Adult summer camps and gatherings: what to expect

Updated 4 Oct 2026

An adult camp or gathering is a trip where everyone stays in one place to play and be together. You arrive, unpack once, and spend the days doing whatever the camp is built around, with a named host running the show.

What counts as a camp or gathering

On hosted/trips, Camps and gatherings means you stay put to play and be together. The shape is the same even when the activity is wildly different:

• Adult summer camp: cabins, a lake or a field, a schedule of activities, and the freedom to skip any of them.
• RV rally at a campground: people arrive in their own rigs and spend several days parked together, with talks, meals and socials.
• Fantasy camp: a few days doing something you've always wanted to do, often alongside people who do it for a living.
• LARP: live-action role play, where you spend a weekend in character inside a shared story.

A silent meditation camp and a costumed LARP weekend get the same respect here. What matters is that the trip suits you.

What a day usually looks like

Every host sets their own schedule, but most camps follow a loose pattern.

1. Morning: breakfast together, then the first block of activities or sessions.
2. Midday: lunch, then free time or a second block.
3. Afternoon: more options, or time to swim, nap, read or wander.
4. Evening: a shared dinner and the main social event: a campfire · a dance · a game · a performance · an in-game scene.

At most adult camps, activities are optional. Ask the host how structured the days are. Some camps fill every hour. Others leave long stretches open on purpose.

Where you'll sleep

Sleeping arrangements vary more at camps than on almost any other kind of trip, so check this first.

• Cabins or bunkhouses: often shared. Ask how many people per room, and whether you can request someone to share with.
• Private rooms: sometimes available at a higher price.
• Camping or glamping: your own tent, or a set-up tent or yurt provided by the host.
• Your own RV: for rallies, you sleep in your own rig. Ask whether sites have hookups, and what kind.

If you're a light sleeper, ask about bathrooms (shared or private, and how far away) and quiet hours.

Who goes

Camps often draw a mix of first-timers and people who come back every year. If you're going alone, ask the host how they help new people find their feet. Many camps build that in from the first evening.

Some trips on hosted/trips are marked adults only. Others carry identity labels such as women only · men only · LGBTQ+ · faith-based · singles. Those labels come from the host, so read the listing and ask if anything is unclear.

What to ask before you book

1. What's included in the price: meals · activities · equipment · costumes?
2. What should I bring, and what can I borrow there?
3. How physical are the activities, and can I sit some out?
4. Is there alcohol at the camp, and is it included, for sale or not allowed?
5. Can you cater for my diet?
6. Is phone signal or Wi-Fi available, and is the camp meant to be screen-free?
7. For LARP: do I need a character or costume ready, and how much is prepared for me?
8. What are the deposit and cancellation terms?

Every host sets their own terms for deposits, refunds and transfers, so ask before you pay rather than after.

Booking through hosted/trips

Every trip on hosted/trips has a named host, and you book directly with them on their own site. hosted/trips takes no bookings or payments, and no cut of what you pay the host.

Each listing shows a status. Early access means bookings aren't open yet. Open means you can book. Closing soon shows the booking date. Sold out means it's full, though some hosts offer a waitlist. We never see bookings, so we don't show how many spots are left.

You may also see camps marked Gauging interest. These are ideas a host is testing. Tell the host you're interested, and you'll hear back only if it goes ahead.

Find a trip

Browse camps and gatherings, see trip ideas hosts are testing, or look at everything on hosted/trips.