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. This small-group star-watching tour ensures a personalized and unique experience at the enchanting Mauna Kea summit.
Posted By : Arianna_L
This was an amazing tour! Jason our tour guide was excellent and a lot of fun. Seeing the sunset above the clouds was spectacular and the stars did not disappoint.
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Posted On : 2024-06-01 15:20:40 
Posted By : nicholer508
An absolutely incredible experience. A bucket list must! Jason was our guide and was unbelievably knowledgeable, kind and provided anything and everything that we needed.
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Posted On : 2024-06-01 15:10:14 
Posted By : nicole_b
Can’t say enough good things about our tour leader Brett. He was able to give scientific as well as cultural insight regarding Mauna Kea. The views from the summit were spectacular, and get ready for some prime star gazing. We were able to see the southern cross and grab some photos of distant galaxies with the special equipment they had. Big thanks to Brett and John!
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Posted On : 2024-05-29 14:41:54
Posted By : ChrisH140
Terrific family trip for stargazing on Mauna Kea. Easy pickup, and great guide (Jason) who was knowledgable, calm and helpful. It was a full moon which made some of the stargazing a challenge - but still a spectacular evening. Sunset was terrific and trip was smooth. This was second time doing this trip. Company did a good job abut reminders and just keeping on top of any issues - super professional!
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Posted On : 2024-05-25 21:37:06
Posted By : Jonathan_V
Amazing. The guide was knowledgeable, funny and very professional.
The view from the top was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen.
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Posted On : 2024-05-25 17:33:52
Posted By : Alan_B
We thoroughly enjoyed our tour guide in spite of snow flurries and cloudy weather. We were not able to see any stars, but still enjoyed time with our new “Ohana”.
New shuttle van was extremely comfortable.
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Posted On : 2024-05-20 16:43:03
Posted By : Mark_M
I’m sure this tour is fabulous if weather conditions are in your favor. However this tour is dependent on low enough or no clouds at the summit and clear skies for star gazing. Be aware the tour operator runs the tour almost regardless of conditions and you assume the risk for poor weather. In our case the summit road was closed most of the day for thick fog and high winds. It eventually reopened and the tour went on with the company telling me when I inquired that conditions were improving. We were able to get to the top but saw nothing but fog and the outside of telescopes. Stargazing was also very spotty. They were unable to take pictures because of the clouds and sent us pictures from other trips. On the positive side, our guide was entertaining and tried hard to make the best of a difficult situation. If you go, they serve chicken stew in a thermos with a dinner roll. It’s very good but not a full meal so plan accordingly. We brought snacks. They also serve a cookie and glass of hot chocolate during stargazing which were also good. If you take the tour I would use Viator and take advantage of the 24 hour cancellation policy if things don’t look good. The company did give me a 15% refund after I inquired.
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Posted On : 2024-05-19 16:13:33
Posted By : Aviram_B
We had a great time visiting Mauna Kea with Hawaii Forest and Trail. Jon was an excellent tour guide. Unfortunately, we had bad luck going up to the summit on a day filled with fog and even snow, but it was cool to see the telescopes. We left a bit disappointed, but we were very grateful to receive a phone call the next day informing us that we were getting a partial refund due to the weather conditions. It was nice to see the company proactively issue it, and we will definitely recommend this tour to anyone who wants to visit the Mauna Kea Summit.
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Posted On : 2024-05-18 15:17:33
Posted By : sneal1968
Mauna Kea Summit and Stars. May 9, 2024
Tour Guide: Jeff
Our tour started almost immediately, as Jeff described lava flows we were passing. Yes, the whole island formed by lava, but continuing flows keep the island growing. Amazing.
As we climbed Mauna Kea, Jeff repeatedly checked on our adaptation to the elevation gain encouraging us to stay hydrated.
My wife and I are old enough, we watched the Apollo moon landings live on our little black and white TV. We were ecstatic to see the barren area where those astronauts trained!
We’ve been taking geology and astronomy courses via Great Courses, so now we could see all of this in person. At the summit, we saw some of the telescopes we had studied. YAY! Took our picture in front of the NASA IR telescope!!
We absorbed a stunning sunset. By the way, the parkas supplied were perfect with the 32F temps.
Then we dropped down a 1,000 ft to a little pull off and started the Star Party. Absolutely out of this world! Jeff had two telescopes set up. One, connected to a computer, was tracking celestial objects and doing timed photos which The other reflector telescope Jeff tuned to different objects and we got to see them! We started with the Moon which was crescent phase. Craters, craters everywhere, and sharply in focus. Then we moved on to star clusters, galaxies, and nebulae. This was the cherry on top of all our astronomical courses.
My favorite constellation is the Southern Cross — not visible from the CONUS — it was great to see it again.
Jeff was an outstanding guide the whole way. He answered all of our astronomical and geological questions, and also taught us so much we didn’t know enough to ask. He cared for us along the way, fed us great meals, and bundled us up against the cold. He is a kind teacher, driver, guide!
There aren’t enough stars in the sky to give a rating for this tour and Jeff!
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Posted On : 2024-05-18 12:22:43
Posted By : Aloha_B
The guide was friendly and knowledgeable, but the weather wasn’t. That is to say, if it’s impossible to see the jeep beside you at the summit, you aren’t likely to see stars. If you are tempted to believe you’ll have an opportunity to be inside the observatory, you don’t. If the weather forecast is wet and cloudy, consider canceling until it clears. Otherwise, the ride back is real quiet.
However, the company, aware of the quiet ride and fog, did issue a 50% refund. Clearly, they are not in charge of fog and rain.
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Posted On : 2024-05-15 15:29:30
