This 7-8 hour tour departs Kona before climbing to the highest peak in Hawaii for a spectacular sunset. Settle in for a ride up Mauna Kea’s 4×4 access road in a custom-built off-road motor coach and explore the Mars-like, 13,800 ft summit. Weather permitting, guests will be rewarded with views of Mauna Loa, Haleakala on Maui, and both coasts of the Big Island. As the sun begins to sink, you’ll traverse back down to a more suitable elevation of 9,000 feet for a stargazing experience like no other. Brace yourself for why many people visit Hawaii: Big Island Stargazing!

What You’ll Learn

The early Hawaiians were expert navigators and relied on the stars to point them in the right direction. This tour highlights the incredible navigation techniques used by Polynesian voyagers. Guests will also learn about the early travelers through these towering mountains and the deeply sacred Mauna Kea.

What’s Included

In addition to a private star show and the opportunity to peer into the heavens through a Celestron optical telescope, transportation from Kona and Waikoloa to Mauna Kea is included. Guests are also provided with a hot picnic dinner, dessert, hot tea, and hot chocolate. Gloves and parkas are included as well.

What to Bring

The average temperature of the upper reaches of Mauna Kea sits at a crisp 32 degrees. Wear warm gear: long pants, socks, sweatshirts. Closed-toed shoes are also recommended, as this tour includes light walking over rocky, uneven terrain. Don’t forget water in a reusable bottle as well!

Give Back Wednesdays

Book on a Wednesday for an extra stop at the Waikoloa Dry Forest to give back to the aina (land). On this special tour, guests are allowed to help restore endangered native species in this protected Hawaiian forest before going up to Maunakea to see the stars. A portion of your ticket cost will also be donated to the conservation efforts of the Waikoloa Dry Forest. Do your part and Book The Summit & Stars Giveback Experience today!

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Nearby Areas:
Kona • Waikoloa • Waimea

Mauna Kea Summit and Stars Photos

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The Mauna Kea stargazing tour adventure begins with a unique solar viewing experience. Accompanied by a trained guide, peer through a solar telescope to observe our sun in a fashion few get to see. Depending on the weather, guests will have the chance to see solar flares, sunspots, and more. This tour is the only stargazing experience on the Big Island that boasts daytime solar viewing!

Stargazing

Post-solar viewing, this tour travels between the monstrous peaks of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa via Saddle Road before reaching the stargazing site on the slopes of Mauna Kea. Using a large aperture Dobsonian telescope, you’ll view the deep sky and planetary objects, as well as the moon, galaxies, nebula, planets, and much more (weather permitting).

Star Guides

The tour guides and staff aboard this tour are some of the most experienced in the state in the astronomical field, one of which developed the Mauna Kea Visitor Center and operated it for ten years. Other staff members have worked at astronomy centers and written articles and reviews for astronomy magazines. A National Park Service-trained guide is also aboard every tour to detail the fascinating history, geology, and volcanology of Hawaii’s volcanos, as well as explain the flora and fauna found in this otherworldly area.

What’s Included

Mauna Kea reaches nearly 14,000 feet, and while this tour doesn’t visit the summit, the temperature on the slopes can still be frigid. Warm jackets are provided, as well as hot chocolate and 100% Kona coffee. A deli-style picnic dinner and a tasty dessert from a local baker are also included. Book it today for the best Big Island Stargazing.

BOOK NOW!

Nearby Areas:
Kona • Waikoloa • Kohala

Mauna Kea Stargazing Photos

The post Mauna Kea Stargazing Tour (Kona Pick Up) appeared first on Activity Authority.