Mauna Kea Summit Sunset and Stars - Hilo Kona Waikoloa Pick Up

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based on 934 reviews
  • Duration:7 hours to 8 hours (approx.)
  • Location: Big Island of Hawaii, Hawaii
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ADULT (Age : 13 to 80)


Free Cancellation

Upto 24 hours in Advance.
Mobile or paper ticket accepted
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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 show and view planets with a professional telescope (Weather Permitting).

Your guide will take astrophotography photos of you with our camera and email them to you.


WHAT'S INCLUDED

WHAT TO EXPECT

ADDITIONAL INFO

CANCELLATION POLICY

Posted By : T3519EZchristopherr
The guides were informative and entertaining, both on the mountain and in transit. The vehicles were comfortable and safe. We were pleased to have a clear night sky in a pleasant atmosphere.
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Posted On : 2024-03-27 18:57:13 full ratings


Posted By : DAVID_C
The vast knowledge of Robert and his easy thoughtful way of keeping everyone focused and interested . He provided the best access and gave everyone the opportunity to gain
knowledge about the volcanos , local Hawaiian culture and astronomy ( both the observatories and the stars ) .

We reached the summit and and had the best locations for photographs of the sunset , view of Haleakala summit on Maui and of the many observatories .

We were also presented with a knowledgeable presentation of the night sky . If this interests you it was done as well as possible . Not my thing .

However I do love mountain summits and sunsets .

MAHALO
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Posted On : 2024-03-26 16:35:24 full ratings


Posted By : Heidi_Y
Communication was excellent. The 4x4 vans are comfortable and our guides (Robert & Zack) were stellar! I appreciated the info & reminders to be aware of symptoms of altitude sickness. You can definitely feel the altitude change. We had weather move in just as we arrived at the summit, so we weren't able to view the sunset. The park rangers ended up closing the summit fairly quickly before roads or visibility worsened due to below freezing temp and fog. Down near the visitor center the weather was much improved and skies were clear where they set up for the star gazing portion of the tour. We were sad to miss the sunset view, but that was beyond anyones control. It was still fun to see the observatories and be up on Mauna Kea. Oh, and the parkas were fun and cozy. Overall our family of 3 had a great experience!
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Posted On : 2024-03-24 15:26:02 full ratings


Posted By : Matt_R
Overall it was a really good experience, and I would both do it again and recommend it, but there were several drawbacks specific to the company.

PROS: jackets! They were long, going down to the knees (I’m 5,10”) and were plenty warm, and they also had good gloves.
The guides were knowledgeable and provided interesting information along the way.
The vehicle was comfortable and warm, with plenty of room.
They did a good job of making frequent stops at various elevations along the way to allow people to acclimate to the elevation gain.

CONS: There was only one telescope, and it seemed like a nice home model, or a poor commercial version. There were roughly 30 of us meant to share 1 telescope, and it was only able to view the moon. For the stargazing portion of the evening, it was lackluster.
The snacks were poor, specifically the hot water. They only had a few gallons, and with people acting as though they were about to die of cold, 2 of our 4 person party didn’t even get a hot drink or oatmeal. While the company can’t control human behavior, they should have better anticipated it.

I think $270 is steep, perhaps $200 would be more appropriate.
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Posted On : 2024-03-23 15:18:53 full ratings


Posted By : Roy_C
Beautiful sunset, guide (Robert) provided a lot of energy and was a wealth of knowledge from hawaiin culture to astronomy. Truly amazing.
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Posted On : 2024-03-23 13:18:15 full ratings


Posted By : ChrisBCritter11759
Every aspect of this tour was top notch. Jess & Rob were knowledgeable, prepared, and kept us safe. They explained the different types of lava, described every telescope, identified every major star in the night sky with a laser pointer, and had snacks to keep us healthy in the extreme conditions.

Definite recommend this tour. It’s unforgettable.
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Posted On : 2024-03-21 15:28:51 full ratings


Posted By : SweepyMcSweeperson
This was a memorable night - something special that we will remember as a highlight of this vacation and will tell our friends and family about. Everything went smoothly and on time. Jess and Rob were excellent tour guides - their knowledge, friendliness and enthusiasm really contributed to the overall experience. The sunset and the stars were amazing and unforgettable. A really special experience.
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Posted On : 2024-03-21 13:18:18 full ratings


Posted By : Monica_F
This is a bucket list tour! I was skeptical of this tour because I hate the Yosemite Park road at the edge of the abyss, but I was pleasantly surprised. The road up the mountain had plenty of room on each side and it’s not at the edge. Once we got to the summit we saw the most beautiful and colorful sunset. After that, we drove down the mountain a few minutes where the tour has its own private flat space where they set up their special telescope. OMG! It feels like you could touch the stars! There were so many, and the guides laser pointed at most of them and named each formation. They were very knowledgeable. The telescope showed us a cluster of stars, a close up of the moon and a close galaxy which is still millions of light years away. Later they emailed us more pic taken by the telescope, including Jupiter, which you can even see the colors. You can zoom in the moon and see the craters. Just stunning!
A warning that you need to take seriously, is the cold. The temp at the summit was in the 20’s and extremely windy which made it even worse. I was prepared. I wore double layers of pants and tops which included thermal clothing, also a winter scarf, a warm beanie and gloves, I also wore my Timberland hiking boots with warm socks. They also provide parkas and gloves but there are always those who think they can hack it but believe me, those ones on our tour had a very hard time enjoying the beautiful scenery.
I must mention the only down side of this tour, and that is that the van fits 14 people and I was seating on the very last row which supposedly fits 4 people, except that the seats are so narrow that I was rubbing leg and arm with a perfect stranger man. Totally disgusting! Also, the A/C did not flow all the way to the back of the van so it was hot with not much fresh air. I felt like I was breathing everyone’s breath. Gross! I recommend you taking a small handheld personal fan to make it more bearable to breathe. Also, put on your extra layers of clothes right before you get off the van or else you will be suffocating.
Even with the hiccup I just mentioned, I still highly recommend this tour. You will have the most stunning pics to share with your loved ones. Have fun!
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Posted On : 2024-03-20 17:11:59 full ratings


Posted By : michael_s
Our tour guide Robert was excellent. It's a long tiring day, but we enjoyed it. The views from the summit are spectacular and seeing the stars from up there is a once in a lifetime experience. A little expensive for what it was, but we still had a nice time.
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Posted On : 2024-03-20 15:44:35 full ratings


Posted By : Ram_R
View and sunset from the summit were fantastic. It was way too windy and so we couldn’t stay there longer.
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Posted On : 2024-03-19 15:54:26 full ratings