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 include the items 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+)

    USD 270.00

  • Days of Week

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

  • Duration

    8h

Outline

  • 14:00 - 14:10

    Target

    Please meet in front of the Mcdonald’s that is in the Target parking area 🤙/74-5455 Makala Blvd, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 ※Pick-up time varies depending on the season and the place you stay

    14:45 - 14:50

    Queens’ Market Place

    We will meet you at the shuttle bus stop in backside of the shopping mall near the yellow umbrella shade. 69-201 Waikōloa Beach Dr, Waikoloa Village, HI 96738 ※Pick-up time varies depending on the season and the place you stay

    16:00 - 16:45

    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.

    17:15 - 18:45

    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!

    19:15 - 20:15

    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 - 22:30

    Drop Off

    Dropping off the guest in reverse order of pick up

Add-ons / Transportation

Transportation

  • Target or Queens Market place 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 75 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 any 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.
    • No Wheelchairs are allowed to bring in the tour
    • Participant's weight must be less than 300lb
  • 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

    • Until 12:00, 2 days prior: 0%
    • After 12:00, 2 days prior: 100%

Reviews

Average Rating

4.9(239)

  • 5-star

    225

  • 4-star

    13

  • 3-star

    1

  • 2-star

    0

  • 1-star

    0

  • Family

    4.9(61)

  • Couple

    5(108)

  • Friend

    5(42)

  • Solo

    4.8(28)

  • Work

    0(0)

Search

Star Rating

Participation Type

Participation Period

~

Language

Customer Reviews

  • 5

    Participation Date: 2026-10

    Couple

    Very goooood!!!

    Our guide Shotaro made this Mauna Kea sunset and stargazing tour absolutely wonderful. He is of mixed local heritage, and his introduction about the Big Island culture, volcanoes and coffee farms was fascinating. He gave honest weather forecasts before heading up the mountain and prepared us well for the high altitude. Once we reached the top, he pointed out constellations and the Milky Way in easy-to-understand terms. Shotaro is friendly, thoughtful and professional. It was a fantastic night, and we would definitely book again. 这一趟对于我们来说是非常不错的体验,会强烈推荐给身边的朋友!!!星空真的太美了

    F

    FAN

    Posted Date: 2026/10/10

  • 5

    Participation Date: 2026-10

    Couple

    A memorable Mauna Kea sunset and stargazing tour with James

    My partner and I joined the Mauna Kea sunset and stargazing tour on October 6, and it was a wonderful part of our Big Island trip. Watching the sunset and then enjoying the beautiful night sky made for a truly memorable evening. A special thank-you to our guide, James, for guiding us through this experience and helping make the evening so special. We’re very glad we included this tour in our trip and would recommend it to other visitors to the Big Island. Mahalo, James and the Nature School team!

    Y

    Yifan

    Posted Date: 2026/10/09

  • 5

    Participation Date: 2026-09

    Friends / Colleagues

    Wonderful Trip

    We had an amazing experience on the Mauna Kea sunset and stargazing tour! From start to finish, everything was incredibly well-organized — the pickup location was confirmed in detail before the tour, and the response was super quick. Our guide James was punctual, warm, and genuinely attentive to every guest's needs. The van was fully equipped with warm jackets, sandwiches, and hot chocolate, which made the cold summit so much more comfortable. James was enthusiastic throughout, answered every question patiently, and even made sure to take photos of each guest during the stargazing session. Since it was a small group, both the sunset and the stargazing felt personal and unhurried — exactly the kind of experience you hope for on a trip like this. We left feeling truly cared for. Highly recommended!

    W

    Wingyee

    Posted Date: 2026/10/09

  • 5

    Participation Date: 2026-10

    Couple

    Mauna Kea observatory tour

    The experience was great! The pick up was on time. Our guide, James, was so personable and knowledgeable. He made the trip quite enjoyable. The night sky was amazing. Can’t wait to see the pictures he took for us!

    S

    Sara

    Posted Date: 2026/10/08

  • 5

    Participation Date: 2026-10

    Solo

    Amazing trip to the summit. James is great.

    Our trip is amazing. James is fun and patient and took good photos! The tour is overall fun!

    S

    Siwen

    Posted Date: 2026/10/07

See All Customer Reviews

Make a booking

Participants

Select Date and Time

Oct 2026

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

: Instant

?

Instant bookings will be confirmed automatically within seconds of submission

: Request

?

Request-only bookings require explicit confirmation from supplier

Time

  • Adult (ages 16+)

    USD 270.00