Unusual Summer Glamping Retreats To Suit Absolutely Everybody (Yes, Even You!)

A glorious mash-up of “glamorous” and “camping”, glamping has been around since 2005 (the word was finally added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2016).

The “glam” part means you won’t be pitching your tent in the rain or dark, while bathroom facilities will be a step up from those found at a traditional campsite. There may even be a stargazing hot tub to soak in, too. Yet you’ll still enjoy the freedom, fresh air, and beautiful countryside that make camping so special, particularly so in summer!

Seriously, what’s not to love about that?

So whether you’re a family glamper, part of a cosy couple or a large group, pet-free or bringing your dog, these unusual  glamping retreats have got you covered for your summer glamping adventures ahead.

Author: Nina Jervis
Main image: Gulliver the Quirky Camper, Kent UK

Our Favourite Summer Family Glamping Retreats

Busy urban life has its advantages, but if you’ve got a family it can be hard to find quality time to spend with them, even in the summer months. So these family-friendly summer glamping retreats aren’t just suitably unique. They’re also designed for you to reconnect with your favourite people – and nature – in the energising Great Outdoors.

Here you’ll find plenty of wide open space to play games and make fun memories all together… yet with added conveniences – and luxuries! – that make a family holiday feel special.

Lakeside Petzen Glamping

Feistritz ob Bleiburg, Carinthia, Austria

Spoil yourselves with views of the picture-perfect lakes and mountains that surround Austria's first glamping resort.

Bedrooms: Varies

Sleeps: Varies

From

£115/nt

Green Acres Glamping

Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, England

A family-run glampsite where everyone is welcome, perfectly set between the Forest of Dean and the Wye Valley.

Bedrooms: Open plan

Sleeps: Up to 4 per unit

From

£55 / night

Campden Yurts

Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, England

Make your escape to the glorious Cotswolds all the more memorable by staying at Campden Yurts.

Bedrooms: Studio

Sleeps: 4-5 per yurt

From

£440 (4 nights midweek)

Round the Woods

Weston Longville, Norfolk, England

Come and unwind with luxury eco-friendly glamping, set in 20 beautifully serene acres of Norfolk countryside.

Bedrooms: 1 per yurt

Sleeps:

From

£175 (2 nts)

Comrie Croft Nordic Kata Tents

Crieff, Perthshire, Scotland

Enjoy a wee slice of gloriously green relaxation and fresh adventure in an authentic Scottish heartland home-from-home.

Bedrooms:

Sleeps: Up to 6 per tent

From

£99 / night (Sun-Thurs)

Our Favourite Summer Dog-Friendly Glamping Retreats

When your best four-legged friend is part of the family, leaving them at home on your summer break is a wrench… for you and for them. It takes a heart of steel to resist those doleful doggy eyes as you close the door and head off on holiday.

We’ve picked these unusual dog-friendly summer glamping retreats to save your guilt, but also because a glamping break is much more fun with a playful dog in tow!

Unimog Army Ambulance

Friskney, Lincolnshire, England

A thrilling stay in a cosily-converted rescue vehicle parked on a Linconshire lake, in a rural area that boasts picture-perfect views of gorgeous Lincolnshire.

Bedrooms: 1

Sleeps: 2

From

£70 /night

Grey Willow Yurts

Cullompton, Devon, England

A laid-back, off-grid glamping site where everyone is welcome (especially dogs!) beautifully set in the star-studded midst of the Blackdown Hills AONB.

Bedrooms: Open plan

Sleeps: 5

From

£99.50/nt

Secret Meadows

Hasketon, Suffolk, England

Unwind amongst wondrous wildlife and amazing accommodation luxuriously inspired by the Great Outdoors, with unspoilt Suffolk countryside as far as your eye can see.

Bedrooms: Varies

Sleeps: 8

From

£332 / 2 nts

Lough Mardal Lodge Glamping

Ballintra, County Donegal, Ireland

Luscious, off-grid lakeside retreats and a strawbale lodge, mesmerisingly secluded amongst 90 acres of diverse, wild, and unspoilt landscapes on the Wild Atlantic Way.

