Mauna Kea Stargazing
Mauna Kea Sunset
A Couple at Mauna Kea Summit
Mauna Kea Sunset

The most epic experience on Hawaii’s Big Island

The breathtaking view you'll never forget

Watch an amazing Sunrise/Sunset from the summit of Mauna Kea, nearly 14,000 ft. above the Pacific Ocean. Located in the center of Hawai’i Island, Mauna Kea has an unobstructed view of the horizon and offers a breathtaking vista that is hard to match. This view, coupled with its famous clear skies and dry crisp air, creates the perfect condition for absolutely stunning scenery.

My God, it's full of stars!

Mauna Kea is also known as one of the best stargazing spots in the world for its air clarity and total darkness. Our tours include ample time to explore the amazing star-filled night sky from where ancient Hawaiians believed the earth meets the universe.

Tour Details

TourMauna Kea Sunset & Stars TourMauna Kea Sunrise & Stars Tour
Price$265 (plus tax & fees)$265 (plus tax & fees)
Age Restriction13-84*13-84*
AvailabilityDaily (weather permitting)Non-scheduled
Minimum Participants3**3**
Maximum Occupancy Per Vehicle1212
Departure TimeEarly afternoon
(time varies with season)
After midnight
(time varies with season)
Returning TimeLate night
(time varies with season)
Early morning
(time varies with season)
Tour Duration7-8 hours7-8 hours
Time Spent at the SummitApprox. 1hr during sunsetApprox. 1hr during sunrise
StargazingApprox. 1hr guided with computerized telescope***Approx. 30min unguided (no telescope)
Gear ProvidedHeavy-duty hooded parkaHeavy-duty hooded parka
Food ProvidedLight snacks and hot chocolateLight snacks and hot chocolate
Vehicle4×4 passenger van4×4 passenger van

Please note;

  • Our tours do not include meals. We provide light snacks and you are welcome to bring your own.
  • Please bring warm clothes to wear under the provided parka. Read the FAQ to learn more about our Mauna Kea Tours.
  • We strongly encourage you to bring water. Drinking water will reduce the risk of altitude sickness.
  • You will be standing outside for roughly an hour while stargazing. If you have difficulty standing, please let us know in advance.
  • Gratuity is not included in the tour price but tips are greatly appreciated.

*Children 12 or younger are not allowed on our tours due to the high altitude. Seniors 85 or older may only participate in our Private Charter Tours for our guides to be more attentive to their health during the tour.
**If the number of participants does not reach 3 by 24 hours before the tour departs, the tour will be canceled. Customers who have already applied will have the option to pay the difference to avoid cancellation.

FAQ

3 convenient locations to catch your tour van

We provide 3 convenient pickup points in Kailua-Kona, Waikoloa Beach Resort, and Onizuka Visitor Center. Select an ideal location according to where you are staying or your activity of the day.

Don’t have a car? Or just don’t feel like driving? No worries! We can pick you up at major hotels and condos on the west side of the island. (Subject to an additional fee)

Learn More

E Ola Mauna Kea

Mauna Kea is one of the most sacred sites for native Hawaiians and the Hawaiian culture. We are dedicated to promoting a deep appreciation of and respect for the natural beauty, culture, people, and history of Mauna Kea and Hawaiʻi Island. E Ola Mauna Kea – Let Mauna Kea Live!

We continue to receive and pass on the traditional teachings of Kumu Kaela Ching, our exclusive advisor to the Hawaiian culture.

