How to Plan a Budget-Friendly Glamping Trip

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How to Plan a
Budget-Friendly
Glamping Trip

Glamping is the perfect blend of the beauty of the great outdoors and the comfort of a luxury hotel.

Little girl yawning in bed inside a safari tent at Mendocino Grove California Glamping site

Budget-friendly Family Glamping

Glamping has quickly become a super hip and trendy way for families to explore and experience the beauty of mother nature. And it’s not hard to see why!

 

Glamping resorts give their guests a gorgeous place to spend the night in the middle of nature all with the comfortable accommodations of a great hotel. 

 

This is perfect for nature-lovering families who may not necessarily enjoy roughing it or worrying out bears getting into their tents. Again, it’s the perfect blend of the great outdoors and luxury hotel.  #Balance

 

However, since glamping resorts provide things like beds, running water, complimentary breakfasts, and hot showers, they are far more expensive than traditional glamping and can cost a pretty penny if you haven’t experienced a glamping getaway before. 

 

Plus with any added costs that some glamping locations charge for things like s’more kits, bedding rentals, and on-site activities, the total charges can adde up.

 

Don’t get discouraged, however. There are ways to cut costs on this wonderful, outdoor, luxury experience.

 

In this post, we’ll dive into 10 super helpful ways to plan and enjoy a family glamping trip without going overboard on the spending! After you learn these wallet-friendly tips, you should feel pretty confident in planing your next glamping adventure.

 

And stick around until the end for more great glamping related articles to inspired you to take your family glamping in California!

a single tent among trees at Mendocino grove, california

How to Plan a Budget-Friendly Glamping Trip

10 Easy Way to Cut Costs and Stay Within Budget

There’s no need to wait any longer! Here is how you can plan a great, budget-friendly glamping trip for your family that’ll be fun, memorable, and also kind to your wallet.

 

1) Determine your budget ahead of time

The most important thing that needs to happen when planning a budget-friendly glamping trip is to determine your budget ahead of time.
 
This is true for basically any trip when you’re intending to spend within budget. After all, it’s impossible to stay within budget if you don’t know what your budget is!
 

When doing this you’ll want to be really honestly about what you’re willing to spend on certain categories. These categories include things like:

 

  • price per night for accommodations
  • transportation (ie. car rental and gas)
  • meals, snacks, and drinks both at the glamp site and eating out
  • gear (ie. camping stove and coolers)
  • additional activities, whether outside or inside the glamping resort
 

2) Choose a destination that’s close to home

 
One easy way to experience glamping without spending a ton on transportation is by choosing a glamping locations that’s within driving distance from your home. This will allow you to significantly cut costs of gas and/or car rentals. This can truly make your family’s glamping adventure more budget-friendly.
 
If you are like me and my family, and live in the San Francisco Bay Area here are some great glamping locations that are close to home.
 
 
girl cooking dinner over a camp fire at mendocino grove, california

3) Go during off-peak season

 

As with most other accommodations you book, going during off-peak season is another great way to stay within budget when glamping. By avoiding peak seasons, you can easily save a few hundred dollars.
 

Here are some things to consider when looking for the best time of year to go glamping. This can help you determine which times of year might be more expensive due to higher demand.

 

  • Is it during a holiday weekend?
  • Is it during long school recesses like spring break, summer break, ski week, winter break?
  • Is it during a popular local festival?
  • Are there any bigger events that might be going on in the area?

 

 

 

4) Plan simple, budget-friendly glamping meals ahead of time

 
Just like most people do during a regular week, planning meals ahead of time can really cut costs on food. Determining what meals, snacks, and treats you’ll serve in advance can help you shop for food intentionally without buying unnecessary food items.
 
You’ll also want to keep meals as simple as possible while using similar ingredients. This way, you are more likely to used everything you buy and avoid throwing out tons of unused food that’ll go bad before you make it back home from your trip.
 
Here are some easy and cheap food ideas for your glamping adventure.
 
Breakfast
  • Muffins
  • Bagels with peanut butter
  • Easy prep fruit: apples, cutie oranges, bananas
 
Lunch
  • Peanut butter and banana sandwiches
  • cheese, crackers, and chacuterie
 
Snack
  • Easy prep fruit & veggies: apples, cutie oranges, bananas, baby carrots, grapes
  • trail mix
  • granola bars
  • crackers
  • graham crackers with peanut butter
  • Chips
 
Dinner
  • Hot dogs with chips & baby carrots
  • Premade pasta casserole 
  • Grilled corn
 
Dessert
  • s’mores
 
 
family roasting marshmallows over a campfire at Mendocino Grove, California

5) Choose a glamp site that offers free services and amenities

 

Taking advantage of free activities and services can help make at family trip more budget-friendly.