Bedrooms: Open plan

Sleeps: 2-4 per unit

From

£100 / night

Top of the Woods

Boncath, Pembrokeshire, Wales

Warmth, wildlife and a friendly sense of community await, at an eco award-winning Pembrokeshire camp-and-glamp site.

Bedrooms: Varies

Sleeps:

From

£70 / night

Wye Glamping

Brecon, Powys, Wales

Reconnect with nature and enjoy breathtaking views in eco-friendly luxury, set against a stunning backdrop of the Brecon Beacons.

Bedrooms:

Sleeps: Varies

From

£275 (3 night w/e or 4 night midweek)

Lydcott Glamping

Widegates, Cornwall, England

A unique, expertly handcrafted back-to-nature escape that showcases some of the best sea views in Cornwall.

Bedrooms: Varies

Sleeps: 6

From

£100 / night

Lantern & Larks Bleasdale

Garstang, Lancashire, England

Luxury glamping accommodation on Bleasdale Estate in Lancashire, set beside the Forest of Bowdale.

Bedrooms: 3 per tent

Sleeps: 6 per tent

From

£295

Our Favourite Summer Hot Tub Glamping Retreats

There’s nothing like relaxing in a warming hot tub when you’re on a summer holiday. Especially when the stars are just coming out to play, and you’ve got a glass of bubbles firmly in hand.

Add the soothing natural beauty of the countryside, and even those who find it hard to switch off will feel fully relaxed in an instant!

Whether wood-fired or jet-powered, these unusual summer glamping retreats each feature that all-important hot tub, to elevate your break from great to other-worldly.

Long Valley Yurts Windermere

Witherslack, Cumbria, England

Moroccan-inspired, family-sized yurts with Scandinavian wood-fired hot tubs, nestlgamed on a charming farm site just a pebble skim away from England's largest and most spectacular natural lake.

Bedrooms: Open plan

Sleeps: Up to 6 per yurt

From

£325 (4 nts)

Brackenhill Glamping

Ugborough, Devon, England

Cosily furnished, family-sized safari tents with hot tubs, dog-friendly and secluded amongst 1,5 acres of Devon nature that's close to both Dartmoor National Park and unspoilt South Hams beaches.

Bedrooms: 2 or 3 per tent

Sleeps: 5 or 6 per tent

From

£220 / night

DDG Retreat

Casares, Andalucia, Spain

The ultimate in unique Andalusian luxury; a peacefully private glamping haven featuring the world's most opulent tents.

Bedrooms: 1 per unit

Sleeps: 2 per unit

From

£300 / night

Coppet Hill Glamping

Bridport, Dorset, England

Peaceful, private havens for couples and small families, set on a 600-acre family farm that's teeming with wildlife and golden sunflowers, surrounded by Dorset's most magnificent hills.

Bedrooms: Open plan

Sleeps: 2 (+2) per unit

From

£100 / night

Alexander House Glamping

Auchterarder, Perthshire, Scotland

Luxuriate in the beauty of the great outdoors, in welcoming en-suite yurts with hot tub or cosy horseboxes secluded in the lush grounds of a Scottish country house.

Bedrooms:

Sleeps: 2 (Yurts) 4 (Cabins)

From

£75 / night

Our Favourite Summer Couples’ Glamping Retreats

Whether you’re planning an engagement, a honeymoon, or a ‘just because’ romantic break with the one you love, there’s only one rule: it has to be special.

So you’ll find each of these charmingly unusual summer glamping retreats rich in sumptuous features – and added privacy – that make them ideal for cosy couples.

All you have to do is open a bottle of wine and get lost in the kind of deep, laughter-fuelled conversations you never seem to find time for at home, as you toast marshmallows on the crackling firepit together. Bliss.

Aladdin Luxury Camp

Phuket, Thailand

An exclusive adults-only retreat that’s home to lavish tents and a deck that floats dreamily over the lotus lake, peacefully secluded in scenic, culture-rich Phuket.

