{"id":5826,"date":"2026-04-15T15:51:15","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T19:51:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/?p=5826"},"modified":"2026-04-15T15:51:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T19:51:16","slug":"astrotourism-around-the-world-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/astrotourism-around-the-world-in-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Astrotourism\u00a0around the world in 2026: solar eclipse, meteor showers, Northern Lights, and stargazing\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Astrotourism around the world in 2026: solar eclipse, meteor showers, Northern Lights, and stargazing<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By Gina Bang, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer \u2013 Avanti Destinations<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People always ask me what it was like growing up in Kodiak, Alaska. I know what\u00a0they’re\u00a0really asking \u2014 the remoteness, the cold, the dark. And yes, all of that is true. But\u00a0here’s\u00a0what I\u00a0actually tell\u00a0them: my parents still live there, and the winter sky in Kodiak is one of the most luminous things\u00a0I’ve\u00a0ever seen. A full moon with snow all around you\u00a0doesn’t\u00a0feel dark \u2014 it feels\u202fbright<\/em>. Millions of stars. Shooting stars. The Aurora\u00a0dancing\u00a0overhead. You stand there and think: I have never\u00a0in my life seen a sky like this.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s\u00a0my origin story with\u00a0astrotourism. And\u00a0it’s\u00a0why I mean it when I say: in 2026, the universe is putting on a show, and you should be there for it.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’ve\u00a0been looking up at the sun, moon, and stars with awe and curiosity since the beginning of human history. And that looking up is precisely what connects us across cultures, centuries, and continents. Whether you want to\u00a0witness\u00a0a once-in-a-generation celestial event or simply sit quietly under a canopy of stars somewhere far from a city’s glow,\u00a0astrotourism\u00a0delivers the kind of travel\u00a0that’s\u00a0genuinely hard to forget.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And in 2026, the calendar is stacked. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Photo courtesy of Avanti Destinations<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The Big One: Solar Eclipse over Spain, August 12<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On August 12, a total solar eclipse will cross northern Spain, Iceland, and western Ireland, the first visible in Europe since 1999. Avanti has a seven-day\/six-night Spain package\u00a0departing\u00a0August 10 that puts you exactly where you want to be: watching the eclipse\u202fand<\/em>\u202fthe Perseid meteor showers that same evening, from the top of a castle surrounded by vineyards.\u00a0That’s\u00a0not a sentence I expected to write, and yet here we are.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The itinerary winds through Madrid, the Ribera del Duero wine region, La Rioja, Zaragoza, and Barcelona, through medieval towns, wineries with tastings, stays in luxury historic properties (one was a synagogue in the 13th century). An expert astronomy guide is with you for the eclipse itself.\u00a0It’s\u00a0the kind of trip that has a story in every single element.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
New Zealand’s Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, Photo courtesy of Avanti Destinations<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Dark Sky Reserves: The Southern Hemisphere’s Best Kept Secrets<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

New Zealand’s Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve is the largest in the southern hemisphere and one of the finest stargazing spots on the planet. It’s where the Milky Way is\u00a0visible to the naked eye. A 1.5-hour guided tour pairs high-powered binoculars and\u00a0state-of-the-art\u00a0telescopes with a Theatre Planetarium orientation. Go in winter (our summer).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Chile, the Atacama Desert logs more than 320 clear nights per year with minimal light pollution at high altitude. A two-hour experience, maximum of 15 guests, a driver, an astronomy guide, and an aperitif at a hand-picked location, is exactly the kind of thing that sounds understated and lands as extraordinary.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Peru, the Cuzco Planetarium sits at over 11,000 feet and grounds you in the ancient Andean relationship with the cosmos before sending you outside with professional astronomical equipment to see it for yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Northern lights in Ruka, Finland, Photo courtesy of Avanti Destinations<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Northern Lights: Multiple Ways to Chase the Aurora<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the northern hemisphere, the Aurora Borealis\u00a0remains\u00a0the ultimate fleeting reward, and there are more ways to chase it than ever. Take an Aurora safari by snowmobile-pulled sledge near Ruka, Finland. Lace up snowshoes in\u00a0Saariselka\u00a0or Kiruna. Ride a dogsled in Sweden. Take a\u00a0SuperJeep\u00a0in Iceland.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My personal favorite on the list: a Northern Lights photography tour near\u00a0Svolvaer\u00a0in Norway’s remote Lofoten Islands, led by a local nature photographer who shares his favorite spots for capturing the best shots.\u00a0That’s\u00a0not a tour; it’s\u00a0an invitation into someone’s world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if you really want to lean in, the Aurora Colosseum in Kiruna, Sweden is a handmade, hand-carved ice structure rebuilt every year. You arrive by snowmobile to watch the lights from beneath reindeer hides with fires nearby. Pair it with a stay at the legendary\u00a0IceHotel\u00a0in nearby\u00a0Jukkasj\u00e4rvi\u00a0and\u00a0you’ve\u00a0got yourself a trip.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The universe has always been putting on a show. In 2026, we’ve got front-row seats. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Norway’s remote Lofoten Islands, Photo courtesy of Avanti Destinations<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

About Avanti Destinations<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 1981, Avanti Destinations has been selling custom-crafted independent travel <\/strong>vacations in Europe, Asia, North Africa\/the Middle East, the South Pacific, and Central and South America. The Portland, Oregon-based wholesale tour operator offers a wide range of FIT components to travel advisors only<\/strong>, including air, rail, rental cars, hotels, sightseeing\/attractions, transfers and hard-to-find experiential travel options, such as astronomy, soft adventure, nature\/wildlife spotting, cooking classes, food and wine\/beer\/spirits tastings.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Avanti specializes in hand-picked 3-, 4-, and 5-star hotels, resorts, and unique accommodations, such as jungle ecolodges, villas, and castles, in both large cities and small towns and in connecting all the pieces of complex or multi-destination itineraries<\/strong>. The company also creates complete packages for custom groups of 10 or more passengers<\/strong>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information: https:\/\/book.avantidestinations.com<\/a>.