You know this feeling when, after a long busy day in nature, you don’t want to return home? You think you could stay here for the night, look at the stars and fall asleep to the sound of the wind. This is how glampings appeared, their name is translated from English as “glamorous camping”, combining the comfort we are used to with camping romance. Spheres with panoramic windows, wooden houses and gnome huts, yurts and tents – there are many options, but they are united by comfort and stunning landscapes around. The sound of the ocean, views of the majestic Lake Baikal and the volcanoes of Kamchatka, and even the colors of the northern lights are included in the price. We have put together a selection of glamping sites in Russia, where you can relax and have fun even in winter.
“Aurora Village”
Where: 49 kilometers from Murmansk towards Teriberka.
How to get there: by plane to Murmansk, then by taxi or rent a car. The cost of a flight Moscow-Murmansk and back is from 5500 rubles*.
Photo: Qiongna Liao/shutterstock.com
The main feature of dome glamping on the shores of Lake Kanentyavr is the northern lights, which guests can admire right from one of the ten igloos. It’s not surprising, since glamping is located in the Arctic Circle, and from September to April nature puts on a stunning light show here. Also at Aurora Village you can book an excursion to Teriberka, advertised by Andrei Zvyagintsev, go snowmobiling or skiing, and rent snowshoes. And in the evening – relax in a hot open-air plunge pool. Just be sure to check the northern lights forecast before booking your igloo.
“Northern Crimea”
Where: Maloe Zamoshe village, 120 km from St. Petersburg.
How get there: Tickets for the Moscow-St. Petersburg flight cost from 3200 rubles* round trip, car rental will cost from 2000 rubles* per day.
Five spheres with panoramic windows and thirteen tents are installed in a pine forest on the shore of the lake. Here you will fall asleep, looking at the starry sky, and drink coffee overlooking the snowy expanses of the lake, wrapped in a cozy blanket.
Reindeer live in the glamping area and there is a mini-farm with pets. Those who like to take a steam bath will appreciate the bathhouse on the shore, and children will certainly enjoy the ice slides and large skating rink.
LadaGlamp
Where: Uralets village, 160 km from Yekaterinburg.
How to get there: Tickets from Moscow and back will cost from 5100 rubles*, car rental from 3500 rubles* per day.
Drinking cocoa with a croissant and looking at the eternal mountains after an active day – what could be better? The dome hotel is located three kilometers from the popular ski center “Belaya Mountain” near Nizhny Tagil. Conquer during the day snowy slopes on skis or snowboards – equipment can be rented at the GLC – or climb to the top of the mountain on a comfortable chairlift to admire the snow-covered spruce trees and open spaces to the horizon. You can simply take a walk through the picturesque Ural forest or go cross-country skiing, try to do a swallow at the local skating rink, or organize a cheesecake skiing competition with friends. In the evening, bask in a vat of herbs right next to the dome, and at night enjoy the stars delivered to your room.
“Green Path”
Where: Volkovichi village, Tula region.
How to get there: it is most convenient to travel 200 km from Moscow by car. Car rental in Moscow – from 3100 rubles* per day.
Cozy wooden houses are scattered across a picturesque meadow, quiet, warm and homely – this is Green Path glamping. On Saturdays, they sing songs around the fire, cook glögg and mulled wine, and then listen to the silence – such that even roe deer come to the bank of the stream. Add to this panoramic windows through which you can watch the stars all night, cheesecake riding from the high bank of the Oka, skiing and horseback riding through a wonderful forest, bathhouses with plunge pools and delicious farm food on the menu – and you’ll understand why they call the “Green Trail” one of the best glamping sites in the Moscow region.
In December, Christmas is celebrated here in Finnish style with themed workshops and treats, as well as a hedonistic dinner. For the most inquisitive guests, there are many interesting things in the area – from the Vasily Polenov Museum and Yasnaya Polyana to the Tula Kremlin and numerous cultural institutions of the ancient city.
Daydream Forest Glamping and Snow Hotel
Where: Listvyanka village, 70 km from Irkutsk.
