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2026 solar eclipse: A complete guide to planning a trip around it
The total solar eclipse of 2025 converted millions of Americans into umbraphiles who travelled to the path of totality stretching from Mexico to Montreal. If you missed it – or have been chasing that same feeling ever since – there’s another opportunity to experience the rare celestial phenomenon next year, but it will require a little more planning.
On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse will cross from the Russian Arctic through East Greenland and Iceland and down to Spain, concluding in the Mediterranean Sea. While its path only covers a few populated areas, they happen to be among our all-time favourite travel destinations, making that summer solar eclipse trip all the more enticing. After that, the next eclipse is on August 2, 2027, visible over Northern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and Southern Europe.
As someone who travelled for both the 2017 and 2024 eclipses, I can attest that journeying to the path of totality is well worth the effort: watching the sun turn jet black is truly an otherworldly experience everyone should experience at least once. Whether you prefer your eclipse with a side of icebergs or beaches, here’s everything you need to know about planning a trip for the August 2026 total solar eclipse.
How to pick a destination for the 2026 solar eclipse
The number one rule is to pick a location within the path of totality, ie where the moon will completely cover the sun, plunging viewers into an eerie darkness. (You can find an interactive map of the path of totality here.) In areas outside of the path, you may only see a partial solar eclipse, and the experience will be diminished. Even at 99 per cent coverage, the sky will not darken as much as it will in totality. Destinations closer to the centre of the path will experience longer periods of complete darkness.
Unlike in 2017 and 2024, when the path of totality crossed the entirety of North America, the 2026 total solar eclipse has only a few feasible viewing destinations within the path of totality: Greenland, Iceland, and Spain. When choosing between the three, you’ll want to consider two key things: availability of accommodations and cloud coverage. Of course, without accommodations – and that includes space at a campsite, if dispersed camping isn’t allowed in your destination – you won’t have much of a trip.
When calculating for cloud coverage, you won’t know what the sky’s conditions will be until the day of. You can look at historical data to see what your odds of clear skies might be, but remember that Mother Nature is in control. During the 2024 eclipse, I chose to travel to Fort Worth, Texas, knowing that Texas typically has clearer skies in April than the Northeast, where I live. But nature had other plans – in the week leading up to the eclipse, meteorologists predicted that a weather system would cloud over much of Texas during the eclipse. While some eclipse chasers pivoted at the last minute to go to destinations with better odds of clear skies, I stuck to Texas and planned to drive as far as necessary to find a break in the clouds. Luckily, I ended up with partly cloudy skies at the moment of the eclipse right in my hotel parking lot, so I had a perfect view. That said, my top advice is to go somewhere you’d like to visit regardless of the eclipse. That way, if you get clouded out, you won’t be totally disappointed.
Where to go & stay for the 2026 solar eclipse
Greenland
Greenland is a difficult place to visit by land, full stop – none of Greenland’s cities, towns, or settlements are connected by road. East Greenland, where the path of totality lies during the 2026 total solar eclipse, is very sparsely populated. The most convenient way to view the eclipse in Greenland is to book a solar eclipse–themed cruise.
Iceland
While Iceland is far more accessible to travellers than Greenland, accommodations are fairly limited, especially because the date of the eclipse falls during the country’s peak tourism season. Additionally, the path of totality will only cover the westernmost parts of Iceland, not the entire country. Cruising is also an option for the solar eclipse here, but if you’d prefer to stay on land, these are some of the best places to see the 2026 total solar eclipse in Iceland:
