How to See the 2028 Total Solar Eclipse: A First-Timer's Plan

You get one chance at this one. Here is the complete plan for seeing totality on Saturday 22 July 2028, written for people who have never stood in the Moon's shadow before.

By Mark Mayo, who has stood in the Moon's shadow at three total solar eclipses. Published 12 July 2026. Updated 12 July 2026.

Quick answer: To see the 2028 total solar eclipse you must be inside the path of totality on Saturday 22 July 2028. In Australia that means Sydney, the Blue Mountains, or inland New South Wales towns like Dubbo and Bourke; in Aotearoa New Zealand it means Queenstown or Dunedin. Everywhere else sees only a partial eclipse, which requires certified eclipse glasses for the entire event.

What happens on 22 July 2028?

On Saturday 22 July 2028, the Moon's shadow crosses Australia from the Kimberley coast of Western Australia, through the Northern Territory and outback Queensland, down across inland New South Wales, and directly over Sydney — the city's first total solar eclipse since 1857. The shadow then crosses the Tasman Sea and sweeps over the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand, including Queenstown and Dunedin, before leaving Earth near sunset.

Inside that path, day turns to deep twilight for up to four minutes while the Sun's corona — its outer atmosphere — hangs in a darkened sky. In Sydney, the partial phase begins at 12:40 p.m. AEST, totality peaks at 2:01 p.m., and the event ends at 3:14 p.m. In Queenstown totality arrives at 4:16 p.m. NZST, barely an hour before winter sunset.

Outside the path, every major city — Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch — sees a partial eclipse only. A deep partial is interesting; totality is life-changing. They are not the same event, and a 90 percent partial eclipse delivers roughly zero percent of the totality experience.

Where should you watch the 2028 eclipse from?

There are three broad strategies, each with a full city guide on this site:

Sydney and the urban path. The easy option: 3 minutes 48 seconds of totality over a city with hotels, trains, hospitals, and thousands of public vantage points. The trade-offs are crowds and coastal winter cloud — Sydney's 22 July cloud-history marker is 43 percent. Start with the Sydney guide, or the nearby Penrith, Wollongong, and Newcastle guides.
Inland New South Wales. Longer totality (up to 4 minutes 6 seconds at Bourke), statistically clearer winter skies, and room to move if forecasts change. Dubbo is the practical base. See the inland road-trip guide for routes and logistics.
The South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand. Totality over alpine scenery, but with the Sun less than 10 degrees above the horizon and higher weather risk. This one rewards careful planning — read the sunset eclipse guide before committing.

Compare every city's times, durations, and sun heights on the city guides hub, and explore exact positions on the interactive path map.

When should you book accommodation and transport?

Early. Eclipse chasers book path accommodation one to two years ahead, and 22 July 2028 is a Saturday in the middle of the Australian winter school-holiday season and the NZ ski season. Small towns inside the path — Bourke, Orange, Katoomba, Queenstown — have limited beds and will sell out long before the general public realises what is coming.

Practical booking guidance:

Book refundable accommodation in your chosen region as soon as you commit — you can refine later.
If flying into Sydney, Dubbo, or Queenstown, book flights when schedules open (usually about 11 months ahead) and avoid same-day arrival. Winter weather delays are real.
Do not plan to leave the path the same evening. Post-eclipse traffic after Cairns 2012 and the 2024 American eclipse turned two-hour drives into six-hour crawls.
Renting a car? Reserve early. Mobility is your best weather insurance, and hire fleets in regional towns are small.

What should you bring on eclipse day?

July is mid-winter in both countries. You will be standing outdoors for two to three hours through the partial phases, and the temperature drops noticeably as the eclipse deepens — often by several degrees around totality.

Certified eclipse glasses (ISO 12312-2) for every person, plus spares. Buy from accredited makers well in advance — the eclipse glasses guide explains how to spot counterfeits.
Warm layers, hat, and gloves. Orange sits at 860 metres and Katoomba at roughly 1,000 metres; expect near-freezing air. Queenstown and Dunedin will be colder still by late afternoon.
Printed local times for your exact location (each city guide has a downloadable calendar file), because mobile networks may congest.
Chairs or a blanket, food, water, and a thermos. Treat it as a winter picnic with a two-hour build-up.
A headlamp or torch. Totality is genuinely dark, and packing up afterwards in twilight is easier with light.

Your eclipse-day timeline

Using Sydney's times as the example — adjust for your city from its guide page:

Morning: check the satellite picture and short-range forecast (see the weather guide). If your site is under cloud and a clear alternative is reachable within a couple of hours, move early — not at midday.
11:30 a.m.: be at your site, settled, with a clear view toward the north-northwest where the Sun will stand about 29 degrees high at maximum.
12:40 p.m. — first contact: the Moon takes its first bite. Glasses on for every look at the Sun from now on.
1:50 p.m.: light turns strange and silvery. Shadows sharpen. Temperature falls. Watch the western horizon for the approaching shadow.
2:01 p.m. — totality: when the last bead of sunlight vanishes, glasses come off. Look up. For 3 minutes 48 seconds you can safely look at the eclipsed Sun with naked eyes. Look around too — the 360-degree sunset, planets appearing, the crowd reaction.
End of totality: the instant the first sliver of bright Sun returns, glasses back on.
3:14 p.m. — last contact: eclipse over. Let the first wave of traffic leave without you.

Five mistakes first-timers make

Treating a deep partial as good enough. Ninety-nine percent coverage still leaves the sky bright and the corona invisible. If totality is feasible for you, travel into the path.
Spending totality behind a camera. Three minutes and forty-eight seconds evaporates. First-timers should watch, not fiddle — the photography guide explains how to automate shots if you must have them.
Buying glasses late or from marketplace sellers. Counterfeits flood in before every eclipse. Order certified viewers early from accredited manufacturers.
Having no weather fallback. One site is a bet; a primary site plus a reachable alternative in a different weather regime is a plan.
Leaving immediately after totality. You will sit in traffic while the beautiful final partial phases play out above you. Stay, watch, and drive home later.

Common Questions

Do I need eclipse glasses during totality?

No - totality is the one phase you view with naked eyes, and only inside the path of totality. Glasses are essential for every partial phase before and after totality, and for the entire event anywhere outside the path. See the eye safety guide for the full routine.

What time is the 2028 eclipse in Sydney?

In Sydney the partial eclipse begins at 12:40 p.m. AEST on Saturday 22 July 2028, totality runs for 3 minutes 48 seconds around maximum at 2:01 p.m., and the eclipse ends at 3:14 p.m.

Can I see the total eclipse from Melbourne, Brisbane, or Perth?

No. Those cities see only a partial eclipse - the Sun is never fully covered and glasses are required throughout. To see the corona you must travel into the path, for example to Sydney, inland New South Wales, or the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand.

What happens if it is cloudy during totality?

The sky still goes eerily dark and the temperature still drops, but the corona is hidden. That is why serious plans include a mobile fallback: check forecasts 48 and 24 hours out and be willing to drive to clearer sky.