--- title: "Stargazing, the 10 best places to see the stars | Wimup" description: "The ten darkest, clearest skies a traveller can reach, ranked by the sky first and then by the telescopes and tours you can book." url: https://wimup.com/stargazing type: Themed list updated: 2026-10-26 publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com) --- # Stargazing, the world’s darkest skies. By Wimup desk · 10 picks · 2 films · ≈ 4 min read Ten places where the sky gets properly dark, from desert observatories to mountain reserves, ranked with what you can book once the sun goes down. Ranked by the sky itself: how dark it gets and how many nights are clear, with a recognised dark-sky designation settling a close call, then by what a visitor can book there. Wherever you go, plan around the new moon. ## Stargazing, the world’s darkest skies. ### 1. Atacama Desert, Chile Antofagasta · Chile The clearest sky on this list. ESO counts more than 300 clear nights a year here, which is why the world’s big observatories were built in this desert. Book a telescope night from San Pedro de Atacama and go near the new moon. - **Best for:** Clear nights - **Status:** Observatory site - **Book:** Telescope tours Links: [Chile guide](https://wimup.com/country/chile.md) ### 2. NamibRand, Namibia Hardap · Namibia A private desert reserve whose sky earned Gold-tier International Dark Sky Reserve status in 2012, the first in Africa. The nearest town is over 140 km away, the lodges run their own telescopes, and Windhoek is the drive in. - **Best for:** Darkness - **Status:** Gold reserve - **Book:** Lodge telescopes Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/windhoek.md) ### 3. Aoraki Mackenzie, New Zealand Canterbury · New Zealand A Gold-tier dark sky reserve since 2012, 4,367 km² of basin and mountain around Takapō and Aoraki/Mount Cook. The Dark Sky Project takes visitors up to the University of Canterbury’s Mt John Observatory. - **Best for:** Southern sky - **Status:** Gold reserve - **Book:** Observatory tours Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/christchurch.md) · [Watch the Christchurch film](https://wimup.com/watch/christchurch.md) ### 4. La Palma, Spain Canary Islands · Spain The island that passed a sky law in 1988 to protect the observatory on Roque de los Muchachos, at 2,396m. It was the first Starlight Reserve, and the darkest viewing is from the high ground near the summit. - **Best for:** Sky law - **Status:** Starlight Reserve - **Book:** Guided tours Links: [Spain guide](https://wimup.com/country/spain.md) ### 5. Mauna Kea, United States Hawaii · United States The highest summit on this list, at 4,205m, with thirteen working telescopes near the top. Commercial tours drive up for sunset and set up their telescopes lower on the mountain; book one before you attempt the summit road. - **Best for:** Altitude - **Status:** Observatory site - **Book:** Summit tours Links: [United States guide](https://wimup.com/country/united-states.md) ### 6. Death Valley, United States California · United States A Gold-tier Dark Sky Park since 2013 and the largest national park in the lower 48 states. Each February the park’s free Dark Sky Festival brings in NASA and JPL scientists; Las Vegas is the drive in. - **Best for:** Desert sky - **Status:** Gold park - **Book:** Free festival Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/las-vegas.md) · [Watch the Las Vegas film](https://wimup.com/watch/las-vegas.md) ### 7. Pic du Midi, France Pyrenees · France The first International Dark Sky Reserve in continental Europe, accredited in 2013 around an observatory at 2,877m. The cable car from La Mongie goes up by day, and the Nuit au Sommet package keeps you overnight at the top. - **Best for:** Mountain sky - **Status:** Dark Sky Reserve - **Book:** Night at the summit Links: [France guide](https://wimup.com/country/france.md) ### 8. Jasper, Canada Alberta · Canada A Dark Sky Preserve since 2011, and the largest with a town inside it, so the dark starts at the edge of Jasper. The Jasper Planetarium runs telescope tours, and the Dark Sky Festival fills the second half of October. - **Best for:** Rocky Mountains - **Status:** Dark Sky Preserve - **Book:** Planetarium · festival Links: [Canada guide](https://wimup.com/country/canada.md) ### 9. Moab, United States Utah · United States Three certified Dark Sky Parks within reach of one town: Arches, Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point. Arches, the closest, was certified in 2019; Dead Horse Point was the first Utah state park to earn it. - **Best for:** Canyon sky - **Status:** Three dark parks - **Book:** Self-drive Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/moab.md) ### 10. Sedona, United States Arizona · United States The world’s eighth International Dark Sky Community, designated in 2014. The city’s lighting rules bar new street lights on its roads, so the darkest viewing starts a short drive from the hotel. - **Best for:** Easy access - **Status:** Dark Sky Community - **Book:** Telescope tours Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/sedona.md) ## FAQs ### Where is the best place in the world for stargazing? The Atacama Desert in northern Chile, on clear nights alone: ESO counts more than 300 a year there. For darkness with a formal designation, NamibRand in Namibia and Aoraki Mackenzie in New Zealand both hold Gold-tier reserve status. ### What is a dark sky reserve? A large area recognised by DarkSky International (formerly the International Dark-Sky Association) for an exceptional night sky and the lighting rules that protect it. A reserve has a dark core and a populated buffer around it. ### When is the best time to go stargazing? Around the new moon, on a clear night after astronomical twilight ends. Check the lunar calendar before you book: a full moon washes out all but the brightest stars. ### Do I need a telescope to stargaze? No. Under a properly dark sky the Milky Way is visible to the naked eye, and binoculars show far more. A guided telescope night adds planets, nebulae and galaxies, and the guide supplies the equipment. ### Where can you see the Milky Way in Europe? La Palma in the Canary Islands and the Pic du Midi reserve in the French Pyrenees, both on this list. La Palma’s sky has been protected by law since 1988, and Pic du Midi was the first dark sky reserve in continental Europe. ## Sources - Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.