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

This company was great to work with. We met at the visitor's center (but they offer rides from other major centers). Dinner was passed out and then they took us to the Summit for sunset and stargazing. The parkas they provided were good quality. Our tour driver Addison was very knowledgable about the observatories and gave us plenty of time at the top. We went down a bit from the summit for star gazing. I noticed other tour companies were there but none stayed as late as we did. They brought out two 11 inch telescopes so that everyone had ample time to view. Despite it being almost a full moon we still saw nebulas, stars, and Saturn. Travis was fantastic explaining what we were viewing. Both Addison and Travis answered all of our questions and nothing felt rushed. I would absolutely recommend this company.

Amazing trip and so interesting. Our guide (Travis) was wonderful, he provided so much information on so many different topics. The stargazing was very informative and fun. If you do any trip to the summit I highly recommend this trip!

Travis was our guide. His knowledge on seemingly all things was incredible…from the time we were picked up to the time he put on music on the way back. His pride in his heritage came through in everything. We were fortunate in the weather….cool and breezy but clear. The sunset was beautiful and the stars and stories with them were informative. The vegetable lasagna was delicious (but the brownie was the best!)

We have done a summit tour many times and this was the best trip ever. The tour did not disappoint and our guide ‘Kea did a great job educating us on the drive about Hawaiin culture and the history of the Big Island. This tour stopped at different points on the way to the summit and we saw it all! The large radio transmitter, all of the different observatories - and information about who made them, why they are different, and their uses. We have also never stargazed so high up and with such a powerful telescope. Kea was so knowledgeable about the astronomy- we really learned alot. The company provided a delicious small dinner and good time to aclimate at the visitor center. Just enough time to eat, stretch your legs, get a little souvenir at the gift shop, and use a real bathroom. Pick up and drop off were easy and on time with a nice small group. Highly recommend this tour company and great guide!

Sometimes there are not enough superlatives to describe some adventures on this planet. Kinga and I had the most amazing, sublime tour experience with Mauna Kea Summit Adventures last night. Trip started out in Kona and was an informative drive up with background on the Hawaiian culture, history and the volcanic formation of the Island of Hawaii. We ate dinner and acclimated to the altitude (+9000') at the Manua Kea Visitor Center. Then proceeded up to the summit in the 4x4 tour van. Paused along the way to appreciate Mauna Loa and other features. Reached the summit (13,769') and got to take in all of the Awesome Observatories here. Our guide, Maka, was great in giving us all of the background and perspective regarding the sites spiritual impact to the native Hawaiian's and some of the concern around development of the sites as well as it's astronomical importance. Timing was perfect for us to catch and observe the sunset and awe-inspiring beauty on display. We then headed down the mountain and setup for an a detailed and thorough Astronomy observation at a great vantage point. Again, our guide, Maka was incredibly well informed and led a great star-gazing session with their Celestron Telescope. Ton of photos and video clips to capture the moment. Highly recommend for anyone coming out here.

Had a great and enthusiastic tour guide in our van. They showed us multiple different types of stars/galaxies/nebulae and all the legends behind all the constellations we could see. The food was tasty and hot, and I appreciated the parkas and gloves they provided! I was also very glad that they were the ones driving on the road to the top and not me.

A fantastic bus tour leaving from Kona. We learned about the island as we first drove north through the lava fields, stopping along the way for breaks. Then we spent about a an hour at the visitor centre to acclimate to the lower oxygen and get our parkas and dinner. The evening sunset was gorgeous and the nighttime astronomy was great. Our host Arthur was informative, helpful and funny, and kept our group safe. I was really concerned about booking this tour during between the first quarter and full moon (booked the tour after booking our flight!) - pretty much any other quarter of the moon would have given much darker night skies, but the tour pivoted nicely and we got gorgeous view of the moon's terminator. Star clusters of Omega Centauri were gorgeous and it was great seeing the southern cross in the sky for the first time. A great experience, we're very glad we went!

