Big Island: Mauna Kea Summit And Stars Small-group Adventure Tour

I think our guide was Alan. He was the nicest, most relatable guide I've ever had. He just made it seem like a friend was taking us to the mountain. The trip itself is all weather dependent. We got to the visitor center and it was cloudy and drizzling. We drove all the way to the top and passed the clouds and saw blue skies and the sun. Then, after 15 minutes, clouds rolled and and the view was gone. We stayed about 15 minutes before driving to the next lower level to wait and see if the clouds would part. The park rangers were making everyone not with a tour leave the mountain because they were closing the road due to unsafe driving conditions. We waited a few minutes and one star appeared. Then, as we waited a little longer, the skies opened up and we saw the most brilliant display of stars, planets, galaxies, constellations, and all of the beauty of God's creation. It was magnificent! It got COLD! They provide parkas...and we wouldn't have made it without them. The hot chocolate hit the spot. The telescopes Alan set up allowed us to more clearly see everything he had pointed out to the naked eye. It was a great trip! It's truly humbling to see how small our planet, the pale blue dot, really is in comparison to the universe all around us! It really is weather dependent, though. We came close to seeing nothing but a lot of clouds. Thankfully, we were with a tour group and able to stay close to the top for the star show!!

It was a great tour! Our host - Eugene was knowledgeable and kept us entertained the whole time. It was a really fun trip and we loved seeing everything. Their meal of chicken stew was delicious! I highly recommend the trip.

Eugene was a wonderful guide for our visit to the summit of Mauna Kea. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate and we had a lot of fog and clouds at the summit. However, we still loved the experience of visiting Hawaii but standing in parkas at 14000ft elevation, 35 degrees, and 60mph winds. Seeing the layout of the observatories was interesting too. On top of that, the dinner and snacks provided were surprisingly good. Overall, highly recommended.

This was a most magical time. Our guide was so knowledgeable and good with getting our group to talk and care for each other. He set up a telescope and pointed out some highlights in the sky. I'd do this tour again for sure!

Hawaii Forest & Trails is the only way to see Mauna Kea’s summit and experience the stars. Our guide, Wilson Barrett was phenomenal! Knowledgeable, funny and very informative. We cannot recommend Wilson and Forest and Trail any more vigorously as we had an incredible experience. The drive up to the summit was an experience on its own, but when you add Wilson’s humor, enthusiasm and knowledge our experience was that much more exciting and enjoyable. Wilson’s knowledge of the stars was just as impressive. We highly recommend this tour!!

This tour was fabulous!!! Jason is welcoming, relaxed and dedicated to ensuring the folks on his tours have a great safe time! He is super knowledgeable about Hawai'i culture, flora and fauna. His knowledge of astronomy is excellent! It was a wonderful time and I highly recommend this tour this company! I'll seriously consider doing this tour again if I ever return!

Tour operator (Hawaii Forest And Trail) was great, they did everything the promised - on-time pickup, comfotable van, good driver/tour guide, nice snacks, kept on schedule so we saw a beautiful sunset from near the top of Mauna Kea. Unfortunately the clouds conspired to prevent much in terms of star gazing, but the guide did what he could to show a few things. Not the operator's fault, but keep in mind that you may not get to see stars. Try to find an information source for night time cloud forcasts for Mauna Kea, and cancel (within the required timeline) if it does not look promising.

An outstanding experience from beginning to end. Our guide was knowledgeable, personable, friendly and down to earth. The bus was clean, food was excellent and the stops were fun and adventurous. We felt well cared for and safe during a personal moment of altitude ailment. Our guide Jeff was incredibly supportive and professional and shared his island culture and vibe throughout our time with him. Mahalo. We highly recommend this experience and this company and have much gratitude and appreciation for them. Do go!

I have had altitude sickness in the past but took canned oxygen with me and was fine, no symptoms at all. Be prepared for the wind. Our guide was fabulous and very knowledgeable. Be prepared for the ride up from the visitor center, it is stunning.

