Setting the right price for your glamping structure is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. Price too low and you leave money on the table and signal that the experience is not premium. Price too high without the amenities to back it up and you get bad reviews. Here are five tips for getting it right.
1. Start with Comps in Your Area
Real estate agents use comparables to price homes. You can do the same for glamping. Search “glamping near [your location]” on Hipcamp, Airbnb, and VRBO and look at what similar structures are renting for in your market. This gives you a baseline before you start factoring in what makes your property different.
One important caveat: comps are a starting point, not a ceiling. If there are no covered wagons near you, the relevant benchmark is not a tent or a cabin — it is the national average for wagons. Sage Outdoors Advisory puts that average daily rate at $389. In high-demand markets with strong tourism draw, wagons routinely go higher.
2. Factor in Your Location
Location affects pricing more than almost any other variable. A wagon in rural Kansas at a distance from major attractions will price differently than a wagon in the mountains outside of Asheville or within an hour of a national park. Know your proximity to the draws that bring travelers to your region, and price accordingly.
If your location is your differentiator, lean into it. A wagon with a view of Mount Hood is not the same product as a wagon in a flat field, even if the physical structure is identical. Guests pay for the setting as much as the accommodation.
3. Build Your Amenities into the Rate
Every upgrade you offer justifies a higher price point. PlainsCraft wagons with full in-unit bathrooms generate an additional $30-$60 per night in annual daily revenue over structures without private facilities. WiFi, which the majority of campers now consider a baseline expectation rather than a luxury, supports longer stays.
If your glamping site includes access to activities, whether that’s kayaks on a private pond, horses for a trail ride, or proximity to a vineyard tasting room, these are pricing assets. Build them into how you describe and price the experience.
4. Run Your ROI Numbers Before You Finalize a Price
Your price is also a function of what you need to earn. Before you go live with a nightly rate, work backwards from your investment. Factor in the cost of the structure, shipping and setup, ongoing maintenance, cleaning, and any platform fees. Then determine what occupancy rate and nightly rate you need to hit your payback target.
PlainsCraft offers a free ROI calculator on our website that walks you through this math. Most operators find that with a reasonable occupancy rate of 50-65 percent, a covered wagon pays for itself in under two years.
5. Join an Industry Group
Glamping operators who are plugged into the industry learn faster. Organizations like Kampgrounds of America, the Glamping Association, and regional outdoor hospitality networks share pricing data, operational best practices, and market intelligence that is hard to find elsewhere. As you build your pricing strategy, having access to what other operators are actually charging and earning is a significant advantage.
One More Thing: Test and Adjust
Your opening rate is a hypothesis. Treat it that way. If you are consistently booked at 90 percent capacity, your price is probably too low. If inquiries are coming in but not converting, there may be a value perception gap to address. Build in a 90-day review and be willing to move the number.
