Quick Details
Guests
13+ years old
$ 259
Children
12 and under
$ 239
Travel by Hawaiian Starlight — Mauna Kea Stargazing Experience
Overview
Leave the city lights behind and journey to a secluded location on Mauna Kea or Mauna Loa, hand-picked each night to avoid the clouds and crowds. This two-hour adventure is led by an astronomer and astro-photographer who will guide you through a breathtaking exploration of the universe. All ages are welcome, and every tour comes with our Stargazing Guarantee.
Experience the wonders of the cosmos through our Celestron Origin Smart Telescope, revealing distant galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters in incredible detail. Using a green laser pointer, your guide will trace the constellations across the sky while our astro-photographer captures complimentary portraits of your group beneath the Milky Way — an unforgettable souvenir of your night among the stars.
Unlike most tours, we avoid bright moon phases, timing each experience to ensure the darkest skies and the most vivid stargazing possible.
What to Know
• Arrive 10 minutes before your scheduled start time
• Stargazing takes place below 9,000 feet on Mauna Kea or Mauna Loa
• Warm parka jackets with hoods and pockets are provided
• Complimentary Milky Way photos are available for download within 24 hours
• Long pants and comfortable walking shoes are recommended
• While all ages are welcome, it’s generally best suited for ages 6 and up
• Late-evening start times let us avoid the crowds and enjoy a more private, immersive experience
• Book early in your trip in case we need to reschedule due to high clouds
What’s Not Included
• Hotel pickup is not provided. The meeting location is easily accessible by any rental car — a 4×4 vehicle is not required.
• Gratuities are appreciated but not included.
Common Questions
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Since our tours won’t be going to extreme altitudes, any age can join. Our max altitude is around 9k feet. Doctors recommend staying below that altitude to minimize any potential altitude sickness. It is extremely rare that anyone ever feels sick on our tours.
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We use a Unistellar EV2 telescope and/or a deep space star-tracker camera set-up that takes long-exposure, tracked photos of galaxies, star clusters and nebulae.
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Yes! Everyone gets a few epic photos of them with the night sky taken complimentary by an astro-photographer. This will be part of a standard photo package. The photos will work for social media posts. We will also take photos of galaxies, nebulae and star clusters. Those photos are also included in the price of the tour. Upgrades are available if guests want to have high resolution photos.
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Our tours do not, that area is closed after sunset and only telescope operators/rangers and cultural practitioners are allowed at the summit. All tour companies and private individuals drive down to lower elevations after sunset and stargaze primarily near the visitors center.
We avoid those crowds and head to another stargazing area.
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Our tours start at least an hour after sunset to make sure you get the best stargazing experience possible. Guests can watch the sunset on their own and join us afterwards.
Tip: Hike and watch sunset from sunset hill at the Onizuka Center for Astronomy.
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– Not typically. Our guides drive up the mountains a few hours before the tour start time and check for the best possible location to stargaze from to avoid the clouds and crowds. If the clouds don’t seem to disappear in time for the tour, our team will text guests 90 minutes before the start time if the tour needs to be cancelled or postponed. That way guests don’t have to drive up the mountains and waste valuable vacation time.
– Guests receive a 100% refund if we need to cancel because of weather.
– Most nights the clouds start to clear up after sunset. It’s difficult to give more than a 90 minute notification about weather conditions.
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Any time slot available through the online calendar will be an epic time to do the tour. The dates and times are hand-selected to avoid a full moon. Booking early in your trip will give you the best chances to see the stars. If we have bad weather, we can attempt to reschedule guests.
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Upgrades can be placed before the tour or anytime afterwards. The high-resolution files will be saved, indefinitely.
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In the winter and spring months the temperatures can be around 30°F – 40°F. In summer and fall months, it can be just over 45°F. It’s recommended to dress accordingly.
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100% refund.
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Instagram @EpicTours or text +1-808-747-1211.