“For nomads, the yurt is rich in symbolism…[It] is not just a place of residence, but a home full of life.”
– Alma Kunanbay
Life works in funny ways sometimes, doesn’t it? One day I’m doing a random search on Craigslist and stumbling across a yurt on a rural island in Canada – now, almost three months later, I find myself officially converted to the world of circular living and determined to keep sharing the yurt love even after I leave my humble dwelling in the woods in two weeks.
I can honestly say I’ve never had so much fun blogging as I have these last three months, whether it was sketching an illustrated history of yurts or working on a watercolor housewarming of my Salt Spring abode. But I recently realized I’d only be doing half my job if I didn’t finally bring this all full-circle and help you have your own taste of the yurt life. So yesterday morning I put on the kettle, kept the fresh mint tea flowing, and started rounding up all the yurts there are to stay in around the world.
And oh are there yurts, my friends. What follows is just a taste of what’s out there – there are yurts in a jungle and yurts in the desert and yurts in a vineyard; there are yurts in the Andes and yurts in the Alps (French and Italian); there are yurts that are totally off the grid and yurts with every conceivable modern convenience. There’s even a yurt in someone’s back garden in London.
In February, Airbnb declared 2014 ‘the year of the yurt’ – if yesterday’s research session proved anything, it’s that they couldn’t be more right.
One quick note before we get started: all the links I’ve gathered here are simply ones I came across on my own (i.e. as the little note in the footer of this site says, none are sponsored). I also can’t personally vouch for the properties I’ve listed here, but I’ve tried to choose companies or hosts that seem well established and easy to get in touch with, so fingers crossed the only issue you’ll have is choosing which yurt to try out first. Happy yurt living!
Yurt rentals by country or region:
General directories
Australia
Canada
Caribbean, Mexico, and South America
Central Asia
Europe
Japan
Mexico
Middle East
New Zealand
United Kingdom
United States
General directories
Canopy & Stars (mainly UK and a bit of Europe)
Glamping Hub (global)
Pacific Yurts yurt vacations (mainly US and Canada)
Responsible Travel (mainly Europe)
Yurt rentals in Australia
New South Wales – Bulli, Royal National Park: A wooden yurt in the rainforest from $96/night
New South Wales – Kangaroo Valley: Wood-paneled yurt cottages from $309/night
Tasmania – Flinders Island: Yurt at the base of Strzelecki Mountain from $150/night
Victoria – Fitzroy, Melbourne: An inner city yurt from $116/night
Victoria – Myrrhee, King Valley: Traditional Yurt Alpine Retreat on a beautiful working farm from $87/night
Western Australia – Walpole: Two-storied wooden yurt in the forest from $129/night
Yurt rentals in Canada
British Columbia – Cortes Island: Woodsy yurt retreat from $90/night
British Columbia – Penticton: Barefoot Beach Resorts offer eleven yurts (including a Fantasy Yurt complete with in-floor soaker tub!) on Skaha Lake from $114/night
New Brunswick – Fundy National Park: Yurts on the Bay of Fundy from $115/night
Nova Scotia – Cape Breton Island: Cabot Shores offers three yurts with views of St. Ann’s Bay from $95/night
Ontario – Algonquin Provincial Park: Eight yurts that offer a more traditional camping experience (as opposed to ‘glamping’) from $97/night
Ontario – Bruce Peninsula National Park: Ten modern yurts on the shore of Cyprus Lake from $120/night
Ontario – Warton: A perfect winter yurt that comes with its own forest butler service (say whaa?) from $150/night
Prince Edward Island – Souris: Two-bedroom ‘yurt in the woods’ from $150/night
Quebec – Gaspé Peninsula: CIME Adventures offer their ‘Festive Yurt’ right on the Bonaventure River from $85/night
Quebec – Val des Monts: Yurt on 230 acres of the Gatineau Hills from $150/night
Saskatchewan – Emma Lake: Modern yurts with full kitchens and full bathrooms from $164/night
Saskatchewan – Prince Albert National Park: Camping site with two luxury yurts from $102/night
Vancouver Island – Black Creek: Secluded oceanfront yurt on Seaview Game Farm from $200/night
Vancouver Island – Nootka Sound: Gorgeous modern yurts at a fishing lodge on Moutcha Bay from $360/night
Yurt rentals in the Caribbean, Mexico, and South America
Argentina – Tupungato, Mendoza: Remote eco-lodge with authentic yurts in the Andes Mountains from $290/night
