Mauna Kea Summit & Stargazing Tours: The 8 Best Trips

1.Big Island GOAT Experience: Mauna Kea Summit, Sunset & Stars

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,706 reviews · 7 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $289Our pick

Spend 7 to 8 hours traveling from Hilo, Waikoloa, or Kona to Mauna Kea’s 13,796-foot summit. Guides such as Kella, Tay, John, Chris, and Val combine Hawaiian stories, volcano facts, sunset views, and telescope stargazing. Jackets, gloves, snacks, hot drinks, round-trip 4x4 transport, and a professional night photo are included.

“Hard walking uphill at 14000 feet. Spectacular views but chilly and breezy. Lots of good star gazing info.”

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2.Small Group Big Island Twilight Volcano and Stargazing Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,619 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $297

Spend a long day crossing Hawaii’s Big Island with Wasabi Tours Hawaii. You’ll visit a Kona coffee farm, Punalu’u Black Sand Beach, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Thurston Lava Tube, and a secluded Saddle Road stargazing site. Guides such as Felix, Derek, Todd, and Dreu are known for lively island and cultural insight, but expect plenty of driving and short stops.

“It was absolutely phenomenal. Our tour guide, Derek, was very knowledgeable, friendly and funny. The tour is a must-do. It was more than anything I had imagined.”

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3.Mauna Kea Summit and Stars Small-Group Adventure Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,545 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $329

Ride a 4x4 luxury van to Mauna Kea with a small group of up to 12. You’ll eat a warm picnic dinner, watch sunset above the clouds, then stargaze near 9,000 feet through an 11-inch Celestron and digital telescope. Guides such as Jeff, Jason, Wilson, and Eugene add astronomy, Hawaiian culture, and safety advice throughout the evening.

“Wilson did a great job. His demeanor, promptness attention to safety and knowledge made the tour a great experience. The views at the top were amazing 👏”

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4.Mauna Kea Summit Tour with Free Night Star Photo

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,449 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $280Best value

Ride a 4x4 van to Mauna Kea’s 13,796-foot summit with guides such as Wes, Chris, or James. You’ll eat a light dinner, borrow snow gear, watch sunset above the clouds, and stargaze with a telescope before receiving free photos, weather permitting.

“Once in a lifetime bucket list experience! Got to see the stars above Mauna Kea and the observatories. It was crazy cold but so amazing!”

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5.Hilo: Mauna Kea Summit, Sunset, & Stargazing Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 629 reviews · 390 - 450 minutes · from $289

Ride from Hilo to Mauna Kea with guides such as Val, Tay, John, or Jess, stopping to adjust to the altitude before sunset. At the summit, you’ll see major observatories, then enjoy hot chocolate, warm parkas, Hawaiian star stories, telescope views, and complimentary night photos, weather permitting.

“We enjoyed our trip to the top of Mauna Kea. Both of our guides, Zack and Valerie, were very knowledgeable and helpful. The sunset with the observatories was beautiful with us above the clouds. Afterwards we spend about an hour at 12,000 feet stargazing. We saw some amazing star clusters through a telescope and all had our photos taken with the Milky Way in the background. The colorful parkas and gloves were much appreciated since it was 35° by the end of the evening. It was a memorable experience.”

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6.Mauna Kea Stargazing Experience + Photos

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 261 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $299

Meet at Puʻu Huluhulu and drive yourself to a quiet Mauna Kea or Mauna Loa site. James, Dylan, or another astronomer leads the star talk, while a dedicated photographer takes Milky Way portraits. A Celestron Origin smart telescope shows galaxies, nebulae, and clusters. Parkas and medium-resolution photos are included.

“Absolutely incredible! I never write reviews but I had to about this experience. We have done other star gazing tours before but nothing has compared to this one. First Dillon and James were amazing! They were so knowledgeable and I learned more than I could ever ask for! They answered all questions and were so kind we felt comfortable to ask anything! We also were completely secluded from anyone else so totally dark sky. They also provided chairs, coats and blankets so it was awesome to just snuggle up and recline to look at the stars and listen. We also got absolutely incredible pictures. The milky way is so clear…”

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7.Big Island, Hawaii: Volcano and Stargazing Tour with Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 179 reviews · 12 hours · from $297

Spend about 12 hours crossing the Big Island with an English-speaking guide such as Aaron, Todd, Felix, or Dreu. Visit a Kona coffee farm, Punalu’u Black Sand Beach, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and a high-elevation stargazing stop. Coffee, food, snacks, drinks, transport, and admission are included.

“Felix was an amazing tour guide. A lot packed into one day, but that's what makes it worth the higher price tag. tour was very professional, safe, and enjoyable.”

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8.Mauna Kea Summit, Stargazing & Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 11 reviews · 8 hours · from $329

Ride from Kona or Waikōloa to Maunakea for a picnic dinner, summit sunset, and a private star show at lower altitude. Guides such as Jason, Jeff, and John have led talks on volcanoes, wildlife, Hawaiian star navigation, and the night sky. Winter parkas and gloves are provided, and telescope images are emailed afterward.

“This trip was incredible! So well organized and informative and perfectly designed. Jason the tour guide was the best! The pick up and drop off was great, nice little hot meal & hot cocoa, and overall the best experience seeing the top of Mauna Kea and the stargazing was out of this world!”

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