--- title: "Big Island: Mauna Kea Summit and Stars Small-Group Adventure Tour" lang: en type: tour city: Big Island country: United States price: 300 currency: EUR price_unit: per_person availability: bookable rating: 4.85 reviews: 1686 duration_minutes: 480 languages: [en] free_cancellation: "true" rank_in_category: 3 of 8 (Mauna Kea Summit & Stargazing) schedule_checked: 2026-11-07 data_updated: 2026-11-08 canonical: https://guidekin.com/usa/big-island/tours/big-island-mauna-kea-summit-and-stars-small-group-adventure-tour/ --- # Big Island: Mauna Kea Summit and Stars Small-Group Adventure Tour **Guidekin's take:** A Mauna Kea summit visit pairs with a telescope star show and a warm picnic dinner of stew or vegetarian chili. Parkas, gloves, hot cocoa and pickup at central meeting points are included; participants must be at least thirteen. 4.85 from 1686 reviews at €300 per person for 8h. In our comparison: #3 of 8 in Mauna Kea Summit & Stargazing, by rating weighted by review volume (table below). ## Overview 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. ## Before you book - Meeting point: Please park in the lower gravel lot &… - 7 start times: between 13:25 and 14:55 - Food included: see what is included - Age rule: Minimum age is 13 years - No children under 13. **Pickup:** No hotel pickup: everyone meets at the start point ## Key facts - Price: from €300 per person - Duration: 8h - Rating: 4.85/5 from 1686 reviews (collected from Guidekin & Viator & Tripadvisor) - Free cancellation (see policy below) - Operator: Hawaii Forest &Trail - Group: Shared tour - Guide languages: English - Start times: 13:25, 13:40, 13:55, 14:10, 14:25, 14:40, 14:55 - Booking: Instant confirmation, mobile ticket - Price checked on Viator: 2026-11-07 ## Reviews 4.85 from 1686 ratings on Guidekin, Viator & Tripadvisor. 97% of ratings with a star breakdown are 4 or 5 stars: 1635 of 1686. - 5 stars: 1527 (91%) - 4 stars: 108 (6%) - 3 stars: 27 (2%) - 2 stars: 12 (1%) - 1 star: 12 (1%) ## What's included - Private star show with telescope - Hooded parkas and gloves - Central Meeting Locations for Pick-up & Drop off - Hot cocoa and cookies - A warm picnic dinner is provided with a choice of Southwest Stew or Vegetarian Chili (gluten-free). - Local taxes - Guide - Pick-up & Dropoff from Central Meeting Locations ## Not included - Gratuities - Tour operator will provide filtered water refills for your bottle - Private Tour ## Itinerary 1. **Travelers staying in Kailua Kona will meet the guide here** (5m) - 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.** 2. **Maunakea Visitor Information Station** (45m; admission included) - Enjoy a warm picnic dinner while you acclimate to a higher elevation and learn about Hawaiian star navigation before you head to the summit. 3. **Mauna Kea Summit** (30m; admission included) - 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. 4. **Maunakea Visitor Information Station** (1h; admission included) - 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 ## Schedule - Runs: daily - Departures: 13:25, 13:40, 13:55, 14:10, 14:25, 14:40, 14:55 - Schedule last checked: 2026-11-07 - These are published departures, not a live seat count; availability is confirmed at checkout. ## Cancellation For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time. ## Meeting point Please park in the lower gravel lot & walk to the Visitors Ctr (aka Onizuka Ctr) to meet our guide by the picnic area. Arrive at least 15 mins prior to your pick-up time. PLEASE NOTE: Your pick-up time will be different than the displayed online tour start time. Contact us to verify the meeting time Ends: back at the meeting point ## Good to know - 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 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. - 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. - Weather changes can occur quickly, and the access road to the summit can close without warning; therefore we cannot guarantee access to the summit or favorable conditions. - No scuba diving within 24 hours ## Compared with other Mauna Kea Summit & Stargazing | Tour | Price | Duration | Rating | Group | |---|---|---|---|---| | **This tour · #3 of 8** | €300 | 8h | 4.85 (1686) | shared | | [Small Group Big Island Twilight Volcano and Stargazing Tour](/usa/big-island/tours/small-group-big-island-twilight-volcano-and-stargazing-tour/?format=md) | €281 | 12h | 4.9 (1759) | shared | | [Big Island Mauna Kea Summit Sunset and Stargazing](/usa/big-island/tours/big-island-mauna-kea-summit-sunset-and-stargazing/?format=md) | €291 | 7h | 4.99 (74) | shared | | [Mauna Kea Arnott's Adventures](/usa/big-island/tours/mauna-kea-arnott-s-adventures/?format=md) | €232 | 7h | 4.82 (157) | shared | Ranked #3 of 8 in Mauna Kea Summit & Stargazing by Guidekin score (rating weighted by review volume). Prices here run from €232 to €305, median €277; typical length 7h. 0 of 8 are private. Figures are live from the tour cards; the rubric is our handpicked set, not the whole market. Full list: https://guidekin.com/usa/big-island/mauna-kea-stargazing-tours/?format=md ## More in Big Island - All Big Island tours: https://guidekin.com/usa/big-island/?format=md - This page as HTML: https://guidekin.com/usa/big-island/tours/big-island-mauna-kea-summit-and-stars-small-group-adventure-tour/ Filters, the full catalogue and the URL contract for this city: https://guidekin.com/usa/big-island/?format=md