Chile – Torres del Paine, Magallanes: Camp of 18 all-inclusive yurts in the Patagonian wilderness (rack rates available here)
Costa Rica – Mal Pais: Beachfront JUNGLE YURT from $75/night
Dominica – Rosalie, St. David Parish: Three yurts in a riverside retreat from $80/night
Mexico – San Ignacio: Ignacio Springs B&B comprises nine yurts and three cabins from $68/night
Uruguay – La Pedrera: Beachfront yurt cabins (paradise, anyone?) from $117/night
Yurt rentals in Central Asia
Kazakhstan – Zailiskiy Alatau: Aul Resort offers 11 yurts (‘urts’) with traditional décor and 5-star amenities from $175/night for 4 people
Kyrgyzstan – Shamaldy-Say, Dzhalal-Abadskaya: Five-yurt lodge on the southern shores of Son Kul Lake from $114/night
Kyrgyzstan – Tian Shan Mountains: EcoTour has five yurt camps from €1,350/per person for 2-week tour (can stay in one camp or visit a combination of them)
Mongolia – Gobi Desert: Three Camel Lodge offers 20 deluxe gers (as yurts are known in Mongolia) with hand-painted furniture and private bathrooms
Mongolia – Khan Khentii: Jalman Meadows Ger Camp is just 3.5 hours north of Ulaanbaatar – Nomadic Journeys offers 4-night stays from $420/per person
Uzbekistan – Ayaz-Kala: Yurt camp near a complex of three ancient fortresses from $60/night per person
Uzbekistan – Navoi Region: Camel safaris, cozy gers, and jeep tours to the Aral Sea – what more could one ask for from a yurt camp?
Uzbekistan – Nurata: Yurt camp that includes a camel ride through the desert and daytrip to Aydarkul Lake from $60/night per person
Yurt rentals in Europe
Canary Islands – Lanzarote: Several kinds of yurts (palm pod, anyone?) at a beachside eco-retreat from €115/night
Czech Republic – Chlum, Western Bohemia: Spacious, light-flooded yurt in an orchard from $71/night
France – Bellecombe-en-Bauges, Rhone-Alpes/Savoy: Large, quiet yurt in the Alps (!!!) from $85/night
Germany – Dresden: Yurt with original Mongolian furniture from $56/night
Germany – Nuremburg: Original (and beautifully decorated) Afghani yurt from $41/night
Greece – Kalamata, Messinia: One traditional Mongolian yurt and one modern yurt set in extensive gardens from $45/night
Hungary – Dobogókő, Pilisszentkereszt: Four traditional yurts in a climatic health resort 25kms from Budapest from $20/night
Ireland – Ballyglunin, Galway: Three traditional yurts in the Irish countryside from $130/night
Ireland – Castletown Geoghegan, near Mount Druid: Site of 20 yurts on a 100-acre park (with its own lake and boat house!) from $135/night
Italy – Civitella in Val di Chiana, Arezzo: Three authentic Mongolian yurts (with wifi and A/C, no less) in the Tuscan countryside from $74/night
Italy – Morgex, Aosta Valley: Hand-made yurt in the Italian Alps from $80/night
Netherlands – Dunes of Texel National Park: A variety of yurts (for which hammocks, garden chairs and picnic tables are listed as “standard equipment”) from €295/2 nights
Norway – Risor, Nissedal i Telemark: Luxury camp of seven yurts on an island in the middle of a lake from $288/night
Portugal – Lugar Varzeas, Arganil: Two yurts (with the charming names of Chestnut Tree Yurt and Apple Tree Yurt) from €75/night
Portugal – Oleiros, Castelo Branco District: Two hand-made yurts and yoga retreat in a central valley from $50/night
Portugal – Vimeiro, Alcobaça: Yurt with plunge pool and outdoor kitchen near the Costa de Prata from $74/night
Spain – Cortes de la Frontera, Andalucia: Hoopoe Yurt Hotel offers five hotels with different themes (Afghani, Mongolian, Jaipur, Safari, and Maimani) from €130/night
Spain – Lanjarón, Andalusia: Modern, eco-friendly yurt in the Sierra Nevada mountains from $71/night
Spain – Santa Maria de Olot, Catalonia: Cozy, solar-powered yurt on a VINEYARD from $78/night
Sweden – Flatön Island, Bohuslän Archipelago: Greenstones Yurts offers four luxurious yurts in a valley from €85/night
Yurt rentals in Japan
Chiba Prefecture – Ohara: Reef Break Resort’s yurt sits right on the Pacific in an unbelievably beautiful location from $108/night for 2 people
Seto Inland Sea – Naoshima Island: Tsutsuji-so Lodge offers a yurt from $36/night (TripAdvisor listing)
Tochigi Prefecture – Nasu Kogen: Mongolia Village Tenger offers a large number of traditionally decorated yurts (website in Japanese)
Yurt rentals in the Middle East
Israel – Golan Heights: Four luxury yurts with private courtyard and POOL from $242/night
Yurt rentals in New Zealand
North Island – Ohakune: Yurt-style modern chalet from $180/night
