Glamp on: Mount Fuji, Glastonbury and other amazing places to pitch a fancy tent

Just because you’re camping outdoors doesn’t mean you have to give up on life’s little luxuries. Glamping is a flourishing – and typically more eco-conscious – travel trend, with accommodation ranging from luxurious tents to igloo-esque domes and treehouses emerging all over the world.

It’s a big departure from the traditional camping experience, with upscale tents offering ensuite bathrooms, jacuzzis and king-sized beds to sink into at the end of the day. For those travelling to warmer climes, some glamping accommodation even includes air conditioning.  

It’s no surprise glamping tourism is picking up speed on social media as people head into the great – and incredibly fancy – outdoors. If you’re eager to get out there too, ensure you have the best glamping experience by opting for one of these stunning destinations.  

Mount Fuji, Japan 

Located a stone’s throw from Japan’s most sacred mountain, Glamping Village TOTONOI has unbeatable views of Mount Fuji. This complex of six air-conditioned dome tents – featuring floor-to-ceiling windows that look out onto the postcard-perfect landscape – sits near one of Fuji’s famed five lakes, Lake Yamanaka.  

This Mount Fuji panorama glamping site is an ideal base from which to explore the rest of the prefecture at your own speed. As a bonus, it’s also an easy 90-minute drive from Tokyo. Make time to drop by the flower fields of Yamanaka Hananomiyako Park and the neighbouring Oshino Hakkai Village: a charming traditional village filled with ponds. 

Uyuni Salt Flats, Bolivia 

Chances are, you’ll have seen people swooning over this magical place on Instagram. These glistening flats extend as far as the eye can see in a natural mosaic of hexagons. On rainy days, when the ground reflects the clouds above, it’s difficult to tell where the flats end and the sky begins.  

Rather than tents, Airstream caravans are the accommodation of choice favoured by luxe tour operators Scott Dunn and Jacada Travel . You’ll get an enviably cosy night’s sleep, but it’s worth rousing yourself to see the stars light up the sky like a Christmas tree. 

Worthy Farm, England 

Every summer, this sleepy farm is transformed for the UK’s biggest festival, with flower crown-wearing hordes descending upon its expanse of fields for Glastonbury. While you’ll see most attendees roughing it with sleeping bags, there is a growing number of swish glamping alternatives – some of which even come with catering, special access to festival shortcuts, make-up artists and (most essential of all) functioning toilets.  

The Lovefields features beautifully decorated Mongolian yurts, while The Pop-Up Hotel ’s sleek Safari suites include an ensuite bathroom and even a porch. The Retreat presents the ultimate splurge, with helicopter transfers, four-bedroom “tent houses” and all-inclusive catering. While some might argue this takes the fun out of festival-going, there’s something to be said for falling asleep in your own gigantic bed, freshly showered and raring for another day of live entertainment.  

Serengeti, Tanzania 

On your next visit to the ever-delightful Cape Town in South Africa, extend your stay by heading further north to the Serengeti – a Unesco World Heritage site renowned for its vast plains and rich biodiversity. While hotel bigwigs like the Four Seasons have set up lodges in the area, glamping in a safari tent is a far more thrilling way to experience everything it has to offer. Wake up to herds of wildebeests and curious elephants from the comforts of five-star luxury.  

The secluded Namiri Plains encampment is all about big cats, with its tented suites and alfresco bathtubs perfectly positioned for glimpses of racing cheetahs. Meanwhile, the butler-attended Bushtops Roving Camps are the pinnacle of luxury on four wheels; these tents (sunken jacuzzi and all) move each day to ensure you see as much of the park as possible.  

Vancouver Island, Canada 

Escape the bustle of Vancouver’s city centre and head to British Columbia’s lush forests, where you’ll find everything from ultra-luxe tents to treehouses to hole up in. Perfect for outdoorsy types, the area is replete with nature trails, secluded beaches and lakes galore.  

When night falls over Vancouver Island, you can camp up in the treetops with Free Spirit Spheres , whose liveable orbs are suspended high off the ground. Alternatively, Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge is widely regarded as one of the most luxurious encampments around, with tents set up both at the water’s edge at Clayoquot Sound and deeper in the evergreen glades, giving you a choice of experiences.  

Hero image: Scott Dunn