Best Glamping Spots Near Ghent for a Night Under the Stars
Words by
Lucas Peeters
Under Canvas, Just Outside the medieval Low Country
I have spent enough nights on the banks of the Leie to know that Ghent does not disappoint when you want to sleep outdoors without roughing it. The best glamping spots near Ghent sit within a surprisingly short drive of the Gravensteen, and each one connects you to the Flemish countryside in a different way, whether you end up in a suspended wooden pod above a marsh or in a geodesic dome that frames the entire night sky. What surprised me most, after years of city-center hotel stays and quick day trips, is how the flat East Flemish polders and the Ardennes foothills to the south create wildly different micro-adventures without ever asking you to board a plane. You wake up to canal mist one morning and heather-covered hills the next. That range, packed into under an hour's drive, is what makes this corner of northern Belgium one of Europe's quiet epicenters of luxury camping.
### Dome Experience B, Zevergem
Zevergem village sits about twelve kilometers west of Ghent along the N60, and if you blink you will miss the turnoff for Dome Experience B entirely. The operator set up a cluster of transparent geodesic domes in a private pasture surrounded by willow trees, and from the moment you step inside you understand why dome tent Ghent bookings surge every May and June. Each pod has a proper double bed with linen that a mid-range hotel would be proud of, a small electric heater, and an unobstructed view of the sky from almost every angle. I went in late September and spent the entire evening watching a storm roll in from the west without leaving my sleeping bag. The nearest bakery is Roger's in Deinze, five minutes by car, which opens at seven in the morning and sells a pistolet stuffed with ham and aged cheese that makes the drive back to the dome feel like a ritual rather than a chore. Book on a weekday if you can. Friday and Saturday nights almost always sell out a month ahead in summer, and the surrounding farmland is quietest Tuesday through Thursday when the local tractors have already finished their rounds. One thing visitors rarely realize is that the property borders a small stretch of the Bossen van de Vlaamse Ardennen trail network, so you can walk for two hours through dense oak and hornbeam forest without crossing a single paved road. This is not the dramatic landscape most people envision when they think of Belgium, but it is exactly the kind of green pocket that makes the rural corridor between Ghent and Oudenaarde feel like a separate country. The dome site connects to the region's long history of small-scale mixed farming, which dominated this part of East Flanders until the 1990s when many families shifted toward hobby agriculture and nature-based tourism. You are staying in the middle of that transition, and it shows in the careful way the landowner maintains the hedgerows.
### Vlotkamperen, Aan Den Bosstraat, Drongen
Drongen is technically a sub-municipality of Ghent rather than a separate town, which means you can reach Vlotkamperen by cycling straight south from Patershol in about twenty-five minutes. The concept is beautifully simple: you sleep in a floating raft house anchored on a small lake just off the Scheldt river, under a canvas roof with open sides that let the evening air drift through. I stayed one July night and the sound of waterfowl settling in after dusk was better than any white-noise app. What actually convinced me was the barbecue setup, a small charcoal grill bolted to the deck railing, where I cooked ribs I had picked up from the Vlaaiwinkel on Voldersstraat earlier that afternoon. The lake is too small for motorboats, so the surface stays glassy, and if you wake before sunrise you will see egrets wading along the far shore. Weeknights in spring offer the strongest value because the operators typically cut prices by about thirty percent compared to weekend rates, and you will likely have the entire lake to yourself on a Tuesday in April. Drongen has an almost absurdly deep history for such a compact sub-municipality, once home to its own dukes before being absorbed into Ghent proper, and the waterlogged landscape around the Scheldt floodplain has shaped settlement patterns here for over a thousand years. The floating cabins are a modern echo of that relationship with water, and the operators are careful to keep the structures low-profile so they do not disturb the bird habitat. One honest note: the canvas walls do not block wind, so if a storm comes through from the north you will feel every gust. Bring a windbreaker even in summer.
