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Mauna Kea Summit: Small-Group Stars Adventure at Hawaii's Tallest Peak
4.8
1,310 Ratings
Kailua-Kona
Embark on a small-group adventure to the Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii’s tallest peak. Explore the mysteries of space and time while enjoying breathtaking views from 13,796 feet above sea level.
Embark on a small-group adventure to the Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii’s tallest peak. Explore the mysteries of space and time while enjoying breathtaking views from 13,796 feet above sea level.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel - 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…
- Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel - 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. - Mauna Kea Summit - Enjoy a sunset from above the clouds while overlooking the Pacific Ocean atop Maunakea. After the sunset, travel to a more comfortable elevation and let our guides reveal the night sky with our 11” Celestron telescopes. - Maunakea Visitor Information Station - Descend to a lower elevation after the sun sets and sip hot chocolate during a private star show with our 11” Celestron telescope. View deep space objects with our Stellina digital telescope and share captured images of the Hawaiian night sky with your friends & family
What's Included
- Private star show with telescope
- Hooded parkas and gloves
- Central meeting locations for pick-up & drop-off
- Hot cocoa and cookies
- Included local taxes
- Expert guidance
- Hot picnic dinner
- Private star show with telescope
- Hooded parkas and gloves
- Central meeting locations for pick-up & drop-off
- Hot cocoa and cookies
- Included local taxes
- Expert guidance
- Hot picnic dinner
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Embark on a fascinating voyage through space and time at the Mauna Kea Observatory, perched high atop the peaks of Hawaii’s Big Island. The view from Mauna Kea, Hawaii’s loftiest pinnacle affectionately dubbed ‘White Mountain,’ situated 13,796 feet (4,200 meters) above sea level, offers a distinct perspective of the island. With our small-group…
Embark on a fascinating voyage through space and time at the Mauna Kea Observatory, perched high atop the peaks of Hawaii’s Big Island. The view from Mauna Kea, Hawaii’s loftiest pinnacle affectionately dubbed ‘White Mountain,’ situated 13,796 feet (4,200 meters) above sea level, offers a distinct perspective of the island. With our small-group astronomy tour, you are guaranteed a unique and intimate encounter on the mesmerizing summit of Mauna Kea.
- Minimum age is 13 years
- Due to the high altitude; this tour is not suitable for those with respiratory, heart or circulatory conditions, poor health, or pregnancy
- Scuba divers should be aware of altitude dangers
- IMPORTANT - Please note, guests meeting at the Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel must meet at least 15 MINUTES PRIOR to the tour’s departure time.
- Guests are required to wear closed-toe walking shoes or hiking boots, long pants. We recommend bringing a light sweatshirt or jacket
- Guests must bring their own water bottles. Tour operator will provide filtered water refills.
- Please advise your parka size (small, medium, large, x-large or xx-large) and choice of meal at time of booking. If you do not indicate this at the time of booking, you will be required to call and advise them of this information directly.
- There is minimal walking on this tour, the maximum being about 150 yards
- 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 Mauna Kea, with the heaviest snowfall occurring during the winter months
Location
Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel
Palani Road
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(1310 Ratings)
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Sidney_s
Dec 8, 2024
Jason was an amazing guide - Jason was an amazing tour guide. So knowledgeable and thorough. The view was spectacular and food/drinks were very good.
Review provided by Viator
Karen_b
Dec 8, 2024
Sunset and Stars - Jason gave us a 5 star experience! Entertaining and knowledgeable. Do yourself a favor and go with this tour operator versus driving on your own!
Review provided by Viator
Devanshi_p
Dec 6, 2024
Absolutely thrilling... - Absolutely thrilling experience! Jeff was the best guide with a ton of information to share. Got to learn about the history of volcanoes on the island, see the stunning observatories on Mauna Kea, and marvel at the night sky with awesome insights from Jeff.
Review provided by Viator
278leslier
Dec 6, 2024
Worth it! - Very well organized tour. Jason, our guide was super knowledgeable and shared interesting information about the island, it's history, the mountain, the telescopes, the night sky, ETC. The scenery is fantastic. Well worth the time and money.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cale_n
Dec 6, 2024
Special views and experience - Incredible experience and beautiful views of observatories, sunset, stars. Awesome food and service and our guide Jason was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Highly recommended. Thank you!
Review provided by Viator
Marc_p
Dec 4, 2024
Just Do It - What an awesome experience! Worth the money :-) Everything was perfect set. Friendly and polite crew.
Review provided by Viator
Susanna
Dec 3, 2024
Give Jeff a raise! - Be prepared for the cold, but the stars are worth it. Jeff showed us the rings of Saturn, the Andromeda galaxy, the Pleiades / Subaru cluster, and more!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marek_k
Dec 3, 2024
Spectacular tour - Only my wife, Maria, was able to participate in this tour, and she strongly recommends it. The program was very well prepared and balanced, and the provided food was delicious. The minibus was very comfortable. Proper attention was paid to safety. The guide and driver, Jeff, shared a lot of interesting information about the Hawaii Island, its nature, as well as the many international astronomical observatories placed on Mauna Kea. The sunset view from the top of the volcano and the private stargazing, using a telescope supplied by Jeff, were spectacular. He provided interesting commentary during stargazing and took some quality photos (using a camera attached to the telescope), which the participants could subsequently download from the Internet.
Review provided by Viator
Switzert
Nov 24, 2024
Well worth the time and money - Our tour guide, Jeff, was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and considerate. He was a fount of interesting information about Hawaii, volcanoes, and the observatories on Mauna Kea. We experienced a beautiful sunset at summit and an even more amazing stargazing experience after dark. Jeff set up telescopes and was careful to make sure each participant got to see the moons of Jupiter, rings of Saturn and other galaxies and constellaitons. Mauna Kea is great for stargazing as there is little light and air pollution. Never seen such a vivid night sky!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bruce_m
Dec 11, 2024
Worst ever - Although I understand one cannot predict the weather on this particular tour, the national weather service forecasted 75 mph winds at the top of Mauna Kea and yet the organization chose to continue with the excursion… We were not permitted to the top of the observation and clouds all rolled in, so we didn’t even get to see a single star. This was a total letdown.
Review provided by Viator
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