First, it gets COLD! I knew this going in but it was still a shock - the wind was crazy. We were well equipped with provided jackets and mittens and our own layers. Make sure your phone is charged for photos. I felt like I was on a different planet up there. The air is crisp and the sky is the clearest blue! Our driver/guide, Wilson was excellent. He related information all along the drive - nature, history, climate - you name it. His knowledge didn't seem to end and he has had many adventurous jobs in his young past.

Phenomenal experience with Wilson. Drove up to Ranger station for restroom, gift shop stop, and soup and bread. Afterward, onto the summit, with a stop at our first telescope. Onto the summit for sunset. Then star gazing and telescope and camera are set up along with parkas and hot chocolate. Guide was phenomenal, a plethora of information, a great return playlist and a restroom break, and genuine concern for all guests. I highly recommend!

Great experience for those interested in stargazing. Amazing views! The warm chicken stew and hot chocolate were super helpful in the below freezing weather. Aaron was a great guide!

Great driver/guide and amazing hot chocolate to then watch the stars and realize how small we really are. The high altitude is not a joke.

We loved this experience from start to finish. Wilson was our guide and he was super nice, friendly and knowledgeable. We appreciated all the facts he provided. The views are amazing. Definitely bring layers since it is cold on the top of the summit! Incredible views of the sunset and after sunset you go to a private place to view stars and drink hot cocoa. Would recommend!

This particular tour is on the pricier side, but imo it’s worth it for 8 hours and a very engaged and knowledgeable (about astronomy) tour guide. The only downside was the sudden fog that delayed the trip, but it’s not the the company could anticipate it for make it go away.

Really amazing experience and our Tourguide, Aaron, was outstanding! His knowledge of everything from geology to astronomy to Hawaiian history was amazing and his ability to deliver in a fun and easy to understand way was fantastic. The bus ride flew by! The sunset ABOVE the clouds at the top of Mauna Kea was so beautiful and the star gazing was lovely if a bit cloudy (we couldn't use the telescope, but we did see quite a bit of constellations intermittently. They took good care of us and I highly recommend the tour. Ask for Aaron!

Eugene was an amazing guide and shared so many cool facts throughout the tour. The whole experience felt very chill, introspective, and mystical. Stargazing with hot chocolate was the perfect cherry on top.

Won’t see stars if it’s cloudy. Weather changes quickly You will definitely notice a little harder to breathe at higher elevations

Our guide (Jeff) was amazing! He is personable, friendly, and knowledgeable. Views were spectacular.

Our tour guide Eugene made the experience wonderful, exciting and memorable. Even when things didn’t go as planned, clouds blocking the view of the stars, mist and rain on the summit of Mauna Kea, chill in the air or even some high altitude light headedness; Eugene provided amazing insight into the mountains, the history of the Hawaiians and geography of a most beautiful mountain that we all shared. Our vehicle was comfortable, making several pit stops to allow each of to acclimatize and explore as we climbed up the mountain. The tour provided a good tasty and very hot soup as our meal; providing plenty of tea, water and coffee for your very needs. We would highly recommend this tour above all others. This is our second trip and both times we had difficulty seeing the stars but Eugene got us to the summit. While we were unable to see the stars because of weather conditions that came in before the stars came out, we were able too see as beautiful sunsets providing us with another great memory. Moreover, the tour refunded us half of our money because we were unable to star gaze. This is worth the trip. Good luck.

You NEED to do this! Such a memorable experience! Such a unique experience that I would recommend anyone doing!

Very nice trip with a guide with great knowledge about this journey.

We had the most amazing time! The tour guide, Jon, was the perfect tour guide - very knowledgable, engaging and interesting! Thank you so much for such a memorable experience!!

the guide was a tremendous. the road up to the telescopes is bumpy. Be prepared to have supplemental oxygen for the elderly;y and those wet don't do well with elavaatiion. The best thing was when it was dark enough tojo see the Milky Way my wife hugged me and said " thank you for bringing me here, I have never been able to see it! Her smile and hug meant every7thingh yo me.