### Buitengewoon Buiten, Kouterstraat, Mariakerke
Mariakerke sits on the southern edge of Ghent, and Buitengewoon Buiten occupies a large private garden behind a converted farmhouse on Kouterstraat. The setup leans heavily into the luxury camping Ghent label, with a safari-style canvas tent that has a wooden floor, a real bed with a thick duvet, a small kitchenette, and a private outdoor shower that uses solar-heated water. I visited in early June and the garden was full of lavender and climbing roses, which made the whole place smell like a Provençal postcard. The owners leave a welcome basket with local bread, butter, and a bottle of Gueuze from a nearby brewery, and they will point you toward the best walking path along the Schipdonk Canal, which starts about three hundred meters from the gate. That canal path is one of Ghent's genuinely underrated routes, flat and tree-lined, and you can walk or cycle all the way to Deinze without encountering a single traffic light. The best time to visit is midweek in late spring, when the garden is in full bloom and the owners are more relaxed about late checkouts. Mariakerke used to be an independent village with a strong agricultural identity, and the farmhouse itself dates to the early 1800s, so you are sleeping inside a piece of rural Flemish heritage that has been carefully adapted rather than demolished. The one drawback I noticed is that the outdoor shower, while lovely on a warm evening, takes a solid ten minutes to heat up on overcast days, so plan your wash time accordingly. Also, the nearest grocery store is a ten-minute drive, so stock up before you arrive.
### Treehouse Bosgoot, Sint-Martens-Latem
Sint-Martens-Latem is the kind of village that Belgian painters have been romanticizing since the 1890s, and the Treehouse Bosgoot sits in a wooded area just north of the village center, about fifteen minutes southeast of Ghent by car. The structure is a raised wooden cabin built into a cluster of mature beech trees, with a wraparound deck and a skylight positioned directly above the bed. I went in October, when the leaves were turning copper and gold, and the view from the deck at dawn was the single most beautiful thing I have seen from any treehouse stay Ghent has to offer. The interior is compact but well designed, with a small wood-burning stove, a kettle, and a shelf of secondhand books in Dutch and French. The owners are a retired couple who live in the main house nearby and who will, if you ask, tell you about the Latemse School of painting that made this village famous in the early twentieth century. That artistic legacy is still visible in the galleries along the Marktstraat, and the whole area has a contemplative quality that makes it ideal for a solo or couples' retreat. Visit on a weekday in autumn for the best combination of color and solitude. The village gets busy on weekends when day-trippers from Ghent flood the cafes, but on a Wednesday the forest paths are nearly empty. One thing most tourists do not know is that the Lys river, which runs through the village, was once the subject of dozens of paintings by Flemish expressionists, and you can still stand on the same bridges they depicted. The treehouse itself is about a five-minute walk from the river, and the sound of water carries clearly through the trees at night. The only real complaint I have is that the ladder up to the sleeping platform is steep and not ideal if you have mobility issues, so be honest with yourself about that before booking.
### Glamping De Kleine Aarde, Wannegem-Lede
Wannegem-Lede is a small village in the municipality of Oudenaarde, about thirty-five kilometers south of Ghent, and Glamping De Kleine Aarde sits on a small organic farm surrounded by rolling fields. The site has a handful of bell tents and a larger communal yurt, all furnished with proper beds, wool blankets, and small wooden tables. I stayed in a bell tent in August and the combination of open farmland, zero light pollution, and a sky full of stars made me forget I was only forty minutes from a major Belgian city. The farm produces its own vegetables and eggs, and the owners serve a communal breakfast each morning that includes sourdough bread, homemade jam, and coffee from a roaster in Oudenaarde. The best time to visit is late July or August, when the fields are golden and the farm's tomato plants are producing more fruit than the owners can eat. Wannegem-Lede is part of the Flemish Ardennes, a region known for its steep hills and cobbled roads that feature in the spring cycling classics, and you can rent bikes from the farm and ride the same routes that professional cyclists tackle every March. The village itself has a small Romanesque church dating to the twelfth century, and the surrounding landscape has been farmed continuously since at least the medieval period. The glamping site is a direct extension of that agricultural tradition, and the owners are vocal advocates for small-scale organic farming in a region increasingly dominated by larger operations. One practical note: the bell tents have no electricity, so bring a power bank for your phone. The communal yurt has a single outlet, but it is shared among all guests, which can lead to minor charging conflicts on busy weekends.
