The best places for stargazing across the globe

The night sky has fascinated mankind for centuries. As well as being pretty to look at, stars have helped shape our understanding of the universe and even influenced belief systems. From ancient civilisations mapping out the constellations to navigate and tell time, to modern astrophysicists exploring the vast regions of space, the stars have played a vital role in human history.

In recent years, astro-tourism has surged in popularity, with experts and trend forecasters noting a growing interest in travelling to dark-sky reserves. Travellers are seeking out more remote destinations to witness breathtaking events like eclipses and meteor showers – phenomena that offer a once-in-a-lifetime experience under star-filled skies. For those seeking a celestial adventure, we have curated a list of some of the best stargazing destinations across the globe. These locations are not only known for their clear dark skies and lack of light pollution, but they also benefit from lower levels of cloud cover, ensuring the best possible conditions to observe the night sky in all its brilliance.

The night sky looks different between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres due to Earth's shape and position in space. In the Northern Hemisphere, you can view constellations like Ursa Major (the Great Bear), Cassiopeia, and Polaris (the North Star).

The United States stands out as a premier destination for stargazing in the Northern Hemisphere, with 87 designated dark sky parks. These parks have been recognised by the International Dark-Sky Association for their efforts to minimise light pollution. One of the most popular parks is Death Valley National Park in California, which offers a stunning view of the Milky Way in some of the darkest skies in the country.

In Europe, Tenerife is a stargazer’s paradise. Part of the Canary Islands, it offers high vantage points on mountain peaks and cliff tops, reducing the impact of light pollution. Tenerife is home to the Teide Observatory, one of the first international observatories, which can be explored as part of our astronomy holidays in Tenerife.

The Southern Hemisphere offers a unique view of constellations like the Southern Cross (Crux), Centaurus, and Carina. It also provides a clear view of the Magellanic Clouds and two dwarf galaxies that are not visible from the Northern Hemisphere.

Among the best spots for stargazing is the Namib Desert in Namibia, particularly the NamibRand Nature Reserve, one of the largest dark sky park reservations in Africa. The desert’s dry climate and minimal light pollution make it one of the world’s top locations for seeing the stars, especially during July when cloud coverage is at its lowest.

Australia and South Africa also offer several fantastic locations for stargazing thanks to their vast open spaces away from heavy urban areas and light pollution.

For those interested in stargazing in South America, El Leoncito National Park in Argentina is a top spot. Like Namibia’s Namib Desert, the park enjoys dry weather but also sits at a high altitude, making 300 days of the year cloud-free.

This ideal climate has led to the establishment of two astronomical observatories within the park, the Leoncito Astronomical Complex and the Félix Aguilar Observatory, both of which are open to visitors and offer incredible views of the night sky.

Different meteor showers are visible throughout the year and can be viewed from anywhere, though some regions offer better visibility depending on the hemisphere. Below are some upcoming meteor showers and the best locations to see them.

Eclipses, both solar and lunar, occur multiple times each year, although their frequency and visibility depend on the type and location. Eclipses also always come in pairs, as a solar eclipse always occurs approximately two weeks before or after a lunar one. The difference between these types of eclipses is the position of the moon. During a solar eclipse, the moon blocks out the sun causing a shadow across the Earth’s surface which essentially turns day to night.

During a lunar eclipse, however, the Earth blocks out the sun causing a shadow across the Moon’s surface making it appear significantly darker or striking red in colour.

Lunar eclipses are visible from anywhere on Earth where the Moon is above the horizon point (at night). Solar eclipses, on the other hand, are only visible from a specific narrow path across the Earth since the moon's shadow is smaller than the Earth’s surface.

The differences don’t stop there either, as there are three main types of solar eclipses: a total solar eclipse, an annular eclipse, and a partial solar eclipse.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon completely blocks the Sun, casting a shadow across a specific path on Earth. This creates a dramatic sight as day turns into night.

An annular solar eclipse happens when the Moon’s orbit is at its furthest point from Earth and so only covers the Sun’s centre but not its edges. This forms a “ring of fire” where the sun’s outer edges can still be seen.

A partial eclipse happens when the Earth, Moon and Sun aren’t perfectly lined up. This causes only part of the Sun to become blocked, giving it a crescent shape.

For solar eclipses, it’s all about being in the right place at the right time, so we’ve put together a location guide for upcoming events:

There are also three different types of lunar eclipses: a total lunar eclipse, a partial lunar eclipse, and a penumbral eclipse.

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the inner and darkest part of the Earth’s shadow, the umbra. This causes the Moon to appear much darker and redder – commonly known as a blood Moon.

A partial lunar eclipse is when the Earth’s shadow doesn’t cover all of the Moon’s surface since the Moon only passes through part of Earth’s umbra. A dark shadow will grow and then recede without entirely covering the Moon’s surface.

A penumbral eclipse can be easily missed since the Moon’s colour only dims slightly. This is because the Moon only travels through the outermost part of Earth’s shadow.

Since lunar eclipses can be viewed anywhere on Earth, to catch the best views you should visit locations with little to no light pollution and low cloud cover. We’ve also put together a calendar of upcoming lunar eclipses:

Interested in seeing an eclipse with your own eyes? We offer a wide range of trips across Asia, Australasia, and the Americas where you might be able to catch a glimpse of an upcoming one.