Mauna Kea Sunset & Stargazing
Watch a breathtaking sunset from the summit of Mauna Kea nearly 14,000 ft above the Pacific Ocean. Explore the amazing star-filled night sky from where ancient Hawaiians believed the earth meets the universe.
$265.00 + tax & fees
Book online
Truly Stunning Sunset
Mauna Kea offers a breathtaking view that is hard to match. Located in the center of Hawai’i Island, Mauna Kea has an unobstructed view of the horizon and the sky. This view, coupled with its famously clear skies and dry crisp air, creates the perfect condition for truly stunning sunsets.
The Best Stargazing Experience
After sunset, it’s time to explore the star-filled night sky from one of the best stargazing spots in the world. Our guide will show stars and constellations using a green laser and a computerized telescope.
Tour Details
| Price | $245 (plus tax & fees) |
| Availability | Daily (weather permitting) |
| Age Restriction | 13-84* |
| Minimum Participants | 3** |
| Maximum Occupancy Per Vehicle | 12*** |
| Departure Time | Early afternoon (time varies with season) |
| Returning Time | Late night (time varies with season) |
| Tour Duration | 7-8 hours |
| Time Spent at the Summit | Approx. 1hr during sunset |
| Stargazing | Approx. 1hr guided with a computerized telescope |
| Gear Provided | Heavy-duty hooded parka |
| Food Provided | Light snacks and hot chocolate |
| Vehicle | 4×4 passenger van |
*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.
***Maximum occupancy per vehicle is subject to change due to the Covid-19 regulations by the State of Hawaii and the County of Hawaii.
What to Bring
- Warm clothes such as long pants, sweater/hoodie, warm socks, and closed-toe shoes are must-haves. (A heavy-duty hooded parka will be provided)
- We strongly encourage you to bring your own water. Drinking water will reduce the risk of altitude sickness and prevent dehydration in the dry climate of the summit area.
Please Note:
- This tour does not include meals. Please have a large lunch before joining the tour. We do not recommend having a big meal during the long break at the Visitor Center because eating heavily just before ascending to a high altitude on a rough road may make you feel sick. Instead, we provide light snacks and you are welcome to bring your own.
You may get hungry after the tour, therefore we recommend preparing something for when you get back to your accommodations. There are a few 24-hour stores in Kona in case you weren’t able to prepare beforehand. Please ask your guide for more information. - Alcohol beverage is not allowed during the tour.
- Please do not bring in large luggage such as suitcases.
- $6 commercial tour passenger fee for the Office of Mauna Kea Management is included in the tour price.
- Gratuity is not included in the tour price but tips are much appreciated by your guide.
Learn more about our Mauna Kea Tours.
Javier M
May 30, 2023.
Unforgettable stargazing and sunset experience
This experience is one that I HIGHLY recommend to anyone coming to the Big Island! Our tour guide John was absolutely amazing in every sense of the word. He was very friendly, funny, kind, and just took care of our entire group so well. He is a phenomenal driver and an even more phenomenal person. The tour itself is stunning! You go to the top of the tallest dormant volcano of all the islands, and have an experience like no other. You get to see all of 12 different observatories at the top of the summit, the most incredible sunset and even more incredible stars at night. Again, our tour guide, John, was so knowledgeable about the stars and all the constellations. He pointed out everything that we saw in the sky and taught us about the constellations, their distances from the earth, and so much more. I highly recommended downloading a stargazing app on your phone also before going because that was cool to use! HUGE BONUS: the tour company provides you a super nice bag filled with goodies! We received bottles of water, chips, cookies, macadamia nuts, and even hot chocolate to drink when we were watching the stars! HIGHLY recommend bringing lots of warm clothes because it was extremely cold at the top! But the company also provides giant warm parkas to everyone, so that helped keep us warm as well! This experience is one my wife and I will never forget. Overall, give this experience a 10 out of 10. This is a MUST DO on Big island, and you MUST do it with this company!
Tracy N
May 7, 2023.
Amazing tour!
Definitely a must-do in Big Island. Our tour guide, Shin, was very professional and super friendly. He took us to the best spots to see the sunset and stars (with a telescope!), explained each place and star in details, and even helped us take incredible pictures as well. The whole tour took about 5 hours but it didn’t feel long at all as we were provided with some snacks and hot chocolate along the way. I highly recommended Taikobo Hawaii for the sunset and stargazing tour.
camille r
May 4, 2023.
Amazing
This trip is worth every penny. A truly memorable, emotional and beautiful trip to the summit (without the hassle of driving!) Our tour guide, John, was informative, kept us safe and gave us a detailed description of the night sky. Transport van was roomy, clean and comfortable. Would go again in a heartbeat.
