Mauna Kea Sunset & Stargazing

Mauna Kea can be translated three different ways; ‘Mauna O’ Wakea’, which literally means ‘The Mountain of Wakea’, the Polynesian Sky God; ‘Mauna Kea’, or ‘White Mountain’, because of its snow; and finally, the last translation was given to me by a direct descendant of King Kamehameha himself, ‘Mau’ Na Kea’(‘Mau’ meaning ‘Forever’ and ‘Na Kea’ meaning ‘To Protect’).

In any event, a very sacred mountain it is and our respect for the mountain is important. In times of King Kamehameha, if you were just a regular Joe found climbing the mountain, you were, uhh, let’s just say, you were not coming back down, ever again.

Now we have been given the opportunity to ascend this great mountain and BIGTI will teach you what other companies don’t. Your experienced Guide will greet you at your Hotel and escort you to Mauna Kea by a lifted 4wd van. You will first stop at around 9,200ft for a restroom break, an early dinner and to acclimate a little to the altitude. After about an hour at the Onizuka Visitor Center, you will then be taken to the summit area of Mauna Kea to view the outside of the telescopes and to watch the amazing sunsets that this mountain offers almost daily. There are only around twenty days out of the year that clouds rise so high, that we are unable of experiencing a 13,000ft sunset, but they are few and we usually know in advance before we leave for the mountain.

From this vantage point, you can sense the energy of the mountain itself. At the same time, you can feel that this mountain, the largest mountain on earth, has a connecting point to the rest of the Universe. The summit of Mauna Kea hosts some of the worlds largest observatories, and has telescopes that are operated by eleven countries.

After sunset, we are required to leave the summit area and be off that part of the mountain thirty minutes after the sun has set, so we descend back down to the Onizuka Visitor Center for a restroom break and for a little over one hour of stargazing and viewing of the heavens. The exceptional stability of the atmosphere above Mauna Kea permits extraordinary viewing of the stars. A tropical inversion layer, located well below the summit, isolates the upper atmosphere from the lower, moist maritime air. Ready yourself for a journey into Hawaiian Culture and the Cosmos.

Total Hours On Tour: 9-10 hours

$160 per person

Tour Includes: A Hot Dinner served early, Hot Tea during stargazing, hot chocolate after stargazing, bottled water after dinner, Jackets for the cold and gloves during stargazing if needed. Oh yeah, and a Trained Guide with bad jokes.

We Do Suggest: Closed-toed shoes, socks, a couple of layers of clothes if you do not like the cold that much and a camera.

We Do NOT Suggest: You drink alcohol before you come, diving the day before you ascend, to go on the tour of you under the age of twelve, have a heart problem, high blood pressure or if you are pregnant. Always let your doctor know what you are doing if you have any other issue that we missed that high altitude might affect.

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Mauna Kea Family Stargazing

Our next opportunity we can offer those little ones who have mom and dads that want to show them some stars too, we offer our journey up to the 9,200ft level. So, for those who are too young to ascend to the summit or have some type of issue that does not allow you to do so, this tour picks you up about an hour and a half later than the Summit Tour and takes you directly to the Onizuka Visitor Center.

Once you have eaten dinner and once darkness has taken over the mountain, your experienced guide will then ready you for a little over one hour of stargazing and viewing of the heavens.

Total Hours On Tour: 8-9 hours

$145 per person

We Do Suggest: Closed-toed shoes, socks, a couple of layers of clothes if you do not like the cold that much and a camera. IF you have a heart problem, high blood pressure or if you are pregnant, always let your doctor know what you are doing.

We Do NOT Suggest: You drink alcohol before you come, diving the day before you ascend or to go on the tour of you under the age of five. IF you have a heart problem, high blood pressure or of you are pregnant, always let your doctor know what you are doing.

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Mauna Kea Express

This tour is for those of you who want to get in and out in a flash and/or just do not have the time to spend on an ‘all day’ tour. We pick up either during or just right after sunset at your Hotel, head directly to Mauna Kea (1.5 to 2hr ride), stargaze for one hour at the 9,200ft level where the Onizuka Visitor Center is located, then come straight home.

There is a ‘musubi’ snack after stargazing with some hot chocolate and a bottled water included, but nothing else. Cut and Dry.

Total Hours On Tour: 5-6 hours

$115 per person

Tour Includes: I told you already; a musubi snack after stargazing, bottled water and some hot chocolate to warm you up.

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Subaru Shopping Tour

The Subaru Telescope is an optical-infrared telescope at the 4,100ft, (13,640ft) summit area of Mauna Kea. This telescope represents a new generation in telescope design, not only because of the size of its primary mirror at 8.2 meters (over 26.5ft), but also because of its revolutionary technologies used to achieve outstanding performance.

Your Guide will pick you up in the morning and take you to the Onizuka Visitor Center located at the 9,200ft level. After acclimation and a restroom break, you will ascend the road to the summit area where you will be greeted by a representative of the Subaru Telescope and taken on a 45 minute tour of the inside of the telescope.

Your Subaru Guide will escort you to an elevator that takes you to a room where you can walk directly beneath the 550 ton telescope. An impressive sight indeed having a 66 foot telescope suspended above your head! Your Guide will inform you of the various systems that the telescope uses and yes, pictures are allowed throughout the tour. You will then ascend another elevator to a platform where you will have a commanding view of the telescope from top to bottom. You will then descend the bottom part of the building where you will see how the 23 ton mirror is cleaned and the massive equipment used to hoist and move the mirror around.

After you exit the building, you will have a few minutes to take pictures of the beautiful views that surround you and then your BIGTI Guide will allow one more restroom break at the Onizuka Center before heading to the Waikoloa.

Once back down the mountain, your Guide will take you first to the Mauna Lani Shops for a thirty minute shopping spree. There are Galleries, a Starbucks (yeah), a creamery, a supermarket, a ‘Life is Good’ shop, a Tommy Bahamas and restrooms. For you adventurers, a Mauka to Makai shop is also available. After Mauna Lanai, your Guide will take you to the Queens Marketplace at Waikoloa for a one hour shopping and lunch time break. Here you will be given a coupon to visit the Food Court and afterwards, you can visit shops such as Lids, Quiksilver, and Giggles. There is another Starbacks here (yeah), and a beautiful pond to relax and enjoy your coffee.

Total Hours On Tour: 8-9 hours

$175 per person

Tour Includes: Trained Guides, lunch, bottled water and a snack.

We Do Suggest: Closed-toed shoes, socks, a couple of layers of clothes if you do not like the cold that much and a camera. NOTE: It is sometimes colder inside the telescope than outside, be ready.

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