Big Island: Mauna Kea Summit Tour with Free Night Star Photo
Description
We will take you to the summit of Mauna Kea to see the sunset and we will do stargazing afterward (not at the summit). Our most unique part is that our guides will take the photo of the sunset and stars for you using their DSLR camera. All photos are free of charge and you will get it to your smartphone at the end of the tour.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Pick up guests from each pick up location starting from Target in Kona. (pick up time varies depending on the season) 14:00-15:00pm Target's parking lot meet in front of the Mcdonald’s that is in the Target parking area (74-5453 Makala Blvd, Kailua-Kona) 14:45-15:45pm/ Queens’ Market Place Please meet up at the shuttle bus stop in backside of the shopping mall, a LARGE parking lot near the NOT Starbucks (69-201 Waikoloa Beach Dr #201, Waikoloa) 15:30-16:30pm/ Gilbert Kahele Recreation Park (44-5400 Daniel K. Inouye Hwy, Waimea)
Onizuka Visitor Information Station We will take a break at the Onizuka Visitor Center at an altitude of 2,800m or 9,000ft for early dinner and altitude acclimatization. We also change clothes for winter clothes here depending on the weather. Also gift shop is open for guests to purchase the items. (No food or drink sale)
Mauna Kea summit at an altitude of 13,796 ft (4,205 m) At the peak of Mauna Kea, you will see most of the observatory at the summit and we will be watching the sunset from the highest peak oin Hawaii. Enjoy a fantastic moment！
After the sunset, we will do stargazing using our refractor telescope and laser pointer. Our guide will explain about the star, constellation, and planets. Also we will take the astro photo with you in it! (The location of where we will do the stargazing may varies depending on the weather conditions)
Returning to the pick up locations starting from Waikoloa Resort
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Please check the message on Viator. We will send a message about pick up time and location after the confirmation of your booking.
- Please note that pick up location has a free parking lot but we do not take any responsibility or liability for any damage or loss caused through the parking
- Please note that in times of bad weather sunset or stargazing are not 100% guaranteed and moonphase will affect the visibility of the stars.
- Please note that, depending on any guests get altitude sickness or other conditions, the time spent at the summit and the stargazing location may be adjusted.
- Guest under 16 years old or older than 75 cannot participate
- Not recommended for person weight more than 300lb
- Not recommended for person having respiratory problem such as asthma
- Guest under 16 years old or older than 75 cannot participate
Reviews(1,688)
Had a great time on this tour. Got to see sunset at the summit followed by stargazing. Wes was a great tourguide - really informative and caring!
James(Kemo) did an amazing job! Absolutely friendly, quite knowledgeable, and very informative. I would definitely suggest this tour. Make sure you request to be with Kemo, he will make this a memory you will never forget
Our journey started of foggy and drizzly, unsure if we’d see anything at Mauna Kea, BUT, we were blessed with road clearance and the most perfect weather at the top for the most amazing sunsets we’ve ever seen and clear skies to see millions of stars, planets, Starlink satellites and even the Milky Way! Our guides James and Wes were so kind and knowledgeable about Mauna Kea, its history and had the greatest personalities. “We’re gonna have a great day. Think positive thoughts, all riiight! 🤙🏻” I highly highly recommend this experience to anyone. Be prepared for possible altitude sickness. I experienced a little nausea about halfway up the drive. One of our van mates also needed some oxygen due to altitude changes. James was prepared and came through beautifully to assist her. Such an amazing time! I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Stars are amazing!!! Views at summit unbelievable!!! Tour guides very knowledgeable- James was kind, knowledgeable, and an awesome photographer
We would highly recommend booking this tour with our guide, James! He picked us up right on time with a warm welcome at the meeting point before we headed up to the Visitor Center. During the mandatory break there, we enjoyed a delicious sandwich meal—both the bacon and the vegan options tasted absolutely wonderful. What truly made this trip special was James. He was incredibly warm, caring, and attentive throughout the entire journey, making the whole experience feel wonderfully personal. He constantly checked in on us to ensure we were feeling good and not experiencing any altitude sickness (thankfully, we all felt fine (only a little bit impacted ftom the altitude!). He is also an excellent, very safe driver, which made the drive up very comfortable. Once we reached the summit, we watched a breathtaking sunset, during which James took plenty of fantastic photos of us. Because artificial light is strictly forbidden near the summit to avoid disturbing the research telescopes, we then drove back down a few hundred meters in altitude and distance. There, we joined a second group from the same tour operator for the stargazing portion. Under an absolutely spectacular starry sky (luckily the moon phase was only around 8%, as the new moon was on July 13th), we sipped hot cocoa while the constellations were pointed out and explained to us with a laser. The photos James took of us during this time are absolutely beautiful. Thank you so much, James, for such a memorable and deeply personal experience!
The Stargazing and the sunset were amazing. Wes our guide did an amazing job. We learned a lot from the stargazing to the history of the island and the construction of the telescopes on the mountain.
Breathtaking experience!! Our guide Wesley was amazing, two thumbs up!!! He is very knowledgeable and respectful. He made the tour exciting, informative and most of all…..he really considered more about our safety!!! MAHALO NUI LOA!!!
The tour was amazing. Views were amazing and James our tour guy was incredible. 100 recommended. Book it now!
Our tour began with a caveat that the roads were closed due to inclement weather and we could take a gamble to go up and see if they would reopen the roads. They ended up reopening and I’m so glad they did! The views were MAJESTIC. Bucket list item. One of the clearest, if not, THE clearest stargazing in the world! Highly recommend going up during the summer on a new moon where there’s the least amount of light pollution . Loved every moment of sunset and stargazing. The ride up is pretty bumpy. Have snacks because Altitude sickness can give you an upset stomach. Take lots of deep breaths.
Our tour guide Kimo was very knowledgeable about many aspects of the Big Island, astronomy, volcanos, photography and all things Hawaiian. The tour was excellent, despite the possibility for rain and high clouds, the skies cleared just before sunset and was completely clear for stargazing. Great tour
