The World’s Best Glamping Retreats

Across deserts, jungles, and coastlines, a new generation of tented camps has turned glamping into a fully realized category—stays under canvas that prioritize design, setting, and comfort in equal measure. At their best, they offer immersion in nature alongside the comforts of a well-run hotel, including running water, electricity, king beds, fine linens, and in some cases, spas and destination-worthy dining.

For Afar’s Hotels We Love series, we’ve surveyed the global landscape to deliver the finest examples of luxury under canvas. (African safari camps, which operate in a category of their own, are covered separately.)

Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa

The most luxurious way to experience Dubai’s desert may smash an entire holiday budget, but a stay in the Bedouin-inspired tented suites at Al Maha might well be worth it. It’s one of the best places to see desert conservation in action: Al Maha is in the heart of the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, home to the UAE’s largest free-roaming herd of Arabian oryx, a species brought back from extinction in the wild through rehabilitation initiatives.

Guests should keep their eyes peeled for gazelles, too—300 Arabian and 100 sand gazelles inhabit the dunes, and the more inquisitive ones often come right up to the 42 tented accommodations. Water recycling, biodiesel, and solar panels all contribute to Al Maha’s efforts to tread lightly on the fragile desert ecosystem.—Nicola Chilton

Related: These Are the 12 Best Hotels in Dubai

andBeyond Punakha River Lodge

Along the Mo Chhu River in Bhutan’s Punakha Valley, andBeyond Punakha River Lodge has only six tented suites (plus a one-bedroom and two-bedroom villa) positioned between rice fields and forest. The first andBeyond lodge in Asia, the setting is a big part of the appeal—river in front, mountains and monasteries in the distance. Inside the tents, expect hardwood floors, king beds, and lounge areas with details like velvet seating and a blue-and-white bone inlay drinks trolley. Mornings start with cappuccinos delivered through a wooden hatch, paired with a soft gong, while the bathrooms feature brass-panel tubs set beneath skylights for open-air-feeling soaks.

During the day, the hotel can arrange guided visits to nearby dzongs and monasteries, hikes and bike rides through the valley, river rafting, and cultural experiences in local villages. Back on site, there’s a small spa, a yoga pavilion, and a central lodge for meals, with menus inspired by Bhutanese dishes.—Bailey Berg

Related: These Are the Best New Hotels of 2024

Camp Sarika at Amangiri

Set within a secluded canyon adjacent to Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, Aman Camp Sarika is a collection of 10 low-slung canvas pavilions that blend with their surroundings. It launched in 2020 as the new tented extension of Amangiri, which opened in 2009 and whose guests have included the likes of Brad Pitt and Tom Hanks. Each one- or two-bedroom dwelling (1,882 and 2,825-square-feet, respectively) features a spacious lounge, bar, and dining area. Bathrooms have deep soaking tubs and indoor and outdoor showers that face natural rock escarpments estimated to be 164 million years old. Terraces feature plunge pools, telescopes, and cozy firepits.

Surrounding the resort are five national parks and the Navajo Nation Reservation, the largest Native American reservation in the United States. Activities include horseback riding and guided hikes into nearby Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks, as well as hoop dancing and storytelling experiences led by Navajo practitioners. Some Navajo traditions like smudging find their way into Amangiri’s 25,000-square-foot spa, a largely open-air facility where guests can sip greent-hread leaf–based Navajo tea and soak up the landscape between treatments.—Bailey Berg

Related: Visiting a National Park, but Don’t Want to Rough It? Book a Room at One of These Dreamy Hotels

Capella Ubud

A rain orest retreat, designed by Bangkok-based architect Bill Bensley, Capella Ubud leaves a light footprint. Located 4.5 miles from the ever-more-crowded village of Ubud, Capella sits along a quiet river embankment in the traditional rice-farming village of Keliki. No trees were felled to erect 23 tented, teak-floored accommodations that allow in the sounds of the surrounding rainforest.

