If camping is all about unwinding in the great outdoors, glamping — or glamorous camping — is all about doing the same while retaining as many creature comforts as possible. Originating from 19th century African safaris, this luxurious form of outdoor lodging has gained considerable popularity in the age of Instagram, with many new sites around the world blurring the lines between camping and resorts like never before. Unfortunately, all that luxury often comes at a steep price, so we’re counting off all the most alluring and formidably expensive “glampsites” of the lot from pricey options to the most extravagant splurges, to show just how glamorous this new trend in vacation lodging can get.
Prices and availability are subject to change.
Related: The Most Luxurious RV Resorts Across America
Treebones Resort
Where: Big Sur, California Nightly Rate: $105-$645
The Treebones Resort in Big Sur has a full range of camping options overlooking the sparkling Pacific Ocean, from their bare-bones, bring-your-own-tent sites ($105) to a “cocoon” tent with gas fire pit, en-suite bathroom, and 600 square feet of indoor living space. In-between options include spacious yurts ($320) with Adirondack deck chairs and a handwoven “Human Nest” ($195) of twigs made by local artist Jayson Fann. The route to get to Big Sur is also one of 50 Most Beautiful Highway Drives in America.
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Camp Rockaway
Where: New York Nightly Rate: $149
If you’re looking to organize a satisfying group campout without leaving the city, look no further than this Rockaway Park retreat. For communal spaces, there’s a barbecue and outdoor fire pit for roasting s’mores just steps away from Riis Beach, and forest hiking opportunities abound just 2 miles away at Fort Tilden.
Related: A Virtual Weekend Vacation in New York
French Island Glamping
Where: French Island, Victoria, Australia Nightly Rate: $265 and up
French Island Retreat is an isolated glamping getaway for couples within reach of Melbourne, offering five canvas bell tents perfect for couples’ accommodation, with queen-sized beds, private seating areas and Bluetooth speaker systems. After making use of the communal fire pits and cooking facilities, there’s a whole island of nationally preserved natural scenery to explore and native wildlife like koalas and echidnas (spiny anteaters) to seek out.
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Sanctuary Ngorongoro Crater Camp
Where: Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania Nightly Rate: From $364 per person
Situated on the rim of a volcanic caldera and conservation area, this camp gives guests unrivaled access to the crater floor teeming with savannah wildlife through morning and afternoon game drives. Guests stay in one of 10 classic-style safari tents with en-suite bathrooms, power outlets, and a front porch overlooking a scenic vista.
Related: 21 Places to Safely See Wild Animals Up Close
Farm Camping Pod
Where: Santa Fe, Tennessee Nightly Rate: $380
Maybe the closest you can get to staying in a hobbit house without hopping a plane to New Zealand, these underground pods situated on a private farm on the Natchez Trace Parkway outside Nashville sleep up to four guests each. Rental includes access to a designated kitchen pod, onsite bathhouse, hiking trails, and, when the season’s right, the farm’s bounty of organic-grown fruits, veggies, nuts, and herbs. Natchez Trace Parkway is also one of 30 Great American Road Trips Through History.
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Shelter Co.
Where: Customer’s choice Nightly Rate: $500 and up
If you don’t mind springing for a glamping experience but would prefer to do it on your own terms, try organizing a custom trip through Shelter Co., an equipment sales and rental company that can deliver and set up their closed or open-air tents in a location of your choosing, or go above and beyond by producing an entire weekend getaway or group event. Rates for their widely varied glamping-style tents cover a one-to-three night rental but don’t include delivery fees.
Treehotel
Where: Harads, Sweden Nightly Rate: $548 and up
The Treehotel is a worthy destination in itself, as the owners elicited help from some of Sweden’s top architects to create their “tree rooms,” each with its own inimitable style — one looks like bird’s nest, one is just a mirrored cube, and still another is shaped like a UFO. There are also standard rooms priced from $107, so even financially conservative vacationers can tour the hotel, eat wild game and berries at the onsite restaurant, or take guided hikes of the sub-Arctic wilderness.
