Mauna Kea Stargazing Tour

Explore The Celestial Heavens With A Professional Guide & Astronomer

Explore the Geological Wonders of Mauna Kea And View The Stars

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 side of the mountain provides amateur and professional astronomers alike a light-free view of the sky above the cloud line.

Mauna Kea Star Gazing Night Sky Telescope and Guests Big Island

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.

Note

With due respect to Native Hawaiian concerns, this tour doesn’t visit the summit of Mauna Kea.

BOOK YOUR TOUR

Kona
Starting at $229^.00 per adult

Adult (13yrs +) $229^.00 + tax & fees
Child (12 & under) $224^.00 + tax & fees

Mauna Kea Stargazing Tour Details

Highlights

Narrated Saddle Road sightseeing drive
Narrated stargazing with scientific-level telescope
Hot Chocolate/Kona Coffee/ Tea & Locally baked dessert
Pickup & Return To Hotels In Kona.

Mauka Meadows Coffee Farm
Picnic Style Dinner – Sandwich & Salad
Coffee, tea, and honey sampling
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.

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, we enjoy a picnic-style dinner of sandwiches or salads while taking in the island’s slope-side views and the great Pacific beyond. 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.

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 between 10:00 pm and 10:30 pm.

Price & Availability

Tours Starting From Kona

Adult (13 yrs+)	$229
Child (12 and under)	$224

Sample Itinerary

KONA

3:30 pm – Depart Kona (Kohala – 3:15pm)
4:00 – 5:30 pm – Mauka Meadows Coffee Farm & dinner/coffee/solar
5:30 – 7:30 pm – Saddle Road sightseeing
8:00 – 9:00 pm – Stargazing (hot coffee/chocolate/dessert)
10:15 pm – Arrive back in Kona (Kohala – 10pm)

Meals

For Tours Starting In Kona

On the slopes of Mauna Kea, we will enjoy a picnic-style lunch at a location with incredible views of the sunset.

More hot beverage choices like hot chocolate and Kona coffee will be offered with your locally-baked dessert as you stargaze.

All food and beverage are 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.

Mauna Kea Star Gazing Night Sky Big Island

Mauna Kea Star Gazing Night Sky Milky Way EX Big Island

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.

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.

Family Friendly Awards Hawaii Tours Activities

Book Maunakea Stellar Explorer Stargazing Tour

BOOK NOW

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bring my own telescope/binoculars/stargazing tools?

If the tool is larger than binoculars, please contact the company directly. State-of-the-art telescope viewing is included.

What will we use to stargaze/solar-gaze?

For solar gazing, a Coronado SolarMax 60 hydrogen-alpha solar telescope is used. For stargazing, a large aperture 10-inch Dobsonian mounted telescope, ultra-wide field Televue and Explore Scientific brand eyepieces, and premium narrowband nebula filters is used.

Does the time of year affect what is seen?

Yes, there are seasonal and perennial constellations and conditions.

Do we need to purchase our own food and beverages?

All food and beverages are included in the price.

What if it is a cloud-covered night?

The elevation of the gazing location is high enough that cloud coverage does not interfere with stargazing.