9 best trips for stargazing

This year promises a celestial feast for stargazers, with a plethora of enchanting events, festivals and anniversaries to look forward (or up) to. The night sky will be adorned with dazzling meteor showers, supermoons will illuminate the landscapes, and stargazing festivals will bring enthusiasts together under the canopy of twinkling stars.

• 2026 is another important year because it sees the first total solar eclipse visible (over Europe) since 1999. Popular spots to see the solar eclipse in Europe in 2026 include Spain, Iceland and Greenland as they're included on the path of totality (the destinations where you can witness this spectacle).

• Similarly, 2027 welcomes another remarkable eclipse milestone: the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century, with over six minutes of totality. This marks a record that won't be surpassed until 2114 – making the 2027 solar eclipse so special. Our once-in-a-lifetime adventures just got seriously once-in-a-lifetime.

Read on to discover top stargazing events, our best stargazing small group trips, and our special eclipse tours in Europe for 2026 and North Africa for 2027:

Stargazing events in 2025:

Anniversaries

• One exciting anniversary is in the UK, where the Yorkshire Dales National Park (an International Dark Sky Reserve) celebrates its 10th anniversary of its majestic Dark Skies Festival in February 2025, with astrophotography workshops and stargazing safaris among the festivities.
• NASA is also celebrating the 35th anniversary of its renowned Hubble Space Telescope, which since its launch in 1990 has fundamentally changed our understanding of the universe.

Major events

There are awesome astronomical events bejewelling the night sky across 2025:

• In March, Saturn's rings 'disappear' (this only occurs once every 15 years!). There's a wash of meteor showers to look out for: in April, the Lyriad meteor shower will leave behind bright dust trails; in May, you could spot up to 40 meteors per hour during the Eta Aquariid meteor shower; and between July and August the Perseid meteor shower returns with loads of bright meteors (and a few fireballs) to look out for. Remember your binoculars or telescope!
• In September, there will be a total lunar eclipse in certain parts of the world (including the UK), temporarily illuminating the moon in a red hue, and in November you can spot the Pleiades or 'Seven Sisters' star cluster with the naked eye. A year of bewitching celestial activity ends with two supermoons in November and December; these supermoons make the moon appear 14% bigger and 30% brighter.
• 2025 is at the solar maximum, which means we're currently in a period of high solar activity within a solar cycle. Essentially, we have more chance of spotting the Aurora Borealis (or Northern Lights) due to the sun's 11-year activity peak, causing increased solar flares, which send energy and material into space, creating auroras visible from Earth. 

Whether you're an avid astronomer or casual observer, 2025's night skies will be a canvas of awe-inspiring beauty. Discover more excellent stargazing locations around the world with our small group trips.
 

Small group trips for stargazing:

Say "I was there!" with a difference and watch the 2026 total solar eclipse on one of our small group trips. We have selected departure dates on a few of our Spain, Iceland and Greenland trips which give you the chance to experience this rare event.

We also have selected departure dates on our Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco trips to watch the 2027 total solar eclipse. Head up to prime vantage points and soak up the atmosphere with like-minded travellers as you prepare to witness this spectacle of Mother Nature. You'll be accompanied by experts who tell you everything you need to know, from why solar eclipses are so rare to the paths they follow.

Discover our selected trips, read frequently asked questions about the solar eclipse and book your exciting adventure here

Our eclipse 2026 map:

Our eclipse 2027 map: