6 stellar noctourism adventures

The noctourist is just getting started when other travelers are ending their days. Noctourism, or nocturnal tourism, is about enjoying experiences after dark, when temperatures are cooler, crowds thin and new opportunities arise. Moonlight moments can include traditional options, like viewing the northern lights, or a more adventurous move — think after-hours African safaris and truffle hunting in Italy.

Stargaze in Chile's Atacama Desert

Its high altitude, low humidity, little light pollution and frequent cloudless nights make the Atacama Desert a prime destination for stargazers. Conditions are especially clear here from June to August, and guests staying at Nayara Alto Atacama can see the Milky Way shine from their private terraces or the property's open-air observatory. There, an astronomy guide is on hand to identify constellations and discuss local Indigenous group's beliefs about the solar system. Nayara Alto Atacama blends "seamlessly" with its "otherworldly" surroundings, the Michelin Guide said, making it "one of the most visually striking hotels on the planet."

Watch the fireflies in Okinawa, Japan

When the sun goes down, the magic begins in Okinawa. Half of Japan's 50 firefly species can be found here, and the Halekulani Okinawa offers guests a chance to see them with its Discover the Island's Glow adventure. At sunset, a naturist guides participants through Yambaru National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and into a mangrove forest. From there, the group emerges in a clearing to "witness thousands of fireflies lighting up the night sky," Forbes said. The night ends with the guide playing soothing songs on a sanshin, a three-stringed instrument that originated in Okinawa.

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Hunt for truffles in Piedmont, Italy

Truffle hunters in the know always set out at night, as "fungus-sniffing dogs have fewer distractions" and soil aeration makes the delicacy "more fragrant," Vogue said. In Piedmont, where white truffles are the hot commodity, you are allowed to forage in the moonlight, with the best odds of finding the white-hot goods in November and December. Visitors can arrange an after hours excursion through the Italian Truffle Hunting Association.

See the Penguin Parade on Australia's Summerland Beach

You can set your watch on this one. Every evening "like clockwork," hundreds of little penguins waddle their way from the water to "sandy burrows" on Summerland Beach, where they rest for the night, Vogue said.

From a "minimally lit" grandstand, visitors can observe this "adorable ritual" without disturbing the "pint-sized birds" (little penguins are the world's smallest penguin species). Tickets for the parade are required, with proceeds funding penguin conservation efforts.

Explore the Shilin Night Market in Taipei

Taiwanese delicacies await at this "hugely popular" night market, where visitors are treated to a "carnival of street-side snacking, shopping and games," Lonely Planet said. Outside, there are "lanes and lanes full of food stalls," with toys, clothes and games inside a covered market. Come hungry so you can try oyster omelettes, pineapple cakes, stinky tofu and bubble tea before the stalls close at midnight.

Go on a night safari in Zambia

Night safaris have a different feel than their daytime counterparts. After hours, the excursion is about seeing and also "listening, which is a less appreciated part of the safari experience," Stephanie Vermillion, the author of "100 Nights of a Lifetime: The World's Ultimate Adventures After Dark," said to the BBC. Many animals are more active at night, and to "see a leopard stalking around" and "hyena circling a lion, trying to steal its prey" is nothing short of "incredible." Zambia is filled with spaces to see "big cats, elephants and other remarkable creatures," including South Luangwa National Park, Lower Zambezi National Park and Kafue National Park.