Tourism on the Moon

Lunar tourism could become a reality if people are able to travel to the Moon as tourists. Some space tourism startup companies are working on plans to offer trips to or around the Moon and think this could happen by the year 2043.

So far, only astronauts have traveled close to the Moon. As of 2026, 28 humans have traveled to the lunar vicinity, and 12 have actually landed on the Moon. These astronauts were part of NASA's Apollo and Artemis II missions, not tourists.

Possible attractions

See also: List of artificial objects on the Moon

Two natural attractions could be seen by traveling close to the Moon:

• View of the far side of the Moon
• View of the Earth rising and setting against the lunar horizon

If landing on the Moon becomes possible, people could visit places like:

• helium-3 mines
• A lunar south pole habitat
• A Russian observatory
• An inflatable Moon base

Protection of lunar landmarks

The place where people first landed on the Moon, called Tranquility Base, is very important to history. Some U.S. states, like California and New Mexico, have added it to their lists of special places. However, not all U.S. states have done the same because of their rules.

An organization named For All Moonkind, Inc. is working on rules to protect important places on the Moon. This is important because if people start visiting the Moon as tourists, these special sites might get damaged. Scientists and space agencies have asked that any visits to the Moon stay far away from these historic spots to keep them safe. Some companies planning Moon trips have promised to follow these rules to help protect the Moon’s history.

Types and cost

There are three ways people could travel near the Moon: flying by without landing, orbiting the Moon, and landing on the Moon.

Right now, the only space trips for tourists that have happened are short flights that go a little above Earth and come right back down. These short trips cost about $200,000 each and last from 30 minutes to three hours.

Longer trips that go much higher cost a lot more — about $10 million each and last a full day. Some companies want to start offering these kinds of trips soon. They think prices might go down a lot if more people want to go.

Some companies have said how much they would charge for trips around the Moon. One company charges $150 million for a trip that just flies by the Moon. Another company, which is no longer working, wanted $750 million for a trip that would land on the Moon.

Proposed missions

Some space tourism companies have plans to offer trips to the Moon. These include Space Adventures, Excalibur Almaz, Virgin Galactic, SpaceX, and Blue Origin. However, as of 2026, none of these plans have come to life yet.

In 2005, Space Adventures talked about a trip called DSE-Alpha. This would take two tourists within 100 kilometers of the Moon's surface using a Soyuz spacecraft led by a professional astronaut. The trip would last about a week.

Cancelled proposals

In February 2017, Elon Musk shared that two people had paid SpaceX for a flight around the Moon. He said this could happen by late 2018 and cost about US$70 million. Later, the plan changed to use a different spacecraft called the BFR system. In September 2018, Elon Musk announced the passenger would be Yusaku Maezawa. He wanted to take 6–8 artists with him to inspire new art for a trip called the #dearMoon project. However, in November 2023, the mission was delayed, and by June 2024, the project was fully cancelled.

Blue Origin has completed several short space flights but, as of November 2023, problems stopped their services. The company says they will start again in 2024.

Excalibur Almaz wanted to take three tourists on a flight around the Moon using special space station parts. The trip would take about six months. But their equipment was never launched and will now be used for learning.

The Golden Spike Company was a U.S. company from 2010 to 2013. They wanted to offer trips to the surface of the Moon. Their website was taken down in September 2015.