The ultimate family holiday with a very unusual sunset
Imagine being on holiday with the kids.
You’re somewhere warm. The sky is blue. Everyone is happily occupied. And then, in the middle of the day, the light starts to change.
The temperature drops.
The world goes strangely quiet.
And for a few extraordinary minutes, the sun disappears behind the moon.
That’s a total solar eclipse.
And if you’ve ever thought about planning a holiday around one, the next few years offer some seriously exciting opportunities.
There are total solar eclipses crossing parts of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and beyond — including one in southern Spain in August 2027 and another passing directly across Sydney in July 2028.
So, naturally, we’ve been looking at which ones are worth putting on the family holiday list.
And, more importantly, what you actually need to pack when your holiday comes with one very important appointment with the sky.
2 August 2027: Southern Spain, North Africa & the Middle East
If you’re going to plan a holiday around a solar eclipse, 2027 is a big one.
Totality lasts up to an incredible 6 minutes and 23 seconds near Luxor in Egypt, making it one of the longest total solar eclipses visible from land for more than a century.
But for a family holiday, we’d be looking towards southern Spain.
Why?
Because you get the eclipse and a proper holiday.
Cádiz and Málaga sit within the path of totality, offering several minutes of darkness while still giving you everything you’d want from a summer family trip: beaches, restaurants, easy tourism infrastructure and plenty to do before and after the big event.
You could spend the morning at the beach, experience one of nature’s most spectacular events in the afternoon and be eating tapas by the evening.
That’s our kind of itinerary.
Morocco, Gibraltar and parts of North Africa are also within the path, while Egypt offers some of the best prospects for clear skies.
A little planning goes a long way
The big thing to remember with an eclipse is that millions of people are travelling towards a very narrow strip of land on one particular day.
So if you’re thinking about 2027, don’t treat it like a last-minute August holiday.
Accommodation in the best viewing locations is likely to disappear early.
And once you’ve found your base, think about how you’re going to get to your viewing spot on the day. Roads can become extremely busy, particularly around popular locations.
The good news?
You don’t need to be an astronomer.
You just need to be organised.
Which is basically our favourite kind of holiday.
22 July 2028: Australia & New Zealand
This one is seriously special.
The Great Australasian Eclipse crosses Australia and New Zealand, with totality passing directly over Sydney.
Sydney is expected to experience more than three minutes of totality — an extraordinary prospect against one of the world’s most recognisable city skylines.
Western Australia offers even longer periods of totality in some locations.
And because this falls during the UK summer holidays, it could be the perfect excuse to finally make that big family Australia trip happen.
Think:
Sydney. Beaches. Wildlife. Road trip. Total solar eclipse.
That’s one holiday story your children are unlikely to forget.
25 November 2030: Southern Africa & Australia
If you’ve got a little longer to plan ahead, the 2030 eclipse crosses southern Africa before continuing towards Australia.
And there’s an obvious combination here that we can’t resist:
Solar eclipse + safari.
Imagine watching the sky go dark after a morning spent spotting elephants, giraffes or lions.
It’s a rather spectacular way to combine two bucket-list experiences.
14 November 2031: The Pacific
This eclipse is much more of an adventure.
The path crosses predominantly ocean, with parts of Central America and the Pacific included.
It’s likely to appeal more to dedicated eclipse travellers and cruise passengers than families looking for an easy holiday destination.
We’ll leave this one to the serious eclipse chasers.
There are plenty of other opportunities that involve significantly less logistical gymnastics.
Don’t forget the “ring of fire”
Total eclipses aren’t the only ones worth travelling for.
An annular eclipse happens when the moon passes in front of the sun but doesn’t completely cover it, leaving a spectacular bright ring around the outside.
Southern Spain and Portugal will experience an annular eclipse on 26 January 2028.
It isn’t total darkness, but it is still a pretty extraordinary sight — and considerably easier to build into a European winter break.
What about lunar eclipses?
Here’s the good news for families:
Lunar eclipses are much easier.
You don’t need to travel anywhere special.
You don’t need specialist eye protection.
And they usually happen at night, which means you can turn watching one into a little family adventure.
The moon moves through Earth’s shadow and can take on a deep copper-red colour — hence the rather dramatic nickname, “blood moon.”
A particularly fun date for the diary is 31 December 2028, when a total lunar eclipse will be visible from the UK and much of Europe, Africa and the Americas.
A New Year’s Eve blood moon?
We’re sold.
Our family-friendly eclipse watching kit
🌙 A picnic blanket
☕ Hot chocolate
🍿 Snacks
🔦 A torch
📱 A fully charged phone
🧥 Something warm
😴 Very low expectations about how long the youngest member of the family will stay awake
Because sometimes 20 magical minutes is better than two hours of “I’m bored.”
