To infinity and beyond: why stargazing holidays are lighting up

Magic is overhead – and more travellers are looking up. With solar activity peaking and demand for stargazing breaks on the rise, Time Out has tipped ‘noctourism’ as one of 2025’s biggest travel trends. From desert domes to volcanic viewpoints, these are the star-studded stays worth staying up for.

Safari by day, stars by night

Where: Kalahari Desert, Namibia

Experience: The Kalahari’s night skies are legendary. Dry air, high elevation and zero light pollution make it one of the best places on earth to get starstruck. As the sun slips behind the dunes, a million stars take the stage and it's just you, the stillness and a sky full of wonder.

Stay: Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch. Rustic-luxe rooms, crackling fires and a sky show that starts the moment it gets dark. Head out on a night drive to spot wild cats in the moonlight or settle into the observatory, where a local astronomer will take you on a journey through the solar system.

Southern skies & snowy peaks

Where: Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve, New Zealand

Experience: Glacier-fed lakes, snow-dusted peaks and the darkest skies in the southern hemisphere. This is sky country, where you can join night walks with local guides, peer through high-tech telescopes and learn how to capture the stars via a lens, not just wish on them.

Stay: Our Landscapes of New Zealand self-drive winds from Auckland to Christchurch, weaving through alpine lakes, coastal towns and high-altitude hideaways. With overnight stops in Tekapo and Aoraki, stargazing is just one of many highlights along the way.

Mountain air & midnight skies

Where: Oman

Experience: High in the Al Hajar Mountains, the skies go blackout dark, far from city lights and perfect for stargazing. Here, high above the world, stars appear in sharper focus: luminous starfields, soft nebula glows and the occasional meteor flash.

Stay: Alila Jabal Akhdar. Perched on a dramatic clifftop, this sleek, high-up hideaway offers private stargazing sessions led by their in-house expert. Expect guided sky tours and a night full of cosmic surprises, best enjoyed with a hot drink and a blanket.

Sea sparkle & sky shows

Where: Maldives

Experience: This tiny island floats in the middle of the Indian Ocean, far from any glare, so the stars shine bright and the sky goes full spectacle. On rare nights, the sea joins in too, glowing with bioluminescence you might just glimpse on a night snorkelling tour.

Stay: Sandies Bathala. A remote speck in the North Ari Atoll. Head out on their stargazing cruise for a sky safari across the Indian Ocean.

Volcano peaks & dark skies

Where: Hawai‘i

Experience: Gaze from the summit of Mauna Kea or take a guided night walk through Volcanoes National Park. In Honolulu, the Bishop Museum’s planetarium pulls the cosmos indoors, complete with immersive shows and a deep dive into ancient Polynesian navigation.

Stay: The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, Waikīkī. Known as the Pink Palace of the Pacific, this icon is just as good for lazy beach days as it is for skywatching from Oʻahu’s quieter North Shore.

Stars and sandstone

Where: Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

Experience: Arizona’s high desert delivers some of the clearest skies in the U.S. The Grand Canyon’s certified Dark Sky status means you can catch the Milky Way stretching over the canyon rim – a surreal sight that feels straight out of a sci-fi film.

Stay: Our SoCal & Arizona desert drive winds from Pacific beaches to high desert plains, with stops in desert-cool towns like Palm Springs and Sedona. Around Flagstaff, head to Lowell Observatory to watch galaxies twirl in one of the USA’s top dark-sky zones.

Northern lights & alpine nights

Where: Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

Experience: Jasper is one of the largest protected night-sky preserves on the planet. Autumn is prime time, when the skies go inky and the aurora dances above the Rockies. Add crisp air, pine forests and total silence and you’ve got serious star power.

Stay: Rockies Road Trip. This self-drive route takes you from Calgary to Vancouver, passing through Banff, Jasper, Sun Peaks and Kamloops. Along the way, you'll encounter soaring mountains, bright blue lakes and high-up vantage points perfect for skywatching.

Celestial dreamtime

Where: Uluru & the Red Centre, Australia

Experience: In the heart of the Outback, the sky tells stories. Local Anangu guides share ancient astronomy passed down through generations, all beneath the wide, unspoiled skies of the Red Centre. Nights here are quiet, spiritual and deeply moving.

Stay: Longitude 131. These chic tented suites look like stargazer lilies unfolding across the desert floor. Expect open-air fire pits, private decks and evenings of celestial storytelling and campfire calm.

Summit to the stars

Where: Tenerife, Canary Islands

Experience: Set high above the clouds, Mount Teide is one of Europe’s most celebrated skywatching spots. A certified Starlight Reserve, it serves up dark skies, high altitude and panoramic views from the slopes of a sleeping volcano.

Stay: Bahia del Duque. This coastal retreat blends old-school glamour with smart modern extras – including its own observatory. With Mount Teide on the horizon and expert-led sky sessions on the schedule, it’s a top pick for star-chasers.

Beachfront brilliance

Where: St Lucia, Caribbean

Experience: With barely-there light pollution and big, cinematic skies, nights in St Lucia sparkle. From poolside loungers or barefoot on the sand, it’s easy to pick out the brightest points above the iconic Pitons.

Stay: Anse Chastanet. Designed by architect Nick Troubetzkoy, this jungle-meets-shoreline hideaway blurs the lines between indoors and out. Some premium suites have no fourth wall, just open-air views of the night sky, the Pitons and the sea beyond.

This feature was created on 27th May 2025. The information within this feature is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. Feature by Heather Flanagan.