Pods
A glamping pod is a small timber cabin, usually with a curved roof that runs down to the ground like an upturned boat. It’s insulated, it locks and it’s heated. The basic kind is a bedroom and nothing else. Bigger ones fit in a shower room and a kitchenette.
Pods are the workhorse of British glamping because they shrug off the weather. If you’re going between October and April, start here.
Shepherd’s huts
A shepherd’s hut is a small hut on iron wheels. Shepherds once lived in them out in the fields at lambing time, so they could be towed to wherever the flock was. The modern version keeps the wheels and the curved roof, and adds a double bed across one end and a wood burner.
They’re narrow. Two people fit comfortably, and that’s about it. For a couple, that’s the charm.
Yurts
A yurt is a round tent stretched over a wooden lattice frame. Nomadic herders across Central Asia have lived in them for centuries, and in Mongolia the same structure is called a ger.
The glamping kind stands on a wooden deck with a stove in the middle and a ring at the top of the roof that lets you see the sky. There’s far more floor space than a pod. It’s still fabric, though, so it’s cooler at night and louder in the rain.
Safari tents and bell tents
A safari tent is a big canvas lodge on a raised deck, often with separate bedrooms and room for a family. A bell tent is the simple round one held up by a single pole in the middle.
Both are summer stays. Canvas doesn’t hold heat, and a bell tent in March is camping whatever the listing calls it.
Which works best with a hot tub
Here’s our view. A hot tub is at its best when the air is cold, and cold air calls for solid walls. So pods and shepherd’s huts are the natural match. Pick a region to see what’s bookable.
One practical point decides more holidays than the structure does. Find out how far the tub is from the door, and whether the bathroom is inside. Walking across a field in a wet towel is funny once.
Published 3 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.