Related: 20 Vacation Rentals with Secret Rooms and Hidden Passages
&Beyond Chobe Under Canvas
Where: Chobe National Park, Botswana Nightly Rate: $560 and up per person
At the northern edge of Chobe National Park, home to some of the continent’s largest elephants and other wild game, animal-originated trails connect five safari tents with en-suite bathrooms and hot bucket showers. Guests at Chobe Under Canvas can also enjoy morning game drives, evening river cruises, and campfire dining under the stars.
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Sal Salis
Where: Cape Range National Park, Australia Nightly Rate: $749 per person
Sal Salis is a secluded, meal-inclusive retreat which, thanks to its location within a national park, boasts almost-unparalleled wildlife viewing opportunities, by land and by sea. Wake in one of the double-occupancy wilderness tents to kangaroos and songbirds, then take a dip or snorkeling tour in the crystal-clear waters above the Ningaloo Coral Reef. Other guided activities include hiking, sea-kayaking, and nightlife tours.
Related: These Are the Most Epic Hiking Trails Around the World
Pioneer Wagon Caravan
Where: Yucca, Arizona Nightly Rate: $626
Harken back to pioneer days without all the life-threatening hardships by booking a stay at this canvas-covered wagon for up to five guests outside Lake Havasu City. The old-fashioned vehicle has been updated with modern amenities like air conditioning and electricity — plus a private bathroom steps away — while onsite shared facilities include a hot tub, swimming pool, and dining area where price-inclusive meals are served every morning and afternoon.
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Starlight Camp
Where: Dubai, United Arab Emirates Nightly Rate: $628
You’ll feel like Lawrence of Arabia sleeping at this desert campsite, stepping out of your crystal roof tent to dine and drink isolated among the orange sand dunes. The hosts provide a barbecue facility, a food and beverage trailer, and breakfast daily, and they’ll even provide a dog bar, a dog tent, and a dog bed for a furry companion.
Peru EcoCamp
Where: Cusco, Peru Rate: From $626 for a one-night tour to $3,500 for a six-night tour
Peru Ecocamp organizes luxury glamping tours that take visitors along the mountainous Salkantay trail leading to Machu Picchu, stopping to sleep in strategically located camps along the way. Here, guests sleep in sustainable ecodomes with their own private bathrooms, king-size beds, and wood stoves, enjoying organically garden-grown cuisine and specialty cocktails from the bar dome before turning in each night.
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Elephant Hills Rainforest Camp
Where: Khao Sok National Park, Thailand Rate: $700 per person for two-night tour
This experience is really expensive by Thai standards, but still pretty pricey by Western ones. For the equivalent of $810 per person, visitors to Elephant Hills Rainforest Camp will spend three days spotting wildlife and floating along the blue-green waters of Cheow Larn Lake, then sleep two nights on the lake itself in floating tents with fully furnished bedding. The tour also includes an elephant bathing experience.
Related: 14 Destinations for Reconnecting With Nature
EcoCamp Patagonia
Where: Patagonia, Chile Rate: From $895 per person for four days
Justifiably voted one of the most beautiful hotels in the world, this sustainable resort amidst Chile’s notoriously rugged mountains has its guests book their own multi-night safari treks and add on standalone experiences, from puma tracking to fly fishing, for an additional price as they see fit. The lodgings themselves are geodesic domes with private bathrooms, locally made furnishings, and large viewing windows to the outside.
Capella Ubud
Where: Bali Nightly Rate: Starting at $917
Blending in with the surrounding tropical nature, this luxurious retreat has 22 one-bedroom tents each with their own private saltwater pool and varying overlooks of the rice terraces, rainforest, and the Wos River, considered sacred by local inhabitants. At Capella Ubud’s onsite restaurants specialize in sustainably farmed cuisine, Asian barbecue, and campfire cooking, or you can book a bespoke private candlelit dinner amidst the rice paddies.
