China has gone glamping-mad in the last few years. The domestic travel boom that followed the pandemic years, combined with a generation of Chinese travellers who want nature without sacrificing comfort, has produced an extraordinary range of luxury outdoor experiences. You can sleep in a transparent dome under the Milky Way in the Gobi Desert, wake up in a Mongolian yurt to endless grasslands, or spend the night in a cliffside tent above a glacial lake.
For international visitors, this is a genuinely exciting and underexplored aspect of Chinese travel. These aren’t just nice tents — they’re often architectural statements in some of the most dramatic landscapes on Earth.
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China’s Glamping Landscape: What to Expect
Chinese glamping (营地露营 or 轻奢露营) ranges from well-equipped campsites with nice tents all the way to boutique wilderness retreats charging ¥2,000+ per night. The category is loosely defined, but the best examples share a few characteristics:
- Dramatic natural settings — desert dunes, alpine meadows, lakeshores, mountain slopes
- Comfortable accommodation — proper beds, climate control (heating/cooling), private bathrooms in better camps
- Food and hospitality — meals included or available on-site, often featuring local ingredients
- Curated activities — stargazing, horse riding, hiking, cultural experiences
The booking process for most Chinese glamping experiences is done through Meituan, Ctrip (Trip.com), Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book — where Chinese travellers share glamping reviews in detail), or the camp’s own WeChat mini-program. Trip.com has English support and is the most accessible for international visitors.
The Gobi Desert: Dunhuang and Zhangye
Dunhuang Desert Camps, Gansu
Dunhuang’s Singing Sand Dunes (鸣沙山) are a natural wonder — a sea of orange dunes next to an oasis crescent lake (月牙泉). Several luxury camps have established themselves here, allowing guests to sleep among the dunes themselves.
What’s available:
- Geodesic dome tents with transparent roofs — designed specifically for stargazing. Dunhuang is one of China’s best locations for astronomy; the skies are dark and the altitude is moderate
- Yurt-style luxury tents with proper beds, heating, and en-suite bathrooms
- Camel rides at sunrise (¥120–200 per person) — a typical add-on
- Sand dune activities: sandboarding, 4WD desert cruises
Prices: ¥600–2,500 per night depending on tent type and season. Higher-end transparent dome tents are ¥1,500–2,500 per night and include breakfast.
Best season: April–June and September–October. Summer (July–August) is hot in the Gobi — temperatures exceed 40°C during the day, though nights are cool. Winter is cold and windy.
Getting there: Fly to Dunhuang (DNH) — there are flights from Xi’an, Lanzhou, Urumqi, Beijing, and Shanghai. From Dunhuang city, the camps are 5–10km from the dune entrance.
Zhangye Rainbow Mountains Area, Gansu
The Zhangye Danxia Landform (七彩丹霞) is one of China’s most photographed landscapes — multi-coloured sedimentary rock formations that look painted. Glamping camps near Zhangye allow you to experience the colour changes at sunrise and sunset (the most dramatic light) rather than rushing through on a day trip.
Best season: May–October.
Inner Mongolia: Grassland Yurt Camps
The Inner Mongolia (内蒙古) grasslands offer a completely different Chinese landscape — flat, vast, and green in summer, with a culture rooted in nomadic Mongolian traditions. The yurt (蒙古包) is the traditional home of the Mongolian herder, and luxury yurt camps have evolved from traditional hospitality into something genuinely impressive.
Hulunbuir Grassland (呼伦贝尔草原)
Hulunbuir, in northeastern Inner Mongolia near the Russian border, is considered the most beautiful grassland in China — it’s greener and less developed than the areas closer to Hohhot. River bends through lush grass, eagles in the sky, and almost no development visible.
Camp experience:
- Large luxury yurts with wooden floors, proper beds, underfloor heating
- Horse riding with Mongolian guides (¥150–300 for 2 hours)
- Traditional Mongolian meals: lamb hotpot, hand-grabbed lamb (手把肉), milk tea
- Cultural performances: Mongolian throat singing, traditional music
- Sunrise and sunset rides on horseback or by jeep
Prices: ¥500–1,500 per yurt per night, typically including dinner and breakfast.
