If you want to experience the longest total solar eclipse for the next 87 years, make plans for Aug. 2, 2027. To enjoy a whopping 6 minutes, 21 seconds of totality, you must go to Luxor, Egypt. However, the closeness of the new moon to Earth during the eclipse means it will be possible to experience a long totality from areas of Spain, North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
You can even combine the “eclipse of the century” with “Star Wars” film sets, a recently discovered “lost city” of ancient Egypt, the Rock of Gibraltar, and Andalusia’s most splendid Moorish palaces. Here are 10 unique experiences to consider for the 2027 total solar eclipse.
Related: 16 best places to see the 2027 total solar eclipse
Midday at an oasis
Many organized tours are going to Luxor for the maximum totality, but there are other choices in Egypt. One is this nine-day expedition with Astro Trails from July 27 to Aug. 4, 2027, which will witness the total solar eclipse in the remote Siwa Oasis. Close to the Great Sand Sea in the Western Desert — and only 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of the border with Libya — Siwa Oasis will get 5 minutes, 25 seconds of totality. The tour also includes Cairo (with the Giza pyramids, Sphinx and the new Grand Egyptian Museum), Alexandria, and El Alamein.
Totality in a “Lost Golden City”
Would you like to witness the eclipse from Egypt but avoid the crowded temples, cruise ships and hotels in Luxor? Why not view the event as a VIP in the 3,000-year-old “lost golden city” of Aten? Built by the pharaoh Akhenaten, who was dedicated to worshipping the sun’s disk, the ancient city was discovered in 2020 near Luxor by Zahi Hawass, one of the world’s most famous archaeologists and former minister of tourism and antiquities in Egypt. On this expensive tour from Archaeological Paths, Hawass will take you to see the lost city, which was previously closed to tourists, to view the entire eclipse.
From Tatooine to totality
This eight-day odyssey from Astro Trails through Tunisia blends ancient culture, cinematic nostalgia and one of nature’s greatest spectacles. After exploring the medinas of Tunis and Kairouan, Tunisia, travelers head deep into the Sahara to visit iconic “Star Wars” filming locations, including Mos Espa and the Sidi Idris Hotel (Lars’ homestead). Visits include the Kerkennah Islands and the largest colosseum in North Africa, with a total solar eclipse visible for 5 minutes, 40 seconds from Chaffar Beach.
A British eclipse in Gibraltar
When you’re looking at locations within the path of totality, it’s tempting to choose somewhere dramatic. One such option is the Rock of Gibraltar, in the British overseas territory on the tip of the Iberian Peninsula. Imagine standing next to Barbary macaques while watching the eclipsed sun above the western entrance to the Mediterranean Sea.
One big risk for the eclipse, though, is that it’s often very cloudy there. Be at sea level on the eastern side for 4 minutes, 32 seconds of totality. There are no organized tours, but Gibraltar is getting ready.
Birds and baboons in Saudi Arabia
Both Jeddah and Mecca in Saudi Arabia are in the path of totality. However, the 10-day “Wings and Wonders” tour from Saudi Birding is conducted through southwest Saudi Arabia, where endemic and rare migrant species are abundant. The tour begins in Jeddah and then travels down the Red Sea coast, where totality will be enjoyed on the second day from a resort. It will be followed by birding and animal spotting across wadis, mangroves and desert highlands, with targets including pelicans, flamingos, kingfishers, hamadryas baboons and gazelles. Visits include Thee Ain Heritage Village, the Hanging Village of Al Habala, and the Farasan Islands.
Red Sea resort
Hurghada, a beach resort town on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, renowned for scuba diving, is just north of the path and gets only a 98.5% partial eclipse. However, a long stretch of the Red Sea coast to the south will experience totality. Red Sea Diving Safari has three coastal resorts in the path — Marsa Shagra (5 minutes, 8 seconds), Marsa Nakari (5 minutes, 42 seconds) and Wadi Lahami (6 minutes, 14 seconds). All can be booked through the German tour operator Beluga Reisen. If you’d prefer a solitary totality, it’s even possible to reserve a “liveaboard” — floating accommodation — for a trip to a remote dive site.
Sustainability in the shadow
Eclipse chasing is about seeing the world according to a celestial timetable, but it’s also a way to visit places you never knew existed. This unique 10-day journey — from Cairo’s pyramids, museums and Coptic landmarks to the Bahariya Oasis in the Western Desert — blends ancient wonders and astronomy with something unexpected: sustainability. It begins with a few days at the pioneering SEKEM initiative — Egypt’s acclaimed biodynamic farming and education project — before visiting Cairo, Bahariya Oasis, the White and Black Deserts, ancient tombs and the famed “Golden Mummies.” Totality will be experienced from the grounds of a hotel and will last 6 minutes, 16 seconds.
Tapas and casbahs across the Strait of Gibraltar
Ask many eclipse chasers about the 2027 eclipse, and all you’ll hear about is Egypt, where totality will last the longest. However, the path also crosses southern Spain and northern Morocco. This 13-day trip from Travel Leaders explores Madrid, Córdoba and Seville before crossing the Strait of Gibraltar to Tangier and visiting the blue-hued Chefchaouen Medina. It peaks with a totality of 4 minutes, 51 seconds from the centerline of the path of totality near M’diq on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast.
Astrophotography in Andalucía
This exclusive 10-day photo workshop from Backcountry Journeys is all about photography, with two subjects: Spain’s gorgeous region of Andalucía and the sun’s corona above it. Beginning in Málaga, the journey winds through Andalucía’s cultural gems — Granada, Sevilla and Córdoba — offering golden-hour shoots at iconic sites like La Alhambra and Plaza de España. But the real highlight comes on Aug. 12, when the group positions in a quaint village in the Spanish countryside to witness and photograph the total solar eclipse.
Medinas and the moon’s shadow
From the spice-laden souks of Marrakech to the tiled courtyards of Fes, this 14-day cultural odyssey through Morocco with TravelQuest will be a feast for the senses. It gets started quickly, with a few days in coastal Tangier — complete with a pre-eclipse briefing from an eclipse expert — followed by totality for just shy of five minutes from close to Tétouan. Next is a fabulous journey through Chefchaouen and on to Fes, Meknes, Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakech, with a community visit, camel rides, glamping and a visit to the Atlas Mountains.