Kumu Keala Ching
Kumu Keala Ching

omochi
omochi
January 24, 2023.
太公望でマウナケアー山頂・サンライズ&星空ツアー体感と感動を^ ^日本語が通じて安心して楽しめたオプションツアー マウナケアのサンライズを観る事が私の夢でした。この時期何処もやってなく諦めてたその時、駄目もとで問い合わせてた返事が‼️天候がよければ行けるとの事で凄く嬉しかったです。taikoboさんに感謝❗️天候を祈りながら待ちに待った日が来ました。ガイドさんのお話しを聞きながら楽しく始まり休憩の為、オニズカ・ビジターセンターに!沢山の星空観察と遠くで赤く噴火してるのが見えテンションUP↑素敵な星空を見ながら温かいココアと軽食(ハワイ島産のスナック類)を頂きました。全て私好みでした。特にパン♥︎standard bakery 食感など楽しめ無限に食べれそうですwwwハワイ島のお美味しいを頂けて更にhappy遂に目的地に到着❗️念願のサンライズが拝めました〜天気もよく素晴らしい景色に心洗われ全てに感動と感謝❗️極寒でしたがその事より絶景に夢中♥︎果てし無く続く雲海、雲海に光が反射して神秘的❗️帰る道もずっと余す事なく絶景で楽しめました。このオプションツアーでご一緒して頂けたガイドさんはとても感じが良くこちら側の立場になって物事を考えて対応して下さったのと親切丁寧に沢山の事を教えて頂きました。素晴らしい体験と1日をありがとうございました。また携わりたいと思いました。またその際はよろしくお願い致します。多くの方に是非この体験をして頂けたら嬉しいです。Emmy ( •̤̂◡•̤̂)◞ा৸ªnઝ Ⴤ૦ʋ♡ See you again ♡
Katelyn R
Katelyn R
January 22, 2023.
Fantastic experience! Shin was incredible!!!! He was such a great guide, was our photographer, and always made sure everyone was ok! FANTASTIC tour! And I liked that we were in a Mercedes sprinter van, much more comfortable than some of the other tours I saw! The sunset and stars were out of this world!!! Highly recommend!
Ellen L
Ellen L
January 16, 2023.
Trip highlight This was a highlight of our time in Hawaii! John was our guide, and the experience was very special due to his knowledge, story telling, and deep respect for site. The provided coats kept us warm, and the views were stunning. We has 10 people in our group and booked the whole tour--he picked us up and dropped us off at our hotel, which was super nice
Jodie
Jodie
January 13, 2023.
Definitely a ‘must do’ excursion This was a fantastic excursion the whole family enjoyed. Shin was our tour guide and he was excellent. He shared his knowledge of the island, as well as the stars! Thanks Shin!
Bari B
Bari B
January 9, 2023.
Best tour we’ve ever taken. Shin-Y was an amazing tour guide. He was extremely knowledgeable about the volcanoes, observatories, and the night sky. In addition to his informative and entertaining commentary, he frequently checked in on our well being at the high elevation, took amazing photos, and drove cautiously on difficult terrain. He provided snack bags containing local treats beyond the bottle of water we anticipated. The telescope was extremely advanced and computerized and he used a laser pointer to identify major constellations. Although this tour is a splurge, we would highly recommend it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Vera V
Vera V
January 8, 2023.
Special trip Great tour, John is wonderful, and he made our experience very special. He took care of everything! I loved all the thoughtful details: warm jackets and interesting stories, friendly approach and nice soft Hawaiian music in the car, treats and warm cacao. Most wonderful to me were the chanting upon entering Mauna Kea, and stargazing. We had special, fun Astronomy lessons and an impressive telescope to enjoy. The experience felt beautiful and the atmosphere was very comfortable. Thank you so much, dear John! Best to you!
Scarlett O
Scarlett O
January 7, 2023.
Outstanding!!! This was a completely amazing experience and we would highly recommend it. This company thinks about every detail from warm parka jackets, to delicious snacks as well as your comfort and safety. It was really professionally run, and our guide John was so knowledgeable and really interactive - he knew so much about the history, science and culture of the volcano. He was also encyclopaedic about the stars and I learned more about the night sky than any other stargazing trip that I have done before.
Tiffany H
Tiffany H
January 5, 2023.
Outstanding tour! We loved this tour so much! Despite having read many reviews about the tour and what to expect, it was still mind blowing to stand on top of Mauna Kea watching the sun set. Our guide/driver John was very knowledgeable and shared many details about not only the volcanos/Big Island but also Hawaiian traditions and history with us. When we were almost at the top of the summit, John shared a short Hawaiian chant with us and we showed our respect to Poliʻahu, the Hawaiian goddess of snow. Standing on snowy ground on the tallest volcano in the world, this offer of respect to Mother Nature and Hawai'i moved me to tears. The extra accommodations, including a snow gear parka, snacks/hot cocoa, night sky photos, were all extraordinary and deeply appreciated. When we got to the summit, it was 36F with wind blowing at 40MPH. (We saw other tour groups with no snow jackets on...) We highly recommend this company/tour/our guide John, will definitely use them again!
Shuma
Shuma
December 27, 2022.
サンセット&星空ツアー 4000mから見る夕日は絶景。星空も日本では見れないほどたくさんの星が空いっぱいに広がっており最高でした。ガイドのShinさんもとても親切で、英語圏の観光客と同じツアーでしたが、合間合間で日本語でも説明してくれたので安心して参加できました。ハワイ島のおすすめスポットまで教えてもらえました。
Sara_Ramaswamy
Sara_Ramaswamy
December 24, 2022.
Excellent trip to the Summit We finally got to go to the summit of Mauna Kea- the roads had been closed for about a week due to bad weather. We were lucky to get last minute seats on MuanaKea sunset tour- Emmy was awesome with all her prompt responses and great guidance. John was an amazing guide - it was about an hour drive to the Onizuka Visitor center and John gave a great commentary all the way. We were at the visitor center to acclimatize - pl chk out the visitor center and trails . The drive to the summit was quite good considering the fact that at least 4 of the 8 miles were unpacked . We watched an amazing sunset and John brought us to a place near the visitor center for star gazing - a mind blowing experience -John pointed out different constellations, stars, nebula and showed us thro his telescope - Saturn in its full glory with all its rings, Jupiter and its moons, Milky Way, peak into Andro meda galaxy- dream come true for my family . Highly highly recommend this tour!