This was amazing! From our pick up point in Kona, our guide Kailikea (hope I spelled this right) was fantastic. He was so passionate about the trip and his home town it was so engaging. He's such a helpful, friendly and knowledgeable chap. I didn't expect to learn so much, but it was just the right level. 'Kea was clear about what to expect from the altitude and how to best manage it. We were lucky enough to see the Silversword plants by the visitor centre and then enjoyed our meal, included in the tour; veggie lasagne and chocolate brownie. It was a mixed journey up to the summit with some paved and some very bumpy roads but so worth the trip. We learned all about the different dishes and observatories and watched the beautiful sunset from the summit. We had to head lower for stargazing to avoid polluting the light by the observatories. We were awestruck by how many stars you could see, it was stunning. The powerful telescopes were set up and we were shown the visible planets and constellations/asterisms. Viewing the Edna carina nebula through the telescope was an incredible experience. I would 100% recommend this tour!

Incredible experience! Travis was a font of incredible information and educated us all! Views were priceless - highly recommend this tour!

We scheduled our tour for Thursday, May 4th. This was a birthday gift for my partner. This was a last minute decision based on a 10 min conversation the night before I decided to book. I was apprehensive about booking but I bit the bullet and I'm glad I did! The tour was very well organized and went smoothly. We booked the excursion on April 28th and we received our confirmation immediately after. We also received a confirmation call the day before. We met the excursion group at Queen's Marketplace in Waikoloa. We were picked up by 2 of the drivers. We boarded our van and were driven to the Mauna Kea Visitors Center. Unfortunately, I don't remember our driver's name (??? Travis ???). He was a fantastic guide. He gave us a lot of interesting information about the Big Island during our drive from Waikoloa to the Visitors Center. I learned about the cinder cones, the flora, the birds, the landscape, and the goats! When we arrived at visitors center, we were given a great lasagna dinner with a brownie dessert while we acclimated to the 9,000 ft altitude. After about an hour at the visitors center, we ascended to approximately 13,800 ft elevation to get ready for the sunset. Our driver gave us a tour and provided history of the various observatories/telescopes on Mauna Kea before we parked for the sunset. I have to say, it was absolutely breathtaking. Summit Adventures provided us with warm parkas which made the experience comfortable. After the sunset, we descended back down to the 9,200 ft elevation and our driver brought out the telescopes and got everything ready for the star gazing part of the excursion. Again, this was an amazing experience. I'm not really into star gazing but the fact that we were at 9,200 ft and the skies were so clear and stars so bright, I was easily drawn into the experience. We were given hot chocolate and cookies during the star gazing part of the tour. We then started our drive back to our resort later that night. This was a very pricey tour but well worth it in my opinion. I believe Mauna Kea Summit Adventures is one of, if not the original companies that do excursions to the summit. The information that was shared with us and the quality of the experience easily made this one of the best excursions I've ever taken (cruise or land)!

Amazing tour! One of the best tours we’ve taken. Definitely best tour for Mauna Kea. The tour guide Travis was excellent and made the whole time very enjoyable and educational. There were phenomenal views and photo opportunities as well as plenty of time for star gazing. They have a high powered telescope which made things really cool too. The lasagna meal was also delicious.

The Mauna Kea tour was the highlight of our week on the Big Island...and I don't just mean it elevation-wise. Being at the summit was awe-inspiring. Seeing the observatories where so much research into the heart of the universe has been done was inspiring, and sunset over the ocean with the domes was gorgeous. The stargazing with the two telescopes was very interesting--we were looking at stars in the southern skies which are not visible from home. Finally, the guide was a fountain of information. He made the setting and the history come alive.