Doors and headboards were carved by Balinese artisans, and private plunge pools are clad in natural stone. There’s a vast, aboveground saltwater pool, and perhaps the first hotel fitness center that could be called exquisite, thanks to its soaring draped-fabric enclosure and its dramatic hand-painted columns. Elsewhere, Indonesian artworks—batik fabrics, intricate paintings from the nearby village of Kamasan—add to the effect.—Kathryn Romeyn

Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge

In a remote spot off Vancouver Island in British Columbia, surrounded by rainforest, mountains, and beaches, Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge first opened in 1998 as an overnight floating resort experience. Since then, it has grown into a luxury retreat with 25 tented accommodations along the banks of Clayoquot Sound. In 2026, it relaunched as part of the Beckons collection of all-inclusive lodges in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Chile.

While the camp has a rugged atmosphere, with huge stone fireplaces and a long wooden cookhouse, it’s an outpost with such luxuries as white linen tablecloths, polished silverware, soft comforters, and high-thread-count bedding. The tents, built on raised platforms a little way from the main camp, feature wood-burning stoves and contemporary-feeling furnishings in neutral hues that complement the natural surroundings. They also have in-floor heating and en suite bathrooms with indoor/outdoor showers. Guests spend their days whale-watching, shooting clay pigeons, and exploring the retreat’s 600-acre reserve on foot or on horseback.

Related: This Wilderness Lodge Will Take You to the Center of Life in an Ancient Forest

Collective Retreats Governors Island

Eight minutes by ferry from downtown Manhattan, Governors Island is a tiny 172-acre island and public park enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. And since 2018, people have been able to spend the night there at Collective Retreats Governors Island. Better known for opening luxury camping sites in such remote locations as Yellowstone and Texas Hill Country, Collective Retreats makes its urban debut with its Governors Island location, where views of the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty are on offer outside of each luxury canvas tent.

There are 27 “Journey” tents or 10 “Summit” tents, both featuring real beds and mattresses, fully functional electricity, and French press coffee bars. The Journey tents offer a slightly cozier option and shared bathrooms within a two-minute walk of each campsite. For those wanting a truly over-the-top camping experience, Summit tents each come with a private en suite bathroom with rain shower, spacious deck with Adirondack chairs, and other amenities like Yeti coolers. Breakfast is also included in the Summit tent rates and can be delivered directly to your bed for an extra fee. For those who prefer more cabin-like structures, the Outlook Shelter and Outlook Liberty Suite are temperature controlled, come with private bathrooms, and have proper doors and windows instead of tent flaps.—Lyndsey Matthews

Related: Inside the Island Glamping Retreat Just Minutes From Downtown Manhattan

Dunton River Camp

Less than two hours from Colorado’s Mesa Verde National Park, the seasonal, 500-acre Dunton River Camp features eight luxury tents with showstopping views of the San Juan Mountains or the west fork of the Dolores River. Each tent sleeps two people. When you’re not off exploring the ancient pueblo cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde, steam in a streamside sauna, explore the area on a complimentary mountain bike, or visit the only active geyser in Colorado, which is on site at the Dunton River Camp.

Interested in hiking, fly-fishing, or horseback riding? Each day, an included guided tour sets off from the camp. À la carte activities such as rock climbing, rafting, and photography instruction can be booked as well. Back in your tent, unwind in the six-foot soaker tub. No need to worry about chills: A towel-warmer stands nearby.—Brooke Vaughan

Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle

Set at the meeting point of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar and reached by longtail boat along the Ruak River, Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle is tucked into bamboo forest, with a collection of canvas-and-teak safari-style tents set on raised platforms and connected by wooden walkways. Each tent has its own design concept—different layouts, textiles, and details—so no two feel exactly the same, but all have hardwood floors, clawfoot tubs, outdoor showers, and wide decks with views into the jungle.

