Total solar eclipse 2026: North-central Spain

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10 August 2026 – 5 days from £2899

Experience a rare and breathtaking natural phenomenon, a total solar eclipse, visible across Spain on 12 August 2026. Join a team of expert astronomers and guest speakers for a series of fascinating talks that will deepen your understanding and enhance your experience. You will be based at an exclusive viewing site, 40 kilometres west of the stunning medieval city of Burgos, offering a perfect vantage point for this extraordinary event.

You will be hosted throughout by guest speakers, including renowned astronomer Dr John Mason, who will lead the eclipse experience along with space scientist and astronomer Martin Griffiths. Ahead of the event, they will be offering a series of insightful talks and workshops on astronomy, cosmology and future eclipses, as well as an all-important pre-eclipse briefing. They will then join you on the eclipse viewing day and be on hand to answer any questions you may have. You will also be joined by members of the New Scientist team and our partner Intrepid Travel, who will be available 24/7 to ensure this experience is truly out of this world.

On the day of the eclipse, you will be taken to a private, secluded viewing location that has been carefully selected for optimum viewing and adequate space for you to enjoy the eclipse. The site is very close to the absolute centre of 100 per cent totality and has a flat landscape with no visual obstructions west to north-west. In addition to the magnificent eclipse experience, the Perseid meteor shower is due to peak around 12 August. You will have the option to stay at the viewing site into the evening to witness this celestial wonder. Between the eclipse and the meteor shower, there will be a celebratory outdoor dinner with drinks.

You will stay at the four-star Palacio de Burgos hotel in the centre of this historic city and there will be free time to explore UNESCO World Heritage Site Burgos Cathedral, the Museum of Human Evolution and numerous other historic buildings.

In partnership with Intrepid Travel.

DAY 1: ARRIVE IN BURGOS AND WELCOME DINNER

On arrival at the historic Palacio de Burgos hotel, you will be welcomed by the New Scientist team, who will assist you with your check-in and give you your delegate pack. The remainder of the day is free for you to explore the charming city of Burgos.

The hotel is a magnificent Gothic creation built in the 16th and 17th centuries, and Burgos is known for its rich medieval heritage and stunning architecture. One of its most famous landmarks is the Burgos Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a masterpiece of Gothic design. The city also played a significant role in the history of the Kingdom of Castile and is closely associated with El Cid, a Spanish national hero.

In the evening, you will meet with Dr John Mason, Martin Griffiths, the New Scientist team and your fellow guests for welcome drinks at the hotel, followed by an introductory talk before a gala dinner.

DAY 2: FASCINATING TALKS

After breakfast, there is a programme of fascinating talks from our accompanying experts.

Martin will cover various topics across the event, including:

Mars: Fact and fiction.
What are we doing to look for life elsewhere? (Martin was previously a member of NASA’s astrobiology team, so is very well placed to answer this.)
The different ways in which the universe is trying to kill us.

Dr John

"The Tears of Saint Lawrence" on the Perseid meteor shower and its parent comet. (The Perseids will be at their peak on the night of the eclipse and you have the option of staying at our viewing site later into the evening to enjoy them.)

A third speaker will be announced shortly. Lunch is included today. Tea and coffee will be served throughout the talks.

The schedule includes free time to chill out and enjoy the beautiful city of Burgos. There will be some optional activities, including a small group cathedral tour, a city walking gastronomy tour and a private tour of the Museum of Human Evolution for a small fee.

DAY 3: ECLIPSE DAY, INCLUDING PRE-ECLIPSE BRIEFING

As the eclipse will take place in the early evening at around 19:30, you will have a morning of exciting talks to prepare you for the eclipse before you are transferred to the viewing site in the late afternoon.

In the morning, Dr John will give his pre-eclipse briefing, which will be a detailed presentation to ensure that you are well prepared for the day's event. This session will be around 1 hour with plenty of time for questions at the end. Guests at our previous eclipse events have expressed how useful they found this briefing session, allowing them to make the most out of the eclipse experience. After this, there will be time for additional talks from Dr John and Martin.

Enjoy lunch at the hotel and then the remainder of the afternoon is free for you to explore Burgos further and prepare for the eclipse. If you are staying out to watch the meteor shower, you will be returning well after midnight, so this is a good opportunity to get some rest.

In the late afternoon, you will then be transferred by coach to the eclipse viewing site, where you will have plenty of time to choose your spot for the viewing. Drinks will be available on arrival. The secluded location is very close to the absolute centre of 100 per cent totality, and the landscape is flat with no visual obstructions west to north-west and minimal light pollution once it becomes dark. Throughout the event, refreshments, camp chairs and viewing glasses will be provided. Dr John, Martin and the New Scientist and Intrepid teams will be on hand to answer any questions.

First contact begins around 19:33 and you will experience totality around 20:28. The eclipse direction will be 282 degrees at an elevation of just over 8 degrees. Sunset is at 21:21, at which point dinner will be served from the camp kitchen.

After dinner, there will be the option for you to transfer back to the hotel, or you can stay to explore the skies with Martin and look out for the Perseid meteor shower. Martin will have a few of his high-powered telescopes, but stars and the meteor shower should be visible to the naked eye. Full nighttime is just after 23:00 and the moon is in the first quarter.

DAY 4: POST-ECLIPSE DAY

After a later breakfast, we will begin the talks with Dr John’s post-eclipse briefing, where he will guide you through discussions on the previous evening and you will also explore how the eclipse was observed around the world (including by the Greenland New Scientist group).

