What it is

The HAGL Football Academy (Hoc Vien Bong Da Hoang Anh Gia Lai) sits on a hillside campus about 6 km from central Pleiku, the capital of Gia Lai province in Vietnam's Central Highlands (중부 고원 / 中部高原 / 中部高原). Founded in 2007 by the Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group — a conglomerate better known domestically for rubber, real estate, and agriculture — the academy was built with technical support from Arsenal FC's youth development program.

This is where Nguyen Cong Phuong, Luong Xuan Truong, and several other players who carried Vietnam (베트남 / 越南 / ベトナム) to the 2018 AFF Championship semifinals first kicked a ball professionally. The campus includes multiple full-size pitches, dormitories, a gym, and a rehabilitation center spread across a manicured compound surrounded by coffee plantations and red basalt soil.

Why travelers go

Most visitors aren't football obsessives — though plenty are. The academy draws people for a few reasons:

  • Football culture curiosity. Vietnamese football fandom exploded after 2018. Visiting the academy where that generation trained feels like a pilgrimage for domestic tourists and curious foreigners alike.
  • The Central Highlands gap. Gia Lai sits between Da Lat and Kon Tum on routes through the highlands. Travelers passing through Pleiku often need a half-day activity, and the academy fills that slot well.
  • Photography. The grounds are genuinely photogenic — emerald pitches against terracotta earth, misty mornings, and the occasional training session visible from the perimeter.

You won't find theme-park-level infrastructure here. It's a working sports facility, not a tourist attraction. That's part of the appeal.

Best time to visit

Gia Lai's dry season runs from November to April. Mornings in December and January can dip below 18°C at 800 m elevation — pleasant compared to the coast. The rainy season (May–October) brings afternoon downpours but mornings are often clear.

For the best chance of seeing youth teams train, visit on weekday mornings between 7:30 and 10:30. The academy occasionally restricts access during tournaments or exams, so showing up on a random Tuesday is no guarantee. Weekend mornings sometimes have friendly matches on the secondary pitch.

How to get there

By air: Pleiku Airport (PXU) has daily flights from Saigon (1 hr 10 min, ~800,000–1,200,000 VND one-way on Vietnam Airlines or VietJet) and Hanoi (1 hr 40 min). From the airport, the academy is a 15-minute taxi ride — about 80,000 VND on Grab.

By bus: Sleeper buses from Da Nang take roughly 7–8 hours via Kon Tum. From Da Lat (달랏 / 大叻 / ダラット), it's about 8 hours heading north through Buon Ma Thuot. Pleiku's main bus station (Ben Xe Duc Long) is 4 km from the academy.

By motorbike: If you're riding the highlands loop, Pleiku is a natural overnight between Kon Tum and Buon Ma Thuot. The academy is on Nguyen Van Cu Street (extending into Le Duan), well-signed.

A woman rides a motorcycle through a scenic, tree-lined road in Pleiku, Vietnam.

Photo by Ahmad Malulein on Pexels

What to do

At the academy

  • Walk or ride around the perimeter road. The main gate on Le Duan sometimes allows visitors onto the grounds during non-training hours — ask the security guard politely. Photography of the pitches from the road is always fine.
  • If training is in session, you can watch from behind the fence on the east side. The U15 and U17 squads train most mornings.
  • A small shop near the entrance sells HAGL jerseys and scarves (150,000–350,000 VND).

Nearby in Pleiku

  • Bien Ho (T'Nung Lake): A volcanic crater lake 7 km north of town. Quiet, good for a morning walk. Entry 20,000 VND.
  • Pleiku Catholic Church (Duc An Church): Brutalist-meets-highland architecture from the 1960s. Worth a look even if you're not religious.
  • Pleiku Market (Cho Pleiku): Chaotic, authentic highland market. Dried meats, forest honey, and Gia Lai coffee beans at local prices.

Where to eat

Gia Lai's food scene is highland-specific and underrated.

  • Pho (쌀국수 / 越南河粉 / フォー) kho Gia Lai: The local specialty — dry pho with broth served on the side, topped with scallions and ground pork. Try it at Pho Kho Hong on Nguyen Van Troi (35,000 VND a bowl). Nothing like the pho you've had elsewhere in Vietnam.
  • Com tam (껌땀 / 碎米饭 / コムタム): Broken rice plates are everywhere. Quan Com Tam 68 on Tran Phu does a solid version with grilled pork and a fried egg for 40,000 VND.
  • Bun cha (분짜 / 烤肉米粉 / ブンチャー) style grills: Several spots on Hung Vuong Street do charcoal-grilled pork with noodles. Not Hanoi bun cha exactly, but the highland riff is good.
  • Coffee: Gia Lai is robusta country. Sit at any family-run cafe on Phan Dinh Phung for a ca phe sua da (연유커피 / 越南冰咖啡 / ベトナムアイスコーヒー) that costs 15,000 VND and hits harder than anything in Saigon.

Where to stay

Pleiku has limited international-standard hotels but several clean, affordable guesthouses.

  • HAGL Hotel (yes, same company): The nicest option in town. A 4-star high-rise right in central Pleiku. Rooms from 700,000 VND/night. Pool, decent breakfast buffet, slightly dated decor.
  • Duc Long Gia Lai Hotel: Serviceable business hotel near the bus station. 400,000–500,000 VND.
  • Homestays on Booking.com: A few family-run places on the outskirts offer rooms for 250,000–350,000 VND. Don't expect English.

Lush Arabica coffee cherries ripening on a tree in Đà Lạt, Vietnam's highlands.

Photo by 1500m Coffee on Pexels

Practical tips

  • Bring a light jacket. Even in dry season, early mornings at 800 m get cool.
  • Grab works in Pleiku but driver availability is thin. Download the app but have the hotel's phone number ready for a xe om backup.
  • ATMs exist on Hung Vuong and Tran Phu streets. Cards are accepted at HAGL Hotel and a few cafes — otherwise it's cash.
  • Vietnamese football season runs roughly January–October. Off-season (November–December), the academy is quieter and youth squads may be away at camps.

Common mistakes

  • Expecting a museum or visitor center. There isn't one. This is a training facility. Adjust expectations — you're visiting a working campus, not a stadium tour.
  • Arriving midday. Training happens early morning. By noon, the pitches are empty and the midday sun makes walking around unpleasant.
  • Skipping Pleiku itself. Many travelers treat Pleiku as just a transit point to Kon Tum or the coast. Give it a full day — between T'Nung Lake, the market, the academy, and the food, there's enough.
  • Not trying pho kho. If you've eaten pho everywhere else in Vietnam and think you know what it is, Gia Lai's dry version will reset your assumptions.

Final note

The HAGL Academy isn't a polished tourist experience — it's a genuine piece of modern Vietnamese sports culture sitting in one of the country's least-visited highland provinces. Come with the right expectations and a willingness to eat well in a small city, and Pleiku will surprise you.

— FIN —

Last updated · May 19, 2026 · independently researched, never sponsored.