USTOA News

USTOA In Insider Travel Report

Published Jul 30, 2019 12:00AM


For travelers seeking an astrotourism adventure, tour operator members of USTOA (U.S. Tour Operators Association) have curated a collection of itineraries that include cruising under the northern lights in Norway, exploring a dark sky reserve in New Zealand, and sleeping under the stars in Africa. Here are a few itineraries:

Hurtigruten's “Norway: The Round-trip Cruise": From October through March, the northern lights appear across Norway’s polar landscape. This 12-day cruise, sailing round-trip Bergen-Kirkenes-Bergen along the Norwegian coast, takes travelers to view this natural phenomenon, sailing past more than 100 fjords and 1,000 mountains with the option to join sea and land-based excursions. Departures are available Oct. 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020 with prices starting at $1,956 per person double. For more information, click on Hurtigruten.

Avanti Destinations’ “Atacama Explorer & Space Observatory Star Gazing": Spending three nights in Santiago and four nights in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, this trip includes a Space Observatory Star Gazing Tour where guests can observe the skies above the Atacama Desert. Additional experiences include small group tours of the Valley of the Moon, the natural hot springs at Tatio Geyser, and Los Flamencos National Reserve to view flamingos. Departures are available throughout 2019 starting at $2,565 per person double. For more information, click on Avanti Destinations.

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