The stargazing adventure in a UK National Park named one of the ‘world’s best travel adventures’

DID you know there’s a place in the UK so dark that you can see planets, shooting stars, and even the Northern Lights.

There’s an observatory in Northumberland nestled in a huge National Park that’s set to be the ‘world’s best travel adventure’ for this year.

National Geographic recently revealed their ’20 travel adventures to book in 2026′.

And at the very top of the list is going on a ‘mini stargazing safari in Northumberland’.

The publication suggested that adventure-hungry Brits head up to Kielder Forest which has a huge public observatory and organises over 700 events a year.

Kielder Observatory is one of the best places to see the night sky as it sits in Europe’s largest Gold-Tier International Dark Sky Park – Kielder Forest.

It’s also the third-largest protected Dark Sky reserve in the world.

The fact it’s unaffected by light pollution means you’re likely to see thousands of stars and the Milky Way on a cloudless night.

Through binoculars or observatory telescopes, visitors can sometimes see Andromeda Galaxy, planets and the Northern Lights.

Many visitors say the experience was “unbelievable” and “out of this world” with lots seeing them.

One added: “When the clouds eventually started to clear we were given the chance to use the telescopes and stay a bit longer after the experience had finished to see Jupiter and some stars.

“Absolutely brilliant night, would fully recommend it to anyone! And the hot chocolate is amazing…”

Tickets for the observatory start from £25 and it’s open all year-round.

There are other experiences in the surrounding areas for stargazing; the local Twice Brewed Inn country pub offers some too.

You can enjoy a two course meal before an evening of stargazing with astronomers from the Kielder Observatory.

There’s even a ‘stargazing, supper and slumber’ package which is tailored to guests.

For those who are keen to embrace the great outdoors, you can also pitch up at the ‘remotest campsite in England‘ which is Kielder Village Camping & Caravan Site.

The three-star site is right in the heart of the forest, so there’s no phone signal and very little Wi-Fi.

Facilities include a dish washing room, showers, hair dryer sockets, drinking water, washing machines and BBQ stands.

It’s dog-friendly too and there’s a children’s play area onsite.

There are pitches for tents, caravans, motorhomes, touring caravans and two family pods – these don’t have beds but are more weather-proof than tents.

The campsite will reopen to the public on March 27, 2026 with bookings available from February 1, 2026.

Rates start from £12 for a single occupancy tent, with two-man tents increasing to £20 per night – or £10 per person.

For more on the Northern Lights – here are the five best places to see the Northern Lights near the UK.

Plus, one Travel Writer spent the night in the UK’s biggest National Park with both stargazing and Northern Light spotting.