Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Mauna Kea Summit, Kailua-Kona, Island of Hawaii, HI
One of the best places to see the sunset and stargazing and it's also the highest mountain on earth. Comfortable 4X4 passenger van as transportation.Jackets and gloves provided to keep you warm. Experienced tour guide to talk about our history and show you our amazing night with a laser pointer. Get close to the stars with our professional Celestron telescope and get a nice photo with our DSLR camera.
Duration: 4 hours
Stop At: Maunakea Visitor Information Station, Mauna Kea Access Rd, Hilo, HI, USA
Maunakea is a celebrated and storied place in the cultural traditions of Hawai'i.
While it is the dwelling place of the goddess Poli'ahu it is also associated with the Hawaiian deities Lilinoe and Waiau. The summit was considered the realm of the gods and in ancient times was kapu (forbidden) to all but the highest chiefs and priests. Occasionally Hawaiian ali'i (royalty) would make the long trek to the top, the last royal visitor being Queen Emma in 1881 who led her companions on the arduous 6 hour journey to the top to see the summit and rejuvenate herself in sacred Lake Waiau.
The White Mountain
Legends of the Mountain - Poli´ahu
While today Maunakea is home to 13 international observatories and recieves thousands of visitors every year it remains a sacred place for the people of Hawai'i. On the the fourth Saturday of every month MKVIS hosts community speakers who speak about Mauna O Wakea from a cultural perspective.
Duration: 30 minutes
See Availability.
1: Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo - a DoubleTree by Hilton, 93 Banyan Dr, Hilo, HI 96720, USA
2: Starbucks, 69-201 Waikōloa Beach Dr 1001 K-1, Waikoloa Village, HI 96738, USA
3: Bank of Hawaii, 74-5457 Makala Blvd Suite 102, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740, USA
7 to 8 hours(approx.)
Returns to original departure point
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
Not recommended for travelers under 13 years old
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 tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 travelers
Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Posted By : unepoire
Well organized tour to the summit of Mauna Kea with a beautiful stargazing experience. From pick-up to drop-off, it was 6.5 hours so plan accordingly. It wasn't super clear from the itinerary description how that time is spent, so this may be helpful for you --
1. Hilo pickup point > Mauna Kea Access Road Base (to pick up passengers from Kona side hotels) ~45 mins
2. Mauna Kea Access Road Base > Visitor Center ~30 mins
3. Visitor Center for 30 mins to acclimate
4. Visitor Center > VLBA ~30 mins with brief stop here
5. VLBA > summit ~20 mins
6. Sunset at the summit ~45 mins
7. Summit > near VLBA for stargazing
8. Stargazing, photos, hot chocolate and snacks (goldfish, milano cookies, oatmeal, etc) ~1 hr
9. VLBA > Visitor Center for quick bathroom break
10. Visitor Center > Mauna Kea Access Road Base (to drop off passengers going back to Kona) ~45 mins
11. Mauna Kea Access Road Base > Hilo drop-off ~45 mins
The tour is done in a 4x4 Mercedes sprinter van which was fairly comfortable for the most part, though since everyone is wearing slightly bulkier clothing in anticipation for the temperature the summit, you are a little stuffed in there which is hot and uncomfortable for the first part of the ride since the A/C and ventilation is poor in the van. I recommend having layers that you can add at each elevation gain -- shorts and T shirt for pickup, then add long pants and a hoodie at the visitor center, and then potentially another jacket of your own (or they also provide jackets and gloves) once you get to the summit and for the stargazing.
They provide also some snacks and candy at the visitor center level, and again for the stargazing stop, but most people brought additional snacks like trail mix, deli sandwich, etc.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-04-29
Posted By : Ernest_H
The sunset and the view was breathtaking… it’s a must see when vacationing on the Big Island..😊
Out tour guide was great and was great ..the star gazing their name were explained very well
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Posted On : 2024-04-29
Posted By : Sightsee29982978114
It was a great trip; however, it was a full moon (out their control) so viewing was limited. Also, the guys took almost all the time at the viewing spot to get their telescope working.
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Posted On : 2024-04-29
Posted By : SydneyStephen
Amazing sunset, mountain and star views. Fantastic hosts (Jess and Rob) provided great commentary on geology, history, culture and astronomy while also looking after all the tricky bits (like gravel road driving, rangers, snacks, small telescope, warm jackets and gloves etc). I'd highly recommend going with this team to stand on top of the world to watch the sun go down and the stars come out.
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Posted On : 2024-04-29
Posted By : laurie_b
The evening was great but long. The star gazing could have been better organized. If you are going, bring a dim or red flashlight since it is quite dark and falling over a rock a real possibility.
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Posted On : 2024-04-28
Posted By : Robin_C
Incredible tour and 💯 worth the cost, I would highly recommend! Our guides were so knowledgable and shared so much history and insight during the whole tour, the sunset and stargazing were amazing and so well organized and executed. Was so happy to have done this through a tour.
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Posted On : 2024-04-28
Posted By : Rhonda_B
Our experience on this adventure was absolutely top notch!
We met our guide Kimo at the hotel in Hilo as directed by the web site. He was actually on site early and what a pleasant man he was to lead us all on a great excursion.
We cannot express how knowledgeable and entertaining Kimo was during our 7 hour + outing.
Talk about a truly nice guy!
I highly recommend using this company for your sunset and star gazing adventure. Every aspect of our adventure from pickup to drop off was definitely enjoyable.
James has great knowledge of the night sky and they offer great views of the stars with their telescope.
All in all a completed bucket list journey second to none!
One more thing to add here. PLEASE be courteous and tip these gentleman. They work hard and keep you safe from start to finish.
Tim Phillips & Rhonda Bennett
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Posted On : 2024-04-27
Posted By : shujis2024
Experience beautifull sceanery and amazing geology. Find dynamic life of earth. inspire astronomical technician's challenge.
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Posted On : 2024-04-27
Posted By : C2460JRgabrielas
It was an experience of a lifetime, I really do recommend. It was worth every penny! Our tour guides were very knowledgeable, learned a lot on this trip! I do recommend layers and thick socks. It can get very cold up there, especially this time of the year. The tour guides did however gave us some warm, comfy jackets and gloves, which was greatly appreciated. The hot coco and snacks during star gazing went down as a treat! 😋 I’d love to come back again, hopefully soon!
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Posted On : 2024-04-25
Posted By : ElizabethBrown
The views from Mauna Kea were phenomenal! Loved the sunset, it was beautiful watching the sun set behind the clouds on the ocean’s horizon. The tour guide, Zach, shared lots of facts about the island’s flora, fauna, rocks, telescopes, landscapes and history. We enjoyed stargazing and learning about the constellations. The telescope took a while to sync, but once it was, the views through that were amazing. The moon was out in full, but still plenty of stars to see and enjoy.
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Posted On : 2024-04-24
