Big Island: Mauna Kea Summit and Stars Small-Group Adventure Tour
Overview
Available languages
8 hours
Mobile ticket
Head to the Mauna Kea Observatory, nestled high in the mountains of the Big Island, and experience an intriguing and provocative journey through space and time. Discover Hawaii from the top of the island's tallest peak, Mauna Kea, also known as 'White Mountain,' located 13,796 feet (4,200 meters) above sea level. This small-group star-watching tour ensures a personalized and unique experience at the enchanting Mauna Kea summit.
Additional Info
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Minimum age is 13 years - No children under 13.
Due to the high altitude, this tour is not suitable for those with respiratory, circulatory or heart conditions, pregnancy, or poor health.
Scuba divers should be aware of altitude dangers. If you plan to scuba dive, do not plan to go to the summit within 24 hours after you dive due to the altitude.
Guests are required to wear closed-toed shoe and long pants. We recommend bringing a sweatshirt or sweater for layering.
Guests must bring their own water bottles. Tour operator will provide filtered water refills.
Please provide your parka size (small, medium, large, x-large or xx-large) and meal choice at the time of booking. If you do not indicate this at the time of booking, you will need to contact the tour operator directly.
There is minimal walking on this tour, the maximum being about 150 yards. Please note we are unable to accommodate any guests with a collapsible wheelchair. All guests must be able to enter and exit our vehicles on their own, and walk comfortably on uneven terrain with limited lighting on their own.
The access road to Mauna Kea is four-wheel drive only, so it can be bumpy. The custom off-road transit vans will get you to the top and back in safety and comfort. The transit vans can carry a maximum of 12 passengers
Snow is seasonal at Maunakea, with the heaviest snowfall occurring during the winter months
Please note your scheduled pick-up time may differ from the tour start time displayed online. Contact us to confirm your meeting time & location.
No scuba diving within 24 hours
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Travelers staying in Kailua Kona will meet the guide here. Your guide will meet you at the benches closest to the hotel's parking lot entrance at the curbside. **There may be additional meeting location stops along the way to Maunakea.**
Maunakea Visitor Information Station
Enjoy a warm picnic dinner while you acclimate to a higher elevation and learn about Hawaiian star navigation before you head to the summit.
What‘s Included
Private star show with telescope
Hooded parkas and gloves
Central Meeting Locations for Pick-up & Drop off
Hot cocoa and cookies
Local taxes
Guide
Hot picnic dinner
Pick-up & Dropoff from Central Meeting Locations
Gratuities
Options
Departure Time
Reviews
1,511 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Spectacular views and stargazing
kgeer,,Dec 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was a fantastic tour. Had dinner (provided) at visitor center, went to the summit for sunset which was so beautiful and then did stargazing on the way back down to visitor center. Our guide Jeff was wonderful and so knowledgeable. He set up telescopes and showed us countless galaxies, planets and nebulas. Just a wealth of information. Provided hot cocoa and cookies during stargazing. But dress warm, it was cold but the wind made it very cold. The only things I was not thrilled about: The amount of traffic up at the summit- way too many people! The state or someone needs to figure a way to limit it. Also I was not real happy that I had to pay full price since I had to drive to visitor center myself (from East side) since they only do transportation from Kona. I think there should be a discount for that. I missed out on a lot of information that was given to everyone else on the drive from Kona plus had to use my own gas.
So many stars!
Mary A,,Dec 9, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00First off the van was super comfortable and roomy. Our guide was all about safety, fun and memories and boy did Jeff deliver! We were served a delicious hot chicken stew which was filling. They had a vegetarian option that was also gluten free which my husband required. We made a couple of stops to acclimate to the high altitude. Saw a gorgeous sunset at the summit of Mauna Kea then descended 1000 feet for the most stars I’ve ever seen in my life. Just wow!
A true on top of the...