### Domein Puyenbroeck, Wachtebeke
Wachtebeke is about twenty kilometers north of Ghent, and Domein Puyenbroeck is a large provincial domain with a lake, a playground, and a surprisingly well-equipped glamping section tucked into a wooded area near the water. The glamping units are semi-permanent wooden cabins with canvas roofs, each with a double bed, a small sitting area, and a private terrace overlooking the trees. I visited in May and the domain was full of families, but the glamping section is set far enough from the main park area that it feels secluded. The on-site restaurant, De Schelle, serves solid Flemish fare, and I recommend the stoofvlees with fries, which arrived in a cast-iron pot and was rich enough to justify the walk back to the cabin afterward. The domain also has a small museum about the history of the Puyenbroeck estate, which dates to the seventeenth century and was once the property of a wealthy Ghent merchant family. That connection to Ghent's mercantile past is worth understanding because the city's wealth in the medieval and early modern periods was built on exactly this kind of rural estate ownership, and the domain is a living reminder of that history. Visit on a weekday in late spring or early autumn to avoid the weekend family crowds. The lake is open for swimming in summer, and the water is clean enough that I saw kids diving off the wooden platform without hesitation. The one downside is that the cabins are close together, so if your neighbors are loud you will hear them. I had a group next door that played music until midnight, and the thin walls did nothing to muffle it.
### Tiny House De Vlinder, Nevele
Nevele is a small village in the municipality of Deinze, about fifteen kilometers southwest of Ghent, and Tiny House De Vlinder sits in a quiet garden behind a renovated farmhouse on a residential street. The tiny house itself is a fully insulated wooden structure about twenty square meters in size, with a loft bed, a small kitchen, a composting toilet, and a rain shower. I stayed one weekend in April and the combination of minimalist design and rural silence made it feel like a proper reset. The owners are a young couple who moved from Ghent to escape the city noise, and they have planted a wildflower meadow around the tiny house that attracts butterflies in summer, which is where the name, De Vlinder (The Butterfly), comes from. The best time to visit is late April through June, when the meadow is in bloom and the surrounding fields are green. Nevele is part of the Leie region, which has a long history of flax cultivation, and the landscape is still dotted with the old flax-drying sheds that once supported the linen trade connecting this area to Ghent's textile industry. The tiny house is a modern interpretation of the small-scale, self-sufficient living that characterized this region for centuries, and the owners are deliberate about using reclaimed materials and solar power. One thing most visitors do not know is that the Leie river, just a short walk from the property, was once one of the most polluted waterways in Flanders, and the cleanup effort over the past two decades has turned it back into a viable habitat for fish and birds. The tiny house has no Wi-Fi, which the owners frame as a feature, and I will admit that after the initial frustration I ended up reading an entire book by candlelight, which felt appropriately old-fashioned for the setting.
### Camping Jeugdherberg De Blauwe Haan, Sint-Amandsberg
Sint-Amandsberg is a residential neighborhood on the eastern edge of Ghent, and Camping Jeugdherberg De Blauwe Haan is a youth hostel with a small camping and glamping section set in a leafy garden. The glamping options include a few furnished safari tents with beds and linens, which is unusual for a youth hostel and makes this a solid budget-friendly option for travelers who want the dome tent Ghent experience without the premium price tag. I stayed in one of the tents on a Thursday night in September and the garden was quiet, with only a handful of other guests scattered around the site. The hostel has a communal kitchen where I cooked pasta with vegetables from the Friday morning market on the Sint-Baafsplein, a fifteen-minute bike ride away. That market is one of the best in Ghent for fresh produce, and the tomato vendor near the entrance sells a variety called Noire de Crimée that is worth the trip on its own. Sint-Amandsberg has a strong working-class history, having grown rapidly in the nineteenth century to house workers from Ghent's textile factories, and the neighborhood still has a practical, no-nonsense character that I find refreshing after the tourist-heavy center. The hostel is a legacy of the Belgian youth hostel movement that began in the 1930s, and the building itself has hosted generations of young travelers passing through Ghent. Visit on a weekday for the lowest rates and the quietest atmosphere. The tents are basic compared to the luxury options elsewhere on this list, but the price is roughly a third of what you would pay at a dedicated glamping site, and the location inside Ghent proper means you can walk to the city center in thirty minutes. The main drawback is that the shared bathrooms are a short walk from the tents, which is fine in dry weather but less appealing when it is raining.
