For an immersive dose of nature without compromising comfort in the slightest, you can’t get much better than glamping.
In the United States, glamping tends to focus on privacy and seclusion with luxury tents and yurts scattered across deserts and forested parks. But in Europe, glamping looks pretty different. In addition to resort-like amenities, European glamping leans on agrotourism and a built-in social scene. The structures also tend to be permanent rather than seasonal.
Here are five stellar glamping experiences to check out on your next trip across the Atlantic.
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Whitepod Original in Switzerland
At Whitepod Original in the Valais region of Switzerland, visitors can enjoy the Swiss Alps, all while sleeping in luxury geodesic domes year-round.
Sitting at an elevation of about 4,600 feet above sea level, each dome provides guests with a pellet stove, bathroom, panoramic windows, and a terrace. In true European eco-conscious fashion, each dome is designed to use 30 percent less energy for heating and cooling than other conventional structures.
Additionally, the property includes two spa and wellness spaces, a restaurant, and a social cabin with a yoga studio, movie theater, kitchen, and more. The resort also has guided seasonal activities like hiking, snowshoeing, tennis, paragliding, and more.
Odyssey Eco Farm Glamping in Greece
Swap the typical Greek island beach club for a night under the stars alongside leafy olive, lemon, and orange trees at Odyssey Eco Farm Glamping, located on the Greek island of Poros.
Easily accessible by a high-speed ferry from Athens, this glamping experience puts guests up in either bell tents, canvas lodges, safari tents, chalets, cottages, or bungalows. The exact amenities depend on which glamping experience you choose, but all accommodations have access to private bathrooms, which are either en-suite or a few meters away.
Outside of sleeping quarters, on-site experiences are designed to connect guests with nature and Greek culture, whether touring an eco-farm, kayaking, fishing, wine tasting, or learning Greek dance moves.
There are also regular opportunities to go into the gardens with staff and pick olives, pomegranates, and grapes straight from the source.
Glamping Canonici di San Marco in Italy
Many tourists who visit northern Italy never venture far outside of Venice. But with accommodations such as Glamping Canonici di San Marco, what a mistake that would be.
This countryside property situated in Mirano, just a 30-minute drive outside Venice, has luxury safari tents, as well as two rooms inside a restored 17th-century Venetian farmhouse. There are also pitching sites for those who wish to bring their own tent.
Each safari tent showcases a distinct design. For example, the Mulberry tent features a natural wood theme, including a fossilized wood sink that is more than 10,000 years old, while the Deluxe Bagolaro tent has an African safari theme through design prints and art.
Across the resort, guests enjoy access to a pool, breakfast, bike tours, wine tastings, ceramics workshops, and more.
Alp Glamping Village in Slovenia
Slovenia is often overlooked for its more popular neighbors. However, Alp Glamping Village in Radovljica is worth a trip on its own.
Just a 15-minute drive from Lake Bled, this adults-only glamping resort is surrounded by endless views of the Julian Alps. There are four wooden cabins, each of which has a private wood-fired hot tub and bathroom. And come morning, you’ll be hand-delivered a breakfast basket.
Unlike others on this list, amenities are otherwise light, though that’s somewhat intentional. This is a place that encourages you to get lost in the surrounding nature and truly slow down.
Arena One 99 Glamping in Croatia
While Dubrovnik earns much tourist love as the filming location of “Game of Thrones,” if you head farther north to Pomer on the Istrian Peninsula, you’ll discover Croatia’s first glamping resort, Arena One 99 Glamping.
Here, guests enjoy direct access to the Adriatic Sea while snuggled within a pine forest. There are 199 tents, including a wide variety of luxury safari tents, which all have air conditioning, a kitchen, a wooden terrace, and Wi-Fi—some of which even come with hot tubs.
Other amenities include a spa, sauna, a kids club, restaurants, beach bars, and guided tours for a full resort experience.
The Shortcut
Europe's version isn't about hiding from people. You get pools, spas, restaurants, and neighbors.
Several of these double as working farms. You can pick olives and pomegranates before breakfast.
Expect a wider variety of accommodations, from geodesic domes and safari tents to eco-cabins and beachside lodges.