Benjamin V,,Dec 6, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00A true on top of the world experience that was surreal. Eugene our guide was very knowledgeable and made the trip wonderful.
What an incredible...
Sarah K,,Dec 3, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00What an incredible experience! The sunset was spectacular, and the stargazing was out of this world! :) Our guide and driver Jeff was so knowledgable and shared fascinating information about the history, geology, and culture of Hawaii. He took wonderful care of us. Dinner was tasty (although served quite early in the day to accommodate our itinerary), and the cookies and hot chocolate hit the spot after it got chilly once the sun went down. There are plenty of (clean!) bathroom breaks. I can't recommend this highly enough!
Wow, What an Experience!
Ken R,,Dec 3, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00This was an amazing and incredible experience for everyone who participated in the trip. Our tour guide Jeff was informative, friendly and very knowledgeable about Mauna Kea and the sky above. The food and the stops were well-executed and our van Ohana had a great time overall. And, I was able to get some incredible pictures thanks to our guide. Be prepared for a long and sometimes bumpy journey, which is not meant as a negative comment, just a heads-up.
On top of the world! Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Bill M,,Dec 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our guide Wilson was phenomenal. Incredibly knowledgeable, fun, kind, considerate, and down to "earth". The consummate host. His astronomical (and general Island acumen) is beyond amazing. Highly recommend.
Transformational Experience with Wilson
Rosalind J,,Nov 30, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Amazing experience. Our tour guide, Wilson (from Seattle), was "the best" ever. He paced everything out well, had amazing knowledge, was accommodating and supportive, and helped create a bit of astrological community during the tour. And, then on the way home, we got a great "tunes" playlist that was all about space. The food was great (hot, tasty, and comforting) and the equipment (parka, travel vehicle, and telescopes) were the best. I highly recommend the company, Wilson, and the adventure.
Amazing stargazing and sunset
Departure26183430241,,Nov 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a fantastic time with Hawaii Forest & Trail’s Mauna Kea Summit tour. Our guide Eugene was friendly, funny, and very knowledgeable. The tour was timed perfectly and Eugene entertained our group with fun facts and jokes throughout. We stopped at various spots on Mauna Kea to take pictures of the gigantic telescopes, watched the beautiful sunset, and spent 45 minutes to an hour stargazing near the Mauna Kea visitor centre. Eugene was an expert at navigating the night sky and showed us really cool nebulae, double stars, and distant galaxies through the Celestron 11 telescope. Would highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in astronomy!
Unmatched stargazing, with an expert tour guide
561andrewjg,,Nov 16, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This tour offers several remarkable experiences in one -- sunset from above the clouds, stargazing under exceptionally clear skies, and cold weather on a tropical island. Don't let the altitude keep you away -- the tour offers a tried-and-true approach to allow your body time to adjust and to be as acclimated as possible when it's time to start stargazing. (Your experience might vary, of course, but after initially feeling pretty lethargic, by the time the stars were out I felt totally normal and at ease, and I live at sea level and just get a normal amount of exercise.) The food and beverages are light, but enough to satisfy you without making you extra tired or at extra risk of getting sick from the altitude. Our tour guide, Jeff, was very knowledgeable about Hawai'i in general, offered lots of helpful tips and suggestions for adjusting to the altitude, and, of course, made an excellent host for the "star party", even getting the equpment set up and taken down expeditiously. Because you don't need great gear to get a spectacular view under these skies, the telescopes and viewing agenda are thoughtfully selected to make the trip a pleasant and memorable one. Getting to see the many nearby observatories in action was also a nice bonus. This might seem like a long trip, but the extra time to get acquainted with the setting and the group, and then get used to the altitude, really pays off at the end.
Jeff was one of the best...
Lorine S,,Nov 14, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Jeff was one of the best tour guides for this type of tour that we’ve ever had. Knowledgeable, informative and showed true care for the well being of the people on the tour.
From US$329.84
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Operated by Hawaii Forest &Trail