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

Very well-structured tour, knowledgeable guides, and being able to explore the sky with a telescope and supported by an expert is an added value

One of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had, seeing the Milky Way with the naked eye was beautiful. Chris was an amazing tour guide and storyteller. Chris, if you’re seeing this, give us your Venmo to tip you since it didn’t go through!

This is an experience that cannot be missed! Seeing the sunset atop Mauna Kea, considered the tallest mountain in the world, literally above the clouds, is truly one of a kind. The landscape itself is otherworldly. When people say it looks like another planet, they aren’t lying. It’s how I imagine Mars would look! After sunset, we gathered under the clear night sky and gazed at the thousands of stars dotting the vast darkness. Coming from a big city, I have never seen a night sky with that many stars—and shooting stars too! It was absolutely surreal! Our guides, John and Chris, were awesome and made the experience even more memorable. They showed us the constellations and had a telescope that allowed us to see celestial objects I had only ever seen in pictures. Holy smokes! What I saw through that telescope was spectacular! Seeing nebulae and distant stars with my own eyes gave me an entirely different appreciation for the sheer scale of the universe. And somehow, one of my favorite little details was enjoying hot cocoa while stargazing. There was something wonderfully cozy about holding a warm cup of cocoa while peering into the vastness of a cosmos so far beyond our ability to fully comprehend. You feel incredibly small looking out into that immensity, yet at the same time, the warmth of the cocoa makes you feel grounded and present in that exact moment. More than anything, though, this was a deeply spiritual experience for me. Mauna Kea is sacred in Native Hawaiian culture, and standing there, I could appreciate why this mountain has held such profound significance for generations. You feel so close to the celestial heavens when you’re there. The experience also gave me an even greater appreciation for the extraordinary astronomical and navigational knowledge of Native Hawaiians and other Polynesian voyagers. Just wow. Between the sunset above the clouds, the otherworldly landscape, the incredible night sky, the telescope, the shooting stars, the hot cocoa, and our fantastic guides, this was an unforgettable experience from beginning to end. I feel incredibly grateful and fortunate to have experienced Mauna Kea in this way.

This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and one of the most unforgettable nights of our trip! Watching the sunset from the summit of Mauna Kea was absolutely breathtaking. The views were unlike anything we had ever seen. Kella was an AMAZING guide! She was so knowledgeable throughout the entire tour and took the most incredible photos for us, giving us beautiful memories to take home from such a special experience. As if the sunset wasn’t amazing enough, we were lucky enough to see a volcano erupting in the distance and even spotted shooting stars across the night sky. Standing on top of Mauna Kea surrounded by such incredible scenery felt completely surreal. From the breathtaking sunset to the volcano, shooting stars, and amazing photos, this was a night we will cherish forever. An absolute must-do on the Big Island!

Despite the extremely rare cloud activity, our tour guides went out of their way to find us a clear night sky for stargazing. They made sure we got our money’s worth.

I had a very disappointing experience at Mauna Kea Summit Adventures. My 78-year-old mother was lame and I told the company about it beforehand. Nevertheless, the guide never helped my mother get in and out of the car. Halfway through, we were provided with a springboard, but they said it was my responsibility to clean it up. Also, when I talked about my mother's condition, she said strongly, "If she gets sick, I'm not responsible." I understand the risks of high altitude tours, and I didn't ask you to take responsibility for my mother's health. But the way he said it was very cold and intimidating. In the end, my mother couldn't make it on part of the tour, so we had to wait in the car. I am Japanese and English is not my native language. I politely asked him to speak a little more slowly to understand the safety instructions, but he refused and spoke strongly in front of other customers. It was very humiliating. The tour cost 121,391 yen for two people. After the tour, I sent a formal complaint to the company stating that I was not asking for a refund, and I sent additional information to the company asking them to take what had happened seriously. However, to date there has been no response. I would not recommend this tour to anyone, including dealing with elderly mothers, communicating with guides and dealing with formal complaints.

Despite not having ideal conditions for stargazing (extremely rare I’m told) the team pivoted with good enough conditions to stargaze at the bottom. Tay was extremely nice during the tour and very knowledgeable while explaining simply to everyone. The telescope images were incredible. Our personal night photos were satisfactory. The minibus should have AC when needing to dress warm for the top of the mountain but catching the bus in warm conditions at sea level. The timing of the tour with visitor center, acclimitisation, sunset views was great. The snacks were plentiful and well suited considering the tour being at a meal time.

Amazing experience! The pickup from our hotel was very convenient, and the trip up was easy and peaceful. I had fretted about the drive being scary or steep, but the road was fine with no super scary drop offs, and the driver/guide John was great! We were able to see the Milky Way with the naked eye and get decent cell pictures on top of the pics provided by the guides who were knowledgeable and efficient. The telescope views were fantastic! A truly breathtaking and unforgettable experience. I am so truly thankful!!

One of my favorite activities on our vacation! Incredible views on the summit that you truly cannot find anywhere else. It was definitely cold so pack layers. They do provide a parka which helped keep me warm, but I wish I brought a beanie and a thicker jacket. Our tour guides were amazing providing endless amounts of information on the island, volcano, space, etc. Seeing the stars in the sky were beautiful plus the additional objects in the telescope were out of this world! THIS IS A MUST DO!!!! Worth the money!

It is super awesome, guides are very knowledgeable, and the stars are beautiful so long as the weather is good