We booked the tour for 4 people with dinner (lasagna, brownie, hot chocolate and cookies). The schedule to pick us up was 3.10pm and start 3.25pm at the Starbucks in the Queen Shopping center, Waikoloa on 3/30/2023. The tour guys arrived to meet us at 3.30pm and we left the parking lot at 3.50pm. Gage is our tour guy, young gentleman but has the amazing knowledge about the Big Island. Everything about cultures, plants, volcanoes, animals, birds...etc. If any customers had any question about the tour, then he had the answers. Roughly about 45 minutes, we arrived at service center at 9,000 Ft. above sea level. we had dinner served by that time (little early) with lasagna and brownie. The portion of lasagna is big enough, but we just finished half of it. As I said dinner before 5pm was early, also we had to adjust the feeling of thin air effected. The brownie is very good. Around 5.15 pm, our bus departed to climb the elevation 5,000 Ft. more in the short distance just 8 miles, that mean the slope is very steep. But we did not feel much differently effected by the changing elevation, when we still in the bus. Finally, we reach the top of Mauna Kea. Amazing of nature and nothing can describing about the colors of the sky, the views, and the sunset. Caution: must prepare for the thin air side effect, when step out of the bus. Must following the instructions of the tour guy to deal with that. After the sky is darker, we go down hill a little bit into the flat level parking pot. Again, Gage jump out to set up the telescope for us to see the stars. He completed the one man show , from hand out the food, silverwares, parka, gloves, telescope, recollected everything backward, talking a lot information about sky, stars. With his laser beam point to the star direction. While we enjoyed the telescope, he served the hot chocolate and cookies. On the way back to the drop off point, most people on the bus felt to sleep after a long trip. Gage still answered to any question I had, cause I sat next to him on the passenger side. Thank you Gage for giving us the amazing tour, full of your knowledge and information. I learned more from that trip. I recommend this tour by this company, which served the tour with good food, comfortable Mercedes bus, and amazing tour guy.

Absolutely breathtaking! My tour guide Gage was very enthusiastic/funny and made excellent local recommendations. Told us about the cute nene birds and other flora/fauna. We then got to see the most stunning sunset over the clouds. At night we got to see Saturn through his telescope and learned a lot of constellations. They provide parkas and hot cocoa but be sure to dress warm still as the summit gets to 0C. Also bring your own water bottle. There were some older folks with us who could be described as “Karens” who didn’t read the itinerary carefully & found dumb reasons to complain, but I thought it was the most surreal experience. Highly recommend!

Our tour guide, Travis, was knowledgeable, entertaining, and amiable. The view from the summit of Mauna Kea, as well as learning about the different observatories, was a highlight of or trip to Hawaii. My amateur astronomer son even had time to take some long-exposure photos of the Milky Way. I highly recommend this trip to anyone interested in astronomy or just wanting to see some breath-taking views. Well worth it!

Travis was the designated tour guide/driver for our trip to Mauna Kea. The tour company went above and beyond to ensure safety and comfort for all passengers which included plenty of hand sanitizer, social distancing on the bus, and an orderly exit and entrance from the bus. Travis had a wealth of knowledge, politely answered all questions and was a very safe driver. The vegetable lasagna was delicious!

Travis was an INCREDIBLE and entertaining tour guide with so much knowledge to offer!! He gave us a run down on all the landmarks we were passing by on the road to mauna kea and told us about the mythology of the hills and the history of Hawaii. Very informative and educational tour that helps you understand the lay of the land better. Couldnt have asked for a better tour guide!!! We were also lucky enough to be able to see the stars, started off rocky with clouds but the sky cleared up eventually. It was an unforgettable experience!

We did the Sunset and Stargazing Tour on Mauna Kea with Travis. Travis is one of the best tour guides ever. He is extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of the tour, including the native plants and trees, the type, users and purpose of the telescopes on Mauna Kea, the stars and planets which we saw through the tour operator's telescope and the Hawaiian people and culture. Travis' enthusiasm for his subject matter is infectious - this tour and Travis get an A+!

We had a 4-wheel drive jeep and were going to just drive up ourselves to the peak of Mauna Kea but we are so glad we did the tour instead. Our guide was very friendly and excellent in knowledge about the scenery on the way up and on all details of the mountain. The lasagna meal was great and the parka's were a very welcomed addition. Following an amazing sunset at the top, the night viewing with their telescope at the visitor center location topped it all off.