What sets it apart is how much is available to guests (even if it’s not bundled into the nightly rate) and how closely the experience is tied to the setting. Guests can book time with the camp’s rescued elephants, head out on river excursions, or add on cooking classes and spa treatments. The hotel also does a strong job with one-off dining experiences—think meals set up at the elephant camp or sunset cocktails at Camp Peak, the highest point on the property. Otherwise, dining is centered around open-air restaurants and bars with sweeping views across the treetops, with a more à la carte approach.—Bailey Berg

Longitude 131°

Australian Indigenous groups are among the world’s first astronomers, with thousands of years of star knowledge and an early understanding of the night sky. With almost no urban development, Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park contains some of the most expansive skies in the world, offering unobstructed views from horizon to horizon. Sitting adjacent to the park is Longitude 131°, a luxury tented camp that overlooks the Outback’s vast, dusty Red Centre and the famed monolithic Uluṟu (Ayers Rock) and the Kata Tjuṯa domed rock formations. The lodge’s 16 tented pavilion suites are designed to have minimal impact on the delicate, red-dune environment.

Tents have floor-to-ceiling windows with views of Uluṟu, and private outdoor decks have eco-friendly, clean-burning fireplaces and safari beds for sleeping under the stars. For knockout views of both Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa, book the two-bedroom Dune Pavilion suite, with private outdoor stargazing beds and an outdoor plunge pool to soak up the sky.—Megan Eaves

Related: The 19 Best Hotels in the World for Stargazing

Mendocino Grove

Forget the sleeping bag: Mendocino Grove has 60 roomy tents featuring comfy beds, plush linens, heated mattress pads, and warm comforters. All tents come with a fire ring and grill so you can cook dinner (or dessert), and there are a handful of gas barbecues available if you’re more salmon kebabs than hot-dog-on-a-stick. You’ll need to rent or supply your own cookware and grilling utensils. After, join your fellow campers for live music and s’mores around one of the communal firepits, or warm up inside the property’s sauna.

While Mendocino Grove isn’t located directly on the shore, it’s coast-adjacent and a few minutes drive to Mendocino’s numerous beaches. Or you can rent a beautifully built outrigger from Catch-a-Canoe, which is about a 15-minute walk down a trail from the campground. Spend the day paddling peacefully along the Big River that flows from the campground out to the ocean. (It also rents bikes if two wheels are more your thing.)—Jessie Beck

Related: Wake Up to the Waves at These Beautiful Beach Camping Spots in California

Naviva, a Four Seasons Resort

This adults-only tented camp is only a three-minute drive down the road from the original Four Seasons Punta Mita—yet it feels worlds away. Set within the jungle on a hill above a white-sand beach, Naviva consists of just 15 tented rooms, making for a more secluded setting. This is not exactly glamping—the rooms are all fully contained structures, but a gigantic canopy—inspired by monarch butterfly wings—has been built over each of them to give it the look of a tent.

Inside each you’ll find creature comforts like air conditioning and well-stocked mini bars with milk for coffee; sliding glass doors on two of the four walls allow the outdoors in. The 15 rooms are divided into Ocean View Bungalows and Ocean View Grand Bungalows—the latter come with a king-size bed, a screened porch, a deck with a plunge pool, and a lounge area with a gas firepit. The bathroom includes a shower and bathtub, plus an outdoor shower. The regular tents have the same accommodations, on a slightly smaller scale both indoors and outdoors (but you’ll get a hammock in lieu of the two-tier deck with firepit).—Lyndsey Matthews

Related: Private Glamping Tents, White Sand Beaches, a Botanist on Site. And It’s a Four Seasons.

Nayara Tented Camp

This tented camp in the La Fortuna area couldn’t be further from roughing it. The 37 spacious glamping accommodations at Nayara Tented Camp come with private hot-spring-fed pools with views of the active Arenal volcano, king-size beds, massive bathrooms with deep soaking tubs, indoor and outdoor showers, and a personal butler to cater to your every whim. It’s located on the same 62-acre rewilded estate as sister properties Nayara Gardens and Nayara Springs. The camp offers several multi-bedroom tents that are especially convenient for traveling families.

