The 26 Best Places to See Stars in the World

There are many different places all around our planet that make for the perfect place to do some serious stargazing. A few different factors make some locations far better places to see stars than others, including low light pollution and unobstructed views. However, it can be difficult to know exactly where to go, as even the most travelled astronomers may not have been to the best spots worldwide.

Fortunately, we’re going to take a look at some of the best places you can go to if you want to get dark night skies and a great view of some bright stars.

Best Places to See Stars in the World

Best Places to See Stars in the United States

Mauna Kea, Hawaii

Hawaii has long been heralded as one of the best places to see stars on our planet. One place that’s especially good is Mauna Kea (a dormant volcano), which is the highest point in Hawaii.

Cherry Springs State Park, Pennsylvania, USA

Cherry Spring is well known for being a magnificent place to go stargazing. The park itself have many different stargazing events throughout the year, and it’s a major place to go for meteor showers too. They even do private star tours for those that are would like a guide to show them the stars.

Meech Lake, Quebec, Canada

I could probably name 100 great places to go stargazing in Canada. However, one of my favorites is Meech Lake, which is found in Gatineau Park in Quebec. Located within short distance of Ottawa, it’s a great place for you to relax and forget about your problems.

Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah, USA

Another very well known place in Utah is the National Bridges Monument, and Owachomo Bridge. This is just one of the bridges in this area, but it makes the perfect addition to any astrophotography snaps.

Best Places to See Stars in Europe

The Alps

Saying the Alps is kind of cheating, as they’re so large they spread across 8 different countries. However, combining a high altitude with clear skies is always a winning formula for us astronomers, and there aren’t many better places than the Alps for this.

Connemara, Ireland

There are many picturesque places to visit in Ireland, but none are more attractive than Connemara, located on Ireland’s West Coast. It’s as nice in the daytime as it is at night, where it becomes the perfect spot for some serious stargazing.

Tuscany, Italy

Although this region in the center of Italy is known for being the home of Florence, it’s one of the best places for stargazing in the country too. This is especially true for the South of Tuscany, which has little light pollution and starry skies.

Tenerife

Tenerife isn’t known by travelers for it’s stargazing; it’s more known for its vibrant nightlife. However, it’s also a great place to visit if you’re interested in astronomy too, as it’s skies are often as sparkling as it’s busy nights. One great place to visit is Montaña de Guajara, one of Tenerife’s largest mountains.

La Palma, Canary Islands

Astronomy might not be the first thing you think about when considering the Canary islands, but La Palma is well known for it’s superb stargazing. It’s the most North-western of the islands, and it makes for a great place to view the night sky.

Galloway Forest Park, Scotland

Galloway Forest Park is well known as one of the best stargazing spots in the UK. They have star tours and experts that help new astronomers who are just getting started on their astronomy journey.

Best Places to See Stars in South America

Patagonia

Partially in Argentina and partially in Chile, Patagonia is a number one tourist destination and it’s another good place for looking at stars. There are many places to go within Patagonia, but one of the best is Torres Del Paine National park.

Caye Caulker, Belize

If you like to enjoy the evening twilight before you start your stargazing, then there’s no better place to watch the sun set than Caye Caulker, in Belize. Although it’s one of the more expensive places, it’s undoubtedly worth visiting if you love stargazing.

Uyuni Salt Flats, Bolivia

The Utuni salt flat is known as one of the most picturesque places in South America in the daytime, but they’re an equally impressive place to go at night too. It is the largest salt flat in the world!

Atacama desert, Chile

One of the best places to go stargazing in South America is undoubtedly Chile, and in Chile, the Atacama desert definitely stands out. In fact, there are some astronomers that say it might be the best place for stargazing full stop! This desert is to the West of the Andes, and is full of life.

Best Places to See Stars in Africa

Grootbos, Gansbaai, South Africa

Grootbos is a private nature reserve in Gansbaai, and they offer some amazing lodges that you can stay in. It’s an astronomers dream, and if you want to see stars from the Southern hemisphere, there’s no better place.

Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

You’ve probably heart of Mount Kilimanjaro, the dormant volcano in Tanzania. It makes for the perfect place to see some stars, and it’s high altitude will give you one of the best looks at the Southern stars you can get.

South African Astronomical Observatory

This national center for astronomy in South Africa is the perfect place for some stargazing. In 2022, it will have been around for 50 years as one of South Africa’s best stargazing spots.

Namib Desert, Namibia

The key to a great stargazing spot is dark skies, and nowhere has darker skies than the Namib Desert. Especially down in the South, where the landmark Sossusvlei lies, is a perfect place to look at the stars.

Best Places to See Stars in Asia

Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal

You might be starting to see a pattern between the best places for stargazing – low populations so limited light pollution, and higher grounds. This is best exemplified by Sagarmatha National Park, which is located in the Himalayas.

Si Nan National Park, Thailand

Although lesser known because it’s off the beaten track in Northern Thailand, Si Nan is the perfect place to get clear views of the night sky. Nearby to the Nan river, it makes the perfect place for amateur astronomy to do some stargazing too.

Nikko Senjogahara, Japan

Japan is the perfect place for stargazing, and it’s Eastern location means that it’s one of the first places that the Sun rises in too. Nikko Senjogahara is between Gunma and Fukushima in the Northern part of Japan, and if you’re nearby, it’s definitely worth a visit.

The Empty Quarter, Arabian Peninsula

Rub’ al Khali, also known as the Empty Quarter, is part of the larger Arabian desert, and runs through several different countries. This desert has been home to many different adventurers and nomads throughout it’s history, and it’s the perfect place to spend an evening under the stars.

Best Places to See Stars in Australia

Uluru, Northern Territory, Australia

Uluru, or Ayers Rock, isn’t just a great place for stargazing – it’s a good place to visit if you’re in Australia too. There’s nowhere else quite like the Northern Territory, and it’s low population and minimal light pollution make it the perfect place to do some stargazing.

Western Australia

It’s hard to pick out just one spot to look at the night sky in Western Australia, as the whole state provides a good look at the night sky. However Karijini National Nark, in the North of WA, can provide one of the best glimpses of the stars.

Wiruna, New South Wales, Australia

If you’re looking to go stargazing in Australia, then Wiruna is probably going to be a good option. This area is actually owned by the Astronomical Society of New South Wales, and it’s a good place to go if you can get in.

Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, New Zealand

Aoraki Mackenzie is a dark sky reserve in Mount Cook, which is part of the Southern Island of New Zealand. With clear skies and higher ground, it makes up one of the best stargazing spots in the continent Australia.

Best Places to See Stars in.. Antarctica?

Although it’s not a realistic place for us to go stargazing, it’s worth mentioning that astronomers say that the North and South poles would be the perfect place to do some stargazing. So if you have an Antarctic cruise booked up, don’t forget to take your telescope with you!

The Wrap Up

To sum it up, these are just some of the best places in the world you can go to see stars. Not only stars, but clear skies can give you the ability to see galaxies, planets and much much more. So, if you’re travelling, why not try to drop by one of the places to get your stargazing fix.