We are annual visitors to the Big Island and we always book a trip to MKSA each year to bring friends and family to experience this AMAZING journey above the clouds!! It NEVER gets old! This year, we had as our guide Gage, a newcomer to MKSA, who was accommodating and friendly and made the group feel welcome. Because Gage is new at this, he invited Art along with us to do the narration on the stargazing part of the tour. Art is a master and knows and shares so much about astronomy and the night sky. Together, both men made the trip a memorable experience, which we and our guests enjoyed tremendously! I'm so happy that MKSA is back up and running during this pandemic. They follow all guidelines and I felt very safe. This is a trip that is a must for anyone visiting the Big Island! Keep up the good work, MKSA.

Ka’ilikea (Travis) was an amazing guide. He’s a local with vast knowledge of the Hawaiian history and culture; excellent astronomy skills. I thoroughly enjoyed my time. The dinner provided was delicious and the parkas were a godsend. The company observed COVID masking, distancing, and provided hand sanitizer. I highly recommend this company! Mahalo for an amazing trip!

I signed up for Mauna Kea summit adventures because Mauna Kea is widely recognized as being a must-do activity on Big Island. Needless to say, I was NOT disappointed. I highly recommend Mauna Kea Summit Adventures - our tour guide, Mitch, was so kind, friendly, patient, and knowledgeable! He answered all of our questions about Big Island and was a pro during the star gazing session. I know the company has taken a hit since COVID started so I hope whoever is able to visit Big Island books a trip with Mauna Kea Summit Adventures! The trip was very COVID-safe and the company follows all guidelines!

I was expecting mostly a tour of Mauna Kea. However the astronomy part of the tour was just as amazing. We were with guide Travis who brought strong astronomy skills and cultural context to the tour. It was well worth the time and money spent.

You can drive up the mountain if you have a four wheel drive but take this tour if it is in your budget! Travis’s knowledge of the Hawiian culture is amazing. The view from the top is amazing. Do not miss it. After that he set up a telescope and showed us Jupiter and Saturn followed by other stars and Nebulas.

Can’t even begin to explain how amazing this excursion was! I guess you could start with the best guide you could be given— Travis! This local was filled with a ridiculous amount of knowledge and was constantly giving us Hawaii culture, history and folklore of the islands. He was so accommodating and brought such light to the adventure, this along with the stunning stars, galaxy, and cosmos. Our group was and still is blown away with this trip and what they provided for us. 100% would do again in a heartbeat just to have a guide like we had! Don’t hesitate, just book and be in awe for days to come.

After taking this tour, I would highly recommend renting a 4wd and doing this on your own if you are not interested in spending half the day in a van. We started our tour at 1:45 pm and then spent the next 90 minutes picking other guests up. Same 90 minutes of time dropping people off at the end of the tour when we really just wanted to get back to our lodgings... Did not arrive back to our condo until after 10 pm.The tour guide we had was new to Hawaii and did not have a lot of information about the area, confused goats with sheep and was not very informative in general. Once we were on the summit, there was an enormous amount of waiting around. Several times we thought we were going to get back in the van to return to our hotel only to wait 30 to 40 minutes before getting moving. The cost of this trip is extremely expensive. Although the views were pretty, the car ride was rough and very long. Probably would not do this tour again.

Watching sunset from the top of Mauna Kea was a really incredible experience, if you've never experienced something like a sunset way above the clouds, on the peak of a mountain. Stargazing after that was incredible as well, we felt a sense of "Wow!" every 10 minutes seeing things in the cosmos through the telescope. Our guide Travis was super knowledgeable about so many things -- Hawaii's history, culture, geography, flora and fauna, especially but not at all limited to Mauna Kea. He was also super knowledgeable about astronomy, and showed us galaxies, nebulas, binary star systems, Jupiter and its moons, Saturn and its rings with a very strong telescope. We find all these things fascinating (history, geology, astronomy) and were able to learn so much from Travis. Even questions we had that had nothing to do with Mauna Kea stargazing, he was able to answer. We weren't surprised to later learn that Travis had previously done academic study on Hawaii's history because his level of knowledge blew away what I've normally seen from past tour guides. We obviously didn't take this tour for the food, but the provided meal was in fact really tasty! Every aspect of the overall experience was really good; I wasn't expecting all of it to be great (maybe there was going to be a long boring van ride or mediocre food) but it was really solid all around.

