Planning a trip for the 2 August 2027 eclipse

Last reviewed 24 October 2026. 282 days to go.

Totality lasts minutes and happens once. Most of the planning comes down to being inside the path, on time, under a clear sky, with eyes protected. Here is the checklist, in the order we would do it.

People sitting on folding chairs in a sunny park, looking up at the Sun through eclipse glasses — Watching the partial phase through eclipse glasses, Rexburg, Idaho, 21 August 2017. Photo: Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

1. Choose a region

Egypt has the longest totality: about 6 min 22 s in Luxor, starting at 13:01 local time with the Sun almost overhead. Egypt in detail.
Northern Morocco gets close to five minutes in Tangier (4 min 51 s), in the morning. Morocco in detail.
Southern Spain gets up to 4 min 38 s in Tarifa, less further east. Spain in detail.

2. Check your exact spot is inside the path

This is the step people get wrong. Cairo, Giza, Aswan, Seville and Granada all miss totality, some by a small margin. Check every place we calculated, then check your hotel or viewing spot on a detailed map of the path.

3. Book where you sleep

Rooms inside the path, and especially near the centre line, are a limited supply for one particular night. Book early, ideally with free cancellation so you can change plans.
Arrive at least a day before. Roads into the path can be busy on the morning itself.
If you are on a cruise or a tour, ask exactly where you will be at the time of totality.

4. Plan for heat and clouds

Early August is hot along most of the path. Space.com’s guide warns of around 45 °C in places. Shade, water and a hat matter.
Nobody can promise a clear sky. Being able to move on the day, with a car or a flexible tour, is your best insurance.

5. Get safe glasses early

You need eclipse glasses for every minute except totality itself. Buy from a supplier on the American Astronomical Society’s list, well before the trip. How to tell if they are safe.

6. Paperwork

Check visa rules, your government’s travel advice and your insurance for each country. Some places on the path, such as Libya and Yemen, may have travel warnings.

Sources

Place figures: our calculation, Astronomy Engine 2.1.19 (MIT licence), SearchLocalSolarEclipse. How we tested it.
Space.com, 8 things you need to know before booking the 2027 eclipse.
American Astronomical Society, safe eclipse glasses.