Mauna Kea Summit: Small-Group Stars Adventure at Hawaii's Tallest Peak
4.8
1,187 Ratings
Kailua-Kona
Embark on a small-group adventure to the Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii's tallest peak. Explore the mysteries of space and time while enjoying breathtaking views from 13,796 feet above sea level.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Maunakea Visitor Information Station - Enjoy a hot picnic style dinner before making your way to the summit
- Mauna Kea Summit - Enjoy a sunset from above the clouds while overlooking the Pacific Ocean atop Maunakea. After the sunset, travel to a more comfortable elevation and let our guides reveal the night sky with our 11” Celestron telescopes.
What's Included
- Private star show with telescope
- Hooded parkas and gloves
- Central meeting locations for pick-up & drop-off
- Hot cocoa and cookies
- Included local taxes
- Expert guidance
- Hot picnic dinner
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Embark on a fascinating voyage through space and time at the Mauna Kea Observatory, perched high atop the peaks of Hawaii’s Big Island. The view from Mauna Kea, Hawaii’s loftiest pinnacle affectionately dubbed ‘White Mountain,’ situated 13,796 feet (4,200 meters) above sea level, offers a distinct perspective of the island. With our small-group astronomy tour, you are guaranteed a unique and intimate encounter on the mesmerizing summit of Mauna Kea.
- Minimum age is 13 years
- Due to the high altitude; this tour is not suitable for those with respiratory, heart or circulatory conditions, poor health, or pregnancy
- Scuba divers should be aware of altitude dangers
- IMPORTANT - Please note, guests meeting at the Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel must meet at least 15 MINUTES PRIOR to the tour’s departure time.
- Guests are required to wear closed-toe walking shoes or hiking boots, long pants. We recommend bringing a light sweatshirt or jacket
- Guests must bring their own water bottles. Tour operator will provide filtered water refills.
- Please advise your parka size (small, medium, large, x-large or xx-large) and choice of meal at time of booking. If you do not indicate this at the time of booking, you will be required to call and advise them of this information directly.
- There is minimal walking on this tour, the maximum being about 150 yards
- The access road to Mauna Kea is four-wheel drive only, so it can be bumpy. The custom off-road transit vans will get you to the top and back in safety and comfort. The transit vans can carry a maximum of 12 passengers
- Snow is seasonal at Mauna Kea, with the heaviest snowfall occurring during the winter months
Location
Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel
Palani Road
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(1187 Ratings)
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Sofi_h
Mar 26, 2024
Unforgettable - This is a great tour. I would recommend it for anyone who is unsure about making the drive on their own. It’s a lot more safe and comfortable to allow the professionals to handle it and sit back and enjoy the views.
It is an incredible place.
Review provided by Viator
Wendy_l
Mar 24, 2024
Unforgettable Experience! - This was one of the best experiences thanks to our tour guide Jason! He greeted us warmly & was a great storyteller - touching upon Polynesian history, astronomy, & the Hawaiian culture.
For a family of five adults, this was a great tour. It was something unique & gave us a break from the beach. The views were fantastic & the stars were so close/clear.
Everything was well planned - from the delicious chicken stew dinner before the summit, to the hot chocolate & yummy Mrs. Barry’s cookies as we viewed the stars. And there were clean bathrooms/porta-potties at every stop on the tour.
Highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Dorina_b
Mar 20, 2024
Mauna Kea summit and star viewing experience - Loved seeing the telescopes/observatories on top of Mauna Kea and listening to the stories told by our guide Eugene.
It was really cold and windy at the summit (parka and gloves really appreciated).
The sunset and star viewing afterwards were spectacular
Review provided by Viator
Katherinehf9273ko
Mar 19, 2024
Must do! - This was one of the more amazing experiences I have ever had.
Our guide/driver was amazing and took very good care of us.
They had food, water and parkas on the bus for us to use on the journey. It takes about 2 hours to get to the summit of Mouna Kea but they stop twice on the way. Once for a bathroom break and again for a dinner break. The included meal was delicious and locally made.
The climb is so steep you can have trouble breathing but our guide made sure we took breathing every 1000 ft to help acclimate us. Once at the top, you will be treated to the most amazing views. It was very emotional experience feeling the energy and the quiet of the summit. You could really see why this is sacred land for the Hawaiian people.
Definitely prepare to be cold. They give you parkas but it was below freezing with 45 Mph winds at the top. It is very cold. Prepare accordingly.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ezra_s
Mar 19, 2024
Epic Sunset - A fantastic trip to Mauna Kea summit to see the sunset. Thankful for the provided parkas. The star gazing afterwards was fun as well. Eugene was a great guide.
Review provided by Viator
Kikidixie
Mar 16, 2024
Simply breathtaking - What a unique experience! My family has been coming to the Big Island for over 30 years and never done this. My husband and I did it for our 10th anniversary and it was spectacular. Would highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Heather_m
Mar 16, 2024
The sun and stars! Awesome! - An informative ride to the summit, where we then experienced amazing views of the sunset, clouds from above, and the earths shadow. Then a short ride down from the top for stargazing. Much more than I expected! Tour guide Jeffrey was very knowledgeable. Well worth the trip!
Review provided by Viator
Adam_s
Mar 15, 2024
Informative and breathtaking! - This was a wonderful experience for our family. Our guide, Jason, was very entertaining and informative about astronomy and its place in Hawaiian culture. The sunset was amazing and the view of the night sky was truly spectacular: so many stars. I highly recommend it.
Review provided by Viator
Dale_w
Mar 16, 2024
Saved by sunset and Adam - This tour was very good and has the potential to be great. We hugely enjoyed our guide, Adam, whose knowledge, enthusiasm and thoughtful care throughout the trip made the experience exceptional. We knew this trip was risky going in (and expensive) and we were disappointed by the source of the risk (weather/clouds). We were able to see a great sunset (in bitter cold gale force winds) at the summit. When we headed down to do star gazing, the clouds covered about 90% of the show.
The value of the trip (both in $ and in priceless Hawaii hours) was greatly diminished by the clouds…But Adam and the sunset saved the experience.
Review provided by Viator
Laura_f
Mar 25, 2024
Waste of time - Van broke down. Sat at a rest stop for nearly 2 hours waiting for another, then it was a race against the clock to get to the Summit before sunset. We made it. Spent about 20 mins at Summit. Beautiful. Next up stargazing. SUPER cloudy. No way were we going to see any stars, but we pulled into a lot and all got out in the freezing cold and literally stood there on the pavement for an hour and a half listening to Jason yammer on about god knows what just to ‘fill up the time’ I guess. Why not cut the tour early? Why not show us the telescopes you brought? Why not let us sit in the van where it’s warm while you go on and on about your Moana story and history lesson?!! We had very limited time in Kona and chose this tour thinking it would be such a great memory. Unfortunately, it’s time we will never get back.
Review provided by Viator
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