11 incredible glamping experiences on the Gold Coast

Reconnect with nature in spectacular fashion through the best glamping on the Gold Coast.

High-rise hotels and sizable resorts might offer pretty views, but nothing plunges you into non-stop beauty quite like glamping on the Gold Coast. Lovebirds, adventure seekers and kid-heavy families are all catered for in tented stays that offer instant access to natural wonders, unique foodie experiences and a level of comfort typically reserved for the Gold Coast’s most luxurious accommodation.

1. The Woodlands at Cedar Creek Lodges

Where: Thunderbird Park on Tamborine Mountain

Breathe in the rich, subtropical rainforest air of Tamborine Mountain’s Thunderbird Park, a 112-hectare stretch that encompasses rockpools, walking trails and unique wildlife, with a stay at The Woodlands. Cedar Creek Lodges’ 12 spacious tents, affectionally known as The Woodlands, located about a 50-minute drive from Surfers Paradise, provide varied accommodation for couples and families glamping on the Gold Coast.

The simplest of its spaces offers a king-size bed, flat-screen TV, ensuite with an open-air shower, day bed, dining table, barbecue and bar fridge, while the largest one, the Family Luxe, also throws in an extra king bed, private three-metre plunge pool, sundeck with sun lounges, outdoor barbecue kitchen and fire pit.

Cedar Creek Lodges has all the amenities to keep you entertained. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Natural textures and tones complement their bush surroundings, but the mood is luxe safari inside as fluffy bedding, carpeted floors and a sleek bathroom fit-out dial up the indulgence. Plus, there’s in-room dining if you opt for one of their Midweek Platters, a gorgeous, jam-packed antipasto plate, or a Farm to Fork Hamper that’s bursting with local produce, including ingredients plucked from Thunderbird Park’s kitchen garden for you to prepare on the barby.

On site, there’s also the Rainforest Restaurant & Lounge Bar offering Japanese-inspired share plates and hearty modern Australian mains, plus a range of activities including ziplining, treetop challenges, crystal panning, mini golf, laser tag and more. Rooms start from $349 per night.

Tuck yourself into a comfy bed inside the tent. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

2. Binna Burra Lodge

Where: Binna Burra within Lamington National Park

Soaring high over mountain tops at 800 metres above sea level, Binna Burra Lodge is perfectly poised to take in some of the region’s dreamiest views. Offering basic glamping on the Gold Coast in the way of three styles that sleep up to six guests, the lodge’s Safari Tents are a welcome respite for campers and multi-day hikers in desperate need of somebody else to set up their digs for the night. But while the amenities and lodgings are stripped back to basics, it’s the heavenly sights here that make this place special.

You’ll be ensconced in nature at Binna Burra. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

About an hour’s drive from Burleigh Heads, each tent features a private veranda offering epic views, beds, USB charging ports and dining tables. The largest suite in the bunch offers a private fire pit overlooking the forest. Bathrooms and kitchen facilities are shared, plus you’ll need to either bring your own linen or hire out a set, but the price tag is a winner, offering stays from just $75 per night.

When it’s time to eat, the on-site Binna Burra Tea House offers generous breakfast, lunch and dinner, the Groom’s Cottage & Bushwalker’s Bar provides more casual dining and drinks, and you can also purchase various barbecue packs filled with meat, veg and condiments.

Check into Binna Burra Lodge. (Image: Destination Gold Coast)

3. Sanctuary by Sirromet

Where: Sirromet Winery in Mount Cotton

This popular winery, located 50 minutes from Surfers Paradise, measures in at a whopping 560 acres, long attracting wine lovers from all over Queensland for its stellar drops. Nowadays, the spotlight shines on its Sanctuary by Sirromet, offering glamping on the Gold Coast via luxurious family-friendly and couples’ pavilions built amid quiet bushland, yet still close to the winery’s cellar door and beautiful Tuscan Terrace a la carte restaurant.

