Spain Solar Eclipse
Would you like to experience the 2026 total solar eclipse in the wildest badlands you have ever seen? Imagine the colorful plateaus of the Grand Canyon combined with the cracked and desolate sands of Death Valley. That’s Spain’s Bardenas Reales Desert, one of the most surreal landscapes in the world, and this trip will be going there for the big celestial lights-out. We’ll also road-trip to less-traveled-to historic cities and holy places in northeastern Spain before heading to the green and blue coastline, visiting modern marvels in the city of Bilbao and the many UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Asturias region. At least three lighthouses are on the agenda, including the Tower of Hercules, the oldest functional lighthouse in the world!
Tour Details
August 7-19, 2026 — 3 Spots Left
This is a 12-night, 12-day tour. Your adventure begins on the evening of August 7, 2026, and ends with your departure home on August 19.
$15,725 for singles, $28,450 for two people sharing a room. Register below.
Skill level
Participants should have a firm grasp of the basic principles of photography and of their cameras, and have a comfortable understanding of night photography fundamentals.
Group size
12, with 2 instructors — 6:1 ratio
Tour Leaders
Registration
| • Deposit of $4,995 (singles) or $8,995 (two people sharing a room) is required to reserve your spot on the tour. |
| • Balance of $10,000 (singles) or $17,000 (two people sharing) is due on April 10, 2026. → Pay balance here. |
| • You may choose the “Pay in Full” ticket if you desire to pay all at once. |
| • Last day for a cancellation request is April 9, 2026. (see cancellation and refund policy) |
| • See “Ticket Info” further down the page for details about what the tour fee covers. |
The Spain Solar Eclipse Experience
Let’s take a journey through the less touristy parts of Spain!
Our adventure will begin along the wind-whipped moors of Zaragoza, halfway between Barcelona and Madrid. We’ll spend two days in this “city of delights,” getting lost in the painted labyrinth of houses, courtyards and tapas bars. The many bridges along the river Ebro span centuries of Spanish history and connect Zaragoza’s old and new. Beautiful basilicas, palaces, cathedrals and a Roman theater are all part of city’s rich cultural tapestry.
After uncovering the many mysteries of Zaragoza we’ll head to the Bardenas Reales Desert. This desert is also a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and has incredibly striking geological formations that are sure to inspire. Game of Thrones used this location to represent the dried-up Dothraki Sea.
We’ll spend 3 days exploring its lunar-like landscape as we prepare for the total solar eclipse. It’s a short eclipse in 2026—we’ll have about 2 minutes to shoot as the desert turns from day to night. Two of our nights will be in the historic and charming town of Tudela that overflows with murals, artisans and rich architectural heritage. On the day of the eclipse we’ll spend the night at an architectural jewel, the luxurious Hotel Aire de Bardenas. This boutique hotel rests at the foothills of the Bardenas Reales Desert, and your cube or bubble has huge windows to let in the billions of stars that shine brightly in this dark sky park.
After the eclipse we’ll head to the heart of the Basque region, Bilbao. Most of us know this modern port city for its iconic Guggenheim Museum, which we’ll visit. We’ll also immerse ourselves in the rich architecture inspired by the “Bilbao effect.” All the while we’ll be treating ourselves to some of the finest traditional Basque cuisine in the country.
Not too far away is the second place that Game of Thrones fans might recognize: Dragonstone, the stormy island that looked like a dragon and was the original seat of House Targaryen in Westeros. There are no longer any dragons on this “Castle Rock” that is connected to the mainland by 241 steps on an ancient bridge. Known officially as San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, the island has a picturesque chapel and two natural arches carved by the winds and seas of the Bay of Biscay that make it even more breathtaking.
We’ll bid the Basque region adios and travel through the seaside gems of Asturias. This area is referred to as “Green Spain” because of the lush landscapes and temperate weather. We’ll eat fresh seafood from the Cantabrian Sea, we’ll visit pre-Romanesque churches and UNESCO historical sites, and we’ll learn about the rich maritime history as we aim our cameras at two of the more famous lighthouses in the country.
We will also check out the oldest surviving lighthouse in the world: the Tower of Hercules. The light still shines from this 1st century Roman beacon. We’ll photograph it during the day and night. The surrounding sculpture park will offer one last legendary night under the Spanish stars.
What You Should Know
This tour caters to knowledgeable photographers with an intermediate or higher skill set. Participants should have a firm grasp of the basic principles of photography and of their cameras, and have a comfortable understanding of night photography fundamentals.
If you would like to join us on this trip but are unsure whether you have adequate night photography skills, we can offer pre-event tutoring to get you ready for your adventure with us. Additionally, a few of us have written books that may be productive pre-trip reads.
