Travel & Tourism

10 unique global hotels that are perfect for stargazing

By John Metcalfe, The Mercury News The Tribune Content Agency
Stars appear to rotate around Polaris, the north star (C, top), in this time exposure, Jan. 26, 2006, above a view of the 4-meter telescope dome at Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Arizona. The image is composed of 114 30-second exposures of the night sky combined to make the equivalent of a nearly one hour exposure in which the earth's rotation causes the stars to appear to move across the night sky. The orange glow on the horizon is from the city of Phoenix, 100 miles (160 Km) away. (Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images/TNS)
Stars appear to rotate around Polaris, the north star (C, top), in this time exposure, Jan. 26, 2006, above a view of the 4-meter telescope dome at Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Arizona. The image is composed of 114 30-second exposures of the night sky combined to make the equivalent of a nearly one hour exposure in which the earth's rotation causes the stars to appear to move across the night sky. The orange glow on the horizon is from the city of Phoenix, 100 miles (160 Km) away. (Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images/TNS) Stan Honda TNS

The universe has a crazy-quilt explosion of stars to show us each night. But if you live in an urban area, light pollution obscures it with a glowing washout.

People who want to get away from the city and experience the heavens' natural splendor might consider a stargazing-friendly hotel. And there are quite a few intriguing ones around the world that cater to amateur astronomers, according to Afar Media.

In its guide to the "19 Best Hotels in the World for Stargazing," the travel publication rounded up one-of-a-kind places offering star safaris from Africa to Scotland to remote islands. We're talking about experiences like "sleek design with starry nights under the Namibian desert sky" or "stargazing with monks in peaceful Himalayan villages." And a couple in the U.S. and India are quite affordable, costing below $200 a night. Here are 10 of these illuminating places.

Afar's worldwide hotels where you can go stargazing

1. Adero Scottsdale Resort, Autograph Collection (Arizona)

2. Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas (Maldives)

3. Americana Motor Hotel (Arizona)

4. &Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge (Namibia)

5. Astrostays (India)

6. Basecamp Samburu (Kenya)

7. Battlesteads (England)

8. Dark Sky Dome (Scotland)

9. Explora Atacama (Chile)

10. Hoshinoya Taketomi Island (Japan)

Source: afar.com/hotels/10-hotels-where-you-can-go-stargazing

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER