This tour is well worth the money. All in all, it's a stellar tour to make memorable stellar Observations and . A free starry night photo op is included with this tour. Jaime, Zack and Tay were super drivers. They got us there and back safely. You drive about ⅓ of the way up and then transfer drivers. From there, you go to the Mauna Kea Welcome Center and Museum in order to get acclimated. You can shop, use the restrooms and refill your water bottles here. It’s highly advised that you use the restrooms here because the porta potties at the summit weren’t recommendable to say the least and there weren't any water refill stations at the summit either. KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: You will be traveling up the side of a mountain. It’s VERY cold up there. I suggest LAYERS. I wore winter leggings with a thick fleece top, a sweater and the funky coats that they provide and I was STILL COLD so prepare and dress accordingly! You get treated to a starry night photograph after sunset and do some stargazing with a nice cup of hot cocoa. This trip comes with a junk food goodie bag which includes the aforementioned hot cocoa. It includes various types of sweet snacks. You have to eat a few of these before you reach the summit because altitude sickness is a REAL thing. Like Matthew Lillard said, “I'm feeling a little woozy here!” You WILL be feeling woozy here too if you’re not careful. I consider myself a fairly fit individual. So if you have any medical conditions involving your lungs, this wont be the tour for you. Confirm your medical condition with the tour operator and ask before you purchase this tour to see if it’s recommended for you. I started feeling a tad bit nauseous at the end of the tour. You are forewarned and pre-warned about this prior to booking on the tour’s tripadvisor page. It’s definitely a great tour with great guides and an equally informative learning experience. I learned about the protests on the mountain. I learned about the reason behind the protests that were there. There’s a reason why the protests are acrimonious. For one, the local Hawaiians still practice their religious+ancestral ceremonies there, but they need a permit in order to access that particular spot in order to do so. Also, when they started constructing the telescopes and started digging for their foundation, they disturbed the remains of the local Hawaiians that were interred there. This is STILL a sacred religious site that deserves our knowledge and respect. On a less somber note, this is the ONLY place in Hawaii where you can find snow and go have a snowball fight on the beach. There’s plenty more to know and learn as well. You don’t have to take my word for it. You will just have to take the tour and find out for yourselves.
Aloha and ENJOY!