There will be further talks on astronomy, space exploration, the cosmos and the latest developments in our understanding, plus plenty of opportunity for you to compare eclipse pictures with the other guests. We will also run a final panel discussion with all the accompanying experts.

In the evening, there will be a farewell gala dinner with the New Scientist team and the accompanying experts.

DAY 5: ONWARD TRAVEL

After an incredible few days, it is time to say farewell to the team and your fellow eclipse explorers, check out and embark on your onward travel.

We encourage you to spend further time in Spain and we will provide details nearer the time of additional tours you can enjoy directly before or after the eclipse event, including our popular Ancient Caves, Human Origins tour in northern Spain.

Highlights

A private viewing site for the eclipse with expansive scenic views, full catering and support from accompanying experts, including Dr John Mason and Martin Griffiths.
A full programme of talks on astronomy, the cosmos and space exploration.
Highly detailed and engaging eclipse briefings from Dr John Mason.
Watch the Perseid meteor shower at its peak.
Stay in a historic four-star hotel in the heart of the medieval city of Burgos.

Meet the expert

Dr John Mason (MBE) is the principal astronomy lecturer at South Downs Planetarium in the UK and a well-known "eclipse chaser" who has gained a reputation for his tremendous enthusiasm and inspirational lecturing style.

For more than 30 years, he has been leading overseas expeditions to observe and record natural phenomena such as annular and total solar eclipses, the polar aurora and major meteor showers in destinations all over the world.

His "living planetarium" shows, where he uses the real night sky as an outdoor star theatre, have been enjoyed by audiences everywhere from the deserts of the Middle East and islands in the Pacific to the Australian outback and African safari parks.

Dr John has partnered with New Scientist and Intrepid for various solar eclipse events and both organisations are excited to continue to work with him.

Martin Griffiths is a senior lecturer in space science at the University of South Wales, UK. He has been an astronomer for more than 40 years and is a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. Martin previously worked for NASA’s Astrobiology Institute, looking at the origins, evolution, distribution and future of life in the universe. He is currently the director of the Brecon Beacons Observatory, UK, and has written six books and published more than 100 papers.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

Talks from Dr John Mason and Martin Griffiths.
Eclipse experience at private viewing site.
All accommodation on a bed-and-breakfast basis.
Two dinners and two lunches at the hotel, plus an evening meal and refreshments at the eclipse viewing site.
English-speaking tour leader throughout.
Eclipse viewing glasses.
All transport by air-conditioned coach.
Tea and coffee during the talks.
24-hour support.

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

Travel insurance.
International flights.
Airport transfers. We will endeavour to arrange some transfers for some guests, once international flights are released. Transfers will be bookable for a small fee, closer to departure.
Single supplement £975 for the first 20 solo guests.
Optional tours.

HOW TO GET THERE

Please speak to Intrepid Travel, who can offer advice and book flights for those travelling from the UK when they are available, which is around 11 months before departure. If you would prefer not to fly, Intrepid Travel can look into Eurostar/TGV train journey options for you. There is also the option to take the overnight ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao.

The event takes place in Burgos in northern-central Spain. Bilbao airport is 170 kilometres north. Madrid airport is 235 kilometres south. There are direct trains to Burgos from Madrid Airport's Terminal 4 and from central Bilbao.

We will endeavour to arrange some airport transfers for some guests, once international flights are released. Transfers will be bookable for a small fee, closer to departure.

PACE AND PHYSICALITY

The viewing site for the eclipse day will be outside with little or no shelter. The daytime temperatures in northern Spain in August can get up to around 35°C (95°F), so please make sure you wear a sun hat and suncream and bring lots of water. Drinks will be provided at a central area of the viewing site, but we suggest you have additional water with you throughout the eclipse day. During the evening, temperatures can reduce to 12°C (54°F), so we suggest that you bring suitable clothing layers with you. Rain is unlikely, but not unheard of.

SOLO TRAVELLERS

Our tours, cruises, expeditions and weekenders are perfect for solo travellers. If you want your own room, you can pay a solo supplement of £975 for this tour (for the first 20 superior rooms). However, if you are happy to share a room with a fellow guest of the same sex, we will do all we can to match you with another guest so you do not have to pay the solo room supplement.

Accommodation

NH Collection Palacio de Burgos

This historic four-star hotel in the heart of Burgos is situated next to the river Arlanzón and is 5 minutes’ walk from the UNESCO World Heritage Site Burgos Cathedral. The gothic architecture of this hotel, built during the 16th and 17th centuries, has been maintained and refurbished to a high standard.

Palacio de Burgos has a highly commended restaurant, lobby bar and sumptuous breakfast buffet, as well as a free gym and sauna. We currently have the entire hotel booked and should we sell all the rooms, we expect there to be around 190 guests in residence for the event. There may be more for the talks.

There are 110 spacious rooms ranging from superior to suites. These stylish abodes have elegant decoration, wood floors, luxury mattresses, a pillow menu and free wi-fi. All rooms are ensuite with a shower/bathtub plus a large flat-screen TV, air-conditioning, coffee and tea facilities, a safe and a hairdryer. Some rooms can accommodate a third guest on a rollaway bed (for a discount of £750).

The superior rooms are 30 square metres and have either twin or queen-sized beds.

All other room types have now sold out.

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