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

My best friend and I did this Mauna Kea tour and it was the most breathtaking and awe inspiring tour we’ve ever done. Our guide, John, was very passionate and knowledgeable about the mountain and his expertise with astronomy was unexpectedly incredible. Every step of this tour was thoughtfully curated and the John expertly delivered an unforgettable experience. The sunset at the summit was the most beautiful sunset in all of hawaii. I forgot to dress warm (it’s Hawai’i) but thankfully this company provided warm jackets that made the cold seem nonexistent. They also provided hot water for tea and hot cocoa which was the perfect touch while learning about stars and constellations from our guide. I didn’t think anything could top seeing manta rays in Kona, but this tour went above and beyond our expectations. We will be visiting big island again next year and will be doing this tour again. Request John as your guide if you want the best experience possible!

Here are somethings I wish I had known and would have done differently: Wish I had known: 1. The ride after the observatory is bumpy with a capital B. I would have sat in the middle of the tour van to lessen the impact to my body. 2. Don’t go on a full or partially full moon. It’s a lot of light and limits star visibility. It’s still an amazing view just not what I was expecting having seen the night sky with no moon before. 3. There are restrooms and plenty of porta potties at the observatory and some porta potties at the summit, but no food or water at the visitor center. Bring your own hand wipes/sanitizer. 4. When they say it gets cold they mean it. We brought warm clothes to change in and I would recommend that. 5. The climb up is visually not as scary as I anticipated, no hugging edge of cliffs. There are some spots where the view down is impressive but for the most part it’s gentle rolling sides and gives you the impression you’ve only climbed a few hundred feet. 6. We met our tour guide at the observatory and I would still do this only because logistically the meet up location would have added hours to our return to our stay. 7. Pray your Van doesn’t breakdown. Our tour guides were awesome. Our van broke down close to the summit. It sucked to be stuck in the back of a hot van for an hour. However, our guides kept their cool and maintained good attitudes and came up with a solution to the problem. We still saw the sunset. They were knowledgeable and kind. If it had not been for them I would have given this less stars and it would have been 5 stars if the van had not broken down which was completely not in their control and with the amount of wear and tear these vehicles receive going up these roads I’m surprised the road is not littered with broken down vans.

Phenomenal experience - the tour guides were so knowledgable and the views were out of this world. Highly recommend

This adventure was incredible and well worth it. Jon and Auki were such awesome tour guides and very knowledgeable. Even Anna our transport driver was a delight. It was an unforgettable experience. Our guides answered questions, gave history, and made sure all guests were comfortable with the altitude as we were climbing to the top of the world. The sunset was unbelievable, truly a once in a lifetime experience to see it above the clouds. Then the stargazing began. Jon and Auki were very informative about constellations, astronomy, and some great Hawaiian stories. This tour is well worth it!

Great experience on Mauna Kea with an expert guide Tay, well versed in history as well as astronomy. The views of our galaxy and beyond through the powerful telescope set up by our guide were marvellous

Fantastic experience - really informative guides that gave a great joint presentation on the night sky. Also lovely opportunity to take sunset pictures at the summit.

The sunset and the stars are both extremely beautiful. I absolutely love them. I highly recommend that you must go and see them. The scenery along the way is also breathtaking. However! After the last toilet, please remember not to drink any more water because there won't be any toilets for the next three hours. There will be one toilet when going down the mountain, but it will be very dirty and there won't be any place to wash your hands. My pants got stained with someone else's urine.

Amazing. Our guide was spectacular. The sunset of course didn’t disappoint, but the wow was our guide’s knowledge of the importance of Mauna Kea in Polynesian culture, his knowledge of the stars and the sky, and his knowledge of how the two meet. Simply amazing.

What an incredible opportunity to see our beloved Mauna Kea for the very first time. Our host, Chris, was funny, knowledgeable, and made the time spent with everyone a comfortable one. If you are a seeker of nature and knowledge, and have always wanted to capture unforgettable photographs with insane views, look no further. In this little adventure you'll be under endless stars and planets, learning about the constellations all while drinking a hot beverage and making unforgettable memories that'll last more than a lifetime.

Incredible experience! On the day of our trip it was cloudy and rainy all day long at our hotel so I was really worried so ai called the tour operator directly. They answered the phone immediately and sent me a link to the summit webcams and weather forecast for that night which showed clear skies. Sure enough once we got through the clouds to the summit it was perfectly clear. We saw an amazing sunset and an unreal amount of stars. The pictures they gave us were really cool too. The operators are so careful to make sure no one gets altitude sickness. I wouldn’t want to try this adventure on my own.