15 of the Top Stargazing Experiences Around the World

The South Island’s Lake Tekapo is in the heart of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve—the world’s largest dark sky reserve—and on a cloudless night, the tiny town offers some of the darkest skies in the world. Combine stargazing here with another activity New Zealand’s famous for: soaking in geothermal hot springs. Start with a guided tour, looking out for Southern Hemisphere constellations such as the Southern Cross, then continue stargazing from a floating hammock in the outdoor Tekapo Springs, a truly memorable stargazing travel experience.

Although the Blue Mountains aren’t that far from Australia’s most populous city, Sydney, they are one of the best places to see stars in New South Wales. (And the sunsets preceding the celestial show are an unmissable experience, too, with the sandstone cliffs and rock formations as the backdrop.) Learn to identify constellations with your naked eye thanks to the help of an astrophysicist guide, then get the chance to look through a professional-grade telescope.

All the way over in Western Australia, the Pinnacles Desert is one of the top places for stargazing from Perth. The views of the Milky Way are especially good from this desert, which is part of the desert of Nambung National Park. So, head out of the city in the afternoon, stopping to look at wildflowers and to try sandboarding along the way. Once in the desert, enjoy a barbecue dinner at sunset as you wait for the stars to align.

Isolated in the middle of the Southern Pacific Ocean, French Polynesia is another top stargazing spot around the world. Whether you’re on your honeymoon or a family vacation in idyllic Bora Bora, this tour takes you to a private islet, where you’ll cozy-up around a campfire and listen to stories about how Polynesian navigators used the stars to explore the Pacific Ocean. After they’re finished, lay back in the sand and gaze up to the heavens.

Taking good photos of the night sky is not easy. Taking a selfie with a constellation in the background is near impossible. So swap the bikini for a beanie and head up Mauna Kea, the highest point on the Hawaiian islands (13,802 feet, or 4,207 meters) for a stargazing tour accompanied by a professional photographer. You’re likely to be above any clouds, for crystal-clear views of one of the world’s top stargazing sites.

You’ve probably seen the landscapes of Arizona’s Monument Valley in a Western movie or two, but the buttes, spires, and arches look even better silhouetted against the night sky. Tour the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park at night with a Navajo guide, who will recount and perform traditional stories for you, illuminating the cultural context of this dramatic place, one of the best locations for stargazing in the US.

Two International Dark Sky Parks are located within easy reach of Palm Springs—Joshua Tree National Park and Borrego Springs—so this is a top night sky viewing location. But even nature needs a helping hand sometimes. On this tour from Palm Springs, don a pair of night-vision binoculars that help you see things you might miss with the naked eye—perhaps even a UFO, if you’re willing to leave your skepticism behind.

Double your dose of twinkly nighttime attractions on this evening kayaking tour from Isla Holbox, off Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Your guide will lead you along the coast, away from the worst of the light pollution, in search of blue glowing bioluminescence in the water. Then look up at the sky and see that you’re surrounded by nature’s magic from all angles.

Like many sparsely inhabited mountain ranges, Chile’s Andes Mountains provide some of the clearest conditions for stargazing in the world. On this tour from Chile’s capital, Santiago, you’ll be taken to a private observatory, where you’ll be served with local wine and snacks as you use the telescopes and learn more about the stars from your astronomer host.

Polynesian navigators used stars to guide their way through the Pacific, including to Rapa Nui (Easter Island). After spending a day checking out the enormous carved stone heads—the Moai—on the island, learn more about local history and culture on an evening tour that includes a presentation on Polynesian history and astronomy. Look at the stars and planets through telescopes and with the naked eye, and try some night photography from a beach for one of the most remote stargazing experiences in the world.

There are few places in mainland Europe that offer truly dark skies, but if you venture to the continent’s outer regions you’ll have more luck. That includes the island of Tenerife, in Spain’s Canary Islands. Tenerife’s Teide National Park is a designated “Starlight Destination,” and almost all of the 88 constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union can be seen from Mt. Teide. This tour includes a 3-course dinner to energize you for your evening visit.

Most people visit Jordan's Wadi Rum for its arid moon-like landscapes, but you can experience more than just the moon on an evening stargazing tour of the UNESCO–listed desert area. As it’s so far from any big cities—Jordan’s capital, Amman, is about 191 miles (308 kilometers) away—light pollution isn’t a problem. This tour will introduce you to the night sky through local stories before letting you use GPS–enabled telescopes.

Although the area immediately around Dubai is prone to light pollution, go out into the enormous Arabian Desert and the whole universe will open up for you. This tour takes you out on safari in a 4WD vehicle, lets you sandboard down the golden dunes, visits an Archaeological Museum, then shows you the desert night sky before a traditional dinner.

If you’re a keen astronomer, you might not get much sleep when you camp out in Rajasthan’s Thar Desert, not far from Jaisalmer. This tour picks you up in the afternoon and takes you into the desert, where you’ll meet your camel and take a sunset ride to your camp. After a campfire-cooked meal, retire to your outdoor cot and gaze up into India’s skies to your heart’s content.

After a day exploring South Africa’s Little Karoo and Garden Route, take a safe guided tour into the countryside for a stargazing experience. This tour lets you add dinner, if you like, or just go straight to the galaxy- and nebula-spotting. Your guide will teach you about the “High 5” constellations (not to be confused with the “Big 5” of the animal kingdom), so it’s accessible even to beginner stargazers.