Dark Sky Tourism: Traveling to See the Stars and Lights

During the last few years, the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis have been more in the news, as the lights have been more prominent, frequent, and even showing up in the southern U.S. This has increased the interest in “skywatching” travel or “astrotourism.” I have to admit that I’ve become more interested and even ventured to arctic Norway in 2022 to see the Aurora. It did not disappoint!

I have been lucky enough to happen upon some great skywatching during my travels. I saw an incredibly large moon rise above a mountain on the island of St. John in the Caribbean with Venus hanging down from it like a pendant. I saw the Milky Way and a myriad of stars in a dark sky location on the western cape of South Africa.

But I’m now becoming more interested in visiting places specifically for their dark sky, which makes for a better opportunity to see celestial wonders. At the top of my list is the Atacama Desert of Chile, which is considered one of the best places on the planet for stargazing. The caveat is that it’s at a high elevation and one of the driest places on earth as well. Still, I hope to get there within the next few years.

Nayara Resorts have a property in the Atacama Desert. I stayed at their resort in Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and loved it, so when I go, I plan to stay at Nayara. Rapa Nui, incidentally, offered some pretty good stargazing as well.

I visited Churchill, Manitoba, Canada recently, and while I didn’t see any northern lights while I was there, it’s a prime location for the aurora.

Dark Sky Reserves

There are even dark sky reserves around the world named by DarkSky International. Below are some of the places recommended by the organization:

Westhavelland International Dark Sky Reserve is in Germany and just 100 kilometers from Berlin. In autumn, large migrating birds add to the experience, and it’s supposed to be a great place to see the Milky Way.

Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve is on the South Island of New Zealand. It’s another good place to see the Milky Way, but best when the moon is not full.

Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve is on the Iveragh Peninsula of Ireland. On clear nights, you can see the Andromeda Galaxy here, along with nebulae and meteors.

Pic du midi International Dark Sky Reserve is in the French Pyrenees. The largest telescope in France is in this location, and a visit can be combined with skiing.

Brecon Beacons (or Bannau Brycheiniog) National Park in Wales can be reached by train or bus from Cardiff. You might see Mars and Jupiter here, and there are ruins and villages nearby.

Exmoor National Park in England might show you as many as 3,000 stars on a clear night, and the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona in the U.S. is also a terrific spot for stargazing. Other prime spots in the U.S. include Death Valley National Park in California, Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah, and Big Bend National Park in Texas. Check the DarkSky International website for places close to you, as the mentions in this article are just the tip of the global iceberg.

Dark Sky Festivals

There are even astronomy events throughout the year:

Great Orion Dark Sky Festival in California, March 19-22, 2026

Texas Star Party in Texas, May 10-17, 2026

Grand Canyon Star Party in Arizona, June 6-13, 2026

Queensland Astrofest in Australia, July 10-19, 2026

Dalby Forest StarFest in England, August 13-27, 2026

Starfest in Ontario, Canada, August 13-16, 2026

Stellafane Convention in Vermont, August 13-16, 2026

Great Basin Astronomy Festival in Nevada, September 10-12, 2026

Canada’s Top Stargazing Locations

I also want to highlight some spots in Canada in particular, however, where the best time to visit is between October and March.

Kerry Manley, Head of Marketing at Journeyscape, has commented on Canadian stargazing trends and offered advice on how travellers can boost their chances of spotting the northern lights: “Many places in Canada are primed for spotting the northern lights, but to increase your chances, plan your visit around the equinoxes in March and September. To increase your chances of seeing these, download an aurora tracking app, and aim for nights with KP index* of five or higher.”

To help determine the best Canadian destinations for a stargazing trip, the travel experts at North American holiday operator Journeyscape have analyzed various factors, including brightness levels, air quality, precipitation, and more.

The 10 best places to see the stars in Canada are: Waterton Glacier International Peace Park, Wood Buffalo National Park, and Jasper National Park in Alberta; Kejimkujik National Park in Nova Scotia; Grasslands National Park and Fort Walsh National Historic Site in Saskatchewan; Manitoulin Eco Park, Four Corners Algonquin, Killarney Provincial Park, and Bruce Peninsula National Park in Ontario.

Jasper National Park comes in first place with an astrotourism score of 9.92. As the second largest dark-sky preserve in the world, Jasper National Park boasts pitch-black skies (0.18 mcd/m²) framed by the rugged Rockies. Its high mountain altitude reduces atmospheric interference, offering a crystal-clear view of celestial wonders like the Orion Nebula. 

Bruce Peninsula National Park ranks second with a score of 8.92, and is a fantastic place to spot constellations. Stargazing becomes even more magical in the summer months thanks to the free Bayside Astronomy nights, run by the Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association. Kerry suggests enhancing your experience with stargazing apps: “Once you’re under the night sky in Canada, apps like Sky Guide, Night Sky, and Stellarium let you point your phone at the sky and identify stars and planets in real-time with augmented reality.” 

Killarney Provincial Park, Ontario, takes third place, closely behind Bruce Peninsula, with a score of 8.75. Tucked away on the northern shore of Georgian Bay in Ontario, Killarney Provincial Park is Canada’s ultimate celestial destination. This spot has the perfect balance of accessibility and seclusion, as it’s an hour’s drive from the nearest big town, Sudbury.

To maximize visibility of the stars, Kerry recommends visitors to “plan your visit here around major meteor showers. Perseids (occurring mid-July to mid-August) are often named the best meteor shower of the year, so they’re definitely one you wouldn’t want to miss!”

You can view the full research by Journeyscape here.

Have you seen a great sky show somewhere in the world? If so, please enlighten us in the comments!