Activities appeal to various age groups and include naturalist-led bird-watching, frog-spotting walks, and visits to the farmers’ market in La Fortuna town and to the wildlife-filled Arenal Hanging Bridges Park. Learn about Nayara’s sloth habitat protection efforts through an on-property experience called the Secret Life of Tony the Sloth, where guests learn about a sloth that has called Nayara home for many years. Several sloths live on the property, thanks to the resort’s reforestation efforts that planted more than 1,000 cecropia trees, which the mammals depend on for food.—Devorah Lev-Tov

Related: 13 Standout Luxury Resorts in Costa Rica, From Jungle Hideaways to Beach Retreats

The Ranch at Rock Creek

Spread across 6,600 acres in western Montana, the Ranch at Rock Creek is a full-scale ranch resort, with a mix of accommodations that range from luxury canvas tents to log cabins and lodge rooms. The glamping tents are more of a canvas–cabin hybrid than traditional glamping setup, with wood floors, solid walls in places, king beds, and en suite bathrooms.

This is a true all-inclusive ranch stay, with activities that shift by season, such as horseback riding, fly fishing, archery, hiking, and even sapphire mining in warmer months; snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and sleigh rides in winter. Dining is similarly comprehensive, with farm-to-table meals that cover everything from morning coffee and pastries to breakfast, lunch, social hour, and dinner, plus unlimited beer, wine, and spirits throughout the day.

If that weren’t enough, there’s also a 2,000 square-foot spa and the Silver Dollar Saloon, the main gathering spot, with billiards, bowling, karaoke, and a small movie theater, along with outdoor firepits for s’mores when the weather cooperates. It’s a lot, but the scale of the ranch means it never feels crowded, and it’s just as easy to step away and spend time along the creek or back at your tent.—Bailey Berg

The Resort at Paws Up

One of the most luxurious Western guest ranches since it opened in 2005, the Resort at Paws Up in Greenough, Montana, sprawls over 37,000 acres of rocky peaks, meadows where elk roam, and ponderosa pines in the Blackfoot Valley, with the river of the same name running through it all. While the retreat’s accommodations range from luxury homes with verandas to design-driven, adults-only Green O, the glamping tents are among the most sought-after spots; they are bookable in the warmer months between mid-May and mid-October.

Located in such picturesque areas as the Blackfoot River and Elk Creek, the glamping sites are organized into six separate camps that take anywhere between two and six guests each. Canvas suites feature private baths, large beds with wooden frames, and even chandeliers, while a communal dining pavilion features a fireplace and firepit that’s managed by a private camp chef. Butlers are at the ready to organize guest activities, including on-site fly-fishing and horseback riding on 100 miles of private trails. Adults and kids 12 and up can help move small herds of Black Angus cattle on sample stock drives.

Related: Big Sky, Big Sound: How a Deprived Musician Found His Creative Stride on a Montana Ranch

Sal Salis

Sal Salis sits right on the edge of Ningaloo Reef, with just 15 tents among the dunes, each one angled toward the Indian Ocean. Inside, it’s pared back but comfortable, with en suite bathrooms and hammock-topped decks made for watching the light change over the water.

There’s very little that stands between you and the reef. You don’t need a boat or a guide to get started—simply walk a few steps from your tent and you’re snorkeling over coral. The camp offers a range of included excursions, from guided kayaking over the reef to hikes in the surrounding national park. In season, there’s a chance to see (and swim with) whale sharks and humpbacks as they move through these waters. The rest of the setup is just as straightforward. Meals, drinks, and daily activities are included, with breakfast and dinner served in the open-air lodge and picnic lunches packed for the beach.—Bailey Berg

Shinta Mani Wild, Cambodia

This tented camp experience in Cambodia’s South Cardamom rainforest is the only one of its kind in the country. Shinta Mani Wild is a passion project from Bangkok-based architect Bill Bensley, who with investor Sokoun Chanpreda purchased an 865-acre swath of land—about the size of New York City’s Central Park—from a logging auction. On that land, he created 15 individually designed tents without cutting down a single tree. He filled them with large beds, Cambodian wood carvings, and open-air bathtubs that allow guests to take in the surrounding jungle. About 70 percent of the retreat’s staff of 120 people come from the local village.

