Why eclipse chasing is the trip of a lifetime

Written by: Jamie Carter, Astro-tourism expert
Published: 26 May 2026

I experienced my first total solar eclipse on 14 November 2012, an hour after sunrise from a crowded beach at Palm Cove in Queensland, Australia. It had rained all night, and the clouds blocked the sun until, with the eclipse at 99% and just minutes from totality, they parted. A resigned silence had reigned since sunrise, but now everyone on the beach was chatting. It was 6:37 a.m. In one minute, my world would change forever.

The temperature, which had been rapidly rising since dawn and then stalled, now dropped sharply. I shivered under a palm tree as the light turned silvery, and everyone went quiet. Eclipse glasses were removed. As the last drop of sunlight disappeared, the beach went dark in just a few seconds. I looked up and in place of the sun was a hole in the sky. Around the moon’s black silhouette, the sun’s ghostly solar corona – an ethereal halo of wispy white tendrils – was revealed. “Oh my God!” said someone, possibly me.

After the beauty came a primeval dread. The sun had gone. Do we know definitively that it will come back? If it doesn’t, it’s the end of the world. Two minutes and two seconds after it began, the first drop of sunlight re-emerged from behind the moon to form a diamond ring as fear turned to joy. A pink flash lit up the clouds on either side before the sun’s glare became too bright to look at once again. Light and heat returned. I walked the beach in utter disbelief, past people hugging each other, others excitedly chatting. Now fully understanding why people travel the world to experience totality, I had only one question left: when and where is the next one?

A total solar eclipse occurs when a new moon passes directly between Earth and the sun, perfectly aligning with the sun from the point of view of somewhere on Earth. It’s the result of a cosmic coincidence – the sun is 400 times larger than the moon, but it’s also 400 times farther away, making their apparent sizes match in our sky.

During totality, the moon casts a narrow shadow – a “path of totality” – onto Earth. Only within this path (which is typically about 150 miles wide and 9,000 miles long but often occurs over oceans) can observers witness totality and gaze, with the naked eye, at the sun’s corona.

The trick is to position yourself where the sky is likely to be clear at that time of year and be relatively close to the centreline of the path, where totality lasts for the longest time – typically a few minutes. For many, those minutes are life-changing, so where you go is always a big decision.

But for those who have stood in the shadow of the moon, the appeal is obvious. I’ve travelled to nine since 2012, witnessing everything from flocks of birds going crazy to groups of eclipse chasers in floods of tears. For some, it’s the sheer beauty. Others think of loved ones, now departed, wishing they were still here to share
the moment.

A total solar eclipse isn’t just a turn-up, see-it-and-leave-again affair. It’s a chance not only to discover new places but to see them at their luckiest. Totality visits the same location once every 366 years, on average, so for local communities, it’s a massive occasion.

Unless, of course, you travel. Eclipse chasing is currently a booming industry, thanks in part to the 2024 eclipse, which was witnessed by an estimated 50 million people in Mexico, the U.S., and Canada. Many of them want to experience another.

Part of the appeal is the journey: total solar eclipses occur somewhere on Earth roughly every 18 months, but rarely in the same place twice. Chasing them means planning travel to remote deserts, icy fjords, ancient ruins, and windswept beaches. For many, the eclipse becomes the nucleus of an unforgettable adventure. Get yourself a list of when and where the next total solar eclipses are, and you can book time off work well ahead of time (until the year 3000, in fact!). You’ll be in good company; eclipse chasers are the best-travelled people you’ll ever meet.

The next total solar eclipse will see a path of totality move from the Arctic to eastern Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain – three stunning regions popular with tourists, regardless of the eclipse. It’s Iceland’s first totality since 1954 and mainland Spain’s first since 1905. “What makes the 2026 eclipse even more special is that it’s the first of two consecutive total solar eclipses visible from parts of Spain, with the next one happening just a year later in 2027,” says Dan Zafra, a photographer who’s hoping to experience his first totality in his home country.

“After that, we won’t see another total solar eclipse over Spain until 2061, so these two eclipses present a unique window of opportunity.” In Spain, the eclipse will occur shortly before sunset – a dramatic experience, but one that requires very careful planning to ensure clear sightlines. Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, is in the path, as is Greenland’s Scoresby Sound, the latter destination for dozens of expedition cruise ships packed with eclipse chasers after an Arctic eclipse.

It’s not a sunset, a meteor shower or a firework display. It’s a dramatic transformation of the sky as the sun is revealed to be what we know it really is – a white (not yellow) star floating in a black sky. “You, the moon and the sun in perfect alignment is something worth experiencing at least once in your life,” says Dr. Rick Fienberg, a science educator who’s witnessed dozens of total solar eclipses. “No matter how much I hype totality to first timers, they always tell me afterward that it was even better than I led them to believe.”

With growing awareness, the eclipse tourism market is experiencing a surge in popularity. Here are a few beginner tips:

 

• Choose your eclipse: Try to plan a trip that includes much more than just the eclipse, but don’t rank eclipses on the length of totality – even a few seconds will give you the experience you’re chasing.
• Book early: Hotels and tours in the path of totality fill up fast, so book years in advance if you can. Expert-led tours and cruises should maximise your chances but remember that large land-based tour groups likely won’t chase clear skies.
• Scout your site: Use an augmented reality sky app like PhotoPills to ensure you have a clear view of the sun, especially if it’s low on the horizon (close to sunrise or sunset).
• Check the weather: Although a cloudy eclipse means profound darkness, seeing the corona requires clear skies. Use eclipsophile.com to find the best climate, then check the weather forecasts three days in advance. Always have a Plan B – eclipse chasing is cloud dodging.
• Pack smart: Bring eclipse glasses (for the partial phases), a hat, sunscreen and binoculars with a solar filter. Don’t waste time photographing your first eclipse – you’ll regret it.

The next few years are a golden era for eclipse tourism, with some glorious travel opportunities:

 

• 12 August 2026: A dramatic twilight eclipse in Greenland, Iceland and Spain, with the sun low in the sky. Inland Spain offers the best odds for clear skies, but Iceland gets the longest totality (2 minutes 13 seconds).
• 2 August 2027: The longest totality of the century (6 minutes 22 seconds) from Luxor, Egypt, will draw eclipse chasers, but the path also visits southern Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia.
• 22 July 2028: Sydney Harbour will experience totality for almost four minutes, though it tops five minutes over probably cloudless Outback Australia, north of Broome and Alice Springs. In New Zealand’s South Island the eclipse will occur close to sunset.
• 25 November 2030: A sub-two-minute totality just after sunrise from Namibia, Botswana and South Africa, with totality close to sunset in South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland. Safari and stargazing opportunities abound.

The natural world is full of wonder, whether it’s a once-in-a-blue-moon eclipse or a bioluminescent spectacle. We’ve chosen five of the most incredible sightings – here’s where and when to go.