Tours that give travellers access to new experiences and the natural world are top trends for 2025 and 2026
New Scientist Discovery Tours has increased capacity 480% for its astronomy, celestial, and eclipse tours and 135% for natural world focused tours year-on-year
New Scientist Discovery Tours, the UK’s leading provider of science-inspired tours, has shared the top scientific travel trend predictions for 2025 and 2026, alongside a range of 27 new tours to keep up with demand.
New Scientist Discovery Tours has seen an increase of 480% for its astronomy, celestial, and eclipse tours showing travellers desire to experience totally new phenomena that inspire awe and transcendence. There has also been a 135% booking increase for tours centred around flora, fauna and the natural world as travellers continue to want to switch off and detox from the digital world when away from home.
Kevin Currie, Director of New Scientist Discovery Tours, says: “We now have 80 departures on our site, growing from 20 within just four years. Travellers with interest in experiencing destinations in a new way are looking for tours that create a sense of wonder, that will open them up to new sights, and holidays close to the natural world – allowing them to look at an often jaded world through new eyes.”
Please see below for New Scientist Discovery Tours’ top astronomical and natural-world tours.
Astronomy and eclipse tours:
Astronomy and culture through Silk Road cities: Uzbekistan
23 August 2025 – 14 days from £3,195pp
Journey along the ancient route of the Silk Road, exploring the cities of Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. The tour will visit observatories and landmarks that date back to the Islamic Golden Age, when scholars made significant contributions to astronomy, mathematics and science.
Not only will the tour immerse the travellers in the local culture but also bring them closer to the natural world too, visiting the Maidanak Observatory and in the Kyzylkum desert, the perfect location for stargazing and the possibility of spotting constellations and even the Milky Way.
The tour will be joined throughout by astronomy journalist and fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, Stuart Clark.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- English-speaking tour leader throughout
- Talks and walking seminars from accompanying experts
- 13 nights’ accommodation in centrally located hotels
- Internal transport throughout
- All breakfasts and dinners
- Internal flight from Urgench to Tashkent in economy class
- Arrival/departure group airport transfers for those on the suggested group flights
Science of astronomy and ice: Sweden
March 2026 – 5 days, registration now open
During this tour, spend time exploring Abisko National Park, an area preserved by scientists since the 1900’s. Travel to the Aurora Sky Station, known as one of the best places to view the Aurora Borealis where you can meet with experts who will teach you more about the northern lights. From here, stay at the unique Ice Hotel. Every year, when the river Torne freezes, blocks of ice are harvested to create this luxurious igloo hotel, which is the world’s largest hotel made of snow and ice.
Accompanied throughout by Jamie Carter, a freelance science and travel writer with 25 years’ experience writing about the night sky, eclipses and astronomy. He has written for over 50 publications, including Forbes, SPACE.com, Live Science and BBC Sky at Night magazine. He is the author of A Stargazing Program for Beginners.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- Two nights’ accommodation at the Abisko Turiststation
- Two nights at Icehotel
- Land transportation as indicated in the itinerary
- Entrance to sites visited
- Arrival/departure group airport transfers
- Welcome dinner at Abisko Turiststation
- Breakfast each day
- Chairlift excursion to the Sky Station
- Thermal one-piece suit, boots and mittens rental to use while staying at the Icehotel
- Transfers to and from Abisko and the Icehotel
Total Solar Eclipse 2026: Embark on a Once-In-A-Lifetime Iceland to Greenland Polar Cruise
7 August 2026 – 13 days from £14,595pp – Only a few cabins remaining
- Accompanied by Jamie Carter, an award-winning journalist with 25 years’ experience writing about the night sky, eclipses and astronomy. As well as the onboard highly knowledgeable expedition team
- New Scientist’s US editor, Chelsea Whyte and New Scientist physics and space reporter Leah Crane will also be onboard to give a series of insightful talks.
- Price also includes accommodation aboard Sylvia Earle polar expedition vessel for 11 nights on full board basis, 1 night in hotel in Reykjavik on bed-and-breakfast basis, group airport transfers on specified dates
- Itinerary highlights include
o Experiencing total solar eclipse in the Arctic landscape
o Journeying through the world’s longest fjord system
o Exploring Iceland’s Golden Circle
o Talks from eclipse expert Jamie Carter and New Scientist guest speakers and talks and guided activities (including all Zodiac cruising and landing activities) from onboard expedition team
This once-in-a-lifetime adventure will take guests to witness an awe-inspiring total solar eclipse in August 2026, accompanied by award-winning journalist and eclipse expert, Jamie Carter. Highlights include Zodiac boat safaris investigating coves, glaciers and local wildlife, guided hikes along pristine beaches and in the stunning wilderness and exploring Iceland’s Golden Circle including witnessing the Strokkur geyser in action.