The drivers were extremely cautious when driving on the Mauna Kea road. They had food, snacks and drinks for us. They also had emergency equipment for anyone that got altitude sickness. They shared a lot of knowledge about the mountain and the stars while star gazing. The guide even texted me pictures of Saturn and Jupiter that he took through the telescope. I really liked this tour and would definitely go back to this company for more tours.

Trip was great excellent guide food was good the viewing of the planets with a great telescope was an added treat keep up the good work. Pat

The tour itself was excellent and the pick up was prompt and on time. I'd say the any tour of this type would be similar with the difference being the tour guide. On the tour I was able to join, the tour guide was beyond super. Arthur was able to narrate and keep the whole tour engaged whilst on route to the top of the mountain. He knew the history, the landscape, the mythology, the astronomy, and more. He was even better after he busted out the telescope an started going over the night sky. So i'd say if you can get Arthur for as your tour guide you are in for a treat. But if you can't, the whole journey to the top and star gazing is stills great! TL DR 8 Stars for Arthur and 5 stars for the tour

This was a last-minute idea when visiting the Big Island. We rendezvous with the Mauna Kea Summit Adventures van at the Kailua-Kona International Market. We then went to a mall to pick up additional clients. It is a couple of hour drive to get to the summit. Our guide, Arthur offered a lot of educational information as we drove along. About 50% of the road up to the peak is a rough dirt/gravel road. I think most well-maintained autos could make it, but I recommend a high clearance vehicle. In fact, I think there is a rule hat you have to have 4-wheel drive past a certain point. The visitors center was a stop before the summit. Dinner was vegetable lasagna and a brownie. I gave it a grade of “B”. We arrived at the summit before sunset. It was very cold and windy, but mostly clear. Cold…hand stinging cold. The parkas and gloves provided were very much needed. There was a Port-a-Potty available. After sunset we descended a few thousand feet for the star gazing activity. I was in Army for 30 years and now I do not like standing in line. Standing in line is a big part of the star gazing experience. There were 2 telescopes set up. We viewed the Moon, Venus and some specific stars. I would say each person looked through the telescope between 30 and 60 seconds. There were 12 people in our group, and there were 2 groups. Arthur was great in explaining what we were seeing and in providing astronomy details. There was a crazy lady acting out in the other group. Arthur was very professional in handling that situation. Note: If you have a personality disorder, or other mental health condition just stay on the beach and let others enjoy the experience without your drama. Overall, I would say $250 a head is a bit much for what the activity provided. I enjoyed Arthur’s comments, but did not like the time in the lines. It is nice to be driven on the excursion, also.

The sunset atop Mauna Kea is something you will never forget. Well worth the time and money. Tour guide: top notch, vehicles: new, comfortable, well-equipped. Far safer and smoother than risking your own car. And the star party was fascinating - their telescope is top-notch for its purpose. Those in my party that were skeptical about this tour were enthusiastic converts as we approached the summit.

AMAZING adventure!! The tour guide was knowledgeable and educational about everything Mauna Kea from history to Star gazing constellation observations. The dinner was also very good. Definitely recommend this guided tour.

One of the best tours my wife and I have ever taken. The tour guides were outstanding...very knowledgeable and took the time to ensure everyone had a great experience. We first ascended Mauna Kea to be at the summit for sunset. Amazing views at 13,800 ft. We then descended to ~9000ft for views of the Milky Way and a telescope tour of some night sky highlights. As an amateur astronomer, I was impressed with the knowledge of the guides and the quality of their telescopes. I was also impressed with the time afforded at each stop to truly enjoy the sights. In summary, we had a very memorable tour and I can't recommend this one enough. Worth every penny.

