The Original Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour-Since 1983

Meeting point

Where

Best for guests in Hilo, Hamakua, Puna, or Volcano, about 1 hr 10 min from Hilo. Fill up on gas; there are no services on Saddle Road. Park in the Lower Dirt Parking Lot below the visitor center (restrooms available), then walk up to meet our vans in the paved lot above. Keep your phone on., Kohala Coffee Co. is near the gas station at Waikoloa Plaza in Waikoloa Village. This locally owned café has restrooms and indoor seating for customers while you wait, so grab a coffee before the tour. Our vans will be parked out front for easy identification. Please arrive a few minutes early., Queens' Marketplace We pick up on the back side of the complex, near Snorkel Bob's. Look for our vans in the rear parking lot, where we will also drop you off after the tour. We recommend checking the location before your tour day so you know exactly where to go., Kona Crossroads Shopping Center. Enter from Henry St. Domino's and AutoZone are on the mountain side and Denny's is on the ocean side. Park on the ocean side and look for our signs with the company logo. Restrooms, picnic tables, and benches are near AutoZone and Sakura Restaurant.

Departure

Runs daily; scheduled through November 2027 (operator schedule, seats confirmed at checkout)

Return

This activity ends back at the meeting point

Pickup

No hotel pickup: everyone meets at the start point

Operator

Mauna Kea Summit Adventures; booking and payment are completed on Viator

1. Saddle Road

   Travel the scenic highway between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, crossing lava flows and high-country landscapes on the way to the mountain, in a custom 4x4 Mercedes Sprinter with coach seating in rows of two and three (nobody rides four across). Your guide covers the culture, geography, geology, and natural history of the island on the way up.

   Pass by, no stop
2. 2
   Maunakea Visitor Information Station

   At 9,200 feet we stop for a real hot dinner, 3-cheese vegetable lasagna and a homemade brownie, and a chance to adjust to the altitude before heading higher. Learn why the world's largest telescopes are on Mauna Kea and what life is like for the astronomers who work here. Parkas and gloves are issued before we engage four-wheel drive for the climb to the summit.

   40 min
3. 3
   Mauna Kea Summit

   Arrive at nearly 14,000 feet before sunset and watch the observatories, including Keck, Subaru, and Gemini, open their domes and rotate into position. Plenty of time for photos as the sunset transforms the landscape, often above a sea of clouds. We stay until the best color has faded, then descend to mid-mountain, where the air is more comfortable and the skies stay clear.

   1h
4. 4
   Mauna Kea Observatories

   After Sunset we spend about two hours under the stars, more time stargazing than any other tour on the mountain. Your guide traces the sky with a green laser, from Polaris to the Southern Cross, and brings the night's best targets into our 11-inch Celestron telescopes. Midway through, gourmet hot cocoa, coffee, or tea and a sweet treat to ward off the chill. Stargazing depends on natural conditions; more than 90% of our trips get excellent skies.

   2h

About this tour, from the operator