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Glamping turns a night outdoors into something you'd choose over a hotel: a proper bed inside a canvas tent, a fire pit, sometimes a private spa if you've picked well. The RedBalloon range spans wine-country bell tents, safari-style stays, and overnight zoo sleepovers where the animals are still moving after dark. Book it for yourselves or give someone a night that stands out from the usual gift.
At Taronga Zoo, glamping means falling asleep to the sound of big cats pacing metres from your tent. In the Barossa Valley, it might mean vineyard views and your own free-standing bath under the stars. Camping and glamping on RedBalloon cover that whole range, from bell tents in wine country to guided night tours where the animals are still awake. Pick the version that matches the night you want, not just the region you happen to be near.
Taronga Zoo's overnight sleepover is a popular option here: canapés, dinner and breakfast, a guided night tour past the zoo's residents after the gates close, and safari-style tents that sleep two, overlooking Sydney Harbour. Taronga also runs a family version, for two adults and two children, with the same tour, dinner and breakfast included. Two hours north, Hunter Valley glamping trades zoo views for vineyards. Two nights with a private spa gets you a free-standing bath, a gas barbecue and a queen bed under canvas. A pet-friendly version welcomes your dog and introduces you to the property's Highland cattle, though it's not set up for children.
In Gippsland, Mirador Springs Retreat puts your bell tent on a deck above a natural spring, with a sauna and a free-standing bath for afterwards. It's not suited to anyone with mobility issues, and pets aren't allowed. On the Mornington Peninsula, Iluka Retreat sits across 36 acres of lakes and wetlands, with a midweek stay that leaves your days free to wander the grounds or visit nearby wineries. Melbourne Zoo runs its own Roar 'n' Snore: tents pitched near the historic Elephant Exhibit, dinner and breakfast included, and a guided tour to track down the nocturnal residents once the crowds have gone home.
Barossa Valley glamping pairs the tent with the winery next door: an overnight stay near Seppeltsfield Winery includes a bonus bottle of local wine, an outdoor bath, and a fire pit, with vineyards running right up to the tent. On the other side of the country, Eversprings Glamping sits on a hundred-acre alpaca farm in the Perth Hills, with only two tents on the whole property. Two nights get you a queen bed, hot showers and a view over the valley.
A glamping stay makes an easy gift because there's no size or colour to get wrong. You're picking a night away, not a jumper. It works for a couple who never book anything for themselves, the friend who's always the one organising everyone else's trip, or parents who'd rather have an evening under the stars than another gadget.
If you're not sure which stay they'd pick, a RedBalloon gift voucher lets them choose their own glamping spot, from a Barossa vineyard to a zoo sleepover, and book it whenever suits them.
Glamping is camping with the inconvenient parts removed: a proper bed instead of a sleeping mat, real bathrooms instead of a spade and a shovel, and usually a fire pit or private bath thrown in. On RedBalloon, that ranges from canvas bell tents in wine country to safari-style tents with hotel bedding, right through to organised sleepovers at places like Taronga Zoo, where you're camping a few metres from the animals rather than in a paddock.
Taronga Zoo's Roar and Snore is a popular option: dinner, drinks and breakfast, a guided night tour after the gates close, and a safari-style tent overlooking Sydney Harbour. If you'd rather trade the zoo for vineyards, a private-spa stay in the Hunter Valley is worth a look too.
Expect a made-up bed inside a canvas or safari-style tent, plus a private bathroom, bath or shower rather than shared facilities. Higher-end stays add a fire pit, an outdoor spa and a stocked kitchenette, and some throw in a bottle of wine on arrival. Zoo sleepovers work differently again: dinner, breakfast and a guided night tour take the place of a kitchen, since the venue feeds you rather than the other way around.
Both, depending on the stay. Taronga Zoo runs a version built for two adults and two children, with the same dinner, breakfast and guided tour as the adult sleepover. Some retreats go the other way: the pet-friendly Hunter Valley tent isn't set up for children, and one Gippsland bell tent isn't suitable for anyone with mobility issues. Check the listing before you book if you're travelling with kids or need step-free access.
No experience needed. Most glampsites hand you a made-up bed and, often, a private bathroom, so there's no tent-pitching or fire-starting involved beyond deciding when to have breakfast. Zoo sleepovers are even more hands-off: keepers run the night tour, and the venue handles dinner and breakfast, so all you bring is yourself.
Most of the stays here are built for two: a queen bed, one bathroom, one view. A handful sleep more, like the Taronga Zoo sleepover for two adults and two children, so check the guest count on the listing before you book as a group. For a couples-only trip, the private-spa stays in the Hunter Valley or the Barossa Valley are built specifically for two.
The main difference is what you're sleeping on and who sets it up. Regular camping means pitching your own tent and bringing your own gear. Glamping means the tent, bedding and often the bathroom are already there when you arrive. For a different kind of overnight escape, farm stays trade the canvas tent for a working property and animals to help feed.
Country getaways widen the net beyond glamping to cellar doors, regional towns and long lunches. Coastal and beach getaways swap the bushland for a view of the water, and weekend getaways cover any two-day escape without committing to camping gear at all. For something built around two people rather than a place, romantic getaways run the same idea with the location left open.