Nature School

Best Maunakea Tours on the Big island

Mauna Kea Summit SUNSET & Stargazing Adventure

English

Maunakea

Sunset & Stargazin

This spectacular Mauna Kea sunset and stargazing tour will bring you the most beautiful sunset you've ever seen in your entire life, at least, one of the most. The stars and sunset from above the clouds, at 13,803 ft! You can reach to the summit by a car! After a gorgeous sunset, we'll move down to the night sky lights up with thousands of glittering stars. ※ Estimated pickup time will be between 1:30~2:30pm @Kona area. ※ We don't discount even if we meet up at Hilo district. ※ It'll depend on traffic and weather conditions, but we'll drop you off around 9-10pm at Queen Market Place. ※We recommend to wear the long sleeve, pants, and sneaker Our tour is included down blow. ・Guide (English Speaking) ・Snow jackets, pants and gloves ・Bottled water ・Hot Drinks ・Light meal (Normally BLT sandwich. Let us know ahead of time if you want to change to Veggie sandwich) ・Oxygen cylinder ・Astronomical telescope ・Admission fee for Mauna Kea summit

  • Adult (ages 16-75)

    USD 260.00

  • Days of Week

    Sun,Mon,Tue,Wed,Thu,Fri,Sat

  • Duration

    8 hours

Outline

  • 14:45 - 14:55

    Target

    Please meet in front of the Mcdonald’s that is in the Target parking area 🤙/74-5453 Makala Blvd ※Pick-up time varies depending on the season and the place you stay

    15:30 - 14:50

    Queens’ Market Place

    Please park in the large parking lot at the back of this popular shopping mall, and wait for our tour van at the shuttle bus stop by the curb near Yoga Barre store./69-201 Waikoloa Beach Dr #201 ※Pick-up time varies depending on the season and the place you stay

    16:40 - 17:15

    Onizuka visitor center

    We took a break at the Onizuka Visitor Center at an altitude of 2,800m for a dinner and an altitude acclimatization. We also change clothes for winter clothes here.

    18:15 - 19:30

    Mauna Kea summit at an altitude of 4,205 m

    We will stay at the summit for about 60min until sunset. Watch the sunset at the top of Mauna Kea near the universe. Enjoy a fantastic moment!

    20:15 - 21:00

    Starry sky observation with an astronomical telescope and a laser pen at an altitude of 3,600-3,700 m (2,800 m depending on the weather)

    A guide explains the constellations and stars using a reflective telescope and laser pen. Hot drink will be provided at this time. At the end of stargazing we will take your photo with the stars!

