I skipped many hours of sleep while researching my new book, 100 Nights of a Lifetime: The World’s Ultimate Adventures After Dark, and one all-nighter, in particular, remains etched in my memory.
It was March 2023, and I was on a moonlit canoe trip with Jarol Fernando Vaca, a scientist and guide at the Ecuadorian Amazon’s upscale Sacha Lodge. We’d spent over an hour watching the water’s crest for glow worms and caimans (small, nocturnal relatives of the alligator) when a thunderous roar reverberated through the forest.
“That’s a howler monkey,” Vaca whispered. I cupped my hand behind my ear to listen closely. Soon, I heard not only primate calls but a chorus of cicadas, frogs, and nocturnal birds. “Most of the time you don’t see a lot of the action,” Vaca said of an Amazon safari. “But you can listen to it.”
That’s one of many things I love about adventuring by moonlight—a travel style I began prioritizing years ago out of a personal fascination with the night sky. The world looks, feels, and sounds different under the cover of darkness. Sometimes the night adds a sense of eerie mystery, like that Amazonian cacophony we could hear, but not see. Other times, twilight outings provide grounding, a sense of awe, and stress relief, especially beneath the northern lights or a fresco of stars.
Increasingly, globetrotters are seeking out the night’s unmatched magic—so much so that Booking.com predicts after-dark tourism, also known as “noctourism,” will be among 2025’s most sought-after travel experiences.
My new book on noctourism, out now with National Geographic, provides a roadmap for exploring the world after dusk. It highlights happenings across over 50 countries, from full-moon festivals and midnight food markets to eye-popping stargazing, aurora hunts, after-hour safaris, and out-of-this-world accommodations (think: glamping on the side of a sheer Peruvian cliff).
So, to inspire your own nocturnal wanderings, here’s a sneak peek at six “nights of a lifetime” from the book—as well as a selection of their accompanying National Geographic imagery.
Stargaze in Southern Africa’s NamibRand Nature Reserve
Stargazers regularly flock to dune-dotted NamibRand Nature Reserve, a remote sliver of Namibia’s 55-million-year-old Namib Desert. More than 60 miles separate it from the nearest city; that means there’s little to no light pollution to obscure the reserve’s starry skies—and it has a gold-tier certification from light pollution authority DarkSky International to prove it. Astrotourism experiences abound here, particularly at andBeyond’s boutique Sossuvlei Lodge, where guests enjoy a nightly glimpse into the galaxy via state-of-the-art telescopes, narration from a resident astronomer, and stargazing skylights above each bed.
Attend Hong Kong’s Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance
China’s Mid-Autumn Festival gets particularly lively in Hong Kong’s Tai Hang neighborhood, where residents parade a 220-foot illuminated dragon through town. It’s a century-old tradition that’s equal parts parade and art. It takes up to one month to create the full serpent, which is constructed with 32 segments stuffed with straw and over 12,000 sparkling incense sticks. The head alone weighs 110 pounds. Around 300 dancers tote the dragon through Tai Hang’s winding streets during the Mid-Autumn Festival, which takes place each fall. Try Wun Sha Street for the best vantage point.
Sleep at Everest Base Camp
Mount Everest is a pipe dream for many adventure travelers, but you can get a taste of the experience with a night or two of camping at Everest Base Camp. Many trekking outfitters run trips that stop at the legendary camp during the day, but a select few companies, including Highland Expeditions, offer the chance to overnight in the shadow of the world’s highest peak. It’s a slog to reach this campsite, set at 17,500 feet of elevation. Expect a minimum of five hours of high-altitude trekking per day for around two weeks straight. The reward? The rare chance to rub elbows with mountaineers by day while sleeping thousands of feet closer to the constellations at night.
Go truffle hunting at night in Piedmont, Italy
Italy is known for its decadent truffles, but culinary travelers can go deeper with their fungus fandom on an authentic after-dark truffle hunt. Searching for the delicacy is easiest at night, as fungus-sniffing dogs have fewer distractions and soil aeration makes the truffles more fragrant, but you can’t partake just anywhere. Piedmont, a region lauded for its white truffles, is one of few places in Italy that allows foraging after dark. These moonlit and dog-led outings are available with the Italian Truffle Hunting Association, AssoTartufai, and they usually run for a few hours with the best foraging from November to December.
Aurora hunting from a hot spring in Iceland
While northern lights are synonymous with frigid weather, Iceland offers a natural remedy to keep you cozy and warm while aurora chasing: hot springs. The land of fire and ice has over 700 known geothermic spots, with hot pools hovering around a toasty 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The country is also right in the middle of the zone of northern lights activity, known as the auroral oval. Pair both of Iceland’s famed natural marvels—auroras and geothermal springs—for an unforgettable evening. Accommodations with onsite hot pools, such as Ion Adventure Hotel, make the activity particularly easy. Don’t miss the hotel’s Northern Lights Bar for a nightcap with floor-to-ceiling windows for even more aurora watching.
Attend Australia’s nightly Penguin Parade
Watching the animal kingdom at its busiest is one of noctourism’s many draws, and few experiences illustrate the wildlife action like Australia’s moonlit penguin parade. Like clockwork each evening, hundreds to thousands of little penguins—the smallest penguin species—waddle from the water to their sandy burrows to rest before another day of hunting. The event occurs on Summerland Beach, around 90 miles from Melbourne. Phillip Island Nature Parks built a minimally lit grandstand and underground viewing hide to help guests watch the adorable ritual without disturbing the pint-sized birds. Tickets to the event help fund penguin conservation; visit from November to January for the best chance of seeing chicks, which are no larger than a dollar bill at birth.