5 unique ways to try glamping in Switzerland (2022)

When I was younger, I used to love to go camping.

It could be setting up a tent in our backyard and living outside for a few weeks during summer. Or I would grab a canoe and hit the waters around Canada’s Georgian Bay area. In any case, camping was an adventure and a way to get away from it all.

However, it also had its price. For one, the gear was expensive. And as for the quality of sleep… Let’s just say that after a week, you would get out of the woods not just smelling like a wild animal. You also needed a good night’s rest like a bear needs to hibernate in the winter.

Camping made comfortable: glamping!

Recently, traveling has allowed me to stay at many beautiful hotels. Often experiences in themselves, however, hotels tend to lack the elements of adventure and nature that camping can provide.

In the past few years, a new market has popped up: glamping. It offers the near comfort of a hotel while still providing much of that camping feeling. The word is a portmanteau from glamorous and camping. And in today’s world of Instagram-inspired travel, the luxurious tents, pods, and treehouses have become all the rage.

Needless to say, there are several places in Switzerland offering bookable glamping experiences.

Here are five places to try glamping in Switzerland in 2022:

TCS Pop-up Glamping Village in Laax

Any car owner in Switzerland will be familiar with TCS, the Swiss equivalent of the American Automobile Association (AAA). For years, TCS has offered affordable, family-friendly camping sites throughout Switzerland.

This summer, TCS returns with the popular pop-up glamping village. The Alp Nagens meadow above the town of Laax in Graubünden is host to nearly two dozen tents. The village is set up to leave a minimal ecological footprint. For instance, each tent unit comes with its own sustainable outhouse. And at the end of the summer, the entire site will be removed and returned to nature.

Here at 2000 meters above the sea, your tent neighbors might be urban couples or active families. What everyone has in common is that they want to experience glamping in Switzerland!

Reserve a TCS Pop-Up Glamping tent

The Whitepods Eco-Luxury Hotel in Valais

The Whitepod Eco-Luxury Hotel is one of the first glamping sites in Switzerland. (It has been in operation since 2004.) The 18 geodesic structure pods are located above Giettes in the Valais. The pods are covered in winter and summer to blend into the surroundings – white in winter and green in summer. The hotel also uses local suppliers for food and drink to reduce the carbon footprint.

Read more and book your experience

(Photography copyright Whitepods Camping)

The Anako Lodge in Valais

Across the valley from the Whitepods are the Anako Lodges. These are traditional Valais alpine huts that were set to be demolished. Instead, they were refurbished into holiday huts.

The experience in these huts is not technically glamping. But still, it offers a memorable stay in the Swiss Alps. Like the other glamping sites, the Anako Lodge puts a premium on sustainability and eco-friendliness.

Learn more and book your experience

(Photography copyright Eva Akamp)

The Himmelbett Bubble Hotels in Thurgau

If you are looking for a glamping experience not too far from Zürich, the Himmelbett Bubble Hotel might be for you.

Five locations are spread between Romanshorn and Frauenfeld, although nowhere near a city center. Instead, these transparent bubbles are sitting in areas that are hidden from onlookers. Yet, they offer beautiful vistas over orchards and the rolling landscape, with an uninterrupted view of the stars at night.

Learn more and book your experience

(Photography copyright Eva Akamp)

La Pinte Du Vieux Manoir in Fribourg

Meet Switzerland’s most exclusive treehouse: the Glass Diamond treehouse on Lac de Morat (Murtensee). This lodge is made of reflective glass allowing for 360-degree panoramic views while offering complete privacy.

This is a perfect couples’ getaway and is very exclusive: there is only one such treehouse for overnight stays. The same company also offers a lake house for larger groups and a converted railway control house.

Learn more and book your experience

(Photography copyright Eva Akamp)

Why has glamping become such a trend?

Even during short trips, glamping offers unique experiences and ways to connect to the surrounding nature. Glamping sites have the benefit of near hotel comfort with no need to bring a tent or sleeping bag. Almost weekly, there are more places for glamping popping up all over Switzerland.

Those who are into traditional camping should have a look at the many TCS camping sites in Switzerland.

And here are more unique ways to try glamping in Switzerland!