Mauna Kea Summit Sunset and Stars Free Astro Photos Hilo Kona Waikoloa Pick Up

Our tour guide was Hunter. He was awesome with detailed knowledge of Hawaii facts and astronomy. We were picked up from Hilo right on time and were early at every scheduled stops at the Visitor Information center and the summit. We loved our time at the summit where witnessed a wonderful sunset with cloud layer below us and a Mona loa peak visible distantly. 15-20 minutes after the sunset, we gathered a nearby place for stargazing which was amazing experience. The night sky was filled with stars and milky way was visible as well. Hunter gave us an amazing narrated tour of the night sky. We were provided with hot chocolate and some snacks. Through a professional telescope, we got to see different planets like Venus, Jupiter and Saturn. Towards the end, we had our pictures taken with their DSLR in front of the milky way. The trip is a complete value for money and we highly recommend it for anyone visiting Big Island.

The customer service from all was amazing, crew went above and beyond to make sure we were having the best experience. vehicles were well equipped, very informative and the views were just breathtaking.

We have been looking forward to this trip for over 2 years, but it was interrupted at 12,000 feet right before we reached the summit due to a vehicle on fire blocking the road. Our driver and guide Hunter was very informative, but not in an annoying way some tour guides can be. However, the mini bus that picked us up in Kona had quite a few people on board, over 20 for sure. That was a bit of a surprise since the tour was advertised as a small group and we had been avoiding crowds due to Covid. At the access road we switched to a Mercedes 4 wheel van with Hunter that had only 8 people inside, still more than we expected, but not as bad. At 9,000 feet we stopped to acclimate to the altitude for 45 minutes and explored the fenced off area that housed the endangered silver fern. It was about 20 minutes more up the mountain at approximately 12,000 feet when we encountered the vehicle fire. Everyone was instructed to evacuate back down the mountain. We did stop to take pictures of the sunset. So why so many stars? Viator immediately refunded 100% of our money without even asking. We are disappointed about the experience but understand it was out of their control and Hunter was amazing. We hope to try it again when we come back again to the Bug Island.

We have been visiting the Big Island for years, but this is the first time we've booked a tour of Mauna Kea. We were glad we did. It was great having someone else do the driving, and our guide, Hunter, was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. We were very impressed with the efficiency of the tour and the care they took to give us an amazing experience. They thought of everything. I would recommend this tour to anyone visiting the Big Island.

Stars were simply unbelievable! The sunset beautiful. The guides friendly and knowledgeable. Chance of a lifetime to experience this night.

Had the best time. Hunter is very knowledgeable and a great tour guide. Could not recommend this tour more especially if you have a passion for the cosmos

Really one of a kind experience riding up to the summit of Mauna Kea. The tour was informational and once at the top you feel like you're on another planet. Once down the star gazing was incredible. The telescope allowed us to see Saturn's rings and the red line of Jupiter. Saw tons of shooting stars too! Long evening of bus riding but worth it!

The whole experience of the summit, sunset and stargazing was so very unique and really glad we did it. Hunter was an excellent tour guide sharing so much information about the island as well as his vast astronomy knowledge.

Incredible experience! The views were phenomenal and Flip, our driver to the summit, made the trip even better with his fun spirit, all the history and info he shared as well his reccomendations. It was a clear night and Stargazing was awesome!

Wonderful tour guide! Great snacks and smooth drive. 100% Recommend this during your stay. Detail stargazing direction.