What You Will Learn
You’ll go home after the tour with an appreciation of the varied landscapes, cityscapes, coastlines, history and culture of a part of Spain that few Americans visit. You will also have experienced the 2026 eclipse in one of the more unique locations in the world. You will have taken many photographs, both during the daytime and at night. We want you to improve your photo skills, and Chris and Gabe will guide you as much or as little as you’d like.
The primary emphasis of the tour is to make you a better travel photographer and to improve your eclipse, lighthouse and night skills. Each participant will have the opportunity to work one-on-one with Chris and Gabe in the field.
TOPICS COVERED WILL INCLUDE:
planning for and capturing the total solar eclipse
creative long exposures during the day with neutral density filters
camera settings for lighthouses
timing a lighthouse flash with an exposure
creating a lighthouse “beam” effect
starlight blends with dark skies
Milky Way considerations
star points and trails
and more …
There will not be any classroom time during the tour. However, we will host a Zoom session and send you materials, a gear list and homework to prepare you for the eclipse and the rest of our photographic tour through Spain.
Night Conditions
Logistics & General Info
Ticket Info
Included:
12 nights lodging at four-star hotels
a welcome and farewell dinner
all breakfasts
entrance fees
the services of a local guide
all transportation in Spain, including airport pickup and drop-off
Not Included:
airfare
alcoholic beverages
lunches and dinners (aside from the welcome and farewell dinners)
tips for our local guides and drivers
Travel
Your journey begins with an overnight flight to Spain, to either Madrid or Barcelona, landing on the morning of August 7. From there you’ll catch a short flight to Zaragoza. Our tour company will pick you up at the Zaragoza Airport.
Once at the hotel you can rest and prepare to commence our adventure the next day, or you can walk and explore on your own. Then we’ll meet for a casual get-to-know-ya in the evening.
We will have two drivers and a guide navigating us on this trip.
We’ll end our journey in the city of A Coruna, so plan on taking a return flight from there to either Madrid or Barcelona on August 19. We will get you to the A Coruna airport for your first leg to Barcelona or Madrid.
Airports:
Barcelona (BCN) or Madrid (MAD) — port of entry
Zaragoza (ZAZ) — fly here from either Barcelona or Madrid on August 7
A Coruna (LCG) — return flight via Madrid or Barcelona on August 19
Lodging & Food
Lodging
Your stay in Spain will be in four-star hotels that are included in the tour fee, from check-in on August 7 to check-out on August 19, 2026.
Food
Breakfasts will be included on all days from August 8 to 19.
A welcome and farewell dinner will also be provided (alcohol not included).
We’ll snack on tapas throughout the day and have a group no-host dinner each night as we revel in the diverse Spanish cuisine from three distinct regions.
Weather
We’ll experience a plethora of weather conditions in Spain. Daytime highs will vary from the 60s F along the coast to the high 80s F in the desert. At night expect temperatures to dip by 10 to 20 degrees.
Recommended Attire
Shorts or pants and short-sleeve shirts for daytime, pants and long-sleeve shirts for night.
A sweatshirt and medium-weight jacket will likely be useful, and a base layer might not be a waste of packing space.
A light rain jacket would also be wise.
Comfortable and protective shoes that can help you navigate the desert as well as the pavement in the many towns we’ll visit. Like most visits to Europe, expect to get your steps in!
Exertion Level
The exertion level of this tour is Moderate. (See more about our classifications.)
While there aren’t any hikes planned, we will have full days of pounding the pavement, cobblestones, coastline and desert. Each day will have lots of activities, some of which you can opt out of if you want to rest or be on your own. Be prepared to have a smart and lightweight camera kit for daytime explorations and a bigger kit for the eclipse and night photo sessions.
Considerations
IMPORTANT: We encourage reading our FAQs page for more information about skill and gear requirements, and other information that pertains to all our workshops.
If you have questions, please contact us—we're happy to talk it over with you.
Chasing the Sun to the North of Spain …
“A spell was being cast as I became enchanted with towns called Zaragoza, Tudela, Gijon, Oviedo and A Coruna.”
This eclipse bug is catching, isn’t it?
Americans have enjoyed some pretty epic ones since 2017. I admit, I’m hooked.
When I was researching the 2024 eclipse I was already looking forward to the next one in 2026, and Spain was the obvious choice. While the places I was familiar with, Barcelona and Madrid, are just outside totality, the path was rich with ancient history and modern architecture, wild landscapes and lush coastlines. I was intrigued and began studying this region.
A spell was being cast as I became enchanted with towns called Zaragoza, Tudela, Gijon, Oviedo and A Coruna. I discovered a country rich with Roman ruins, Moorish castles, extraordinary cathedrals, monasteries, basilicas and the cherry on the top: the oldest operating lighthouse in the world!
So yes, I’m very excited to get a chance to share an eclipse in a lunar-like landscape worthy of complementing the black hole sun. But I’m also so excited to explore more of a country that continues to fascinate me.
The eclipse will be less than 2 minutes. The remaining 14,000 will be a journey through space and time like no other!
