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Best Mauna Kea Summit Tour (Free sunset and star photo!)

Best Mauna Kea Summit Tour (Free sunset and star photo!)

Overview

We will take you to the summit of Mauna Kea to see the sunset and we will do stargazing afterward (not at the summit). Our most unique part is that our guides will take the photo of the sunset and stars for you using their DSLR camera.
All photos are free of charge and you will get it to your smartphone at the end of the tour.

City: Big Island of Hawaii

Fri 28 Nov

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $260.00

Make a reservation

Fri 28 Nov

Starting at $260.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Snow parker, Ski pants, and Gloves

Admission Fee for Mauna Kea

Free DSLR camera photo of stars with you in it! (weather and moon phase permitting))

BLT or Vegan sandwich (Please let us know by day before the tour or it will be automatically a BLT)

4x4 Passenger Van to the summit

An astronomical telescope

Additional Info

Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
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

What To Expect

Kailua-Kona

Pick up guests from each pick up location starting from Target in Kona. (pick up time varies depending on the season) 14:00-15:00pm Target's parking lot meet in front of the Mcdonald’s that is in the Target parking area (74-5453 Makala Blvd, Kailua-Kona) 14:45-15:45pm/ Queens’ Market Place Please meet up at the backside parking area of Queen's Market Place in front of Island Gourmet Markets (69-201 Waikoloa Beach Dr #201, Waikoloa) 15:30-16:30pm/ Gilbert Kahele Recreation Park (44-5400 Daniel K. Inouye Hwy, Waimea)

Onizuka Astronomy Complex

Onizuka Visitor Information Station We will take a break at the Onizuka Visitor Center at an altitude of 2,800m or 9,000ft for early dinner and altitude acclimatization. We also change clothes for winter clothes here depending on the weather. Also gift shop is open for guests to purchase the items. (No food or drink sale)

Mauna Kea Summit

Mauna Kea summit at an altitude of 13,796 ft (4,205 m) At the peak of Mauna Kea, you will see most of the observatory at the summit and we will be watching the sunset from the highest peak oin Hawaii. Enjoy a fantastic moment！

Onizuka Astronomy Complex

After the sunset, we will do stargazing using our refractor telescope and laser pointer. Our guide will explain about the star, constellation, and planets. Also we will take the astro photo with you in it! (The location of where we will do the stargazing may varies depending on the weather conditions)

Kailua-Kona

Returning to the pick up locations starting from Gilbert Kahele Recreational park.

Show 2 more stops

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (1000)

Sheri_P

Jan 2025

The experience was incredible. Not only was luck on our side with the Kilhuea eruption but we had clear skies for viewing the sunset and stars. Even if the adventure hadn't been so lucky it was still a wonderful experience and there would have been no regrets. Our tour guide, James, was wonderful. He was knowledgeable, friendly and funny he made sure we had enough time to see as much as we could and constantly checked in to make sure we were comfortable, warm and enjoying ourselves. He took tons of photos for us. The BLT sandwiches were better than expected - very tasty and bringing our own snacks along was no problem. They provide warm jackets, ski pants and gloves but I cannot stress enough to dress in layers - wear/bring things that you can add or remove as you go because the temperature changes and the wind can be brutal. I cannot stress enough how worth this trip was and how happy I am to have gone. Book the ticket and go experience this incredible excursion.

817ferahk

Jan 2025

This is a scam tour. DO NOT PURCHASE. Once you purchase you will get unrecognized charges to your credit card. This happened to me. It is important to recognize that scam operators often rely on social engineering tactics to manipulate consumers. This scam operator has breached the contract and not provided the tour as it was promised with my purchase. I have purchased directly from their website “Nature School” that appeared on my credit card “Nutmeglabs” Once more I iterate that Nature School did not provided the tour that I had purchased and agreed to pay but I received a scam tour. I have not given consent to Nature school to transfer my tour to some other tours. This is a deceptive business practice to transfer my tour to “Hawaiian Eyes Tour” without my prior consent.“Hawaiian Eyes Tour” operated the tour and made the passengers sign the document for taking pictures only but this was not the consent to operate the tour. In this document Nature School's name did not exist. Per information at Hawaiian Secretary of State Business-Cooperation, Hawaiian Eyes Tour is NOT an active and good standing company to operate a tour. I have not purchased a tour and not agreed to purchase anything from Hawaiian Eyes Tour. Once I made a dispute claim to my credit card, Nature School shared all passengers contact and private information publicly by hiding/covering the company’s name “Hawaiian Eyes Tour” on the bottom of the document—Nature school aware their wrongdoing that this tour has not provided by Nature School which has been purchased for, but it was Hawaiian Eyes Tour. It is extremely expensive tour—it is not worth it to pay $260. The tour guide West is the most arrogant, hostile and rude person. I asked his name-he said you will learn his name after seating when he gives an introduction. I have ask another question about tour he said he has not come to this topic yet that I should wait and be patient. He treats the customers like a kid or dog. He calls the passengers by categorizing their country of origin. One of the guests had a high altitude sickness and he just ignored him. Matter of fact there was no oxygen tank in the van while they had deceptively told on the tour description. In the summit, I was shivering because of cold when he was taking my picture and he said stop shaking, I took 10pictures of you." They were deceptively described in the tour side that they would give jackets but he has not offered me any—so, I used my own layers but other guests used the tour's clothings. Perhaps taking on-and-off layers during the trip, my sweater has been lost or mixed up with and I asked him if he can check his itineraries to look my sweater. He told me if I was saying him he had stolen my sweater; and then he dumped the packed clothings to the parking lot and he said if I can put them in place-even he did not checked them. At the end of the tour, he dumped all the customers to the parking lot in Target where it is dark and there is no public transportation available in the late night. The passengers are mostly international with language barrier and new to HI to navigate. I have never seen such a deceptive advertisement- This tour is not worth this much of money to go the top of the mountain by a poor quality van with crazy tour guide. This tour is scam; I will complain them.

RuthAlexandra_D

Jan 2025

Very well organised and structured. Our guide James was incredibly knowledgeable, kind and funny. Even on the drive to Mauna Kea he explained so many interesting things about the island, its nature and its people. We had some cloud cover but despite that James used his expertise to ensure we stayed in the right spots to still get incredible sunset and night sky views. Would whole heartedly recommend. Mahalo!