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Astrotourism around the world in 2026: solar eclipse, meteor showers, Northern Lights, and stargazing  By Gina Bang, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer \u2013 Avanti Destinations  People always ask me what it was like growing up in Kodiak, Alaska. I know what\u00a0they’re\u00a0really asking \u2014 the remoteness, the cold, the dark. And yes, all of that is true. But\u00a0here’s\u00a0what I\u00a0actually […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5828,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,94,141,97,88,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chile","category-finland","category-new-zealand","category-norway","category-spain","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nAstrotourism\u00a0around the world in 2026: solar eclipse, meteor showers, Northern Lights, and stargazing\u00a0 - USTOA Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Solar eclipses, meteor showers, Aurora safaris, and stargazing from ancient castles. Avanti's guide to the world's best astrotourism experiences in 2026 across Spain, Norway, New Zealand, and Chile.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/astrotourism-around-the-world-in-2026\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Astrotourism\u00a0around the world in 2026: solar eclipse, meteor showers, Northern Lights, and stargazing\u00a0 - USTOA Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Solar eclipses, meteor showers, Aurora safaris, and stargazing from ancient castles. Avanti's guide to the world's best astrotourism experiences in 2026 across Spain, Norway, New Zealand, and Chile.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/astrotourism-around-the-world-in-2026\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"USTOA Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-15T19:51:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-15T19:51:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Peru-AndeanWorldviewCuzcoPlanetarium.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2286\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1524\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ross Evans\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ross Evans\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/astrotourism-around-the-world-in-2026\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/astrotourism-around-the-world-in-2026\/\",\"name\":\"Astrotourism\u00a0around the world in 2026: solar eclipse, meteor showers, Northern Lights, and stargazing\u00a0 - USTOA Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/astrotourism-around-the-world-in-2026\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/astrotourism-around-the-world-in-2026\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Peru-AndeanWorldviewCuzcoPlanetarium.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-15T19:51:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-15T19:51:16+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/fff6937cee3a195443a71c364d3b1b67\"},\"description\":\"Solar eclipses, meteor showers, Aurora safaris, and stargazing from ancient castles. Avanti's guide to the world's best astrotourism experiences in 2026 across Spain, Norway, New Zealand, and Chile.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/astrotourism-around-the-world-in-2026\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/astrotourism-around-the-world-in-2026\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Peru-AndeanWorldviewCuzcoPlanetarium.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Peru-AndeanWorldviewCuzcoPlanetarium.jpg\",\"width\":2286,\"height\":1524},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"USTOA Blog\",\"description\":\"The official blog for the United States Tour Operators Association\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/fff6937cee3a195443a71c364d3b1b67\",\"name\":\"Ross Evans\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cdcf2dead0663e2d645d0c2f69bbb324?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cdcf2dead0663e2d645d0c2f69bbb324?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Ross Evans\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/author\/evansredpointpr-com\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Astrotourism\u00a0around the world in 2026: solar eclipse, meteor showers, Northern Lights, and stargazing\u00a0 - USTOA Blog","description":"Solar eclipses, meteor showers, Aurora safaris, and stargazing from ancient castles. Avanti's guide to the world's best astrotourism experiences in 2026 across Spain, Norway, New Zealand, and Chile.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/astrotourism-around-the-world-in-2026\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Astrotourism\u00a0around the world in 2026: solar eclipse, meteor showers, Northern Lights, and stargazing\u00a0 - USTOA Blog","og_description":"Solar eclipses, meteor showers, Aurora safaris, and stargazing from ancient castles. Avanti's guide to the world's best astrotourism experiences in 2026 across Spain, Norway, New Zealand, and Chile.","og_url":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/astrotourism-around-the-world-in-2026\/","og_site_name":"USTOA Blog","article_published_time":"2026-04-15T19:51:15+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-15T19:51:16+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2286,"height":1524,"url":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Peru-AndeanWorldviewCuzcoPlanetarium.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Ross Evans","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Ross Evans","Est. reading time":"1 minute"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/astrotourism-around-the-world-in-2026\/","url":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/astrotourism-around-the-world-in-2026\/","name":"Astrotourism\u00a0around the world in 2026: solar eclipse, meteor showers, Northern Lights, and stargazing\u00a0 - USTOA Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/astrotourism-around-the-world-in-2026\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/astrotourism-around-the-world-in-2026\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Peru-AndeanWorldviewCuzcoPlanetarium.jpg","datePublished":"2026-04-15T19:51:15+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-15T19:51:16+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/fff6937cee3a195443a71c364d3b1b67"},"description":"Solar eclipses, meteor showers, Aurora safaris, and stargazing from ancient castles. Avanti's guide to the world's best astrotourism experiences in 2026 across Spain, Norway, New Zealand, and Chile.","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/astrotourism-around-the-world-in-2026\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/astrotourism-around-the-world-in-2026\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Peru-AndeanWorldviewCuzcoPlanetarium.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Peru-AndeanWorldviewCuzcoPlanetarium.jpg","width":2286,"height":1524},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/","name":"USTOA Blog","description":"The official blog for the United States Tour Operators Association","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/fff6937cee3a195443a71c364d3b1b67","name":"Ross Evans","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cdcf2dead0663e2d645d0c2f69bbb324?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cdcf2dead0663e2d645d0c2f69bbb324?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Ross Evans"},"url":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/author\/evansredpointpr-com\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5826","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5826"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5826\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5836,"href":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5826\/revisions\/5836"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5828"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}