On April 8, 2024, the US saw its last total solar eclipse until 2044. Luckily, there are plenty of prime opportunities to see an eclipse over the next several years—as long as you don’t mind traveling to get there.
Remember: When booking flights for these few-times-in-a-lifetime phenomena, it's best to book in the Goldilocks Window for cheap flights. That’s not too far in advance, but not too late either. For international flights, that means looking and booking in the 2–8 month window. And if the eclipse falls during peak travel times—like during the summer or winter holidays—you should be looking on the earlier end of that range.
Where to see upcoming eclipses
Between now and 2030, there are four opportunities to see a total solar eclipse. For the best view, you’ll want to be in the path of totality, or where the moon completely blocks the sun.
August 12, 2026
Path of totality: Greenland, Iceland, Russia, Spain, northeastern corner of Portugal
August 2, 2027
Path of totality: Southern Spain, North Africa, the Middle East
July 22, 2028
Path of totality: Australia, New Zealand
November 25, 2030
Path of totality: Southern Africa, Australia
The cheapest places to fly to see the eclipses
Flight prices are going to vary depending on where you’re flying from, your dates, and when you buy your tickets. If you want to increase your chances of finding a cheap flight, employ the Greek Islands Trick, which means getting as close to your destination as possible for the cheapest cost, then taking an alternate mode of transportation—such as a regional flight, train, bus, ferry, or rental car—to get the rest of the way there. Be sure to look at the cost of a rental car or alternate transportation to make sure the roundabout way to get there is worth the savings.
Based on historical data from Going’s deals, the cheapest places to fly to along the paths of totality are:
August 12, 2026
- Keflavík, Iceland (KEF): $454 roundtrip
- Bilbao, Spain (BIO): $484 roundtrip
- Valencia, Spain (VLC): $499 roundtrip
The most expensive place to fly for the 2026 eclipse is Palma (PMI) on the Balearic island of Mallorca at $514 roundtrip. Madrid (MAD) and Barcelona (BCN) in Spain will both narrowly miss the path of totality but would be solid alternative airports to fly into for cheap flights, at $492 roundtrip and $488 roundtrip respectively.
August 2, 2027
- Málaga, Spain (AGP): $484 roundtrip
- Luxor, Egypt (LXR): $495 roundtrip
The most expensive place to fly for the 2027 eclipse is Rabat, Morocco (RBA) at $565 roundtrip. Alternatively, you could look at flying into Marrakech, Morocco (RAK) for $532 roundtrip or Cairo, Egypt (CAI) for $601 roundtrip.
July 22, 2028
- Sydney, Australia (SYD): $771 roundtrip
Some alternative airports if you want to score a cheaper flight could include Melbourne, Australia (MEL) for $743 roundtrip; Canberra, Australia (CBR) at $763 roundtrip; or Christchurch, New Zealand (CHC) at $750 roundtrip, though all would require a commute to reach the path of totality.
November 25, 2030
- Johannesburg, South Africa: $684 roundtrip
The most expensive place to fly for the 2030 eclipse is Brisbane, Australia (BNE) at $831 roundtrip. You could also check out flights to Durban (DUR) or Cape Town (CPT) in South Africa if you want to increase your chances of finding a cheap flight; Going data suggests the average deals for these South Africa cities are around $680 roundtrip.
Read more: How to find cheap flights
Got points? Points and miles can be another great way to snag a cheap fare. Our resident expert Kurt has the scoop on how to do it.
Read more: The beginner's guide to points and miles
What to do while chasing the eclipse
In 2026, see the total solar eclipse while soaking in a hot spring river in Iceland, or tack on excursions to the largest geode in Europe, located in Spain, or a Lisbon fado performance before or after the celestial event.
For the eclipse that traverses southern Spain, North Africa, and the Middle East in 2027, hit the geode in southern Spain if you missed it the year prior, or chase the eclipse from a dahabiya cruise on the Nile; while flights to Egypt most commonly enter through Cairo, river cruises typically include a stop in Luxor, which happens to be right along the path of totality.
In 2028, round out your eclipse trip down under with a stop by an underground, opal-mining town or a submerged stay on the Great Barrier Reef. You could also hop over to Kangaroo Island or New Zealand, where you can boat through bioluminescent glowworm caves and visit a kiwi hatchery.
Finally, for the 2030 eclipse, you could hit up Coober Pedy, Kangaroo Island, or a Reefsuite in Australia if you missed the boat in 2028. Or, if you choose to catch the eclipse from Africa, pair it with a rappelling adventure down a Lesotho waterfall or a stop at deserted Kolmanskop in Namibia.
Published March 15, 2024
Last updated April 30, 2024