We had an amazing experience on this tour! The sunset was absolutely beautiful! Our guide, Jason, was fantastic — funny, engaging, and incredibly knowledgeable; he shared so many interesting stories and insights about the island which made the whole experience feel much more special.

Jeff was a phenomenal guide for our stargazing tour! He perfectly balanced his incredible knowledge of Hawaii and astronomy with a fun, engaging energy that my husband and I absolutely loved.

A really outstanding tour where our guide, Jeff, made it a 10/10 experience! His detailed knowledge of the trip and in particular his knowledge of his very approachable yet advanced telescopes made it an adventure to remember. Even if you just have a passing interest in going to the top of the Big Island and seeing the night sky, you won’t be disappointed by this trip!

The entire tour was a delightful educational experience. At every location on the trip toward and up on Mauna Kea our experienced guide Jeff shared many facts and stories regarding geography, history and spiritual significance, all with great respect for the land and native people. Our stop at the Visitors Center was informative and included a delicious stew dinner with a good break to get a bit aclimated. Once we got to the Summit we were impressed with seeing the large telescopes and hearing their science and history. Here we were glad to be provided with the warm parkas as the temperature dropped dramtically. We did feel the altitude so moved a bit slower. Sunset was miraculous above the vog. We then moved a short distance below this for sky viewing using two different telescopes. Views of the night sky were amazing along with delicious dessert. Jeff later emailed digital photos of the views we had seen including galaxies and nebula. The ride home in the dark with Hawaiian music playing was a touching tribute to the amazing adventure. Jeff was a wonderful guide beyond our expectations and this trip is one not to miss.

The tour was such a unique experience! I loved everything about the tour. Our tour guide Wilson was such a great tour guide and driver. We felt safe and comfortable. The atmosphere was great. The group had a good time and the length of visit was nice. It was such an incredible time and I enjoyed every moment. My husband and I had a wonderful day.

Jeff was an outstanding guide and made the trip memorable and enjoyable. He was so knowledgeable about the region describing the areas we were passing through on the way up to the summit and then was passionate about the stars. We felt comfortable with the drive up and back. The meal was absolutely delicious and the cookies and hot chocolate welcome while we watched stars. The photos of the stars after were just an added bonus. Highly recommend this tour!

I had heard how amazing the Mauna Kea Stargazing tour is and it truly lived up to the hype! I was in Hawaii for a milestone birthday celebration and this was definitely the highlight of the trip! Eugene was our guide and he was perfect. Fun, funny and full of facts. He made the trip comfortable and enjoyable. I whole heartedly recommend this tour!

If you enjoyed looking at the stars this tour is for you. Jeff was our guide for this tour and he was extremely knowledgeable about the observatories at the top of Mauna Kea. I was amazed at how many different observatories there were at the top of the mountain. After watching the sunset we drove down about a thousand feet where Jeff then set up two telescopes for us to view the stars through. Through the telescopes, we got to see the Omega centauri globula star cluster, the Dumbbell nebula, the Eagle nebula and the Ring nebula just to name a few. He also explained and showed us how to find the different stars in the sky. It was quite amazing. Be prepared because it can be very cold at the top of the mountain. They did supply us with parkas and gloves. But I recommend definitely long pants and a sweater or sweat shirt for under the parka. It can be very windy at the top.

This was one of the most memorable excursions my husband and I have ever experienced. Watching the sunset from the summit of Mauna Kea was truly breathtaking, followed by an incredible stargazing session. Our tour guide, Wilson, was exceptional. He brought along telescopes that allowed us to observe various constellations and celestial bodies, and his knowledge enhanced the experience, enabling us to see details we would not have noticed otherwise. We also observed several shooting stars throughout the evening. Overall, it was a wonderful experience that was well worth the cost.

Great experience. Our guide Jeff was knowledgeable and fantastic at planning the time! Very much worth it especially if you love the night sky!

The tour was amazing, the tour guide was super friendly and very knowledgeable. The tour van was new and comfortable. The sunset was breathtaking and the stargazing with hot chocolate on hand was just the perfect touch. I would definitely recommend this tour.