 

Make sure you know about any free amenities at your glamping resort. Some glamping resorts offer really great services activities as well and you might as well take advantage of them since they come with the price of your stay. Taking advantage of these freebies can also significantly cut the cost of your vacation.

 

Here are some examples of free goodies that some glamping resorts offer their guests.
 
  • complimentary breakfasts
  • complimentary tea, coffee, and hot cocoa all day
  • live music
  • s’more kits
  • activities like yoga and guided hikes
  • onsite activities like cornhole and bocce ball
 
 

6) Take advantage of the glamping resort’s partnerships

 
Some glamping sites have partnerships with other local businesses. Through these partnerships, businesses sometimes offer discounts to guests as a way of promoting their business. It’s a great way to get to know local small business and also get a cheaper rate at some of the nearby activities just outside of your glamp site.
 
with this in mind, be sure to check for these discounts on your glamping site’s webpage or check in with the staff for local recommendations and discounts.
 
 

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7) Research and plan affordable activities ahead of time

 

Knowing about all the affordable and free things to do just outside a glamping resort is a great way to cut costs and stay within budget.

 

There is often times plenty of activities to do both inside and outside of our glamping site. Know which ones you’d like to do in advance can help you look for the best deals and eliminate any last-minute, impulse spending.

 

 

 

Many glamping resort websites suggest really great activites in their area of your to look into, so be sure to refer to their sites. In addition, make sure you also know what activities are available onsite for free! 

 

 

 

In addition, plan to bring some of your own entertainment from home to keep the entire family entertained. Some fun things to consider include: 

 

 

  • playing cards
  • Uno
  • frisbee
  • a ball to play catch
  • bubbles
  • coloring books
  • crayons or colored pencils
  • books
  • scavenger hunts

 

 

8) Be on the lookout for any deals

 
In order to encourage guests to come visit their space, glamping resorts sometimes offer really good discounts This would be a great way to save a lot of money on your stay.
 
One way to be informed about these deals is to get on the business’s email list ahead of time. If you know of a great site you’d like to visit with your family at some point, sign yourself up for their newsletter, which will keep you up-to-date on their deals and promotions.
 
Some glamp site will offer free nights when pre-book a certain amount of nights. For example, a site might offer you a free 3rd night when you book 2 nights with them. This is great if you’re planning a longer stay and can easily save you a couple hundred dollars. 
 
woman standing in the middle of a redwood forest in Humbolt County California

9) Take advantage of nature’s free entertainment

 

What’s truly wonderful about glamping is the fact that it’s in the middle of nature and nature is filled will free and wonderful things to do! From hiking to swimming, to picnicking to climbing, mother nature has plenty of admission-free activities for you and your family to enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Before you head for your glamping adventure, be sure you know whats around your site. Here are some really great ideas for what to look for, as these are sure to entertain you for hours, without costing and arm and a leg.

 

 

 

  • hiking trails
  • forests
  • beaches
  • caves
  • oceans
  • lakes
 
 

10) Borrow (don’t rent) your glamping gear

 

Camping gear can be pricy. The cost of a good cooler and camping stove can cost a lot.

 

 

However, i f you’re new to camping and glamping, but don’t have the gear you need for a comfortable stay out in the middle of nature, you don’t necessarily need to buy any expensive gear for your trip.

 

 

You’d be surprised at how may of your friends or family members might already have these things for you to borrow!

 

 

With that said, ask around to see who has the things you need and ask to borrow! 

In Conclusion

Family Glamping Can Be Super Fun and Really Affordable

family making silly faces in front of a glamping site in mendocino grove, California

Planning a budget-friendly glamping trip doesn’t have to mean sacrificing all the fun. 

 

By using the 10 money-saving tips providing in this article, you can absolutely plan an unforgettable, outdoor, family adventure without putting a big dent in your wallet. 

 

Remember to keep an eye on deals and promotions at glamping resorts located close to home. Take advantage of all the complimentary activities inside the site, but also be sure to enjoy everything that mother nature has to offer. And don’t forget to plan your meals ahead of time to really stretch that family travel budget. 

 

As you can see, with just a little planning you and your family can enjoy the wonders of nature, spend some great quality time together, and also basque in the comforts of luxurious outdoor glamping accommodations, without putting a terrible strain on your wallet.

 

Have a great time glamping!

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