Home > Hawaii > Mauna Kea Summit and Stars Small-Group Adventure Tour
USD $224.00
Mauna Kea Summit and Stars Small-Group Adventure Tour
Hawaii, United States of America
Head to the Mauna Kea Observatory, nestled high in the mountains of the Big Island, and experience an intriguing and provocative journey through space and time. Discover Hawaii from the top of the island's tallest peak, Mauna Kea, also known as 'White Mountain,' located 13,796 feet (4,200 meters) above sea level. Limited to 28 people, this small-group star-watching tour ensures a personalized and unique experience at the enchanting Mauna Kea summit.
View a spectacular sunset from the top of Mauna Kea and enjoy a unique stargazing experience on this Big Island adventure tour. After departing Kona and a brief pickup from the Queens' MarketPlace in Waikoloa, you'll travel through a Hawaiian historical ranch in a 4x4 luxury van to Mauna Kea summit.
Enjoy a hot, picnic-style dinner (see sample menu in the Itinerary section below) at a former Hawaiian ranch site where you're provided with a warm, hooded parka. Then prepare to make the climb to the summit area of Mauna Kea, learning about the Big Island's cultural, natural and ecological history from your naturalist guide.
From the summit, enjoy views of Mauna Loa and see Maui's volcano, Haleakala, along with other special points of interest. Stand among some of the earth's most powerful telescopes as you enjoy the sunset view.
After sunset, travel to the Mauna Kea Visitor Station at 9,000 feet (2,743 meters), where your guide sets up a telescope for a personal, entertaining and educational star party. Learn how Mauna Kea's unique geography draws scientists from all over the world to study the heavens, and also allows for incredible nighttime views of the stars.
Enjoy hot beverages and dessert as your guide gives a personal astronomy lesson before your return to Kona.
I had always wanted to experience this and booked the tour 2 months before going. I even made sure to plan the trip for when the moon was very small so as to get the full effect of the stars. However, I did not plan for an overcast night where we saw no stars at all and the sunset was pretty muted too. I still felt it was a worthwhile experience and the tour group driver/leader did a good job telling us about the history and workings of the observatory. We had a few disgruntled passengers who thought there should be a money-back guarantee that we would see the sunset and a star show, but from time of pick-up to time of drop-off they spent about 6 hours driving us around, providing a hot meal, giving us pointers on safety in the thin air and taking very good care of us. Yes, it was somewhat disappointing but it was not the tour operators fault
Review by: Edward M, July 2018
I know you have the sun, beach and surf. But this excursion will have you saying WOW. A nice trip up Mauna Kea, a dinner at 3000 feet, sunset viewing and then a look at the planets and stars. have you ever seen the rings of Saturn and the bands Jupiter? A beautiful night sky. Ranks as one of the BEST
Review by: Joseph G, July 2018
One of the most beautiful settings I've ever seen in my life. Absolutely amazing. Jeff, our guide, was extremely knowledgeable and a lot of fun.
Review by: Christine T, July 2018
We had a group of 6 adults on the tour and everyone had a wonderful time. Jeff (our tour guide) had fantastic knowledge of the Mauna Kea area as well as the island overall. Watching the clouds rolling through at sunset was magical and then heading down to another spot to stargaze was incredible. We saw more stars than we've ever seen in our lives, and we also got to see the glow of the Kilauea eruption in the distance. Jeff focused in on the lava flows with the telescope and it was so awesome. We also got to view the moon, Jupiter, Saturn and lots more through the telescope. We will never forget the experience, so thank you Jeff for doing such a great job in guiding us! I highly recommend this tour for anyone visiting the Big Island.
Review by: yoyo.lui2010, April 2018
The tour guide has forgotten his telescope, the group of 12 only managed to share a pair of binoculars. Some of us are not even familiar on how to use/adjust the binoculars.
Review by: nflatman, March 2018
The first part of our tour was amazing. The drive up to the summit was beautiful and the sunset was breathtaking. The star gazing was nice but dragged on for a really long time. Our guide was coughing the whole time and was clearly quite ill. This definitely detracted from the overall experience.
Review by: mickes2, February 2018
Hank our tour guide did a great job of narrative and explaining things. The weather was not good and thus we could not go to the summit or have great views of the stars. These were both disappointments and diminished the value of the trip. No discount or refund was offered, but the tour information was of much value.
Review by: r.a.cates, February 2018
We were very disappointed. The road to the summit was closed due to snow. I guess this happens 65 out of 365 days. Our tour guide, Joe was good and tried to bring us to other areas to see the sunset and stars but it was not the same thing. I would suggest that if you want to take this excursion not to do it during the winter.
