Best Glamping Destinations
Glamping (glamorous camping) sits between hotel accommodation and conventional camping — a pre-erected structure with a real bed, some form of private bathroom access, and a natural setting. The format ranges from canvas safari tents with en-suite showers to geodesic domes with underfloor heating, and the quality spread is enormous. The ten destinations below represent cases where the glamping accommodation genuinely adds to the landscape experience rather than simply replacing a hotel room with a more expensive canvas one.
1. Serengeti Under Canvas, Tanzania
A mobile tented camp that relocates seasonally to follow the wildebeest migration in the Serengeti. The tents are full standing-height canvas structures with double beds, private bathrooms, and a central lounge and dining tent. The defining characteristic is the absence of a fixed site — the camp is positioned wherever the migration is at any given time. Access by small aircraft from the Serengeti airstrips. The migration peaks in the Mara River crossing area (July through October) and the short-grass plains (December through March).
2. Corcovado Lodge Tent Camp, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
Safari tents on elevated wooden platforms on the Osa Peninsula, with primary rainforest on three sides. The Osa Peninsula holds the densest biodiversity in Costa Rica; scarlet macaws, tapirs, and squirrel monkeys are regular campground visitors. Each tent has a private deck with a jungle view. Access by small aircraft to Puerto Jimenez or by boat from Sierpe. The Corcovado National Park day trip from here is the primary activity.
3. NamibRand Family Hideout (Orion and Venus), Namibia
Pre-erected canvas structures on elevated platforms in the 172,000-hectare NamibRand Private Nature Reserve. The Orion and Venus sites are among the most remote glamping options in southern Africa — no phone signal, no light pollution, no ambient noise except wind and wildlife. Each site accommodates a single group with exclusive use of the surrounding area. The reserve is adjacent to the Namib-Naukluft Park; dune access and desert wildlife without the Sossusvlei crowds.
4. Wildhaven Yosemite Glamping, California, USA
Canvas glamping tents within day-trip range of Yosemite Valley, positioned in the Sierra Nevada foothills outside the park boundary. The glamping format provides a Yosemite area base without competing for the extremely limited in-park campsite reservations. The meadow setting and the proximity to the Valley floor (approximately 40 minutes' drive) make this the best available alternative to the chronically oversubscribed park campgrounds.
5. Huttopia network, France
Huttopia's distinctive barrel-shaped canvas tents and wooden cabins are positioned in state forests and lakeside settings across France. The formula is consistent: natural setting, no resort-style entertainment, emphasis on quality of natural surroundings. The Rambouillet, Forêt des Vosges, and Lac de Serre-Ponçon sites represent the range from near-Paris forest to alpine lake. Huttopia structures have insulation, real beds, and cooking facilities — they function year-round at the mountain sites.
6. Maramboi Tented Camp, Lake Manyara, Tanzania
On the escarpment above Lake Manyara in the northern Tanzania circuit, Maramboi provides standing canvas tents with private bathrooms and a raised dining tent above the acacia woodland. The Manyara lake itself attracts flamingo, pelican, and hippo; the tree-climbing lions of the area are the primary wildlife draw. Position between the Ngorongoro Crater (2 hours) and Tarangire National Park (1.5 hours) makes this a strong overnight base for the northern Tanzania circuit.
7. Ndarakwai Camping, Kilimanjaro foothills, Tanzania
At the foot of Kilimanjaro on the Maasai steppe, Ndarakwai is a private conservancy camp with standing canvas tents in an area that provides unobstructed views of the mountain from the camp itself. Elephant, giraffe, and zebra move through the conservancy. The combination of Kilimanjaro as backdrop, private conservancy wildlife, and canvas tent accommodation at a lower price point than the major circuit camps makes this one of the better value glamping options in northern Tanzania.
8. AutoCamp Yosemite, California, USA
Airstream trailers arranged on a fixed site in El Portal, outside the Yosemite park boundary. The format provides a hotel-level amenity standard — real beds, private bathrooms, air conditioning — in a natural setting within commuting distance of the park. A generator and blackout blinds are fitted as standard. The Airstream format is the glamping product most closely aligned to what the accommodation actually delivers: a comfortable vehicle rather than a nature immersion experience.
9. Kingfisher Camp, Okavango, Botswana
On the edge of the Okavango Delta, a canvas camp with en-suite tents on raised wooden decks. The delta is accessed by mokoro (dugout canoe) from the camp itself. Delta islands, channels, and the papyrus vegetation of the permanent swamp are the setting. The Okavango glamping market is well-developed; Kingfisher sits at a mid-range price point below the ultra-luxury circuit camps. Access via Maun.
10. Skylake Yosemite Camp, California, USA
At elevation in the Sierra Nevada south of Yosemite, Skylake provides platform canvas tents with mountain views. The site operates on solar power and uses composting toilets. Hiking access to the high country is direct from the campground. A swimming lake is on site. This is the closest the Yosemite-area glamping market gets to genuine backcountry immersion without an actual backcountry permit.
What to assess before booking
The quality markers for glamping accommodation: whether the bed is a real raised bed or a cot; whether bathroom facilities are private or shared; the insulation and heating rating (critical in any elevated or highland location); whether the minimum stay (often two nights) suits your itinerary; and what the actual view from the tent is — many glamping operations use aspirational photography from the most favourable angles.