Author of Lonely Planet’s Dark Skies guidebook Valerie Stimac shares her favorite places for seeing the stars in all their glory. 

Standing in the starlight under the swath of the Milky Way, the pristine night sky is one of the most incredible wonders many of us have not seen – and which is under threat due to the constant march of human progress and resultant light pollution. Whether you’ve seen the night sky and appreciate its wonder, or have never seen neighboring planets or our galaxy, stargazing is one of the best ways to travel right now.

From April 15 to 22, the world will celebrate International Dark Sky Week, an event organized by the International Dark-Sky Association to promote the preservation of dark skies around the world. 

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If you’re keen on celebrating dark skies at any point of the year, you’ll likely be wondering where are the best places to go. It’s admittedly hard to narrow down the list — and it’s a question I often receive when asked about those destinations that merit an astrotourism trip in their own right. Below you’ll discover five of my favorite dark sky destinations around the world. There are countless others of similar quality and experience, but this list can serve as inspiration to spark your own research and stargazing trip.

Zion National Park in Utah is a dark sky park © Getty Images

Utah & Arizona, Southwestern USA

If there’s one region in the world that comes to mind for the greatest density of incredible dark sky locations, it has to be Southern Utah and Arizona in the American Southwest….

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