Review by: tc1ds, January 2018
Awesome tour guide Hank was very informative and had a great sense of humor. Experience of watching the sunset above the clouds was amazing. Went to Hawaii for some warm weather but enjoyed seeing the snow on top og Mauna Kea. After sun set we could see the glow of the lava fields some 300 miles away at Kilauea.Spectatular views. Stargazing was a fun experience and the hot chocolate and brownies hit the spot. Thanks for a great adventure.
Review by: Louise W, January 2018
A must do on Big Island! We went on this tour with Hawaii Forest and Trail it was stunning! There are no words to describe the beauty of the stars and the mountains and the sunset we saw. All that and snow in Hawaii at Christmas. Perfect day with our amazing guide Jeff. Wrap up warm it's cold up there brrrrr
Review by: John E, January 2018
The tour guide Joe was great!
Review by: Leslie B, January 2018
How wonderful that Hank was available to treat us to an unforgettable anniversary! We were all in awe. The day was perfect, the lunch was simple and good. We couldn't believe we all got to witness the top of this snow covered mountain but Hank looked after our every need, the parkas and mittens were perfect. And yes, our family enjoyed the warm cocoa and chocolate brownies while we were mesmerized by the star show. Seeing the sunset on a mountain is something we'll never forget.
Review by: John C, January 2018
Great Experience! The whole trip was like a well-oiled machine. Our guide (Hank) was the best guide I’ve ever had for this sort of thing. He was very well informed about the volcanos, the night sky, and the history and culture of Hawaii. It was a fair amount of driving but well worth it.
Review by: Martin N, December 2017
Sehr gut organisierte Tour, bereits beim Empfang habe ich mich blendend mit der dortigen Mitarbeiterin unterhalten, der Guide war sehr erfahren und konnte viel erzählen. Die Verpflegung war gut und die Gruppengrösse sehr überschaubar. Zur Sicherheit wurde sogar Sauerstoff mitgeführt. Die zur Verfügung gestellten Parkas waren warm, es ist aber sicher zu empfehlen, sich entsprechend anzuziehen, da es auf den Bergen, sehr kalt werden kann. Die Aussicht vom Gipfel, bei Sonnenuntergang, war überwältigend. Fazit: Hervorragend, sehr zu empfehlen.
Review by: Enrique O, November 2017
Beautiful. We did feel a bit alone at some point. It is a long tour after all.
Review by: Ivette M, November 2017
Very well organized trip. The guide, Jeff, was very knowledgeable, patient and a nice guy over all. The whole experience was amazing and I highly recommended.
Review by: Gregory D, November 2017
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Kerryrose M, November 2017
This was one of the most amazing and exhilarating experiences that we have ever had... Just make sure that you bundle up, its cold!!_br/_ The hot chocolate and DELICIOUS brownies were a nice added touch! Would definitely do it again.
Review by: Philipp W, October 2017
Everything was perfect and well organized !!! Joe - our guide - was very good. We really enjoyed this trip. A big recommendation to do this tour with Hawaii Forest and Trail !!!
Review by: Richard V, October 2017
Wonderful and inspiring trip with an informative guide. One of the best Viator trips we have ever taken.
Review by: Vasantid76, September 2017
This was an amazing tour, although we could not see the stars at all that evening. There were too many clouds. That is not a fault of the tour operators. Had they canceled the tour, it would have been disappointing, so I was OK with seeing Mauna Kea summit without the stars. May be I will try again to do the star gazing. Our tour guide/driver Joe did an incredible job of driving through the heavy fog on a narrow road leading to the summit.The tour was very well organized, starting with a very early dinner in a remote place at 4000 ft above sea level, to slowly get used to higher elevation. We were given parkas because it would be cold at the summit. Our tour guide Joe was knowledgeable, courteous, and told us how to operate at 13,000 ft elevation e.g. move slowly because there is only 40 oxygen there.. The brownie and hot cocoa at the Visitor Center during the return were great. We spent plenty of time on the summit and it was great to see the observatory. The sunset was beautiful. We were unlucky that the weather was unfriendly but it still was a great experience. Highly recommended.
Review by: Marsha D, September 2017
We couldn't have asked for anything more than what our guides gave us on this tour. The loan of parkas to wear at the summit was certainly above and beyond the norm. And the star-watching after our visit to the summit was extraordinary! Our guide made sure that every individual in our small group received sufficient time at the telescope, and he showed us many wonders in the night sky.