Yuta U
April 24, 2023.
また参加したいマウナケア山頂からの夕日と天体観測のツアーでした
日本人にとっては若干高価なツアーでしたが、ここでしか体験できないサンセットと星空観測ができ、大変満足しています。ガイドのShinさんはとても気の利く方で、終始大変丁寧に、そしてユーモラスに説明してくださいました。彼のガイド抜きには満足できていなかったです。ただ観光客向けの説明をするだけでなく、展望台や天体に関する知識や、ハワイの原住民の話など、様々な側面からわかりやすく説明いただけました。私たち2人が参加したツアーは他の参加者5名は米国または英語を得意とする方々でしたので、Shinさんの説明のほとんどが英語でした(私たちだけに話される時や、星座の説明などは日本語でした)。ですが、Shinさんは英語もややゆっくり話してくださいましたので、一部の用語以外はだいたい聞き取れました。配慮してくださいますので心配不要です。唯一気になる点は、車内の音響設備です。Shinさんが若干使いづらそうにしていましたし、マイクやスピーカーの音質もイマイチでした。使いやすいものに更新されても良いかもしれません。同じツアーにはアメリカ本土から来られたやや年配のご夫婦も参加されていました(彼らは昨年に続き今年も参加されたリピーターでした)。機会がありましたら、私たちもいずれまた参加させていただければと思っています。
ゆきこ
April 1, 2023.
[日本語]マウナケア山頂Sunsetツアー
日本語のマウナケア山頂Sunsetツアーを限定催行されると知り、すぐに申し込みをしました。コロナ禍に日本語ツアーはほぼ無くなってしまったので、限定ではありますが復活してとても嬉しいです。ツアーは、滞在先への送迎があり大変助かりました。ガイドのshinさんは運転もお話もとても上手で、バンも快適でした。マウナケア山頂では数箇所で撮影時間を取ってくださり、色々な角度からの景色を撮影できました。山頂には雪が残り、言葉では説明出来ないくらい素晴らしかったです。気温も0℃くらいでしたが、上着を貸してくださるので問題ありません。英語のツアーでもマウナケア山頂には行けますが、健康面への配慮などが特に必要な場所なので、英語に自信が無い場合は日本語のツアーを強くオススメします。星空観察では高性能の望遠鏡で星を見せてくださいます。仮に星が見えない場合でも、星座の説明などを聞くことができます。
Sightsee66007131908
March 29, 2023.
Loved our tour guide
The tour started at the Queens market place. John picked us up right on time. He gave us a bag with hawaiian treats, a bottle of water and hot coco mix with a cup. We then headed to the visitor center and along the way, he explained our itinerary in detail. When we got to the visitor center, stayed for about an hour to get used to the high altitude. We drove on unpacked road for 7miles or so and got to where all the telescopes are and learned about them. Then we got to the spot where we wait for the sunset. When my 13 year old daughter got sick, he prepared oxygen tank for her. She felt much better after that. John was very calm and kind all through out the trip. After the sunset, we got down to the visitor center area for star gazing. It was a very cloudy night and couldn’t see too many stars. But we saw this amazing ring of light reflection around the moon that nobody in our group including John had seen. Although the condition was not the best, John taught us how to read stars and showed us few constellations that we could see. He is very knowledgeable in hawaiian culture and stars etc. He brought out his computerized telescope and we saw the surface of the moon! Weather was not cooperating but overall trip was good and we were happy.
WillBike11
March 23, 2023.
Unique and amazing
We had a great trip up Mauna Kea with our guide John. While our teen daughters were skeptical at first, they were amazed by the views from the summit (not to mention the snow!) and the John did a great job with stargazing too. Would recommend this to anyone visiting the Big Island.
Earnest M
March 21, 2023.
Best experience in kona
The entire tour is 5 star. John was our guide. He is nice, courteous, knowledgeable and polite. The ideal professional and excellent driver.
Andrea D
March 17, 2023.
Enjoyed it
The tour was enjoyable and well worth the price. John was our guide and was informative, organized and friendly. Highly recommend
Kristen K
March 16, 2023.
Hands down the best!!
This was hands down the highlight of our two weeks in Hawaii. Our guides, John and Emmy, were amazing. Emmy especially went above and beyond for us. She is such an adventurous soul and you can tell she truly loves her job. She gave us a great history of Hawaii and the mountain. Snacks and comfortable transportation was provided and looking through the telescope was so cool. This tour was absolutely perfect. Thank you, Emmy!