Bedrooms: 1 per tent

Sleeps: 2

From

£145 /night

Haelarcher Helicopter Glamping

The Lizard, Cornwall, England

A welcoming ‘home-from-home’ Cornish stay with a delicious farmhouse breakfast, beautiful sea views, and a comfy bed in an ex-Royal Navy helicopter!

Bedrooms: 1

Sleeps: 2

From

£138/night

Lilypod

Lewdown, Devon, England

Romantic and restorative eco-retreats, lovingly hand-crafted and nestled on a shimmering Devon farm lake, with an on-site vineyard and hammocks suspended over the water for the ultimate in digital-free luxury

Bedrooms: 1

Sleeps: 2

From

£220/night

RiverBeds Luxury Wee Lodges

Ballachulish, The Highlands, Scotland

Luxury Wee Lodges, complete with bubbling private hot tub, nestled at the entrance to the mighty Glencoe Valley.

Bedrooms: 1 per lodge

Sleeps: 2 per lodge

From

£198 / night

Earth Conker

Llanafanfawr, Powys, Wales

Unplug from daily life and unleash your creativity, in a designer off-grid glamping pod, gently nestled in a remote Welsh valley.

Bedrooms: 1

Sleeps: 2

From

£270 (2 nts)

Our Favourite Summer Group Celebration Glamping Retreats

If you’re looking for a memorable group celebration with plenty of added wow-factor, welcome to glamping!

After all, it isn’t often that you’ll sleep under the stars all together, or tell giggly stories around a communal campfire with soft fairy-lights in the background… after devouring a sizzling supper cooked in the open air!

You’ll find many of these unusual summer group glamping retreats also offer extra treats – such as catering, pampering, or fun activities – that put their stamp on your celebration and fuel excited conversations long after you’ve returned home.

Champing Lewes

Lewes, East Sussex, England

A historic haven for non-conformist worship, close to the Norman castle and Saxon lanes of Lewes with soothing sea views and the South Downs National Park on the doorstep.

Bedrooms:

Sleeps: 16

From

£74 / night

Glamp and Tipple

Attleborough, Norfolk, England

An award-winning, family-run retreat in rural Norfolk with luxury dog-friendly yurts, private facilities, and wood-fired hot tubs… ideal for first-time glampers!

Bedrooms: Varies

Sleeps: 8

From

£162 / night

Get Away Hide Away

Dereham, Norfolk , England

A peacefully secluded, entirely off-grid haven in rural Norfolk, with welcoming hosts, lovingly hand-crafted vintage horsebox retreats, and abundant wildlife.

Bedrooms: 1 per lorry

Sleeps: 4

From

£80/ night

Longberry Farm

Bethersden, Kent, England

Live your rural dreams with a group getaway on an exclusive, three-acre family-run farm filled with cosy comforts and a ‘secret' hot tub spa in the Garden of England.

Bedrooms: Open plan

Sleeps:

From

£77.50 pppn

Gilestone Glamping

Brecon, Powys, Wales

If you're in need of a break from your hectic daily life, escape to Gilestone Farm,

Bedrooms: 3 per lodge

Sleeps: Up to 6 per lodge

From

£400 (3 nights)

Walcot Hall Glamping

Lydbury North, Shropshire, England

Get ready for incredible dog-friendly glamping at Walcot Hall, where the fantastical blends with the fabulous for an unforgettable retreat. 

Bedrooms: Varies

Sleeps: Varies (2-4 per unit)

From

£30 p/n to £250 p/n

The Ceridwen Centre

Llandysul, Carmarthenshire, Wales

If you like the sound of unique accommodation on an eco-friendly, organic farm, plus the chance to try more activities than you can shake a stick at, you'll love the Ceridwen Centre!

Bedrooms: varies

Sleeps: 2-50

From

£85 / night

Middlewick Glamping

Glastonbury, Somerset, England

Magical eco-friendly holiday adventure in the enchanting E-den cabins in Glastonbury, with breathtaking views towards Glastonbury Tor and the Somerset levels.

Bedrooms: 1

Sleeps: 2 per unit

From

£85/ night