Most travel itineraries focus on daytime activities, with nights usually reserved for sampling local tipples or just passing out in your hotel room. But 2025’s hottest travel trend flips this on its head. ‘Night tourism’ is taking off at rocket speed with travellers seeking destinations where the real magic happens after sunset.
With light pollution increasing in major cities (London, we’re looking at your orange glow), places offering pristine dark skies have become the new beachfront property of tourism. Grab your flask of tea, don your warmest jumper, and prepare for adventures that begin when the daylight ends.
And don’t forget, get in touch with a trusted visa partner like OnTrailVisa to ensure a smooth start for your nocturnal adventures!
Top Spots for Stellar Star-Spotting
NamibRand Nature Reserve, Namibia
NamibRand offers some of the darkest skies on Earth and with virtually no light pollution stars appear so bright and numerous they actually cast shadows on moonless nights.
The reserve’s remote location in the Namib Desert means dry, clear air and a southern hemisphere perspective on the cosmos. Several lodges within the reserve offer stargazing programs with trained guides and telescopes, allowing visitors to spot celestial objects invisible from more light-polluted locations.
Aoraki Mackenzie, New Zealand
While your mates are queuing for hobbit holes you could be experiencing one of New Zealand’s best-kept celestial secrets. This Dark Sky Park in the Tasman region is delightfully under-the-radar, meaning you won’t be jostling with tour groups for the perfect stargazing spot.
For those who time their visit right, catching a Matariki celebration (Māori New Year) offers a brilliant cultural bonus. The appearance of the Pleiades star cluster marks this important time in the Māori calendar, combining astronomy with traditional knowledge passed down for centuries.
Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island), Wales
Don’t fancy trekking to the ends of the earth for a bit of stargazing? Ynys Enlli off the Welsh coast became Europe’s first Dark Sky Sanctuary in an area of outstanding natural beauty in 2023. This tiny island – just 1.5 miles long – has fewer than 10 permanent residents, which means the nightlife consists of actual stars rather than dodgy nightclubs.
Known as the ‘Island of 20,000 Saints’, Ynys Enlli has been a pilgrimage site for centuries. These days, it attracts a different kind of pilgrim – amateur astronomers and stargazers seeking refuge from light pollution.
Northern Lights Hotspots
Tromsø, Norway
Located in the middle of the ‘aurora oval’, Tromsø offers some of the best aurora viewing in the world. Between September and March, the lights put on their show when the sky is clear. While it’s not exactly cheap (it’s Norway, after all) it’s more accessible than some other Arctic destinations, with proper hotels rather than ice-block igloos.
Fairbanks, Alaska
While Europeans bang on about their aurora spots, Fairbanks quietly offers some of the most reliable Northern Lights viewing on the planet. Its location under the ‘aurora oval’ combined with surprisingly clear winter weather creates perfect viewing conditions.
Chena Hot Springs, about 60 miles from Fairbanks, offers what might be the most civilized way to see the aurora – bobbing about in naturally heated water while watching the light show overhead.
Abisko, Sweden
Swedish Lapland’s Abisko National Park has a weird natural quirk called the ‘blue hole’ – a patch of sky that stays clear even when surrounding areas are cloudy. This meteorological oddity makes it one of the most reliable places to see the aurora without having to stand around for nights on end hoping for a glimpse. The Aurora Sky Station sits on Mount Nuolja and is accessed by chair lift, offering spectacular vantage points from its observation tower.
Bioluminescent Waters: A Galaxy In The Sea
Jervis Bay, Australia
On certain nights, the waters of Jervis Bay turn electric blue with bioluminescent plankton, creating what looks like an underwater galaxy. While you can’t predict exactly when this will happen, it most commonly occurs in spring and summer. Several local operators run nighttime kayak tours when conditions are right, letting you paddle through water that lights up around you like you’re some sort of aquatic wizard.
Toyama Bay, Japan
Between March and June, Toyama Bay hosts firefly squid. Japanese fishermen have used these little luminous fellows as bait for centuries, but now tourists come specifically to see these natural light shows. Night cruises let you observe the phenomenon without getting wet, though photographs never quite capture the magic.
Mosquito Bay, Puerto Rico
Despite having a name that sounds like somewhere you’d catch a tropical disease, Mosquito Bay on Vieques Island holds the Guinness World Record for the brightest bioluminescent bay in the world.
Clear-bottomed kayaks let you observe the phenomenon without getting wet because swimming is generally prohibited. The bay is particularly impressive during the new moon when there’s no ambient light competing with the blue glow.
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Night tourism isn’t just a fad – it’s part of a larger shift toward experiences that can’t be replicated through a VR headset or another mindless scroll through your phone.
So for your 2025 travel plans, consider experiences that begin when most tourists are heading back to their hotels. Pack that extra jumper, prepare to stay up past your bedtime, and discover the wonders of a night tourism adventure.
