Mauna Kea Sunset: Stargazing and Telescopes

Experience the breathtaking sunset at Mauna Kea Summit, learn about the history of the Big Island, stargaze with research telescopes, and capture stunning astrophotography photos.

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Mauna Kea Summit - Renowned as one of the premier locations for sunset views and stargazing, Mauna Kea is also the tallest mountain on Earth. Transportation is provided by a comfortable 4X4 passenger van. Jackets and gloves are available to ensure warmth. An experienced tour guide will share historical insights and enhance the night experience…
What's Included
  • Experienced tour guide
  • FREE night photo with our professional camera
  • Snacks and a hot beverage
  • Jackets and gloves to keep you warm
  • Transportation in a comfortable 4X4 van
  • Professional telescope (Weather Permitting)
What's Not Included
  • Dinner (Travelers may bring their own)
  • Private Tour
Additional Information

Delight in the awe-inspiring sunset at the top of Mauna Kea, the highest point in the Pacific.
Your guide will share historic accounts of the Big Island. Stand amidst the world’s largest collection of research telescopes.
Two of the eight telescopes which took the first photos of the black hole are here.
Sip a hot beverage during your private star…

Location
Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo - a DoubleTree by Hilton
Banyan Drive
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(1699 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Hoan_t
Dec 21, 2025
Amazing Out of this World Experience - This experienced was out of this world!! Val was a super guide!! Her knowledge of the stars and galaxy was just top notch and she really went above and beyond to make me and my husband feel comfortable throughout the whole night! We had one person who had altitude sickness and she took care of her well and didn't make any of us feel slowed down. She was patient, warm, friendly and truly the perfect guide for such a special experience. We had the most amazing time and the hours just flew by so fast!!! We loved the small touches like having hot chocolate, yummy snacks and super powerful telescope to view the stars up close! The parkas were also such a plus as it allowed us to get really cozy and not feel cold at all. We did dress appropriately as it is literally FREEZING up there! I cannot recommend this tour enough and VAL as the guide! She's truly the best!!
Review provided by Viator
Harish_s
Dec 21, 2025
Must go tour! - Such a great experience! The tour guide was wonderful! Highly recommend. The sunset was gorgeous and never saw a more clear sky for star gazing.
Review provided by Viator
Jessica_l
Dec 20, 2025
Worth every penny! - What a great way to view Hawaii from above! Kela and Val were fab hosts! After taking you up to Mauna Kea, they offer a very wonderful star gazing talk. Learned a lot of great astronomy things from Val and neat Hawaiian stories/facts from Kela! Mahalo!
Review provided by Viator
Jennyzc2022
Dec 20, 2025
Excellent tour - My husband and joined this Mauna Kea Summit tour and were very impressed by the experience and professional handling of the operator, Hawaii Island Holidays. The tour guiders were warm and care about all the customers. Each step, traveling up to summit, was carefully arranged to reduce our high altitude symbolism. They also helped us taking amazing photos with stars. I will recommend this tour to others.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Scott_r
Dec 19, 2025
Logan was an amazing... - Logan was an amazing guide. Very informative with the stars and constellations. The altitude adjustment is real.
Review provided by Viator
Brian_s
Dec 15, 2025
Amazing! Gorgeous sunset above the clouds and the best stargazing out there! - The views were unbelievable! Such a gorgeous sunset on top of the mountain, and you can see much from all the way up there, including Maui. I love stargazing, and I can say with confidence that I have never seen a clearer, and more vivid night sky than I did on this experience. The Milky Way was glowing front and center, and was easy to see with the naked eye. On top of that, an amazing telescope and extremely informative crew really made the experience. Our driver gave us a great tour along the way their, and pointed out some great attractions to consider. On top of all of this, we got what is easily one of the coolest pictures together of all time with the Milky Way above and the volcano glowing in the background. One of a kind. This is a truly awe-inspiring experience that you just can't really get anywhere else on the planet. 10/10 recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Daniel_c
Dec 13, 2025
A Trustworthy business - Viator and the Operator proved trustworthy and of good character when we booked this tour with a 9 year old. Though not as obvious in the online description as it could be (the FAQ does not recommend 13 yrs and under), the operator required 14 or older. We learned this at the pickup. We requested a refund which the operator was not able to provide though sympathetic to the situation. We contacted Viator who immediately refunded 100%. We have used Viator many times including a near future trip. Our satisfaction with their services remains as strong as ever.
Review provided by Viator
Destiny_l
Dec 15, 2025
Val and Jon were our tour... - Val and Jon were our tour guides and added a lot to the experience. They were very knowledgeable and it seemed that they were truly passionate about their work. I felt very safe as they drove us up the mountain, and the view from the top was incredible. They made a few stops along the way for pictures and to make sure we adjusted to the altitude. Hot chocolate, a large variety of snacks, good quality winter jackets and gloves were provided. The stargazing portion was amazing and Val teaching us about the constellations was very informative. They set up a high quality telescope giving us the opportunity to see a few different spots in the sky. Please dress warm! The weather at the top of the mountain was very windy and cold, even with multiple layers. Also, if you are prone to nausea or vertigo this might not be for you. I felt quite sick at the top but pushing through was worth it. It was a great experience, but I don’t think it was worth almost 300$ which is why I gave 4 stars. We also tipped 20$ per person in our group on top of that so gratuity for the tour guides are not included in the high price.
Review provided by Viator
Ravikumardevaki
Dec 25, 2025
Bus broke and we were... - Bus broke and we were stranded on the road for 1+hr, telescope didn’t work when it mattered the most in an excellent location on the mountain. Otherwise, John, the tour guide at 13000 feet was fantastic, the bus driver was patient, tried his best Overall we had great expectations for this trip, getting onto world’s tallest mountain (technically), barring aside the hiccups, we had fun watching stars, constellations, satellites zipping at high speeds and planets brighter than stars (not possible with light pollution in the cities)
Review provided by Viator
Yongqiw2025
Dec 21, 2025
Weather Is Important - The service was good; however, the weather that day was very cloudy. As a result, we couldn’t see the sunset, and the stars were often obscured. According to the weather forecast, the conditions were already predicted to be cloudy. We therefore requested to reschedule for another day or receive a refund, but our request was declined.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $289
up to 14 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).