North Island – Purangi Garden Accommodation, Hahei: Large 9-meter-wide yurt from $160/night
North Island – Raglan: Traditional yurt (with a massage yurt next door!) from $180/night
North Island – Waiheke Island, Auckland: Two yurts by the beach from $250/night
South Island – Kaikoura: Authentic yurt imported from Mongolia from $149/night
South Island – Motueka: Aniwaniwa Yurt Stay and wellness workshops from $100/night
Yurt rentals in the United Kingdom
Channel Islands – Clifden, Jersey: Jersey Yurt Holidays offer three modern yurts right on St Aubin’s Bay from £80/night
Channel Islands – Jersey: Durrell Wildlife Camp has cozy yurt-like camping pods from £450/3 nights
Channel Islands – St. Ouen’s Village, Jersey: Daisy Cottage Campsite has 5-meter and 7-meter-wide yurts from £100/night
England – Bridgport, West Dorset: Wilderness yurt retreat from $105/night
England – Eastfield Farm, Lincoln: Lincoln Yurts have five themed yurts (from Balinese to Gothic to French!) on their 11-acre farm from £190.00/2 nights
England – Old Chapel Farm, Tylwch: Traditional hand-painted Mongolian yurt on an organic farm from $107/night
England – Peak District National Park: Long Valley Yurts offer six Turkmen-style yurts from $147/night
England – Priory Gardens, London: Nearest yurt in the world to the Tube (!!) from $174/night
England – Sissinghurst Road, Ashford: Bloomsburys ‘glamping’ site offers three luxurious yurts from $338/night
Isle of Wight – Norton Green: The Really Green Holiday Company (I promise I’m not making that name up) offers several sizes of yurts from £200/2 nights
Isle of Wight – Ventnor: Bank End Farm has two yurts with possibly the best names ever – Moonlight and Stardust – from £255/1-3 nights
Scotland – Fort William, West Highlands: Great Glen Yurts has a natural yurt camp at the foot of Ben Nevis from £70/night
Scotland – Stirling: The West Moss-side Centre has three Kyrgyz-inspired yurts available from £75/night (plus a full schedule of arts and crafts courses!)
Wales – Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire: Colorfully decorated yurts from $265/night
Wales – Maesteg, Brigend County: Four traditional yurts on a secluded farm valley campsite from $103/night
Wales – Powys: Two Mongolian yurts overlooking the Black Mountains and the Wye Valley from $170/night
Yurt rentals in the United States
Alaska – Homer: Modern yurt situated between Kachemak Bay and the Kenai Mounatains from $204/night
Arizona – Flagstaff: Seven yurts in Coconino National Forest (just an hour from the Grand Canyon!) from $35/night
Arizona – Pearce: Secluded yurt in Coronado National Forest from $129/night
Arkansas – Hot Springs National Park: “Yurt Village” of four yurts sitting on 400 acres along Lake Catherine from $80/night
California – Malibu: Secluded yurt and Zen retreat on an organic farm from $135/night
California – Shasta Lake: Shasta Trinity Camping offers several yurts from $65/night
Colorado – Bond: Eleven yurts at an adventure resort on the Upper Colorado River from $40/night
Georgia – Pine Mountain: Modern yurt camping at its finest with a fitness center and saline swimming pool from $72/night
Hawaii – Lehua Circle, Pāhoa: Simply furnished yurt near a tropical rainforest from $65/night
Idaho – McCall: Two yurts in Payette National Forest from $100/night
Maine – Rockland: A coastal yurt by the beach and woods from $167/night
Minnesota – Grand Marais: Three yurts in the Minnesota wilderness from $105/night
Montana – Philipsburg: Small but traditional yurt on 70 acres of private forest from $373/night
Montana – Stanford: Two cozy yurts in the Southern Swan Mountains are perfect for backcountry skiing from $45/night
New Hampshire – Orange: Off-the-grid backcountry yurt near Cardigan Mountain State Forest from $110/night
New York – Adirondack: Luxury yurt on a private island (yes, please!) from $200/night
Oklahoma – Tahlequah: Raft down the Illinois River while staying in these two yurts in Elephant Rock Nature Park from $120 night/night
Oregon – Illinois Valley: Three modern yurts with full amenities overlooking the Illinois River from $205/night
Utah – Monticello: Beautifully off-the-grid and distraction-free yurt in the open country from $45/night
Virginia – Standardsville: Cair Paravel Farmstead offers a yurt B&B in the Blue Ridge Mountains from $150/night
Washington – White Salmon: Columbia Gorge scenic yurt from $80/night
Oh glorious, there are yurts within a two hour drive of my house in Spain! I’ve been wanting to stay in one since first reading about Mongolian life last year.
