Embrace Your Inner Night Owl with Noctourism
Did you know? Darkness does our minds good, according to a 2024 Night Sky Connectedness Index published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology. Research found that a greater connection to the night sky was positively related to a person's mental health and happiness. Knowing this, it should come as no surprise that travelers are increasingly excited about partaking in Noctourism—experiences that specifically take place after dark.
Embrace your inner night owl and come along as we explore ways to engage with this transformational trend.
Photo courtesy of Omark Reyes, Courtesy of Discover Puerto Rico.
PUERTO RICO’S THREE BIOLUMINESCENT BAYS
Not only is nighttime the best time to visit one of Puerto Rico’s stunning bioluminescent bays (Mosquito Bay, Laguna Grande, and La Parguera)—it’s the only time to visit if you want to experience this natural phenomenon. These magical bays are home to a type of microscopic plankton called dinoflagellates which—when disturbed by movement—glow! This chemical reaction creates a lovely blue-green hue that groups can view from nighttime boat or kayak tours, depending on which bay you choose to tour. Visit during a new moon to get the most bang for your glowing buck!
THE MAJESTY OF DARK SKY PLACES
With 250 designated Dark Sky Places around the world, DarkSky International focuses on combatting light pollution and protecting areas that serve as vital sanctuaries for wildlife that depend on natural darkness. They’re also ideal for those seeking connection with the cosmos! Whether groups try their hand at astrophotography in Oklahoma’s Black Mesa State Park or seek out the Northern Lights at Michigan’s Headlands International Dark Sky Park, the opportunities to get lost in the wonder of the night sky abound.
Photo courtesy of More Than Just Parks, DarkSky.org
SMOKY MOUNTAIN’S GLOWING FIREFLIES
From late May to early June, the Elkmont area of Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee is aglow with the mating ritual of countless synchronous fireflies, creating a truly remarkable sight visitors flock to each year. But note: space to view this nighttime phenomenon is limited and goes quickly! If your groups are interested in attending, be sure to research securing your spot in advance, as passes (typically released in April each year) sell out almost immediately.
GET AN ASTRONOMER’S VIEW AT VARIOUS OBSERVATORIES
See the cosmos through the same lens that astronomers use to do their research with a night visit to an observatory! Many offer after hours tours, talks with astronomers, and even concerts under the stars. The historic Yerkes Observatory in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, for example, offers an opportunity to journey through the night sky via the largest refracting telescope in the world. And while clear skies are never guaranteed, what’s promised is an exclusive and unparalleled experience at the same observatory that revolutionized the way we see the Universe today.
Photo courtesy of More Than Just Parks, DarkSky.org
GET YOUR LOCAL FLAVOR AND CULTURAL FIX … AFTER HOURS!
Sometimes, nighttime is the perfect setting for enjoying a truly immersive cultural experience. Groups could learn about New Orleans’ haunted history with a narrated evening walking tour; take in Tokyo’s neon-lit (and nonstop) nightlife in the Kabukichō district; explore and spend the night beneath the beloved blue whale at London’s Natural History Museum; soak under the stars (and next to the mountains) in SunWater Spa’s mineral-water cedar hot tubs in Manitou Springs, Colorado; and more.
Written by Sarah Suydam, Managing Editor for Groups Today.
This article originally appeared in the May/Jun ’26 issue of Groups Today.
Main photo courtesy of More Than Just Parks, DarkSky.org
