Big Island of Hawaii

Mauna Kea Summit Tour with Free Night Star Photo

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up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

8 hours
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

The 13,803-foot (4,207.3-meter) peak of Mauna Kea is Hawaii's highest point, and a popular spot for star-gazing. With this tour, travel up to the summit with your guide, stop for dinner at the Onizuka Astronomy Complex, then arrive at the summit in time to watch the sunset. As dark sets in, enjoy a guided stargazing experience and marvel at the stars and planets using a refractor telescope and razor pointer.

Stay warm with included winter clothes, hot drinks and a light dinner
Pose for group sunset and star-gazing photos included with the tour
Choose from three different pickup and drop-off locations
Intimate small-group experience with a maximum of twelve people

What's Included

Dinner
Snow parker, Ski pants, and Gloves
Admission Fee for Mauna Kea
4x4 Passenger Van to the summit
Free DSLR camera photo of stars with you in it! (weather and moon phase permitting))
An astronomical telescope

An optional TIP per person for good service is customary in Hawaii.
Guest under 16 years old or older than 70 cannot participate
NO ENTRY INSIDE THE OBSERVATORIES

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting points

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End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Your tour starts with an easy meet up at either Target or Queens’ Marketplace, depending on where your hotel is located. Then you’ll get acquainted with your guide and group.

Together you’ll make your way to Onizuka Astronomy Complex. When you arrive, you can change into warm weather gear- snow parkas, ski pants, and gloves- that are all provided for you. You’ll also be served a light meal to eat while you acclimatize.

You’ll head to the summit in a 4x4 van, arriving in time for the sunset. Be ready to do some posing since your guides will take DSLR photos of you, which will be sent to you for free.

After sunset, you’ll head back down to the astronomy complex where you can do some more stargazing. Purchase some souvenirs at the gift shop if you like, before being returned to your departure point.

Kailua-Kona

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Onizuka Astronomy Complex

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Mauna Kea Summit

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Onizuka Astronomy Complex

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Kailua-Kona (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Not wheelchair accessible
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Please check the message on Viator. We will send a message about pick up time and location after the confirmation of your booking.

Please note that pick up location has a free parking lot but we do not take any responsibility or liability for any damage or loss caused through the parking
Please note that in times of bad weather sunset or stargazing are not 100% guaranteed and moonphase will affect the visibility of the stars.
Not recommended for person weight more than 300lb
Not recommended for person having respiratory problem such as asthma
Guest under 16 years old or older than 70 cannot participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Huilin_S

Todd is our guide and he is very professional and responsible. I was able to gain rich geographical, cultural and stargazing knowledge from Todd. The sunset was incredibly beautiful. I'll definitely recommend this tour to my friends.

Reviews

4.5

768 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 768 reviews

Once in a lifetime view of the stars

ShellyMarie_K, May 2024

Our tour guide was Wes and he was FABulous. Not only did we have an amazing experience observing the stars and constellations we learned so much as well. He filled us in on Hawaiian culture and history of the Island. He was enthusiastic and informative. Well worth the money--a. Once in a lifetime experience with an excellent tour guide!

A must do visit while in Big Island

Katariina_M, May 2024

A great experience that would not have been easy to do without a tour. Great sunset and amazing pictures as a memory.

Must do on a trip to the big island

Nipun_S, Apr 2024

This is a must have trip for a visit to the big island. Wes was a great tour guide as well, and the views are spectacular.

Another item checked off on my bucket list

Mariann_C, Apr 2024

What an absolutely incredible experience. Views were breathtaking . Definitely a must do on the Big Island. Wes was a fantastic tour guide (and great driver!)

100% worth it

Matthew_V, Apr 2024

The trip up was very scenic! You get to about 6,000 feet up and then hit a plateau and go past the army base, then climb up to 9000 feet to the visitor center and enjoy a beautiful view of the clouds below. Then the van takes you up to the top at 13,000 feet where the air is thin but the views are also breathtaking. After the sun sets you head down to 9,000 feet where you do some star gazing. We had some amazing weather and the pictures they took looked amazing. Thanks!

Once in a lifetime view and experience

Edwin_H, Apr 2024

The ability to go above the clouds to Mauna Kea was amazing! The view was spectacular. The tour guide was knowledgeable, professional and impressive with his linguistic skills. It was nice that the tour provided jackets and gloves as it was cold at the summit. The sandwiches was great! Wish there was a bit more food. But I highly recommend this tour.