The trip to the top of Mauna Kea is an adventure of a lifetime. Mauna Kea Summit Adventures offers a well-planned, spectacular introduction to the constellations and stars visible from this summit. I have been to other observatories--McDonald at Fort Lewis, Texas, for instance--and this is incomparably better. Be sure to add extra layers under the Arctic parka provided by the tour company because the cold and wind at the top are unreal. But worth every minute spent there. After viewing the sky from the summit, the tour descends to about 9,000 feet for closer observation from two huge telescopes programmed to find the stars best visible that night. The guides are quite knowledgeable about astronomy, and one provided appropriate spirituality with Hawaiian chants to the mountain. If you take only one tour on Hawaii, this should be it.

Fantastic tour of the summit and stargazing. Our guide was an encyclopedia of knowledge about Mauna Kea, the constellations, the Hawaiian Islands and its history and culture. He kept us all spellbound. The Mercedes vans were exceptional and the jackets and gloves very comfy and warm.

Tour guide very interesting to listen to. Learned lots on the trip to Mauna Kea. Guide was well prepared and tour company did a great job making sure we had everything we needed to be warm and well fed!

This was one of the highlights of our trip to the island of Hawaii. The summit view at sunset is amazing. Our guide, Travis, was very knowledgeable about the mountain and Hawaiian culture and history, and kept us well entertained on the drive to and from Mauna Kea. Nate, the other guide who rode in a separate van with another group, was excellent presenting the star gazing portion of the trip. The telescopes we used were good.

If you take your rental car up Mauna Kea and get a flat you will pay over $7000 in fines. Let the pros take you. Our guide Travis taught us so much about Hawaii that I felt like I was getting a free history tour. He was very sweet and spoke of not only the ancient people but also the current events happening with the new telescope going up. I could listen to him talk forever. Usually tour guides are boring. Not him. He is awesome. The veggie lasagna and brownie was delicious. Definitely opt for the meal. We saw several planets with the two telescopes they brought with them. The hot drinks were greatly appreciated. Wear warm socks and pants. You will need them at the summit. This place blew my mind.

I did the Mauna Kea sunset and stargazing experience with my family. Time - 3:00pm - 11:30pm approximately Transport - Comfortable bus with AC and 4 wheel drive ability Pick up - at Kona International food area on time by our tour guide Jim Food - We took our own food because of our dietary experience but the food provided looked great. Water - please stay hydrated and drink lots of water during the day. What to take - cameras and anything else you need to have with you - there is storage on the bus shelves Experience - Jim was so so full of knowledge about everything from history of Hawaii to all the information about volcanoes and landscapes to local knowledge. We stopped on the way for a toilet stop and to eat. We were given a warm jacket and gloves before continuing. Altitude sickness - I was fine until the last 10 minutes at the summit when I bent over and altitude sickness hit - bad headache and nausea but I felt better as soon as Jim took us all down to the lower level to star gaze which was awesome - we saw saturn, jupiter, the moon and a few other clusters of stars and I felt good again. I highly recommend Mauna Kea Summit Adventures - pricey but definitely worth it if you are looking at doing any sort of summit trip.

We booked this tour mainly so we could take some wedding photos above the clouds (we just got married the night before). Our tour guide, Maka, was incredibly knowledgeable and super chill. His co-guide driving the other van was also really cool and told us we'd be able to nab some great shots, which was nice because the woman I spoke to on the phone who called to confirm our booking had been pretty against our wedding photo idea, but I'm sure it was from a company safety perspective. We also made sure our antics would not infringe upon any of our fellow guests' experiences. The results? Absolutely breathtaking! Maybe a little bit because of the altitude, wind, and cold, but definitely that sunset! I see why they only allow people up there for about 45 minutes, it's rough. The parkas and gloves are a big help! The stargazing portion of the tour was also pretty incredible, my partner and I wandered off nearby to do some night photography, but could easily join in the end of the line to peek in on the telescopes to see some stars up close. We were able to view Saturn and that was pretty impressive to view through the telescope. Mauna Kea Summit Adventures also appeared to have stayed out the longest making for a long night for some but also providing a more intimate experience with the sky. We can't wait to do it again someday! It was a magical moment during our wedding weekend.