How to get there: plane tickets from Moscow to Irkutsk cost from 15,000 rubles* round trip, car rental in Irkutsk – from 4,000 rubles* per day.
A dozen snow houses almost on the very shore of Lake Baikal look from the outside like either hobbit holes or nomadic yurts. Inside, guests will find heated beds and a simulated starry sky overhead, and breakfast is served in a coffee shop with panoramic windows. People come to the “Valley of Dreamers” for silence, Siberian cuisine and, of course, for the majestic Baikal. Listen to the breathing of the deepest lake on the planet, admire its ice patterns, cracks, hummocks and the dance of drifting snow in the vast expanses, ride in a dog sled with the breeze or ride horses in a birch grove, and then watch a fiery sunset – glamping guests have a lot to do. In winter, caring owners prepare icy surprises for guests – come to see the miracles with your own eyes.
Kamrelax
Where: Khalaktyrsky beach (not far from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky).
How to get there : plane tickets from Moscow to Petropavlovsk will cost from 21,700 rubles* round trip.
Glamping on the Pacific Ocean with views of waves and snow-capped volcanoes is worth going to the ends of the earth for! In winter, on the black lava beach, you can spend the night in a warm Scandinavian house or spend a romantic evening in a panoramic dome – just the two of you, the sound of the wind and the vast Pacific Ocean. In the afternoon, go on an excursion to the volcanoes – from the glamping site you can see three giants at once: Koryaksky, Avachinsky and Kozelsky. Those who like to admire the beauty from above can book a helicopter excursion, including one to the famous Valley of Geysers. You can restore your strength in a sauna and a real cedar barrel. Then, basking under blankets in the house, spend the sunset over the ocean – it will definitely be on your list of the most beautiful. And try not to sleep through the dawn.
Ecocamping “Sphere”
Where: Pleshcheyevo Lake, 120 km from Moscow.How to get there: The most convenient way is by car from Moscow, rent will cost from 4000 rubles* per day.
A geo-dome, eco-hut or nomadic yurt in a coniferous forest on the shore of Lake Pleshcheyevo is an excellent opportunity to spend a weekend in the peace and quiet of a natural reserve. Walking through the winter forest, drinking tea from a real samovar, playing chess by the fireplace where the wood is crackling comfortably, brewing mulled wine over a fire and warming up in a sauna are simple joys that residents of big cities miss so much. And if you can’t sit still even on vacation, go to Pereslavl-Zalessky – there are enough museums and antiquities in the homeland of Alexander Nevsky for more than one day.
Shanti Home
Where: surroundings of Lake Ladoga, 90 and 120 km from St. Petersburg.
How to get there: Tickets Moscow—St. Petersburg cost from 3200 rubles* round trip, car rental will cost from 2000 rubles* per day.
Shanti Home has two locations – forest and lake. Multi-colored triangular houses with wall-windows, in addition to everything necessary for a comfortable stay, are equipped with fireplaces and hammocks, and several in addition have their own terrace with a heated plunge pool. You can go cross-country skiing through the forest or rent a sauna with a panoramic window. Turn off the Internet and enjoy a leisurely holiday in the winter forest. To complete the experience, rent a projector and watch your favorite movie before bed.
Dome Hotel “Vdokh”
Where: Chemal district, Altai Republic.
How to get there: Plane tickets from Moscow to Gorno-Altaisk will cost from 9,000 rubles* round trip, cover another 90 km to the hotel by taxi.
In the Altai mountains, between the Katunya River and taiga-covered gorges, there are eight futuristic domes and four modern yurts. Wood-burning fireplaces, mountain views through transparent walls and food delivery from the restaurant to your rooms… The temptation to lie around all day is great, but still go for a walk. Hiking is popular among glamping guests – there are many hiking trails and interesting viewing platforms in the surrounding area. End the evening in an Altai spa steaming vat suspended over a fire. The price includes essential oils for fragrant steam, fir brooms and tea from local herbs with honey from our own apiary. If you’re not ready to go steaming in the cauldron yet, board games await you in the spacious café tent and grill house.
*Prices valid at time of publication
