13 of the best glamping spots

Camping doesn’t have to mean roughing it in the great outdoors. With the savings you’ve made on your flights, you can afford to splash out on a once in a lifetime, night-under-the-stars experience. Glamping lets you get close to nature without sacrificing the comfort of your daily luxuries. Leave the city behind, detox from social media and spend the next few days chasing the Northern Lights in glass houses and ‘slumming it’ in tree-top hideaways. Pack your bag, grab your hiking boots and prepare to release your inner hippie with our list of the best glamping spots. 

Ever wondered what it’s like to live inside a snow globe? At Finn Lough they let you do just that with their forest dome accommodation. The Bubble Domes feature 180 degree transparent walls so you can watch the stars from the comfort of a bespoke four poster bed. Each dome is kitted out with an en suite bathroom, heated flooring and has no WIFI or TV forcing you to disconnect from the world and enjoy the tranquillity of the natural surroundings.

Flights to Fermanagh 

In the heart of the Algarve, this eco-friendly campsite is giving you the chance to choose between a night in a Mongolian yurt, an old-fashioned Dutch gypsy caravan or converted German fire truck. Located near the town of Silves, escape everyday stresses and get lost in the woods for a night or two. Each accommodation type sleeps two and has its own shower and compost toilet. Relax, breathe in the fresh air and give glamping a whirl at one of Portugal’s best campsites.

Flights to Algarve

Feel as though you’ve landed on Mars, when you book into a futuristic bubble dome in the heart of Jordan’s largest desert. As part of an extension on the Sun City Camp, 20 space-ship-like tents were constructed, each with its own bathroom and private terrace. Sleeping up to four people, the domes are fitted with glass windows, offering panoramic views of the other-worldly burnt orange landscape and incredible stargazing once the sun goes down. During your stay take part in one of the excursions organised for you by the local Bedouins such as camel rides, hot air ballooning and dune bashing. This once in a lifetime experience is worth every penny!

Flights to Jordan

Croatia’s first glamp-site carries the luxury of its hotels to beachside tents on the edge of the Istrian peninsula. Head into the pine forest of Pomer just four kilometres west of Medulin, and check into the walled sanctuary. Each tent is custom designed to protect you against the elements with fully installed air-conditioning and state-of-the-art materials. With outdoor wellness to beat the band, you won’t even realise you haven’t uploaded to Instagram as you take part in yoga classes, recharge in the saunas and sip on cocktails at the numerous beach bars.

Flights to Istria

Taking its name from the Cornish word for hideout, this next spot is the ultimate in nature retreats. Designed to blend in with the rugged landscape you won’t even see the temporary cabins hiding above the forest. Built on timber stilts so as not so disturb the environment, this off-the-grid glamp-site is guaranteed to give you a break from civilisation. Leave your troubles on the ground, settle into your tree-house-esque hideaway for the night and totally immerse yourself in the natural experience.

Flights to Cornwall 

Travel one hour west of the hustle and bustle of Marrakech to the heart of the tranquil Agafay desert and spend the night sleeping under the stars in luxury. Agafay Desert Luxury Camp offers 18 enchanting tents kitted out with king-size beds, rustic rattan floors and a private bathroom with a hot shower. Family-friendly, this resort is a literal desert oasis and is the perfect opportunity to see a portion of the stony landscape without making the trek to the south. Marketed as a ‘safari for the soul’, the camp completely immerses you in a natural environment with no electricity and only the flame of candles flickering in wrought iron lanterns to give you light. Escape the everyday, leave your worries at the airport and dive in to this mesmerising adventure.

Flights to Marrakech

In the heart of the Dyfi forest down a four mile track, Eco Retreats aims to reconnect campers with their environment. Sitting in 1,300 acres of organic farm, five tipis sleeping up to five guests and one yurt sleeping six, await you. Furnished with sheep skin rugs, wood-burning stoves and double beds, the accommodation is surrounded by meadows and oak woods. While you’re there, take advantage of the complimentary healing and meditation sessions to reconnect with your inner thoughts – you never know, you could leave a whole new person!