Thinking of travelling for an eclipse? Here’s what we’d know first
An eclipse holiday needs slightly more planning than your average beach break.
Book early
The path of totality is narrow and the date is fixed. You can’t simply move the eclipse by a day because the hotel was cheaper.
If you’re considering 2027 or 2028, start looking early — particularly for popular viewing locations.
Check the exact path of totality
Being near an eclipse isn’t the same as being in the path of totality. If you’re making a big trip specifically to experience totality, check the exact viewing location before booking.
Think about the weather
An eclipse behind thick cloud is, unfortunately, still an eclipse behind thick cloud. This is one reason locations with historically favourable August weather are so popular. If your plans allow it, having a little flexibility around where you watch from can be useful.
And then there’s the big one: eye protection
Never look directly at the sun without proper solar viewing protection.
Ordinary sunglasses don’t count. Not even your very expensive ones. Not even two pairs at once.
You’ll need appropriate, reputable ISO-certified solar eclipse glasses for the partial phases of a solar eclipse.
And buy them ahead of time from a reputable supplier rather than panic-buying them when you arrive.
During the brief period of totality, when the sun is completely covered, the rules are different — but the instant the bright sun begins to reappear, your eclipse glasses need to go straight back on.
With children, we’d always err on the side of caution and make sure everyone knows the rules before the big day.
What to pack for an eclipse holiday with children
An eclipse trip is really a family holiday with one very important event in the middle.
So you don’t need an entirely new suitcase.
You just need a few additions.
Sun protection
Many of the upcoming eclipses fall in hot destinations.
Southern Spain and Egypt in August? Very hot.
Pack:
• SPF 30–50 suitable for your family
• Sun hats
• UV-protective clothing
• Sunglasses
• Reusable water bottles
• A beach bag
• Something to provide shade
The eclipse might be the reason you’re there, but you’ll still be spending plenty of time in the sunshine before and after it.
Keep everyone hydrated
A reusable water bottle for each family member is one of those things that earns its place on almost every holiday.
Fill them before heading out and keep them somewhere easy to reach.
If you’re going somewhere particularly hot, a cool bag with snacks and drinks can be worth its space too.
Bring somewhere to sit
You’ll probably be waiting around before the eclipse begins.
A sand-free beach blanket can double as an eclipse-watching picnic spot, making it useful for the rest of the holiday too.
And that’s exactly the sort of packing we like.
One item. More than one job.
Keep the children occupied
The eclipse itself will hopefully be fascinating.
The waiting around? Potentially less so.
Pack a few small activities, colouring supplies, books or pieces from the Little Traveller Kit™ to keep little hands busy before the main event.
You could even give each child a little eclipse journal and ask them to draw what they see.
It becomes a souvenir they’ll actually keep.
Pack a layer
This one catches people out.
During totality, temperatures can noticeably drop.
So even if you’ve spent the day in shorts and sandals, having a lightweight layer within reach is a very good idea.
The Ultimate Packing Plan™ can do the boring bit
If you’re planning a holiday specifically around an eclipse, your packing list can get complicated surprisingly quickly.
Normal holiday essentials. Hot-weather gear. Children’s activities. Eclipse glasses. Viewing equipment. Travel documents.
And then the small matter of remembering what everyone actually needs.
This is exactly where our Ultimate Packing Plan™ comes in.
Tell it your destination, dates and who’s travelling, and it creates a personalised packing checklist around your actual trip.
Because planning an eclipse holiday should involve deciding where you’re going to watch the sky turn dark.
Not wondering whether you’ve packed enough socks.
One less thing to think about.
The best kind of family holiday memory
The lovely thing about travelling for something like an eclipse is that the experience isn’t just about the event itself.
It’s the build-up.
The excitement.
Looking at maps.
Talking to the children about space.
Choosing where you’re going to watch.
Finding the perfect spot.
The snacks you packed.
The funny things that inevitably go wrong.
And then that moment when the light changes and everyone stops talking for a few seconds because they’re looking at the same thing.
Those are the holidays children remember.
You don’t need a luxury hotel or an itinerary packed from morning until night.
Sometimes you just need to give them something extraordinary to look up at.
So if you’ve ever fancied chasing an eclipse, 2027 and 2028 might be your moment.
Pack the SPF.
Pack the snacks.
Pack the eclipse glasses.
And maybe leave a little room in the suitcase for the stories you’ll bring home.
Pack smart. Travel better. Look up. 🌊☀️🌑