Review by: Ala E, September 2017
This should be on your things-to-do if you visit the Big Island the Kona / Waikoloa / ... side. It doesn't if you are an astronomy fan or not, you'll love the sites from the top of Mauna Kea - a clear view of Maui will give you an idea of the scale of the Hawaiian Islands. The astronomical hardware at the top will make you appreciate the international level of interest in astronomical research. The stargazing activity is the icing on the cake: you'd love how clear the sky is - especially if you come from a light-polluted site!
Review by: Kim D, September 2017
Seing the sunset from the top was amazing, although I wish we would have spent a little more time after the sunset so we could see all the colours change. Meal was good, star-gazing was good even if you have to wait a little time before getting your turn to the telescope. I would recommend and it's a really well thought-out activity! A
Review by: Vash01, September 2017
This was an amazing tour, although we could not see the stars at all that evening. There were too many clouds. That is not a fault of the tour operators. Had they canceled the tour, it would have been disappointing, so I was OK with seeing Mauna Kea summit without the stars. May be I will try again to do the star gazing. Our tour guide/driver Joe did an incredible job of driving through the heavy fog on a narrow road leading to the summit.The tour was very well organized, starting with a very early dinner in a remote place at 4000 ft above sea level, to slowly get used to higher elevation. We were given parkas because it would be cold at the summit. Our tour guide Joe was knowledgeable, courteous, and told us how to operate at 13,000 ft elevation e.g. move slowly because there is only 40 oxygen there.. The brownie and hot cocoa at the Visitor Center during the return were great. We spent plenty of time on the summit and it was great to see the observatory. The sunset was beautiful. We were unlucky that the weather was unfriendly but it still was a great experience. Highly recommended.
Review by: Allison M, August 2017
Absolutely amazing!! The guide, Joe, was extremely knowledgeable and informative. We had a nearly perfect night of star gazing...until the moon came up but Joe made the most of our time with the telescope! Well worth the cost!
Review by: John R, August 2017
Very unique thing to do, highly recommend.
Review by: Christina J, August 2017
Best thing I've done so far I'd say. Great tour, felt well taken care of throughout the entire trip, the dinner was lovely, and the wealth of knowledge of our tour guide was just incredible. Can only recommend this tour if you have some spare time and cash. :
Review by: Kevin B, August 2017
We took the Sunset and Stargazing tour to Mauna Kea and it was fantastic. The tour guide was great and the meal that was provide was very good. This was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity for us and am so glad we did this. To watch the sunset at 14,000 feet was incredible. Then we went down to 9,000 feet to do about an hour of stargazing. We have never seen the Milky Way like this before. Our tour guide did such a great job pointing out different stars, zodiac signs, and planets, which we were actually able to see Saturn and it's ring around it. What a wonderful experience!
Review by: Eleanor W, June 2017
The guides were very professional and courteous. I do have two suggestions:_br/_ 1. Don't suggest hiking boots or hiking shoes for summer visits. They are not necessary and take up too much room in luggage!_br/_ 2. The uneven/slanting surface of the asphalt made the star watching difficult. It's hard to look up and walk on a very black night even on straight surfaces._br/_ We enjoyed the tour and would recommend it.
Review by: Scott L, June 2017
This trip was amazing and exceeded expectations. Mauna Kea is nearly 14,000 feet like its sibling Mauna Loa. However, when you consider that they both rise from a sea floor 18,000 feet deep, they are the two tallest mountains on earth. There is also no other place where you will ascend 14,000 feet in just a couple of hours since you start in Kona at sea level. After pickup at our hotel in Kona we were driven to the base of Mauna Kea along Saddle Road at about 6000 feet. A nice dinner was served in a large party tent next to an historic camp. Then off to the summit, arriving with plenty of time to explore the exterior of some of the telescopes that are located there. Everything is timed to be on the summit at sunset which is absolutely stunning. Afterwards, we descended to the visitors center at about 9,200 feet for a stargazing session. Our only suggestion would be to time this trip, if you have the flexibility, to near the new moon. There was a full moon on our trip. While this doesn't affect the use of the telescope, it diminishes the amazing spectacle of the Milky Way from high altitude and with no light pollution.
Review by: James L, February 2017
Amazing sunset
Review by: mikecooper40, February 2017
Great trip, knowledgeable guide. Provides a great contrast with temperatures and environment of the resort areas. You travel though the diverse climate and environmental zones of the Big Island.