Best season: June–August. The grasslands are bright green, temperatures comfortable (20–28°C). Avoid winter — it’s -30°C and the yurts are not winterized in most camps.
Getting there: Fly to Hailar (HLD) in Hulunbuir. From there, camps arrange transfers (included in most packages).
Xilamuren Grassland, near Hohhot
More accessible from Beijing (3-hour train to Hohhot, then transfer), and more touristy, but still delivers the yurt experience. Good for a weekend trip from Beijing. Prices are lower: ¥300–800 per yurt per night.
Yunnan: Mountain Camps Near Lijiang and Shangri-La
Yunnan’s diversity of landscapes — from subtropical river valleys to Tibetan-influenced high-altitude mountain ranges — makes it China’s richest glamping region.
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Area (玉龙雪山)
The mountain (4,596m highest point, cable car to 4,506m) towers above Lijiang. Camps at the mountain’s base or in the nearby valley offer morning views of the glacier before the clouds roll in.
What’s available:
- Luxury tent camps at 2,500–3,000m altitude with stunning mountain views
- Hot spring access in many camps (several geothermal hot springs are in the area)
- Tibetan and Naxi cultural experiences
- Horseback riding through pine and meadow terrain
Prices: ¥800–2,500 per night.
Best season: March–May (flowers, clear skies) and September–October (golden light, clear views). June–August brings rainy season; visibility is lower.
Shangri-La (Zhongdian) Area
At 3,300m elevation, Shangri-La has camps near Pudacuo National Park and Songzanlin Monastery. The atmosphere is Tibetan and the scenery is extraordinary. Yak meadows, pine forests, and Buddhist prayer flags. Nighttime temperatures drop significantly year-round — even in July, nights are 5–10°C.
Napa Sea Wetland camps: Adjacent to a seasonal lake with birdlife and mountains as backdrop.
Prices: ¥700–1,800 per night.
Qinghai Lake: Lakeside Camping
Qinghai Lake (青海湖) is China’s largest inland lake — a deep blue sea at 3,200m altitude, surrounded by mountains and wild flowers. The scale impresses even visitors from large-lake countries.
Luxury Lakeside Tent Camps
Several camps line the southern shore of Qinghai Lake, particularly near the Erlangjian Scenic Area. Tent platforms are set right on the lakeside, with views across the water to the distant mountains.
What’s available:
- Container-style luxury rooms or premium tents directly on the lake shore
- Cycling along the lake (a 360km circuit exists; day rides are easily arranged)
- Wild flower fields (rapeseed flowers bloom yellow in July)
- Canola flower photography sessions
- Horseback riding
Prices: ¥600–1,500 per night.
Best season: July–August for the yellow rapeseed flowers; June and September for fewer crowds and similar scenery.
Getting there: Fly to Xining (XNN) — 2 hours from Beijing, Shanghai, or Chengdu. Qinghai Lake is 150km from Xining; camps arrange transfers or hire a car in Xining.
Booking Tips for International Visitors
Trip.com (formerly Ctrip) is the most practical platform for international visitors — English interface, accepts international credit cards, and lists most major glamping experiences. Search “camp” or “glamping” plus the destination name.
Xiaohongshu (Red Note/小红书) is where Chinese travellers share the best new camps. Even without a Chinese account, browsing the image posts gives excellent ideas. Translate app helps with the Chinese text.
Booking directly through a camp’s WeChat mini-program often gets better prices than third-party platforms, but requires WeChat and some Chinese language ability.
Cancellation policies: Most camps require booking 1–3 days in advance and have strict cancellation policies due to small capacity. Read terms before booking.
What to Pack for Chinese Glamping
Even at the most luxurious camps, some items are your responsibility:
- Layers: Temperature drops significantly at altitude at night. Even in July, a fleece or light down jacket is needed for Yunnan and Qinghai.
- Sunscreen: High altitude = strong UV, even on cloudy days
- Mosquito repellent: Inner Mongolia grasslands and Yunnan valleys have mosquitoes
- Good boots or trail shoes: Most camps involve some walking on uneven terrain
- Power bank: Phone use for photos is heavy; charging may be limited in remote camps
- Cash: Some rural camps don’t have reliable WeChat Pay signals for QR code payment