World Tourism Day today: Star-gazing is the new ‘immersive’ trend, 5 uncommon spots in India to view starry nights

If you are seeking for a surreal experience on your trip, consider adding star-gazing to your itinerary for an immersive respite from daily life's stress.

Stargazing is becoming popular as more tourists seek destinations with low light pollution.(Freepik)

World Tourism Day 2025: The global observance day for tourism is on September 27, aimed to highlight travel has in our lives. This year's theme is ‘Tourism and Sustainable Transformation’, highlighting tourism's role in sustainability. With all the discourse around sustainability in tourism, let's tap into one of the most mindful experiences rising in India. More and more tourists are looking for night skies in off-beat locations, away from light pollution, essentially opting for low-impact, nature-friendly travel.

To understand the impact stargazing has on travel, HT Lifestyle spoke to Ramashish Ray, founder of Starscapes, about why stargazing is one of the most sought-after experiences.

One of the key highlights of this experience is the immersive experience, which is very surreal- a point Ramashish stressed multiple times.

He said, “This is an immersive activity where you disconnect from your surroundings and focus on the wonders of the sky. It allows you to focus on the present, makes you curious about what our universe has in store, brings in a sense of calm, and de-stresses you and makes you aware of what you are experiencing at the present moment.”

He again reiterated the immersive value that disconnects you from your surroundings and helps you connect to ‘something that’s greater than yourself.’

Why is stargazing a popular tourist activity ?

Ramashish further cited the findings of a 2023 study, which revealed that looking at the night sky can reduce stress, improve mood, lower anxiety and positively affect mental health.

Stargazing is further riding the rising wave of night tourism, a trend Ramashish also confirmed, “the concept of noctourism (night sky tourism) is on the rise and people are much.”

Let's backtrack again and understand why stargazing is so ‘immersive’ to the point of attracting people to very remote locations? As per Ramashish, it's a humbling and relatively new experience. Most of the city folks rarely see dark skies because of light pollution, so viewing a night sky puts things in perspective in how vast the universe is and how small we are within it. Likewise, even kids enjoy stargazing because celestial bodies always spark curiosity. And lastly, it is a good opportunity to take a break from screens.

Stargazing spots in India

While tourists have traditionally gravitated to locations like Spiti and Nubra Valley for stargazing, Ramashish noted that it’s not as limited as you might think. You don’t have to travel so far north to catch a glimpse of a starry night.

Here are the top destinations he listed, which are equally good spots to catch a starry night:

1. Towns in Uttarakhand

Places like Benital, Jageshwar, Kausani, and Bhimtal in Uttarakhand have become quite popular for dark sky tourism.

2. Kodaikanal

Kodaikanal is a reliable year-round destination for stargazing. The skies are clear and the rainfall is much more predictable than compared to locations like Ooty.

3. Coorg

Coorg has a Bortle scale of class 3. Bortle scale is a numeric scale that measures night sky brightness. The Bortle Scale has nine levels, with Class 9 indicating the highest degree of light pollution. Coorg offers some of India's best darkest skies with minimal buildings around.

4. Jaisalmer

Offers great views of the night sky against the backdrop of sand dunes

5. Offbeat spots in Goa

Goa is an offbeat destination for stargazing. Some of the less explored South Goa beaches that are far from city centres make an ideal spot for stargazing.