We had a great time on the tour up to the top of the mount with Jeff as our guide. It was amazing to see such a collection of large scopes with a beautiful sunset. Stargazing after sunset was cool, unfortunately it was a night with a full moon so we weren’t able to see many objects from what would have been a Bortle 1 (very dark) sky.

Of the many activities I've done on the big island over the last 5 years, this is one I'll always remember! Jason, the Guide, was fantastic and super knowledgeable about all things Hawaii, geology and the cosmos. The views from the top (next to the observatories) are up there with the summit of Kilauea and Haleakala, the latter of which can be seen from this summit. A must see activity!

Having an experienced guide who truly treasures the Island heritage and Mauna Kea makes such a difference. Years ago my husband and I drove ourselves and it was too much with the roads and the altitude. Jason made our experience one that will be remembered and cherished forever. Priceless and worth every cent paid.

My sister and I had Jason as our driver and he was fantastic! We weren’t expecting to learn so much but we are so glad that we did! On top of the mountain, it genuinely feels unreal - like you are on another planet. This is a once in a lifetime experience and I am so grateful to have done it!

Oh, this was so well planned out and done right! The large van was in excellent shape and held the 4 miles of gravel road at the top of the mountain so smoothly. Plus the meal and hot chocolate and cookies were very very good! Then to top it off, we got to watch the sunset at 14,000 feet up. Then come down to the dark at 8000 feet to see the stars through a huge telescope . A great experience well worth the time involved!

Our stargazing experience was incredible! Our guide Jeff made the trip educational, but not boring & very fun. He was extremely knowledgeable from the history of the island to the galaxy and beyond. Pick up was punctual he kept us informed and was relaxed yet kept the group safe and punctual. To go from the surf to the skies in a few hours was incredible and really made us appreciate the magnitude of the trip to this beautiful island. It was worth every penny!

Aaron our tour guide was great! He was very friendly and knowledgable. The views from Mauna Kea were spectacular.

It is a long day (drop off at King Kamehameha just before 11pm) but well worth it. The views and stars were lovely. Chili and cookies were delicious. It does get cold so dress warmly.

Other worldly environment. Unfortunately we did not get a sunset experience or proper star gazing with telescopes because of rain. They did refund some of the tour because of that. A long day but overall a cool experience.

The tour itself was great, our guide Aaron was very professional. The sunset view up on top of the mountain was breathtaking. The parka provided was life-saving and the hot soup before the climb and the hot coco after were a nice touch. During start-gazing, we were combined with another group and the guide from the other group made racially charged comments towards Asian tourists which was unbelievably rude and condescending.

Fantastic experience. Our guide was informative, fun and a great astronomer. It was an experience of a lifetime. Moana kea is a special place everyone should visit. Highly recommend

We were especially excited for stargazing with so little light pollution, but the entire experience exceeded expectations. Pick-up was easy; Eugene's history of the island on the drive was interesting; dinner was (almost surprisingly?) really tasty; then watching sunset at the top of the mountain and stargazing with the telescope were obvious highlights. Throughout, we were well taken care of, from clear communication to cozy blankets to lay on while looking up at the stars. We really enjoyed this experience, and special thanks to Eugene for everything! A lovely, memorable night that we could not have done on our own!

I’m so impressed with the all-encompassing nature of this activity. Every detail is well thought out and at each stage I thought: wow, there’s still more to come! But the highlight was truly our very knowledgeable guides, Jason and Aaron. They shared so much of their knowledge, as well as local culture and history. If you’re on the fence, just book it! Well worth the price to have these memories!

Second time doing this tour and there will be a third, fourth and fifth. Seeing the galaxies and constellations from Mauna Kea will never get old. You literally drive through clouds ro get there. Once acclimated at 9,000 feet the guide takes you all the way to the top (over 14,000 feet) to watch the sunset. It's otherworldly to be above the clouds, watching the suns set. Then, the guide takes you back to 9,000 feet and breaks the telescopes out so you can see the constellations. This is an experience that will never get old, ans you will always learn something new.