Rosewood Luang Prabang
Where: Luang Prabang, Laos Nightly Rate: $1,260
In the lush jungles just outside Luang Prabang, a river runs through this exotic resort of indoor suites and hilltop luxury tents, all built with textiles and temple-like furnishings to reflect the local culture. The tents will let you enjoy rainforest views and hear the morning birdsongs from the wooden deck without sacrificing comforts like high-speed internet access, coffee machine, and personal bar.
Related: 22 Travel Destinations You Can Visit on $20 a Day.
Aman-I-Khás
Where: Rajasthan, India Nightly Rate: $1,350 and up
The multinational Aman Resorts operates this 10-tent outpost on the edge of India’s Ranthambore National Park, where guides get tourists up close and personal with wildlife species like leopards, hyenas, antelope, and tigers. The air-conditioned tents have bathtubs and full living areas, while holistic spa therapies and communal dining from the camp’s organic garden are also available onsite.
Looking for more spa getaways? Check out these 42 Incredible Hot Tubs Around the World.
Clayoquot Wilderness Resort
Where: Tofino, British Columbia, Canada Nightly Rate: $1,400
Amidst Vancouver island’s unspoiled forests and waterways, the Clayoquot Wilderness Resort offers three-, four-, and seven-night accommodation packages in canvas-tented suites with private decks and ornate turn-of-the-century accoutrements — what they call “prospector-style” residences. Their all-inclusive pricing also comes with private seaplane transportation and numerous opportunities for highly-personalized tours that run the gamut from rock climbing and paintball to yoga and stand-up paddle boarding.
Related: 30 Best Summer Travel Destinations in Canada
Grand Canyon Wilderness Expeditions
Where: Grand Canyon Village, Arizona Nightly Rate: $1,443
From Phoenix, this glamping service coordinates all-inclusive wilderness tours for families or small groups, bringing gourmet campfire meal fixing and expedition tents (large enough to sleep three) furnished with linens and cowhide rugs to anywhere within Arizona. This particular outpost sits right beside the Grand Canyon’s southern rim and offers specialized day tours into the canyon or to other popular destinations like Sedona.
Related: 31 Bucket-List Experiences in America’s National Parks
Tromso Ice Domes
Where: Øverbygd, Norway Nightly Rate: $1,448The Tromso Ice Domes are wintry lodging facilities that get rebuilt from snow and ice every year as polar night approaches, with new sculptures of natural scenery and wildlife adorning the bedrooms and common areas including an ice bar, ice restaurant, and ice cinema. The guided overnight stay also includes a snowshoeing trip to see the Northern Lights and cook dinner over an open fire.
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Segera Retreat
Where: Kenya Nightly Rate: $1,500
Though it ranks as one of Kenya’s finest home bases for safari excursions, most of the lodging facilities at Segera Retreat are indoor villas, with the notable exception of the Nay Palad Bird Nest — a raised lantern-lit platform from which guests can enjoy a champagne picnic and an overnight stay with panoramic views of the surrounding savannah. A complimentary night in the Bird’s Nest is included for guests staying five nights or more in one of Segera’s standard rooms.
Related: The 50 Most Beautiful Views in the World
The Resort at Paws Up
Where: Greenough, Montana Nightly Rate: $1,530 and up for two people
Families, couples, and large groups can all find glamping packages to suit their needs on this 37,000-acre working ranch and luxury estate, where 28 cabins and 30 fully furnished tents sit beneath towering Christmas pines. Paws Up is a haven for traditional dude ranch adventures like fly fishing, sport-shooting, whitewater rafting, ATV tours, and cattle drives, and lodging prices are inclusive of all meals, including their authentic chuck wagon dinners complemented by horseshoe pitching and banjo picking.
