by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 1:35 PM ET, Thu March 6, 2025
Astro-tourism is one of the fastest-growing travel trends of 2025, with an increasing number of travelers seeking out destinations where they can take in the Aurora Borealis, experience this year’s solar eclipse events, or immerse themselves in dark sky zones.
To help stargazers find the best locations around the globe for such cosmic adventures, the booking platform Planet Cruise researched and ranked the top global destinations for astro-tourism.
The Planet Cruise ranking involved poureing over such key factors as a location’s latitude, average elevation, light pollution levels and the number of Instagram posts mentioning astro-events like the Northern Lights.
While many of the locations that topped the ranking are fairly predictable (Think: Iceland, Switzerland, and Canada), there is one unexpected U.S. destination that landed among the top five astro-tourism locations globally: Mauna Kea, Hawaii.
For those not familiar with Mauna Kea, it features a lofty elevation of nearly 4,000 meters and minimal light pollution. All of which creates an unparalleled view of the night sky.
Visitors to Mauna Kea can often spot the Milky Way in all its glory. The surrounding area also offers hiking, stargazing tours, and other outdoor adventures.
But Hawaii was of course, not the only location identified as a great place for this type of natural phenomenon adventure.
Interlaken, Switzerland, claimed the top spot thanks to its high elevation of 3,401 meters and low light pollution. The Milky Way is often visible, and the area is popular for winter sports and outdoor activities, making it an adventure-lovers' paradise, according to Planet Cruise.
Reykjavík, Iceland, meanwhile, came in second place. The popular location offers an abundance of opportunities to take in the Northern Lights due to its high latitude.
And despite some light pollution in the city, excursions to darker areas allow for spectacular Aurora Borealis sightings, with more than 41,000 Instagram posts showcasing its magical displays, says Planet Cruise.
Rounding out the top three Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park in Canada, which has an average elevation of 1,481 meters, very low light pollution and some 10,057 Instagram mentions of the Northern Lights.
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