Total Solar Eclipse 2026: Spanish eclipse and Perseid meteor shower
10 August 2026 – 5 days, additional hotel with more rooms on sale soon
- Accompanied by Dr John Mason MBE, astronomer, lecturer and renowned ‘eclipse-chaser’ and space scientist and fellow astronomer Martin Griffiths
- A private viewing site for the eclipse with expansive scenic views, full catering and support from accompanying experts
- Accommodation in an historic 4-star hotel in the heart of the historic Medieval city of Burgos on bed-and-breakfast basis
- Itinerary highlights include
o Experiencing total solar eclipse at private viewing site in Northern Spain
o View the Perseid meteor shower at its brightest
o Talks from Martin Griffiths, previous member of NASA’s astrobiology team on life ‘out there’ and talks from Dr John Mason about the natural phenomena of the night sky
Experience a total solar eclipse in northern Spain, accompanied by two outstanding eclipse experts, Dr John Mason and Martin Griffiths. The not-to-be-missed tour also includes viewing the summertime Perseid meteor shower at its peak, bringing guests closer to the wonders of space than ever before.
Natural-world tours:
An expedition through unique ecosystems: Madagascar
3 September 2025 – 16 days from £8,399pp
Gain a deeper understanding of how Madagascar is unlike anywhere else on the planet. Explore its ancient, fossilised forests and towering baobabs that reveal stories of millennia past. Marvel at surreal geological formations shaped by time and erosion, and venture through the varied landscapes, from lush rainforests and spiny deserts to semi-arid plains and open savannahs teeming with life. Learn about crucial conservation efforts that protect these irreplaceable ecosystems and their incredible biodiversity.
The tour is accompanied by Dr. Erik Patel, a primatologist who has been working in north-eastern Madagascar in Marojejy National Park and Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve every year since 2000. Dr Patel will share his expert knowledge during outings and also in talks on topics such as the History, evolution and biodiversity in the world’s largest oceanic island.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- 15 nights’ accommodation
- Accompanied throughout by Dr Erik Patel
- 15 breakfasts, one lunch and 12 dinners
- All park fees
- All transfers by road and boat
- Internal flights
- All excursions, including four-wheel-drive jeeps with English-speaking drivers
- Knowledgeable tour leader and local guides
- Group arrival/departure transfers
The science of primary rainforests and wetlands: Malaysian Borneo
11 August 2025 – 10 days from £5,399pp
Explore Malaysia’s primary rainforests and wetlands teeming with rare and endangered species as Alfred Wallace did before writing his 1869 book The Malay Archipelago. Expect to see orangutans, sun bears, civet cats, langurs, gibbons, proboscis monkeys, rhinoceroses, hornbills and many more.
The tour will be accompanied by biologist and passionate conservationist Dr Martin Cohen, who has led and guided expedition cruises and overland safaris for over 25 years and has also conducted numerous wildlife surveys and biodiversity monitoring programs.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- Accommodation on twin share basis in all mentioned lodges and hotels
- Accompanied throughout by Dr Martin Cohen
- All permits and entrance fees
- Nine breakfasts, five lunches and eight dinners
- Presentations and walking seminars from local experts
- All tours and excursions
- Group airport transfers
The great monarch butterfly migration: Mexico
15 February 2026 – 6 days from $5,495pp
Witness one of the world’s most astounding wildlife events, the monarch butterfly migration, which occurs each year in the forested Central Highlands of Mexico and features the most delicate of creatures. This all-encompassing itinerary offers extensive time among the butterflies, as well as a chance to enjoy authentic cultural encounters.
The tour will be accompanied by experts throughout, who will be on hand to explain the origins of the migration through a series of talks, walking seminars and fireside chats, covering the topics of migration biology, complete natural history of the monarch butterfly, the effects of, and adaptations to, climate change in the monarchs’ winter home, conservation strategies to protect summer breeding grounds for monarchs in North America and the origins of their migration in connection with the last glacial period during the Pleistocene Epoch.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- Five nights’ accommodation on twin share basis
- Services of a professional expedition leader(s) and assistants throughout
- Evening wildlife and cultural presentations
- All meals from dinner on day 1 through to breakfast on the final day
- Airport transfers on day 1 and final day
- All activities and entrance fees, taxes, permits and service fees
-Ends-
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About New Scientist Discovery Tours
New Scientist Discovery Tours offers science-inspired tours, expeditions, weekend breaks and cruises, creating carefully curated itineraries to the world’s most fascinating destinations. Designed for curious minds, tours are tailored for guests with an appetite for expanding their knowledge while travelling.
As part of New Scientist, the world’s leading science and technology magazine, the tour provider has an expansive network of editors, science specialists, academics and authors, who lead its experiential and exploratory trips.
Launched in 2015, New Scientist Discovery Tours currently offers over 80 tours and experiences worldwide to a committed audience of travellers. New Scientist Discovery Tours help travellers discover science through the joy of travel with minimal environmental impact, in a way that doesn’t harm the environment, people, cultures or wildlife.
In May 2024, New Scientist Discovery Tours was shortlisted in the 2024 PPA Award’s ‘Innovation of the Year’ category.
For more information on the itinerary and to book, visit newscientist.com/tours or email [email protected] to speak to a New Scientist Discovery Tours agent.