When to Go and What to Know
The glamping season in the Ghent area runs roughly from April through October, with June and September offering the best balance of warm weather and manageable crowds. July and August are peak months, and the most popular sites book out weeks in advance, so plan ahead if you are targeting a summer weekend. Weeknight stays are almost always cheaper and quieter, and I have found that Tuesday and Wednesday nights offer the best value across nearly every site I visited. Rain is a year-round reality in Flanders, so pack a waterproof layer regardless of the season, and bring sturdy shoes if you plan to walk the rural paths around any of the sites. Most glamping operators in the region provide bedding and basic cooking equipment, but you should confirm this before arriving because a few of the smaller sites expect you to bring your own sleeping bag. Cycling is the best way to explore the area around any of these sites, and you can rent bikes in Ghent at several shops near the Sint-Pietersstation. The Flemish cycling infrastructure is excellent, with dedicated paths connecting most of the villages mentioned above, and you can cover a surprising amount of ground in a single afternoon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the most popular attractions in Ghent require advance ticket booking, especially during peak season?
The Gravensteen castle accepts walk-in visitors but experiences significant queues from June through August, with wait times reaching forty-five minutes on busy Saturdays. The Ghent Altarpiece at St. Bavo's Cathedral requires a timed ticket costing twelve euros, and slots during July and August often fill three to four days ahead. The STAM city museum recommends online booking on weekends but rarely reaches full capacity on weekdays. Most smaller museums and galleries in the Patershol and Korenmarkt areas do not require advance booking at any time of year.
What is the safest and most reliable way to get around Ghent as a solo traveler?
Ghent's city center is largely car-free, making walking the default and safest option for most tourist areas during daylight hours. The De Lijn tram and bus network operates from approximately five in the morning until midnight, with single tickets costing two euros when purchased from a machine before boarding. Cycling is extremely common and safe, with over three hundred kilometers of dedicated bike lanes across the city, and rental bikes are available from multiple shops near the train stations for around twelve euros per day. Taxis and ride-hailing services operate reliably but are significantly more expensive, with a typical cross-city ride costing between eight and fifteen euros.
How many days are needed to see the major tourist attractions in Ghent without feeling rushed?
Two full days allow comfortable coverage of the Gravensteen, St. Bavo's Cathedral, the STAM museum, the Design Museum, and a leisurely walk through the Patershol and Graslei areas. Three days add time for a boat tour on the canals, a visit to the Ghent University Botanical Garden, and a half-day trip to one of the nearby glamping or rural areas. Visitors who want to include day trips to Bruges or Antwerp should add at least one additional day per destination, as train connections take roughly one hour in each direction.
What are the best free or low-cost tourist places in Ghent that are genuinely worth the visit?
The Graslei and Korenmarkt quays are free to walk along and offer the most photographed views in the city, particularly at sunset. St. Bavo's Cathedral is free to enter, with only the Ghent Altarpiece room requiring a paid ticket. The street art walk through the city center, including works on the walls around the Trefpunt and the Booktoren, costs nothing and takes about ninety minutes. The Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning markets on the Sint-Baafsplein and Vrijdagmarkt are free to browse and offer some of the best local food in the city at low prices. The Blaarmeersen recreation area on the eastern edge of the city has a free public beach and swimming area open from June through September.
Is it possible to walk between the main sightseeing spots in Ghent, or is local transport necessary?
The entire historic center of Ghent is walkable, with the Gravensteen, St. Bavo's Cathedral, the Graslei, and the Design Museum all located within a fifteen-minute walk of each other. The STAM museum is about twenty minutes on foot from the cathedral, and the Patershol neighborhood is a five-minute walk from the Korenmarkt. Local transport is only necessary if you are staying outside the city center or visiting attractions like the Ghent University Botanical Garden or the Blaarmeersen, which are three to four kilometers from the core. Most visitors who stay within the medieval center find they do not need trams or buses at all during a two or three day visit.
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