The tented pavilions are roomy, each with private balconies, air conditioning, lounge areas, minibars and ensuites, and they’re stylishly decorated with bursts of warm colour and natural textures. It’s so comfy in there, you’ll forget you’re in a tent. If you can lock down the Laguna Suite, do it. It’s the largest lodging in the group and features a couples’ shower and water views. Prices start from $239 per night.

The luxe lodging tent comes with all the comforts of your home.

4. Nightfall

Where: Lamington National Park

Switch off and unwind at arguably the most exclusive glamping around the Gold Coast, Nightfall, located 90 minutes inland and on the fringes of Lamington National Park. This is luxury while deeply immersed in astounding natural scenery, with just eight guests being catered for at a time at Nightfall, and you’ll be blown away by how extravagant the tents are.

The glamping tents are equipped with everything you need. (Image: Tourism & Events Queensland)

Ideal for couples, the 62-square-metre structures are fitted with timber flooring, vintage bathtubs, private fireplaces, kitchenettes stacked with snacks, rain-head showers, and an abundance of plush boho-inspired bedding to keep visitors extra toasty in the cooler months.

Inside the luxe tents at Nightfall. (Image: Destination Gold Coast)

The spoils just keep coming as all meals and beverages are catered for. Once the sun begins to sink, pre-dinner drinks are presented as cooks prepare organic meals utilising locally foraged ingredients and fresh produce from Brisbane, in a wood-fired oven. Best of all, the dishes are completely customed to each guest’s particular tastes. Additionally, creek-side spa treatments can be arranged, as can private yoga sessions in the comfort of your tent. Phenomenal. Rates start from $935 per night.

Rejuvenate your mind and body with a relaxing massage by the river. (Image: Tourism & Events Queensland)

5. Paradise Country Farmstay

Where: Oxenford

Make it a family holiday for the ages with a stay at Paradise Country Farmstay, tented accommodation from the team at Paradise Country, the coast’s much-loved Aussie farm experience. Glamping on the Gold Coast is rarely this kid-indulgent as full access to Paradise Country and its wildlife park is on offer, plus exclusive experiences like egg collecting, cow feeding and milking, campfire complete with marshmallow-topped twigs and unique animal encounters. And the tents themselves, which also cater just for couples, are beautifully appointed via polished timber furniture, deluxe bedding, private balconies, and a refrigerator.

Kids will surely love interacting with the animals on the farm. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

The only catch is a shared bathroom for those staying in the basic Family tents, but the Family Ensuite option comes with its own shower and toilet. There’s also a charming old shed, the Farmhouse Restaurant, dishing up a buffet breakfast, classic pub favourites for lunch and another overflowing buffet for dinner, plus they stage Sunday Sessions with live country music every weekend. The Burrow Café is also on hand for coffee and snacks. Couples’ tents start from $245 including tickets to Paradise Country, and family-friendly options start from $315.

Get a chance to feed farm animals. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

6. NRMA Parks & Resorts’ Treasure Island Holiday Resort

Where: Biggera Waters

Another top-notch option for families hunting down kid-friendly activities is NRMA Parks & Resorts’ Treasure Island Holiday Resort, offering fun-filled glamping on the Gold Coast. Sure, it’s a holiday park, but a massive splash zone, three playgrounds, four swimming pools with one featuring a waterslide, giant bouncing pillow, daily kids’ club, go-kart and e-bike hire, games arcade, mini golf and the Bear Grylls Survival Academy outdoor experience help it rival Gold Coast’s famed theme parks for thrills.

The tents themselves, which sleep up to four people, are great, offering large front verandas with dining tables and a barbecue, private bathrooms, kitchenette, lounge area and a TV, and it’s extremely tidy and clean. Galleons Bistro, selling pizzas, burgers, and other hearty mains, is located right near the splash zone, so lunch and dinner is a cinch, plus there’s a bar offering a $10 cocktail menu. Sold. Rates start from $137 per night.

Participate in kid-friendly activities at Treasure Island Holiday Resort.