Amazing experience

Chris_T, Apr 2024

Wes was our guide and did a terrific job. He was very attentive and informative. He told us some good stories and history and provided us with several photos that he took. He provided a BLT sandwich for everyone when we got to the visitor center to acclimate to the elevation. Fortunately, the weather cooperated and we had an amazing sunset at the summit. Wes kept checking with everyone to make sure they were all doing well. After the sunset we went to another area for stargazing. I’ve never seen so many stars! I brought along my camera and tripod just to try to take some Astro photography and Wes provided me some tips and starting settings to try. My pics turned out better than I thought they would for the first time trying it thanks to his suggestions. He had a small telescope and we were able to see Jupiter before it set behind the mountain. He also provided hot chocolate which was welcome as it was cold up there. He pointed out constellations and took pics of us at the summit and with the stars and made sure we got them before we left. This was an amazing experience and I would do it again!

Fascinating experience

Jackie_L, Apr 2024

The guide was excellent. He was knowledgeable about the stars, sunset, photography and general Hawaiian information. He made it an excellent experience

Great experience!

Steven_O, Apr 2024

This tour is so surreal, with so many beautiful moments to enjoy -- a unique experience that you wouldn't expect to get on an island. We were picked up from the Queen's Marketplace in Waikoloa, having spent the morning at sea level in the water, and were given a water bottle to aid in keeping us hydrated during this tour. The drive up to the visitor's center is about an hour, so our tour guide, Wes, used the time to share important information with us. On the way to the visitor's center we learned some history of the island and were instructed about the possibility of altitude sickness. Wes explained the symptoms to watch out for and what we could do to make sure we felt our best (namely drinking water, not eating a lot, breathing deeply, and taking it easy on the summit). I really appreciated the detail he gave during this time because our entire tour of 12 people felt fine the whole trip. Once at the visitor's center, we were all given a BLT sandwich (vegan options available) and a chance to acclimate (30 minutes required) and use the restroom before hopping back in the van. The trip to the top was so cool as we drove above cloud-level to get to the summit. Once on the summit, we were offered ski pants and a parka and were able to enjoy the views around the summit. Just before sunset, Wes took pictures of each of us with the sunset behind us. Watching the sun disappear below the clouds was beautiful and an experience I'm so glad I had! After sunset, we drove down the mountain about 10 minutes and parked in an open lot where we were offered hot cocoa as we looked at the stars. Without any clouds in the way the view is breathtaking. Wes guided us through finding a number of constellations and took one final picture of our group with the stars behind us. What a cool tour, unlike anything else you can do on the Big Island!

The best tour ever

NAOKI_O, Apr 2024

The tour was well coordinated, by giving our body time to adjust high mountain. The tour guide-cum-driver-cum-photographer was far above our expectations. He also give guidance in both English and Japanese, which satisfied all participants from both countries. Needles to say, the highlight of the tour was sunset seen from the summit and sky full of beautiful stars. I definitely recommend this tour, if you are considering the summit visit. After the experience, my wife and I concluded the tour price was reasonable.

Worst tour of my life

Amber_K, Apr 2024

I had a terrible tour experience. Our guide Joseph seemed very uninterested in providing us with an enjoyable tour and sounded like he was reading off a script. Even at a glance I could tell the other tour guides were more enthusiastic, and people seemed more happier than our group. There was no group photo. There were 8 of us in the tour, and unfortunately one person experienced altitude sickness at the summit. Understandably we agreed to go down earlier than expected. However, I never would have thought that this meant the entire tour group had to abandon part of the program. We never got to see the stars and the entire group had to simply go home. If altitude sickness is a predictable part of the program, I would expect that the tour would have better preparations such as medicine, beverages, sweets, an extra van to take patients back early or even light suggestions on how to prepare for such situations. Instead the rest of the tour group is expected to test their luck and money on the health of others. I raised privately raised my concerns at the end of the tour and asked if a partial refund was available, but Joseph’s response was to shut me down by saying it’s “policy” and implying that I had no “empathy” and “compassion”. I showed my empathy and compassion when I agreed to leave the summit early. We were never informed beforehand that such a situation would occur when someone got sick. I paid a lot of money for this tour and I would expect to be at least informed of such things. I was very disappointed in the guide’s handling of the situation and the rudeness he displayed to me. I would never recommend this tour to anyone, and urge people to visit Mauna Kea on their own vehicles.

