The Best Land Tours To See the 2026 Solar Eclipse

On August 12, 2026, mainland Europe will see its first total solar eclipse since 1999. The path of totality crosses the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, making solar eclipse cruises a hot ticket, but it will also be visible from both Iceland and Spain. This gives landlubbers a welcome opportunity to watch the rare celestial event alongside local experts while bookending it with cultural immersion and an unforgettable trip. 

Here are some of the top land-based tours for eclipse-viewing that are still accepting reservations. 

Spain

Smithsonian Journeys

If you like your eclipses paired with a glass of vino, the "Basque Country to Leon tour" departing on August 8 hosts a specialty wine tasting on the day of the eclipse at the Bodegas Gordonzello wine collective, where astronomy experts will also be present to lecture and answer questions prior to the 7:33 p.m. eclipse commencement. The rest of the trip offers architectural wonders in Burgos (the medieval capital of the Kingdom of Castile) and San Sebastián in the heart of the Basque Country. 

The "Madrid and Old Castile" tour, also departing August 8, focuses on the Ribera del Duero wine country, with stops in the World Heritage sites of Segovia and Ávila and the ancient royal city of Valladolid. Eclipse day itself will be celebrated at the Bodega Finca Torremilanos, a 100-year-old biodynamic vineyard, alongside wine-tastings and astronomer talks. Astronomy buffs will love the Madrid stop, which features a celestial-themed tour of the Prado art museum and a tour of Madrid's Royal Observatory with an astronomer. 

Mountain Kingdoms

If you've always wanted to trek the Camino de Santiago, , departing August 8, takes the famous trail to the Santiago de Compostela cathedral, offering an easy pace through rural Galicia and on one of the lesser-walked pilgrimage ways to Santiago. On the eclipse night itself, guests stay at the , a converted medieval tower that's now a four-star hotel. To document your journey, you'll get an official (or ), a booklet that lets you collect stamps from destinations along the route and can serve as proof of walking the minimum 100 km (62 miles) to receive the official certificate commemorating the journey.