Quick answer: The darkest, clearest skies are in Chile’s Atacama Desert, Mauna Kea (Hawaii), NamibRand (Namibia), Aoraki (New Zealand) and La Palma (Canary Islands).
For the Milky Way in all its glory, you need dark skies, high altitude and dry air. These ten deliver the best stargazing on earth.
The 10 best stargazing destinations
Atacama Desert, Chile
The driest place on earth and home to the world’s great observatories.
Mauna Kea, Hawaii
A 4,200m summit above the clouds with world-class observatories.
NamibRand, Namibia
An International Dark Sky Reserve over the desert.
Aoraki Mackenzie, New Zealand
A vast Dark Sky Reserve in the Southern Alps.
La Palma, Canary Islands
Protected dark skies and major observatories.
Death Valley & the US Southwest
Some of the darkest skies in North America.
Sahara Desert, Morocco
Brilliant desert skies on an overnight camp.
Tenerife, Canary Islands
Mount Teide’s high-altitude clarity.
Jasper, Canada
A huge Dark Sky Preserve in the Rockies.
Sagarmatha / Himalaya, Nepal
High-altitude skies on a trek.
How to choose
Go around the new moon for the darkest skies, head to high, dry altitude, and check for the Southern Hemisphere’s richer Milky Way views (Atacama, Namibia, New Zealand). Desert and mountain destinations are most reliable.