Flights to Powys

An oasis of peace and quiet, retreat to Mirano, thirteen kilometres outside Venice to see Italy in a way you never have before. On a stretch of countryside from the Venetian Lagoon to the Brenta river, the campsite is the ideal accommodation if you plan on visiting a few towns and cities in the area. Plan day trips to Venice and Verona and the beach resorts of Jesolo and Caorle. Return after a busy day to the relaxing atmosphere at the campsite and enjoy a spot of fine-dining before you collapse onto one of the four-poster beds in your luxury tent.

Flights to Venice

Step into paradise on the Azores island of Faial. In a camp motivated by ecology and built on a deep love for nature, Azul Singular is an ideal retreat to relax and rejuvenate. Set in tropical surroundings of plush green vegetation, the glamp-site has a selection of hybrid tents sleeping up to four people. With wide windows, nature is only ever a touch away when you spend the night here. The site also features yurts with glass domes for those that want to experience sleeping under the stars without compromising on comfort. A few minutes at this spot and you’ll soon realise why it’s one of the best places to go glamping.

Flights to Azores

Venture 2,045 metres above sea level and live like the Mongolians in an all-weather yurt. Dotted around the meadow on the summit of Rochers-de-Naye, the unique accommodation is reachable by a scenic cog railway from Montreux. In less than one hour you’ll be on top of the world watching the sun set over Lake Geneva. Each yurt is fully insulated and has electric heating, meaning you can enjoy the experience all year round. Sleeping up to eight people, the mountain tents are decked out in authentic furnishings and there’s even a fondue restaurant in the cliff face for when you get peckish.

Flights to Vaud 

Nestled in the beach region of Los Canos de Meca, this tiny rustic village does glamping old-school-style. Under the shade of the pine trees and sand dunes, the village consists of  11 cottages and chozas – traditional thatched Spanish beach huts made of straw and bamboo. A fully eco-friendly resort, all waste from guests is composted and water is drawn from the campsite’s very own well. Book in for a massage, dabble in a spot of yoga and disconnect with some meditation as you immerse yourself in the Casas Karen way of living. The untamed native gardens on the edge of Costa de la Luz is the perfect place to realign with your natural surroundings and see Spain in a new light.

Flights to Cadiz

On the shores of the Red Sea sits a hundred year old stone house and yurt available to rent for up to four people. Experience the Solomon Valley in style and spend some time getting to know the southernmost house in the state of Israel. The yurt is spacious with a double bed and convertible mattress-style sitting area and has its own private bathroom and kitchenette. The property offers spectacular views of the Gulf of Aqaba from the shaded yard so you can sit back with a coffee and enjoy one of the world’s most beautiful landscapes without lifting a finger.

Flights to Eilat

At the Gulf of Bothnia, where the road to civilisation ends, sits a collection of glass houses looking out over the scenery of beautiful Kvarken. The luxury lodges along the coast of Ostrobothnia offer a 180 degree panoramic of sea, sky and rocky archipelagos. The heated glass panels at the front of the unit mean that clear views of the sky no matter the weather. Chase the Northern Lights from the comfort of your bed and stay a few days in the summertime to see the mid-night sun.

Flights to Ostrobothnia

Stay at the world’s largest hotel built of snow and ice for a different kind of glamping. Located in a small village in northern Sweden, 200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, the piece of art offers a selection of cold and hot rooms featuring snow sculptures and a ridiculously cool experience. Founded in 1989, the hotel sits by the Torne River and is another great place to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights. Guests receive complimentary access to the art exhibits in the hotel and the ICEBAR, so you can get your dose of nature, culture and cocktails all without leaving your accommodation.

Flights to Jukkasiarri-Kiruna

Planning a glamping trip soon? Tag us in your photos of the best places to go glamping using the hashtag #ryanairstories, for the chance to be featured on Ryanair’s Instagram feed.

- Lucy Norris