish and Vietnamese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48h

Paid on siteUS$ 36

Prices and times updated 11 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Greentraveller

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English or Vietnamese. Choose the one you understand at checkout, so language is not a barrier to following the tour. The morning is guided and structured. The afternoon in the national park is self-directed, so you can move at your own pace once the sanctuary and village visits are done.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

1 verified traveler review

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Vietnamese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 1).

What is the traditional lunch like in Don Village?

Don Village lunch is prepared by Lao, Ede and Mnong families who live there. You eat what they cook rather than a prepared tourist meal, and the meal is part of meeting the communities themselves.

Can I do my own thing in the national park, or does the guide lead everything?

After the sanctuary and village, Yok Don National Park time is self-guided. You can choose trekking, cycling or walking, and those activities are self-paid, so you pick what appeals to you and book it separately.

Does the tour include the national park entry ticket?

The national park ticket is not included. You pay it separately when you arrive, so budget for it as an extra cost beyond the tour price.