Our tour guide Travis was brilliant, knowledgeable, humorous and very organised. The tour did everything promised including the weather. The views from the top of Mauna Kea were spectacular. Thank you Travis for sharing your knowledge of Hawaiian culture during our journey. It made our trip more richer for it.

What an amazing tour. The sunset from Mauna Kea is spectacular, but the star gazing unaffected by light pollution is the highlight. Travis, our tour guide, was so personable and knowledgeable. He gave such in depth information on the culture and history of Hawaii. Recommend this tour so highly with absolutely no reservations.

We were unsure what to expect when we booked, but we had heard positive things about Mauna Kea Summit Adventures and were excited to see what was in store. The reviews didn't live up to the amazing experience we had! The guides were kind, super knowledgeable, and willing to go above and beyond to make our experience amazing. The buses used to transport guests are top of the line, nothing like I had been in before. The lasagna for dinner was simply delicious. Once we got to the top of Mauna Kea we were able to watch the sun set before heading a little lower on the mountain to set up shop for star gazing. While out we had quite a clear night and were able to see crystal clear stars through their telescopes. About half way through stargazing, they provided us with hot chocolate, tea, coffee and biscotti. And when all was said and done they got us safely down the mountain in the pitch black night. This is a vacation MUST! Well worth the money.

We are so glad we booked this trip. From start to finish, we couldn’t fault the company or Jim our tour guide. Jim was a fantastic guide - so knowledgable about Hawaiian culture, geology and astronomy. His enthusiasm was infectious and we learned such a lot. The sunset at the top of Mauna Kea was fabulous - we felt so privileged to have been able to experience it. We then moved slightly down from the summit to do stargazing- what an amazing opportunity! The stars were fantastic enough but then we viewed them through telescopes - WOW! Jim and Moka (another tour guide) were so informative, pointing out constellations, stars, planets etc. After a hot chocolate and biscotti we descended the mountain, listening to Jim’s tales of Hawaiian folklore. My top tips are to wrap up warmly - the company provide warm coats and gloves but it was really cold at the summit. Also, you don’t return to Kona until after 11pm so it’s a long trip (we’re from the UK and the 11 hr time difference hit us hard that night!) My only regret is that we forgot to tip Jim at the end as we were too busy arranging our taxi back to the hotel. Sorry Jim! You certainly deserved a tip!

What an adventure! Jim, our tour guide, gave us nonstop fascinating information about everything from Mauna Kea and the history of all the Hawaiian volcanos to ancient Hawaiian Legends to facts about all celestial bodies. Book this trip! It's worth the money!

I'm not normally into astronomy, telescopes, and history, but these guys made it all fascinating. Their depth of knowledge and their ability to share it blew me away. Really impressed. Would do it again. But bring warm clothing!

I was looking forward to this tour more than anything else in Hawaii and it did not disappoint! The sunset and stargazing was great as were the scenic views all the way up the mountain. The trip was narrated by our excellent, entertaining, and informative guide Travis. My wife and I joked we should've hired Travis to drive us around the Big Island the rest of the trip he was so good. If you're interested in seeing Mauna Kea this is absolutely the way to do it.

This was by far one of the major highlights of our trip on the Big Island; we stayed June 17th - 25th 2019. Our guide "Maka" was super knowledgeable, entertaining, an amazing driver in our shuttle up the mountain, full of historical information about the Island, Mauna Kea, the other volcanoes and astronomy. The service provided by Maka and his other team mate Nate driving the other shuttle was exemplary. This was an experience of a lifetime, you get to eat gourmet lasagna and a yummy brownie on the way up the mountain. You get plenty of time to take pictures and enjoy the sunset at the top before traveling back down snuggled in the warmest fluffy parkas and gloves they provide during the trip; dress warm though it is chilly on the mountain. Star gazing knocked our socks off. Maka knew the coolest tricks to help us "see" the constellations better. And the stars and star bundles we saw through the telescopes they provide are not to be missed and you have to experience it; words can't describe how cool this is. Also Happy Birthday Maka! Mahalo and good juju from Oregon Goldena "Goldie" Gardell Caitlyn Gardell Autumn Barnes Lisa Bennett You made our trip amazing!!!