The Best Glamping Sites in Ireland

Slane is best known for its huge once-annual rock concerts (Guns N’ Roses headlined in 2017), but it has plenty more to offer, with the Hill of Tara and Newgrange both nearby. As the only site amid the best part of Ireland’s Ancient East to make our list, Rock Farm is the ideal base. This languid eco-tourism spot is tucked in amongst the trees overlooking Slane Castle. As well as high-end glamping facilities, it is home to fantastic yurts and shepherd’s huts. Electric bikes, kayaking, hiking and tree-climbing (yes, it’s a thing!) are all on offer locally.

Set on 90 acres (36ha) of wildflower meadows and heather-covered hills along Ireland’s famously beautiful Wild Atlantic Way, Lough Mardal Lodge is a glamping spot like no other. Here, luxury yurts are primely positioned on the shore of the Lough. While there is no electricity in the yurt, the nearby lodge provides a kitchen, loos and a warming stone-clad fireplace. For the eco-conscious, there’s a charging point for electric cars, too.

In County Clare, just an hour’s drive from the arresting Cliffs of Moher, Shannon Estuary Glamping is a hidden oasis. Choose from glamping dens, safari relaxation tents or small wooden huts, and cook up a storm at the site’s BBQ and pizza oven. Here, the Wild Atlantic Way is on your doorstep, so there’s plenty of scenic vistas to discover just a short drive away.

Kerry should already be on your list of spots to visit if you have more than a week or two in Ireland. Just a couple of miles outside of the town, this simple but lovely destination is a great base. Killarney Glamping is very much a family affair, a small site with beautifully presented and pleasantly heated tents tucked on top of wooden frames to ensure they can withstand the Kerry weather. Horses live in the nearby field, while you get your own kitchen area and some lovely spa options.

Located in a county that’s a byword for “rural nowhere” in Ireland, Teapot Lane is the ultimate gorgeous escape, taking a pretty field and turning it into an almost magical, quirky corner, filled with yurts and caravans. There’s an entire garden laid out for fairies. Aside from the magic (which has made this spot a popular wedding location), there are also luxury cabins on offer and breakfast eggs fresh from the on-site hen house. For the adventurous, there’s surfing down the road, too.

Another lovely Leitrim spot, Pink Apple’s rugged, comfortable yurts come within a campsite that has a real sense of magic. The most popular activity (pre-book!) is the pizza – make and bake your own in a wood-fired oven; the homemade organic cider comes highly recommended as well. There’s a sense of community around the shared evening fires and kid-leaning set-up. It’s also a spot for adventure, be it on the local lakes and rivers with a kayak or one of the foraging walks. Look out for the hobbit house, too.

Irish festival goers know this particular spot for its location down the road from the country’s biggest musical offering, Electric Picnic. Unless you’re heading to Stradbally’s finest, try to avoid the first weekend of September, then. The rest of the year, however, this family-run rural corner has a kind of thrown-together rugged feel to it, but it also manages to provide luxury bathrooms, a fire pit and pleasant dining corners. Horse riding is the big thing nearby, while Glamping Under the Stars’ kid-friendly tents have plenty of cushions and mini-beds for the little ones.