Mauna Kea Summit and Stars Small-Group Adventure Tour

Posted By : Mark_M
I’m sure this tour is fabulous if weather conditions are in your favor. However this tour is dependent on low enough or no clouds at the summit and clear skies for star gazing. Be aware the tour operator runs the tour almost regardless of conditions and you assume the risk for poor weather. In our case the summit road was closed most of the day for thick fog and high winds. It eventually reopened and the tour went on with the company telling me when I inquired that conditions were improving. We were able to get to the top but saw nothing but fog and the outside of telescopes. Stargazing was also very spotty. They were unable to take pictures because of the clouds and sent us pictures from other trips. On the positive side, our guide was entertaining and tried hard to make the best of a difficult situation. If you go, they serve chicken stew in a thermos with a dinner roll. It’s very good but not a full meal so plan accordingly. We brought snacks. They also serve a cookie and glass of hot chocolate during stargazing which were also good. If you take the tour I would use Viator and take advantage of the 24 hour cancellation policy if things don’t look good. The company did give me a 15% refund after I inquired.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-19

Posted By : Aviram_B
We had a great time visiting Mauna Kea with Hawaii Forest and Trail. Jon was an excellent tour guide. Unfortunately, we had bad luck going up to the summit on a day filled with fog and even snow, but it was cool to see the telescopes. We left a bit disappointed, but we were very grateful to receive a phone call the next day informing us that we were getting a partial refund due to the weather conditions. It was nice to see the company proactively issue it, and we will definitely recommend this tour to anyone who wants to visit the Mauna Kea Summit.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-18

Posted By : sneal1968
Mauna Kea Summit and Stars. May 9, 2024 Tour Guide: Jeff Our tour started almost immediately, as Jeff described lava flows we were passing. Yes, the whole island formed by lava, but continuing flows keep the island growing. Amazing. As we climbed Mauna Kea, Jeff repeatedly checked on our adaptation to the elevation gain encouraging us to stay hydrated. My wife and I are old enough, we watched the Apollo moon landings live on our little black and white TV. We were ecstatic to see the barren area where those astronauts trained! We’ve been taking geology and astronomy courses via Great Courses, so now we could see all of this in person. At the summit, we saw some of the telescopes we had studied. YAY! Took our picture in front of the NASA IR telescope!! We absorbed a stunning sunset. By the way, the parkas supplied were perfect with the 32F temps. Then we dropped down a 1,000 ft to a little pull off and started the Star Party. Absolutely out of this world! Jeff had two telescopes set up. One, connected to a computer, was tracking celestial objects and doing timed photos which The other reflector telescope Jeff tuned to different objects and we got to see them! We started with the Moon which was crescent phase. Craters, craters everywhere, and sharply in focus. Then we moved on to star clusters, galaxies, and nebulae. This was the cherry on top of all our astronomical courses. My favorite constellation is the Southern Cross — not visible from the CONUS — it was great to see it again. Jeff was an outstanding guide the whole way. He answered all of our astronomical and geological questions, and also taught us so much we didn’t know enough to ask. He cared for us along the way, fed us great meals, and bundled us up against the cold. He is a kind teacher, driver, guide! There aren’t enough stars in the sky to give a rating for this tour and Jeff!
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-18

Posted By : Aloha_B
The guide was friendly and knowledgeable, but the weather wasn’t. That is to say, if it’s impossible to see the jeep beside you at the summit, you aren’t likely to see stars. If you are tempted to believe you’ll have an opportunity to be inside the observatory, you don’t. If the weather forecast is wet and cloudy, consider canceling until it clears. Otherwise, the ride back is real quiet. However, the company, aware of the quiet ride and fog, did issue a 50% refund. Clearly, they are not in charge of fog and rain.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-15

Posted By : Stormey_D
Jeff was amazing. Very knowledgeable. The dinner and dessert was also delicious. The stars were absolutely amazing. Jeff really made the trip memorable.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-07

Posted By : Louis_S
The views at sunset from the summit of Mauna Kea were spectacular. The skies at lower elevation were mostly cloudy, so our stargazing later in the evening was limited, but our guide, John, provided so much information about the constellations and planets, how their locations shift with the seasons and latitude, illustrated with star charts and photos on an iPad, that we didn’t feel shortchanged.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-05

Posted By : NorthStar09217269408
This tour was fantastic. Our guide Jon was so knowledgeable. He told us facts in detail about the observatories, solar systems, volcanos and wildlife. The entire experience was phenomenal. Thanks for creating everlasting memories.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-03

Posted By : Ben_L
When knowledge and passion come together with a well run, absolutely unique experience , you have something special. This is what we experienced on this tour. Jeff, our guide, had incredible knowledge of both Hawai’i and astronomy. And the overall experience is something you cannot experience anywhere else in the world. Absolutely worth every $$.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-04-24

Posted By : stephant920
It was a great and very lucky trip. We had perfect sunset, clear night sky and even comet: 12P/Pons-Brooks! And it was very impressive, when I watched the M42 Orion Nebula with naked eye through the 11 inch telescope. (I have had an 8 inch telescope before.) But I had a bad plan beforehand: Because I had some experience in Astronomy and Photography. So I hoped to take some best photos of milky way in my whole life there. But I forgot two thing: 1. The time was not late enough to get a really dark sky. The “astronomical twilight” was still there ,when we were up there. 2. wrong season: The galactic center of the milky way is visible only in the early morning in April. But those were my faults. By the way, I still built up my camera on tripod and got some pictures. I love the one of the comet ,Jupiter and dark volcano. It was Jeff, who showed me the comet! (photo with Panasonic G9 and 20mm F1.7 cropped). Mahalo Jeff.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-04-23

Posted By : suzannesY151VP
Just wow! I know this tour is very expensive but it is absolutely worth it! Jeff was a fantastic guide; he welcomed the whole group like we were old friends and was so knowledgeable about the island. The drive to the visitor center is pretty easy. Dinner was hot and tasty - even my very picky husband liked his. The drive from the visitor center to the summit gets really bumpy. Once you get to the top it’s an incredible view. You are above the clouds to watch the sunset. When the sun sets you head down a bit and that’s when the magic really starts. It only took Jeff a few minutes to set up his telescopes. He showed us several different things and told us all about the stars. My husband didn’t stop smiling the entire time - I’ve known him 15 years and I have never seen him smile this much. Would book again in a heartbeat!
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-04-21