Tours operated by Taikobo Hawaii, Inc.

Taikobo Hawaii, Inc. has been providing guided tours to the summit of Mauna Kea since 1983 as well as other famous tourist destinations on the Big Island of Hawaii. We are one of the few companies that are officially authorized by The Office of Maunakea Management (part of the University of Hawaii at Hilo) to conduct commercial tours in this Hawaiian sanctuary.

We are dedicated to promoting a deep appreciation and respect for the natural beauty, culture, and history of the Big Island of Hawaii and the Hawaiian People by providing a variety of safe, enjoyable, and educational tours to visitors from all over the world, and by focusing company resources on the development of hospitable and knowledgeable guides and safe and comfortable tour vehicles.

https://taikobo.com
Tripadvisor

COVID-19 Health & Safety Policy

Although Hawaii’s indoor mask mandate is no longer in effect, masks are still recommended in our tour van to lower the risk of transmission. It is wise to wear a mask while indoors with people whose vaccination status is unknown and when you are unable to maintain physical distancing.

Our health policy is subject to change in the future due to State of Hawaii regulations and recommendations.

Taikobo Hawaii, Inc. (dba. Mauna Kea Sunrise Sunset & Stars) adheres to the guidelines and requirements of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the State of Hawaii in order to prevent the spread of Coronavirus infection. We ask all of our guests to meet the following requirements when participating in our tour.

  • You must have completed the COVID-19 vaccine or have proof of a negative COVID-19 test from the Safe Travels Hawaii Program. The person who makes the reservation must agree to these terms during the online checkout process and everyone in the group must meet this requirement. We do not accept guests that have only been quarantined for entry.
  • We will check your body temperature with a contactless infrared thermometer prior to the tour. Any guest with a temperature higher than 100.4 will not be allowed to participate in the tour. Their party and traveling companions will also not be allowed to participate in the tour. A full refund will be made for all affected customers.
  • Masks are required at all times inside the vehicle. The state of Hawaii mandates everyone to wear a mask indoors.

Updated: March 26, 2022