Quick Details
Guests
13+ years old
$ 259
Children
12 and under
$ 239
Travel by Hawaiian Starlight with a Mauna Kea Stargazing Tour!
Tour Info
– Blast off to a remote location on Mauna Kea or Mauna Loa (depending on clouds and crowds). Our 2 hour experiences are led by an astronomer and astro-photographer. All ages are welcome, and we offer a stargazing guarantee!
– An astronomer will deliver an epic star talk, utilizing a green laser pointer and a Unistellar EV 2 telescope to navigate our galaxy.
– Next, our astro-photographer will take a few complimentary photos of your group with the Milky Way Galaxy as the backdrop.
– This is the only stargazing adventure in Hawaii that avoids bright Moon phases.
– When the moon is too bright, the night sky is over-illuminated. All time slots are carefully chosen to ensure the best possible stargazing experience.
– Group sizes vary.
More Info
- Arrive 10 minutes prior to the start of the tour.
- We stargaze from an elevation below 9k feet on Mauna Kea or Mauna Loa.
- Parka jackets with pockets and a hood are provided at the tour.
- Complimentary photos available for download within 24 hours after the experience.
- Comfortable pants and walking shoes are highly recommended.
- Not typically recommended for children under 6 years old, although any ages are welcome. –
- Since we are able to start later in the evening, we avoid almost all of the other tour companies, giving a more unique experience.
- Book a experience on one of the first nights of vacation, just in case we reschedule because of high clouds.
Exclusions
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Hotel pickup. Any rental car can make it to the stargazing meeting location, 4×4 is not necessary.
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Gratuities. (optional)
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.