7. Burleigh Beach Tourist Park’s Vintage Van

Where: Burleigh Heads

Live your best Instagram life thanks to Burleigh Beach Tourist Park’s Vintage Van, an adorable retro-style camper sure to turn the heads of every passer-by. Glamping on the Gold Coast doesn’t get much cosier than this as the tiny stay offers just one double bed, a sink, a bar fridge, a kettle accompanied with tea and coffee and a fan, but it’s all about the quieter things in life when you go glamping, and this quirky stay exudes laid-back cool.

Elsewhere in the park, you’ll find a camp kitchen plus shared barbecue facilities and a recreation room with a TV, but the location is right opposite a patrolled section of Burleigh Beach and just a short stroll from the suburb’s incredible collection of shops, eateries, and bars, so life should be pretty sweet. The Vintage Van is priced from $198 per night.

Stay in a retro-style camper.

8. Ketchup’s Bank Glamping

Where: Cannon Creek, 15 minutes from Boonah

Tucked high in the hills of the stunning Gold Coast hinterland, Ketchup’s Bank Glamping is a secluded oasis, 90 minutes from the Gold Coast, offering two glorious glamping tents. You’ll feel lightyears away from civilisation as views across the region’s lush rolling hills take your breath away and the sound of birds chirping and spectacular wildlife provide a soulful soundtrack.

Stay in a glam tiny house in the middle of the forest.

Both the Ironbark Luxury and Knapps Premium Luxury tents offer comfortable, stylish lodgings complete with private al fresco kitchens stocked with utensils, plus private campfires, ensuites, internal bar fridges, dishwashers, Wi-Fi, and TVs. Various food hampers and charcuterie boards filled with seasonal produce can be purchased, providing romantics with the perfect accompaniments to sensational sunset gazing. Rates start from $249 per night with a two-night minimum.

Soak up epic sunset views at dusk.

9. Jandarra Farm

Where: Tallebudgera Valley

If you really want to get off the beaten track, Jandarra Farm’s country camping experience on a working farm should be top of your list. With just three sites (for either a tent, camper trailer, or 4WD caravan), it really lives up to its name: Jandarra means ‘place of peace’. Book their pop-up trailer for a glamping experience (just BYO linen) in the middle of lush greenery.

While you’re there, learn about the farm’s use of regenerative agriculture, visit onsite rockpools, take a self-guided walk through the rainforest and even enjoy a sauna. Join other campers around a communal campfire.

BYO camper trailer or 4WD caravan and stay in the middle of nature.

10. Southern Sky Glamping

Where: Mount Tamborine

Set in the beauty of Mt Tamborine, Southern Sky Glamping provides luxury tents (including ones large enough to accommodate families), each with its own wardrobe, a flat-screen TV and a private bathroom – not to mention a fully equipped kitchen so you can cook up your own meals.

You’ll have your own private seating area, but a large heated pool and communal outdoor fireplace may easily draw you out of your tent.Or, header a little further afield and discover the many hiking trails around the campsite. All this and only a 22-kilometre drive to Warner Bros. Movie World.

Enjoy your own space, or head to the pool.

11. 5 Acre Retreat

Where: Jimboomba

Leave the world behind and enjoy a solo or romantic glamping getaway in this tiny home by Tiny Away. Set on five acres of land (no surprises there), this is the ultimate farm stay (and it’s pet-friendly) with nothing but two dams and the local wildlife or farmlife to cross your path. Be prepared for anything from kangaroos and turtles, to goats and horses.

Your tiny loft-style home is set up with a queen-sized bed, fold-out couch, kitchenette, bathroom and air-con across its cozy 190-square-foot.If you’re a firm believer of not cooking on holiday, you can book supplied meals ahead of time, like a classic big brekkie or a curry lunch.

As for activities, either relax and enjoy a good book, or request to join in a range of activities from yoga to farm tours. Thanks to a range of musical instruments available for guests to play, you could even start your band dreams. Arrive by car, or in style via helicopter – the property has its own helipad.

Keen to explore the outback? Check out the best camping sites on the Gold Coast here.