Mauna Kea Stargazing Tour
Explore The Celestial Heavens With A Professional Guide & Astronomer
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.
Narrated Saddle Road sightseeing drive
Narrated stargazing with scientific-level telescope
Hot Chocolate/Kona Coffee/ Tea & Locally baked dessert
Pickup & Return To Hotels In Kohala, Kona & Hilo
Rainbow Falls State Park waterfall visit
Wailuku River’s “Boiling Pots” viewing and photo opportunity
Kaumana Caves lava tube viewing
Picnic-style dinner
Mauka Meadows Coffee Farm
Sit-Down, Farm-to-Table dinner
Coffee, tea, and honey sampling
Daytime solar viewing & Sunset
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.
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 |
HILO |
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KONA |
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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.
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.
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.
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.
(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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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Have an amazing experience with our small group tours in comfortable vehicles driven by certified, professional guides.
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