Related: 15 Best Dude Ranches for Escaping the Crowds This Summer
Beckham Creek Cave
Where: Parthenon, Arkansas Nightly Rate: $1,600
Sleeping up to eight guests, this four-bedroom vacation rental would hardly qualify as a glamping destination were it not built entirely within the Ozarks’ natural cave system, so you and your party can dine and sleep as usual below ancient stalactites. When that gets boring, roam through a mile-and-a-half of additional caverns or meet other cave-dwelling guests at the communal game room or onsite ponds and waterfalls.
Related: Spectacular Caves You Can Rent
Longitude 131°
Where: Yulara, Northern Territories, Australia Nightly Rate: $1,700 per person
Longitude 131° lets you sleep within view of Australia’s monolithic Ayers Rock and experience the rich desert wildlife and remnants of aboriginal culture nearby. They have 16 tented pavilions furnished with local indigenous artwork, in-suite bar, music system, outdoor decks, and floor-to-ceiling windows for stargazing in bed. The property’s nightly rate also covers onsite dining and signature experiences like gorge and art gallery tours.
Floating Water Cabin
Where: Pemba Island, Tanzania Nightly Rate: $1,710
Sleeping with the fishes isn’t just a mob euphemism anymore, as this floating property lets you and one other guest lounge in a bedroom four meters below the ocean surface. Appreciate the isolation by sunbathing on the top deck with water on all sides, or kayak ashore to the affiliated resort for inclusive amenities like an exotic garden, cocktail bar, spa treatments, and three-course dinners.
Related: The World’s Most Remote Hotels.
Four Seasons Golden Triangle
Where: Chiang Rai, Thailand Nightly Rate: $1,745 and up
Step through a front door adorned by elephant tusks to a sprawling 600-square-meter living area at the Four Seasons’ tented camp in Northern Thailand, where each site includes locale-appropriate furnishings plus a private veranda and hot tub. While here, guests can take advantage of an onsite trading post, cooking classes, rainforest foraging expeditions, and elephant encounters before unwinding with full-service spa treatments.
The Ranch at Rock Creek
Where: Philipsburg, Montana Nightly Rate: $1,800 per person
This homestead in western Montana was converted to an all-inclusive guest ranch in 2010. Its accommodations include standard lodge rooms and an historic barn as well as luxury canvas tents for up to six people, with gas stoves and creekside screened porches. The nightly rate also gives you access to meals, beverages, parlor games at the onsite saloon, and twice-daily guided activities covering photography, nature, fly fishing, archery, geocaching, and more.
These are the Best Fishing Spots in All 50 States.
Dunton River Camp
Where: Cresto Ranch, Colorado Nightly Rate: $1,800
On 500 acres of fields adjacent to the West Fork Dolores River, Dunton River Camp has transformed a former 19th century cattle ranch into a 21st century glamping destination with eight safari-style tents on raised wooden platforms with all the amenities of an average hotel room. Each comes with two mountain bikes for day-use within the San Juan National Forest, plus access to guided group activities like fly fishing and horseback riding. If the price seems high, it’s for 16 people (and all 8 tents), plus all meals are included.
Related: 30 Boat Tours That Take You Back in Time
Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons
Where: Beverly Hills, California Nightly Rate: $3,500
It’s no surprise one of the world’s ritziest camping destinations is in Beverly Hills, where this Four Seasons resort last year opened their 10th-floor veranda suite with near-panoramic skyline views and a yurt boasting such luxurious touches as sheepskin rugs and a crystal chandelier. For an extra $185, hotel staff members will also prepare an al fresco dining experience on the patio fire pit featuring such delectable menu items as wagyu beef, Dom Pérignon Dom frozé (frozen rosé), and extravagant gourmet s’mores.
The Gwen
Where: Chicago Nightly Rate: $5,500
Book the Gwen Lux Suite in summer and gain access to Chicago’s most upscale glamping destination, a 1,000-square-foot terrace situated 16 stories above Michigan Avenue and overlooking some of the city’s most iconic architecture. You’ll sleep in a large bohemian-accented tent underneath the stars with access to the attached two-bedroom suite and exclusive amenities like airport transportation, VIP concierge service, and a welcome meal from the Gwen’sexecutive chef.
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