Learned something new about stars

Jennifer_P, Apr 2024

The star gazing portion of the tour was great. The drive up can be strenuous and be ready for a very bumpy road up the summit.

Beautiful - must do

Valerie_R, Apr 2024

Finally got to experience Mauna Kea, we have tied sever times during past visits to the Island but weather did cooperate. It was worth the wait! Wes was our host and van driver and he was great! The views are spectacular both sunset and stars. They provide warm gear to keep you comfy. We didn’t get the BLTs for dinner due to Easter closings for some local businesses so had store deli sandwiches. Definitely recommend this tour.

A Once in a Lifetime Experience

Brooke_B, Mar 2024

This was a once in a lifetime experience with a fantastic guide, Wes. He was informative about all things Hawaii, brought great energy to the experience, made sure we felt safe and comfortable at all times, and added some humour! They bring you up to the visitor station at 9000ft to acclimatize (everyone has to do this) for 30mins, we ate our provided sandwiches, then drove up another 30mins to the top. We were up at the top for about an hour, Wes took great pictures of each of the individual groups on our tour (10 people), watched the sunset then went down to a slightly lower mini parking lot to stargaze. Wes gave us hot chocolate and we got to see Jupiter through a telescope (not great definition but you could see a white circle and its 4 moons), and he used a lazer pointer to show us different constellations. We finished with photos in front of the stars, then he drove us back to our initial pickup locations. Overall fantastic experience with awesome guide - HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

It was great

Lynn_H, Mar 2024

Very good guide in west who went out of his way to explain. Only issue is the limited pick up points to join the trip.

FIND ANOTHER COMPANY

Kayla_A, Mar 2024

What a disappointing tour. It has the potential to be such a good experience (witnessed this with other groups during our tour) but is so beyond lackluster. PLEASE book with another company. This experience fully put a damper on my trip to Hawaii (how is that even possible?!) For starters, the van is crammed. 4 bench rows of 3 and they pack every bit of person they can fit in there. Next (and definitely the biggest issue) was the guide. I have NEVER been on a tour where the guide simply treats the excursion as if he’s an Uber driver. There was ZERO knowledge shared about this beautiful, historic landmark. He did not speak to our group at all! It was honestly one of the weirdest things and it got to the point where I began to feel unsafe because of his apparent misery to be driving us on a mountain. The communication was lacking to the point where the entire group was not informed we were skipping stargazing which led to confusion. Rightfully so, considering the stargazing is a large part of the experience. Absolutely no hate to the experience/company for missing the stargazing. You can’t change the weather and we understand this entirely. The issue lies entirely in the way the “guide” went about it. He in fact, did not speak a word to our group on the summit ascent, summit descent, or way back into town. (3 hours) I just wanted to reiterate this as it was VERY strange and we were really excited to learn about Mauna Kea. Lastly, and at this point one of the things I care about least, was that he took 0 pictures of the group. It’s advertised in the title that there would be free photography but our grumpy guide could not be bothered with interacting with us so that didn’t happen. For the price, this is so beyond not worth it. I would not even go on this excursion again if someone paid me

To the Top of the World!

Lauren_H, Mar 2024

Stephan was a fabulous guide. Pickup was simple in the Target/McD parking lot. Stephan shared complete details on what was ahead. Stopped at local recreation center for bio break and lava field photos. Stopped at 9,200 feet visitor center for BLT dinner and acclimation. Ascended to Summit for sunset. Stephan took plenty of photos for us on his fancy camera then air dropped photos to all. Parkas/gloves/pants provided. Descended to lower level for stargazing with his fancy telescope. Great family excursion!

Waiting for refund per weather

sararh82, Mar 2024

It was cancelled because of the weather per the company and I’m still waiting for an update on my refund

Could have been epic

Jonathan_P, Mar 2024

Love the concept and certainly enjoyed the sunset and stars. Unfortunately, the guide was listless. He did not even attempt to make the tour engaging. For the high price, I expect a fun, energetic guide. Also, stargazing way too short. How about giving us chairs so we can sit and enjoy the stars for a while? Also, for the high price, we should be able to tour one of the telescopes. That would make it epic

Great guide, great adventure!

Randy_R, Feb 2024

We had an outstanding guide, Stefan...who made all parts of this smooth, fun, and interesting! He did a fantastic job! Loved being up at altitude, seeing the telescopes, sunset, and stars. This was a great experience!

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