    22:00 - 22:35

    Drop Off

    Dropping off the guest in reverse order of pick up

Add-ons / Transportation

Transportation

  • Hotel Pick Up

Plan Information

  • What's Included
    • Guide (English Speaking)
    • Snow jackets, pants and gloves  
    • Bottled water
    • Hot Drinks
    • BLT sandwich Let us know ahead of time if you want to change to Veggie sandwich
    • Oxygen cylinder (Emergency use only) 
    • Astronomical telescope 
    • Admission fee for Maunakea summit
  • Restrictions
    • Not recommended for expectant mothers or guests with heart or respiratory problems.
    • No scuba diving within 24 hours before your tour date to avoid decompression sickness.
    • Participants must be older than 16 years old or younger than 70 years old.
    • Please refrain from drinking within 8 hours before the tour departs.
    • You can join the tour on the day of arrival on the island of Hawaii, but we do not do pick up or drop off at the airport.
    • Please refrain from bringing in large luggage such as suitcases.
    • Cancellation within 48 hours before the tour pick-up time, due to problems such as flight delays and missing backs, we will not be able to meet the tour pick-up time and will be charged 100% even if you do not participate in the tour.
    • We do not provide transportation to Hilo or Waimea area.
    • People with deafness and wheelchair users can join the tour. We will prepare guide content documents and wheelchairs during the tour, so please be sure to tell us when you apply.  ※Electric wheelchairs are not allowed. Only simple manual wheelchairs are allowed to bring.
  • What to Bring
    • Wear comfortable walking shoes. Long pants, a heavy sweater or jacket is highly recommended as the weather is extremely cold at night at the summit and temperatures can drop below freezing at any time of year with the wind chill factor.
    • We will guide you to the top of the mountain by car, so you do not have to climb on foot.
  • Additional Info
    • Depending on the weather, you may not be able to reach the summit of Mauna Kea. If the gate is closed due to bad weather during the tour, you will watch the sunset at the foot of Mauna Kea (around 2000m) or the beach, and observe the starry sky at the foot of Mauna Kea (around 2000m).
    • We will guide you to the summit of Mauna Kea, so there is no walking.
    • You need to sign the disclaimer when you participate.
    • The tour will be operated by Hawaiian Haoles, Inc. dba Hawaiian Eyes Tours.
    • IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY PARTY TO THIS AGREEMENT BE LIABLE TO ANY OTHER PARTY FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, EVEN IF INFORMED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. FURTHERMORE, NEITHER PARTY MAKES ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY TO ANY OTHER PARTY REGARDING THE EFFECT THAT THE AGREEMENT MAY HAVE UPON THE FOREIGN, FEDERAL, STATE OR LOCAL TAX LIABILITY OF THE OTHER.
  • Cancellation Policies

    0%

    2 days before to 12:00

    After 12:00, 2 days before

    100%

    Participation Date

Reviews

Average Rating

5.0(79)

  • 5-star

    76

  • 4-star

    3

  • 3-star

    0

  • 2-star

    0

  • 1-star

    0

  • Family

    4.9(24)

  • Couple

    5(36)

  • Friend

    5(12)

  • Solo

    5(7)

  • Work

    0(0)

Search

Star Rating

Participation Type

Participation Period

Language

Customer Reviews

  • 5

    Participation Date: 2025-05

    Friends / Colleagues

    Wes

    Wes is the BEST! Authentic tour guides, enthusiastic and always willing to help. He gave us an impressive introduction for Hawaii history and culture, caring and thoughtful safety suggestions while we stayed on the Summit, great illustration for star gazing. Highly recommend.

    J

    Jackie

    Posted Date: 2025/05/04

  • 5

    Participation Date: 2025-04

    Family

    Excellent experience on Mauna Kea

    We had a fantastic experience on the Mauna Kea summit tour! Our group of six started on time and everything ran smoothly—very well organized from start to finish. James was an exceptional guide, making sure everyone felt safe and comfortable at high altitude. His genuine care for the group was evident throughout the trip. The sandwiches were fresh and delicious, and he also took excellent photos for us. Later, Wes gave an incredible tour of the night sky—insightful, engaging, and clearly passionate about astronomy. Overall, we’re very happy with the tour and would highly recommend it!

    N

    Namitha

    Posted Date: 2025/05/02

  • 5

    Participation Date: 2025-04

    Couple

    Absolute must on the Big Island!!

    This tour was the best thing we did on the big island! James is incredible and explained the history of Hawaii during the drive. We felt so comfortable with his guiding. He took pictures of us so we will have memories to look back on this incredible experience.

    H

    Harrison

    Posted Date: 2025/04/28

  • 5

    Participation Date: 2025-04

    Friends / Colleagues

    Memorable Trip

    James was very kind, helpful and attentive during our tour of Mauna Kea. He guided our group to experience the beautiful nature and certainly made our trip very comfortable and enjoyable.

    K

    Kelly

    Posted Date: 2025/04/18

  • 5

    Participation Date: 2025-03

    Friends / Colleagues

    fantastic trip

    amazing

    J

    Jingyi

    Posted Date: 2025/03/18

See All Customer Reviews

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  • Adult (ages 16-75)

    USD 260.00