Cat, there are *tons* of yurts in Spain!! Who knew, right? The ones I listed here are just a sample of others I kept coming across in the general directories I mentioned – I hope you’ll get a chance to stay in one soon!
I love yurts, gers, tents, different ways to sleep. Maybe I just love sleep. Some of these are just gorgeous! I’ve slept in a ger in Mongolia and a yurt in Alaska…so far, I think that’s it. Great research!
Yes! While looking up the yurts for this post, I kept stumbling across all kinds of fun tent options – it seems yurts are not the only canvas-walled accommodation choice around 🙂 I loved hearing you’ve slept in a Mongolian ger – that’s a huge dream of mine!
What an awesome list! Just through your blog, you have made me absolutely NEED to stay in a yurt soon!
You must, Jade! I so hope you’ll get the chance to stay in one soon – and you’ll have to report back on how it goes 🙂
Sooo… I have NO idea there are so many yurts around the world (or even in North Amerca!!). I find this to be such an exciting alternative for accommodations. Thanks for compiling the list and sharing it with us, Candace! I do have one question though – what are the bathrooms like?
I know!! I was pretty blown away by the number of yurts as well – and some of them in the most unexpected of places. Who knew there are ones to rent in Costa Rica and Dominica? And that’s a fantastic question about the bathrooms – I should probably actually make a note of that in the post! But from what I can tell, it varies quite a bit from yurt to yurt…some of the more modernized ones (especially in North America) actually have them right in the yurt itself, while other ones might have a bathroom right next door or nearby – i.e. mine is separate, but connected to the yurt via a deck 🙂
Oh yay! I’ve been wondering about checking out something like this and then, look! You did the research for me! Yay!
Thanks for sharing your yurt-venture with the rest of us.
Ahh, I’m so glad!! I’m not sure I’ve ever had so much fun researching something before 🙂 I so hope you’ll get the chance to try out circular living soon, and I love the phrase you coined – a yurt-venture indeed!
We have three beautiful hand crafted yurts to rent in the heart of rural Cornwall….could you add us to your list? I have added our website address for you to look at.
Hello Candace,
Thanks for this. I love yurts. I’m convinced the only way I can return to live on Saltspring is to buy property and get a yurt. Stumbled across this fantastic private yurt in New Mexico near the Ghost Ranch on the road to the white cliffs full of imported rugs and embroidery quite a few years ago. There’s also 15 Yurts as part of Fort Stevens state park in Oregon. Just wanted to say how much I love the combo of your illustrations with your insightful reflections on place, change, humanity and self. A delicious treat.
Hello, Gayle! I’m so sorry to just get back to you here, but thank you so much for your comment. I am right there with you on wanting to build a yurt on Salt Spring 🙂 I’m also looking at the San Juan Islands off the coast of Seattle, or perhaps other islands such as Whidbey – I love the PNW region and truly feel like it’s a perfect place for yurt living (minus the bugs that seemed to come out in droves the minute it got warm!). Thanks as well for your kind words about the stories and sketches I share here – that was wonderful to hear and I’m thrilled you enjoy them!
Bookmarking this for our future travels, thanks for the guide!
Yay! I’m so glad to hear that, Allison 🙂 I have a feeling you guys would definitely enjoy a taste of yurt life!
This is great! Thanks, Candace! I might have to hit up that one in the Czech Republic while there!
Ahh, you must! I loved discovering that yurt, but was a bit sad as well that I didn’t check it out while I was there 🙂 (By the way, a huge reply is headed your way soon, but for right now, CONGRATS on your next adventure!! I’m so excited to follow along and can’t wait to hear more about it!) xo
Wow, what a thorough and intensive job, Candace! Great!
This is splendid!