Shinta Mani Wild is located near a key elephant migration trail, and bears, macaques, gibbons, Indochinese tigers, and hornbills also call this habitat home. Experiences offer guests different ways to connect with nature, be it on one of Southeast Asia’s longest zip-lines, in a kayak on the river that runs through the property, on a bird-watching walk, or via a mountain bike. Shinta Mani Wild partners with the NGO Wildlife Alliance, which patrols the property for poachers, an activity that guests can join. The retreat’s sister nonprofit, Shinta Mani Foundation, supports rural families in the area with such projects as a hospitality school and a small business loan program.

Suján Jawai

Seeing notoriously elusive wild leopards anywhere in the world is a thrill—and at Suján Jawai, in the Aravalli Hills of Rajasthan, encounters are practically an everyday occurrence. The 10-tent luxury camp’s conservation and rewilding efforts have led to a balanced relationship between local villagers and wild leopards with little human-animal conflict. As a result, the animals here are unusually relaxed around people.

Suján Jawai isn’t only about leopards, though. Bird-watchers will love the rich avian life, equestrians can explore the wild landscapes on Marwari and Kathiawari horses, and the tented camp itself offers the perfect balance of simultaneously immersing you in the wild while coddling you with care. The wilderness-edge swimming pool is irresistible, the cocktails and fireside dinners unforgettable, and the beds so comfy they’re a joy to fall into at the end of an adventurous day.

Three Camel Lodge

In the Gobi Altai Mountains of South Gobi, Mongolia, Three Camel Lodge is composed of 40 luxury ger tents with wool carpets, cozy camel hair blankets, wood stoves for cold evenings, and en suite bathrooms built with local stone. A safari-style 4x4 takes guests to Khongoryn Els Sand Dunes—known as the “Singing Sands” for the low hum they emit when you walk on them—and to a valley filled with millennia-old petroglyphs. The day ends with a sundowner and dinner served alfresco at the base of the Flaming Cliffs, where some of Mongolia’s most impressive dinosaur fossils have been found.

Under Canvas Bryce Canyon

Founded in 2012 by Sarah and Jacob Dusek in Bozeman, Montana, Under Canvas offers upscale safari-style tents in 13 different locations across the United States, all next to popular national parks. Debuted in 2022, Under Canvas Bryce Canyon puts visitors within an easy 15-minute drive of the entrance to Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park, which has the highest concentration of otherworldly hoodoos on Earth.

The camp’s 50 tents are set on 700 acres of rolling grasslands ringed by craggy mountains. Amid the canvas-topped, wooden-framed tents, pronghorn and white-tailed deer regularly make appearances. Accommodations range from a Deluxe (which sleeps two) to a Suite (which sleeps four). All tents, which are fully solar powered, feature West Elm furnishings, en suite bathrooms with low-flow toilets and hot water, king-size beds, and wood-burning fireplaces for chilly nights.

As with its other camps, there’s no electricity (although there are battery packs for charging electronics and lanterns), and there isn’t a television or Wi-Fi signal. In the main “lobby"—a large, billowing tent at the edge of camp—a kitchen serves frittata breakfast sandwiches and hot dinners like roasted trout. Grab-n-go options are available in the afternoon when the kitchen is closed, and free s’mores kits are on hand every night for those who’d like to enjoy something sweet by the campfire. Complimentary programming includes yoga classes, live music, and astrology readings.—Mae Hamilton

This story originally published in 2023. It was updated with new reporting in April 2026.