Whether it’s to spot the Northern Lights, a lunar eclipse, or the Milky Way, night sky tourism is on the rise. A growing number of travellers are booking trips to explore locations around the world by day, and then experience them in a different way at night.
It may seem unorthodox, but the appeal of dark skies is multilayered. For city dwellers, they offer an escape from screen time and city light and provide a way to engage the eyes with a different kind of light source— the solar system. Nature lovers get to discover animals and ecosystems that thrive after dark. Photographers get to test their technical prowess. And everyone reaps the mental health benefits of the experience. Stargazing and time spent outdoors under darkness is calming, it fosters mindfulness, and it helps you put things in perspective.
To help travellers discover the wonders that appear when darkness falls, Butterfield & Robinson (B&R) has designed a series of guided trips that explore some of the world’s most iconic destinations during the day – and night. “Our travellers are always looking to see the world in unique ways. At B&R we thrive on delivering exceptional travel experiences that many don’t know are even possible,” says Mike Scarola, CEO at B&R.
Based in Toronto, the tour company is a pioneer and world leader in luxury active travel and has been helping people see the world since 1966.
B&R’s new Winter Collection, with week-long trips departing in February and March 2025, will take travellers to Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway to revel in hiking, cross-country skiing, dog sledding, and gourmet culinary experiences by day and star spotting by night – with a delicious warm drink in hand and crackling fire pit nearby, of course. In 2026, B&R will add the Dolomites to this list, too.
“The Winter Collection trips are magical ways to get to know these countries and cultures. We’re thrilled to be connecting local experts to our travellers through these exclusive experiences,” says Scarola.
Night sky experiences typically happen in designated dark sky reserves, areas found around the world that are protected from development and committed to reducing or eliminating light pollution. They might involve a guided tour, astronomy lesson or storytelling, a photography tutorial, or simply embracing the quiet and taking it all in.
New Zealand is attempting to become the world’s second certified dark sky nation. (The tiny island country of Niue in the South Pacific became the first in 2020.) With the South Island’s Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, as well as off-grid islands like Aotea (also known as Great Barrier Island) and the peaks in Queenstown, there are plenty of spots in the Oceanic country to set your sights high.
But you don’t need to be in a dark sky reserve to go star spotting. Because of their remote locations, countries in the far north and south lend themselves especially well to stargazing. Being in the arctic wilderness of Norway offers a high chance of seeing the Northern Lights, while a winter escape in Iceland is an optimal opportunity to be dazzled by the Aurora Borealis. Like New Zealand, Patagonia is another prime location to catch sight of constellations unique to the southern hemisphere.
You’re not limited to those locations, either. Nights spent on the water along Croatia’s Adriatic coast will reveal spectacular nocturnal sights. And, cycling through Portugal offers the opportunity to meet with an astronomer for a guided viewing of the night sky.
While there’s no wrong time to enjoy the sky’s sights, winter’s long nights offer plentiful opportunities to explore it. And what better reason to head to some of the world’s most unique landscapes? Once you’re there, the choice of which star to wish upon is yours.
To learn more about Butterfield & Robinson’s Winter Collection and its other scheduled group trips and fully customized bespoke travel options, visit butterfield.com or call 1-866-551-9090.
