Mauna Kea Stargazing Tour
Explore The Celestial Heavens With A Professional Guide & Astronomer
Explore the geological wonders of Mauna Kea and view the sky from the summit
More than a stargazing tour, this trip to the heavens of Mauna Kea will be a vision you will remember forever. Mauna Kea volcano, the tallest mountain on Earth from sea floor to peak, offers a vision into the dazzle world of outer space unlike any other. The calm of the summit provides amateur and professional astronomers alike a light-free view of the sky above the cloud line.
This prime location, coupled with the powerful lens of a scientific-grade telescope will easily transport you to far off galaxies. Nothing beats a day’s end like stargazing whilst sipping on warm cocoa or a hot brew of Kona coffee. But this tour offers more than celestial wonders.
Mauna Kea Stargazing Tour Details
- Highlights
- Tour Description
- Price & Availability
- Sample Itinerary
- Meals
- Cancellation Policy
- Special Instructions
Highlights
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Narrated Saddle Road sightseeing drive
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Narrated stargazing with scientific-level telescope
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Hot Chocolate/Kona Coffee/ Tea & Locally baked dessert
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Pickup & Return To Hotels In Kohala, Kona & Hilo
For Tours Starting In Hilo
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Rainbow Falls State Park waterfall visit
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Wailuku River’s “Boiling Pots” viewing and photo opportunity
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Kaumana Caves lava tube viewing
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Picnic-style dinner
For Tours Starting In Kona or Kohala
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Mauka Meadows Coffee Farm
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Sit-Down, Farm-to-Table dinner
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Coffee, tea, and honey sampling
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Daytime solar viewing & Sunset
Tour Description
More than a stargazing tour, this trip to the heavens atop Mauna Kea will be a vision you will remember forever.
For Tours Starting In Hilo
Getting your tour going in the mid-afternoon, you’ll first stop at Rainbow Falls where a cascading waterfall will dazzle you as it forms several rainbows in its mist. From there, travel to the spot known as “Boiling Points” along the Wailuku River. It is here that this tropical river forms a boiling bath with steam from the warm ground beneath it bubbling up to the water’s surface. This phenomenon offers wonderfully unique photos and is a true one-of-a-kind experience in nature. Hop aboard the van for a short ride over to the lava tube that forms Kaumana Cave. Gape inside this vast crevice then hike above it and settle into a picnic-style dinner.
Tours Starting In Kona or Kohala
Begin your excursion with a caffeine fix! With world-famous Kona coffee grown right here, a visit to a coffee plantation is a must! Spend time exploring Mauka Meadows Coffee Farm. Their guided tour will inform you about the coffee growing and making process, from bean to cup. Following an exploratory afternoon, settle in for a dinner of mouth-watering Hawaiian-style BBQ. Take in the slope-side views of the island and the great Pacific beyond as you leisurely enjoy this hearty meal. Following dinner, guests are invited to a sampling of coffees, teas, and honey – a true taste-bud adventure. And before the stargazing has begun, a solar gazing experience will commence. Using a state-of-the-art Coronado SolarMax 60 hydrogen-alpha solar telescope, guests can safely view the sun and its surface detail. This is your chance to examine sunspots, solar flares, and prominences safely.
For Both Tours: We Head Up The Side Of Mauna Kea For Stargazing.
We drive up Saddle Road after dinner to the side of Mauna Kea for stargazing using our professional telescope. Itʻs cooler up there so we provide hot drinks and warm jackets so you will be kept comfortable.
Guests are returned to their hotels in Kona, Kohala or Hilo between 10:00 pm and 10:30 pm.
Price & Availability
Tours Starting In Hilo
| Adult (13 yrs+) | $169 |
| Child (3-12 yrs) | $164 |
Tours Starting From Kona or Kohala
| Adult (13 yrs+) | $189 |
| Child (3-12 yrs) | $184 |
Sample Itinerary
| HILO |
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| KONA |
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Meals
For Tours Starting In Hilo
After sightseeing at Rainbow Falls and Boiling Pots, guests will pause for a picnic style dinner atop the cave.
Hot beverages including hot chocolate and Kona coffee will be offered with your locally-baked dessert as you stargaze.
All food and beverage is included.
For Tours Starting In Kona
After your farm tour of Maunakea Meadows, you’ll sit down to a dinner of Hawaiian BBQ while taking in the views of Kailua Bay.
After dinner, sample Maunakea Meadow’s variety of coffee, teas, and honey while taking in the grandiose of the shimmering Pacific.
More hot beverages choices like hot chocolate and Kona coffee will be offered with your locally-baked dessert as you stargaze.
All food and beverage is included.
Cancellation Policy
There is a 48-hour cancellation policy. Any cancellations or no-shows within that time period will not be refunded. Outside of the 48-hours, a guest may change or cancel their tour at no fee.
Special Instructions
Dress for cold temperatures and bring a jacket or sweater as the mountain top drops into the 40s each night. Additional warm jackets are provided.
You are welcome to bring your own binoculars however state-of-the-art telescope viewing is included.
Big Island Stargazing Tour Features
Saddle Road sightseeing
Aptly name to reflect the road’s location between two rising volcanoes, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, the famed road offers travelers a view of both volcanic mountains and an understanding of just how grand these two geological wonders are.
Big Islandʻs Best Stargazing
(hot coffee/chocolate/dessert)
Peek into the heavens through a Dobsonian mounted telescope for a close-up look or simply gaze at star clusters and constellations through the naked eye. You may see the Seven Sisters, Saturn’s Rings, and other perennial and seasonal gaseous glows. Your knowledgeable guide will narrate your stargazing, pointing out the highlights and answering questions.
Tours Starting From Kona or Kohala
Mauka Meadows Coffee Farm
Coffee Tasting & BBQ Dinner
Take a tour of this coffee plantation, known for its famed Kona coffee. After the information walkabout, you will be treated to a Hawaiian-style BBQ dinner on the farm. After dinner, indulge in a selection of tea, coffee, and honey samplings.
Daytime Stargazing
Solar Telescope
Stargazing during the day is possible! Remember – the sun is a star. View the day-time sky safely through a Coronado SolarMax 60 hydrogen-alpha solar telescope from the slopes of the coffee farm. See the sun and its surface including sunspots, solar flares, and prominences.
Tours Starting In Hilo
Rainbow Falls
The 80-foot drop of this twin, cascading waterfall is breathtakingly perfect. The lava cave behind the falls offers the perfect backdrop for several rainbows to form in the mist, giving the falls its name.
Boiling Pots
The stream water “boils” up from the rock bed of the Wailuku River, providing beautiful photographic captures for you nature enthusiasts. A pause here makes one appreciate the unusual and vast features nature provides.
Kaumana Caves & Picnic Dinner
This lava tube cave has been described as “cathedral-like”. Take in the eerie vastness and dark corners of this dripping cave before climbing above it for the provided picnic-style dinner.
On-Island Full-Service Concierge
Every tour purchased with us comes with access to our team of travel experts who make your vacation experience better.
Great Guides With Local Knowledge
Have an amazing experience with our small group tours in comfortable vehicles driven by certified, professional guides.
Stress-Free Vacation Planning
We handle all travel aspects so you can have an incredible vacation to the worldʻs best volcanoes. Go with confidence.
Wide Selection Of Volcano Tours
We have the best selection of Volcano Tours here in Hawaii. Book with us to choose an itinerary that matches your passion.
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