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
(1793 Ratings)
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1 star
Lexi_l
Jun 6, 2026
Our guides, Mikela and... - Our guides, Mikela and Tay are absolutely AMAZING. most warming and knowledgeable guides ever! You don’t wan to miss out these tow people here on the big island!
Review provided by Viator
Yingyiw2026
Jun 6, 2026
Mauna Kea summit - Best warm and professional guide ever!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ricardo
Jun 6, 2026
Unbelievable - Our tour up the Mauna Kea was my grandsons favorite. Our tour went beyond expectations. Totally recommend this tour to everyone thinking of visiting the summit of Mauna Kea. Tay was totally awesome with his description of the night sky.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Amy_s
Jun 5, 2026
Culturally guided experience with the sunset and stars! - Incredible experience. We did this for our 5th anniversary celebration. Tay was incredibly knowledgeable about all the history, culture, and mythology behind the island’s landscape and stars/constelllations. This tour was in-depth and worth the experience compared to traveling on your own to the summit of Mauna Kea. We stopped at the NASA Observatory before the summit for sunset. Then proceeded about 1000 feet down and spent about 2 hours stargazing and learning a lot of history and facts behind the stars and constellations. This time of year we’re able to see the Southern Cross which is not visible in the northern hemisphere. Bundle up and enjoy the spectacular view!
Review provided by Viator
Amanda_d
Jun 4, 2026
Best experience - This was absolutely amazing! So glad my husband and I did it! Well worth the price! Tay and Jon were great, they were very knowledgeable about the Hawaiian culture and islands and did a fantastic job talking about the different stars planets and constellations. They were so fun be talk with and funny when necessary. Very professional and easy going. It’s definitely a trip we will never forget!
Review provided by Viator
Lisa_p
Jun 3, 2026
Bucket List Item - A once in a lifetime excursion. First watching a sunset from 13K+ elevation, then seeing so many stars against the night sky.
Review provided by Viator
Donna_w
Jun 3, 2026
Totally awesome - This was a very cool experience. We were able to see the moon rise (blue moon) and the sunset at the same time. Beautiful. The stargazing was awesome and our tour guide Tay was phenomenal.
Review provided by Viator
Don_w
Jun 1, 2026
Like Heaven - Our guides were VERY knowledgeable about the mountain and also the star gazing afterwards. Very kind and helpful. We had a mixup with our booking and the refunded what we needed without any problems. Well worth your time and money.
Review provided by Viator
Jenny_s
Jun 1, 2026
Incredible summit views & astronomy lessons! - Bring beanie, gloves, water, travel pillows (long drive- tired at the end), and sweatshirts! You stop for lots of bathroom breaks, they give you a bag full of yummy snacks and hot cocoa and oatmeal! It’s so fun!
Review provided by Viator
Lodajazz
Jun 6, 2026
Disappointing experience. - Our tour guides were very good. However, do not expect the parkas and mittens to fit if you are taller and larger than average. I was led to believe that they had appropriate sizes for everyone. My husband was very uncomfortable for the majority of the trip. It honestly was not what we were expecting. On the photography part, it took several minutes for a group to have pics done. Many others had to wait an extended amount of time for their turns. Again, tour guides were knowledgeable, just really not worth the money for our experience.
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).