Glamping
Glamping in Norway: glass cabins, sea cabins and lodges close to nature
Glamping is camping without the sleeping bag: you stay close to nature, but with a bed, heating and someone to make breakfast. Here are the best places for glamping in Norway, from glass cabins under the northern lights to turf-roofed cabins near Preikestolen.
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You wake to the light. Through the glass the mountains lie blue across the fjord, and the only sound is the sea. No zips, no cold sleeping mat, just the duvet and the view. That is glamping, and Norway is one of the best countries in the world to try it.
The word joins glamorous and camping, but in Norway it is mostly about nature. You stay in a glass cabin, a sea cabin or a cabin with a turf roof, far from city lights and traffic, with everything you need to sleep well. Here are the places we would choose, and what to know before you book.
Short answer: where is the best glamping in Norway?
For the northern lights, the glass cabins near Tromsø and in northern Troms are the best, from September to March. For summer hiking, the cabins by Preikestolen are a good choice. If you want fjord and mountains outside the door all year, the sea cabins in Lyngen are hard to beat.
Best for the northern lights: AERA Aurora Glass Cabins
Best for peace and quiet: Arctic Panorama Lodge
Best for ski touring: XLyngen
Best for summer hiking: Preikestolen BaseCamp
Best time: September to March for the aurora, June to August for the midnight sun
What is glamping?
Glamping is a stay close to nature with the comfort of a hotel. Instead of a tent and sleeping bag you get a proper bed, heating, often a private bathroom and someone who has cooked. It might be a glass cabin, a lavvo with a bed, a treehouse or a sea cabin by the fjord.
Glamping has grown fast in Norway in recent years, especially in the north, where the northern lights have made glass cabins some of the most sought after places to stay in the country.
Glass cabins and domes
Glass cabins have glass roofs or walls so you can see the sky from bed. They are made for the aurora, and most stand in Troms and Finnmark, where the sky is dark and the northern lights are often visible from September to March.
In summer the same windows look out on the midnight sun. See also our guide to glass igloos in the Nordics.
Sea cabins, lodges and turf roofs
Not all glamping is glass. Sea cabins on the fjord, cabins with turf roofs and old fishermen's cabins give the same sense of living in the landscape, with nature just outside the door.
These places suit anyone who wants to be active by day, ski touring, paddling or fishing, and come back to a warm cabin in the evening.
Treehouses
Treehouses on stilts among the trees are another kind of glamping, with views over the forest and a feeling of being a little removed from everything. We have gathered the best in our guide to treehouse hotels.
When to go
Autumn and winter are the season for the aurora in the north, from September to March. In summer it stays light all night in northern Norway, and hiking and paddling become the main reasons to go. Spring and early autumn bring fewer guests and often settled weather.
Many glamping sites have only a few units and fill up early, especially over Christmas, New Year and July.
AERA Aurora Glass Cabins
The view from a glass cabin at AERA near Tromsø.
Four places for glamping in Norway
Four places we would choose, three in the north and one in western Norway. All lie far from city lights, and all have a bed and heating, so you can enjoy nature without freezing.
AERA Aurora Glass Cabins: glass cabins outside Tromsø
The glass cabins sit outside Tromsø, far from the city lights, with a glass roof above the bed. On a clear winter night you can watch the aurora without getting up, and in summer the midnight sun shines over the mountains. The purest form of glamping in northern Norway.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at AERA Aurora Glass Cabins
Arctic Panorama Lodge
The view over the fjord from Arctic Panorama Lodge on Uløya.
Arctic Panorama Lodge: glass walls on an Arctic island
Arctic Panorama Lodge stands on Uløya in Skjervøy, an island reached by ferry, with wide glass walls facing the sea and mountains. There is little light from settlements, and the northern lights are often visible straight from the room. In winter you may see whales in the fjords around the island.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Arctic Panorama Lodge
XLyngen
The sea cabins at XLyngen in winter.
XLyngen: sea cabins below the Lyngen Alps
XLyngen sits on the fjord with the Lyngen Alps rising across the water. You stay in sea cabins and spend the days ski touring, dog sledding or chasing the aurora. For anyone who wants nature closer than a hotel window, but with a proper bed and a warm room.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at XLyngen
Preikestolen BaseCamp
Preikestolen BaseCamp with its turf roofs by Lake Refsvatnet.
Preikestolen BaseCamp: turf roofs at the trailhead
Preikestolen BaseCamp lies by Lake Refsvatnet in Ryfylke, at the start of the trail up to Preikestolen. You stay in cabins and rooms with turf roofs, surrounded by forest and hills. Set off early in the morning before the largest groups arrive, and come back to a sauna and dinner.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Preikestolen BaseCamp
Good to know before you book
Book early: glamping sites have few units.
Check the transport: several places need a car or a ferry.
Pack warm clothes: even with a heated cabin it is cold outside in winter.
The aurora needs a dark sky: watch the forecast and be patient.
Check what is included: some places have private bathrooms, others a shared bath house.
Glamping in Norway: frequently asked questions
What is glamping?
Glamping is a stay close to nature with a bed, heating and service, in glass cabins, furnished tents, sea cabins or treehouses.
Where can you go glamping in Norway?
The best known places are in Troms and Finnmark, but there is also glamping in western Norway, in Lofoten and in the mountains of eastern Norway.
When is the best time for glamping in Norway?
September to March for the aurora in the north, and June to August for the midnight sun and hiking.
Can you see the northern lights from a glass cabin?
Yes, when the sky is clear and there is aurora activity. The glass cabins are built far from city lights to give the best chance.