Best 5 stargazing locations in the world sees a surprising entry in Hawaii's Mauna Kea
Astro-tourism is one of the fastest-growing travel trends of 2025, with an increasing number of travellers seeking out destinations where they can do things like take in the northern lights, experience solar eclipse events or immerse themselves in dark sky zones.
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To help stargazers find the best locations around the globe, the booking platform Planet Cruise researched and ranked the top global destinations for astro-tourism.
The Planet Cruise ranking involved key factors including 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, such as Iceland, Switzerland and Canada, there is one unexpected US destination that landed among the top five astro-tourism locations globally: Mauna Kea, Hawaii.
An increasing number of travellers are seeking out destinations where they can take in the northern lights and other night-sky sights. Photo: Dreamstime/TNS
For those not familiar with Mauna Kea – a dormant volcano – it is the island's highest mountain, at 4,207 metres (13,802ft), and suffers from minimal light pollution – both of which help people view the night sky.
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