Review by: Fred D, January 2017
Tour was one of the best ever taken. Beware that Viator sends everyone on this tour to the wrong location for pick-up. Do not book this tour thru Viator. Vendor has tried without success to correct this issue with Viator.
Review by: sally s, January 2017
Even though the summit was closed due to weather, the star gazing was better than I could have imagined. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna of the region and the local history. I would highly recommend this trip and I will do it again next time I am in the area.
Review by: Stephen W, January 2017
Another fabulous Big Island adventure! Our guide, Joe H, was excellent...very informative and passionate about the island culture and the stars! The sunset from the summit was unforgettable, and the thin air experience was really cool. The star gazing was incredible, especially compared to the light polluted northeast suburbs. I would do this again in a heartbeat.
Review by: Takahiro H, December 2016
This was an excellent tour for a first-time Big Island visitor like my girlfriend and I. We thoroughly enjoyed every part of this tour. Our guide Hank was extremely knowledgeable and knew the entire place and route like the back of his hand. Driving up the rocky mountain side in a 4-wheel drive van, I knew that it wasn't something I wanted to try myself! He expertly guided us to the best spot, and gave a great star show. The stars were amazing, even though there were clouds in the sky, they were unnoticeable because the stars were so bright. I would recommend this tour to anyone who really loves star gazing.
Review by: Carol S, November 2016
Highly recommend this tour. Nate our guide was a wealth of knowledge and very professional. The sunset was amazing and the stargazing left one speechless! _br/_ Bucket List........Check!
Review by: Sandra, November 2016
Absolutely amazing! Summit and sunset spectacular. Guide entertaining and knowledgeable. Dinner left much to be desired, only negative. That aside, this was a must do, so glad we did it!!
Review by: Victor M, November 2016
Great trip and very knowledgeable guide Nate. We had a wonderful clear night at the summit and learned a great deal about our galaxy._br/_ Very much recommended.
Review by: William R W, November 2016
Great trip going up to the top of Mauna Kea to see the sunset! Very pretty! The parkas and gloves were a must for folks not traveling with winter clothes. Unfortunately the star gazing was weak due to cloud cover. Mother Nature just didn't want us to see her jewels!
Review by: Robert S, October 2016
Brent was our tour guide. Awesome. Knowledgable. Friendly. _br/_ Would highly recommend this tour and Bent as a tour guide
Review by: Marlene R, October 2016
A wonderful experience at 13,000 ft, with great views weather permitted, fun meal and stargazing. Was a bucket list item I was thrilled to check off. Recommend to anyone who loves astronomy or astrology.
Review by: Jim R, September 2016
We thoroughly enjoyed this tour. It is timed just right so that you have enough time to have a good look around the summit before sunset but not too long that you get really cold.
Review by: Cassandra L, September 2016
Not only was the view from the summit spectacular, our guide, Nate, was so knowledgeable about the night sky that we had an amazing time with his explanation of space. My husband had a hard time with the high altitude, but Nate was prepared to accommodate him with oxygen readily available, which allowed him to enjoy the experience. This tour was not only a must do, we also felt safe and was well taken care of throughout.
Review by: Hannah K, July 2016
One star for the ride to the summit..!?!!_br/_ Not worth the money at all and it was just very expensive ride to the summit, inedible and #34;dinner and #34; that was given an hour after picking us up in a very disgusting haunted place. This was a total rip-off. Drive up there yourself.
Review by: James C, July 2016
Our tour guide was very knowledgable about the Island flora and fauna as well as Astronomy. The Bus was clean and comfortable. The meal, ok. A very nice group of people and an amazingly star filled night. I highly suggest going on the new moon. An experience to remember!
Review by: Brian K, July 2016
This tour is awesome. Our guide Brett was friendly and so knowledgeable. The sunset was beautiful. The food was very good. Brett set up a telescope after sunset and showed amazing night sky objects including the moons of Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, Mars, binary stars. Awesome trip. Thanks Brett.
Review by: Carrie U, July 2016
The view at the top was amazing. The stargazing afterwards was very cool as well. The ride to and from could have been better. It was a nice van, however, I was under the impression that there would only be 12 in the group. There were 14 so we were packed in like sardines which resulted in an unpleasant ride. The food was just ok, nothing spectacular. The guide was great, as well as the brownies. Overall it was a good trip, but just wasnt happy with the ride.
Review by: Elise H, July 2016
It was amazing. I decided to go on this tour primarily because of the sunset yet the stargazing was mind blowing. Nate knew so much and showed us so many constellations, big and Little Dipper, southern cross and actually we saw three planets. I definitely recommend this tour.
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