Mauna Kea Stargazing Experience + Photos

Stunning Display of Stars

Pre-tour: I would advise if this is your first time in the Big Island to drive around and familiarize yourself to the meeting point. Although our start time and location changed due to weather it was still good that we drove around that day and saw which highway we were taking and what the roads are like. The tour starts at night, so keep that in mind, i would highly advise for it. Dress warmly, it gets cold. But, they do provide parkas and jackets. Make sure to pee before you go, although there is a restroom when you get there it is way more comfortable to do that in your hotel room pre tour. The tour: Dylan, our astronomer covered various topics during the tour and showed us stars, shooting stars, many constellations and telescopic photos of galaxies and nebulas. He also touched on spectroscopy, which is the technology used to visualize these galactic entities. Mind you, I am a scientist of the opposite spectrum, i sit on a microscope at work, and it amazes me that the same technology is also applied to identify bacteria through MALDI. It is insane to me how the same technology used to visualize vast galaxies is also applicable to identify microscopic organisms. Crazy, as a fellow nerd, I am mind blown. As the tour goes on the stars shine brighter, more asteroids pass by, and you will just be captivated by the starry sky. Never in my 37 years of life have i seen such a magnificent display of stars, and shooting stars. I did have 2 pending questions i wanted to ask but i felt were too nerdy, one was about the red star that was as big as the distance between the sun and Jupiter, is it dying since it’s red? And if so how long before it dies? And the other one was about meteor showers, if asteroids come from the asteroid belt where do meteor showers come from and how come they are expected every so and so years? Anyway… back to the tour, we took portraits in between the first and second half. The flash on your phone will be covered with a red film so that you can use it as a flashlight without interfering with the telescope. They show you a preview of them and it is crazy with the stars in the background. So here is the takeaway: Overall, would i recommend it? YES. Would I do it again? YES. Is it worth the money? YES. Should you tip them? YES As i remember the night sky now, it brings me to tears how beautiful it was. It reminds you of how huge this universe is and how little you are, so don’t worry too much, live your life, and enjoy every second of it. If you are going to spend money anyway, spend it on a unique experience like this, you won’t regret it.

via Tripadvisor

A Breathtaking Night Sky Experience

I have all the time in the world while waiting for our flight so here goes.. Pre-tour: I would advise if this is your first time in the Big Island to drive around and familiarize yourself to the meeting point. Although our start time and location changed due to weather it was still good that we drove around that day and saw which highway we were taking and what the roads are like. The tour starts at night, i would highly advise for it. Dress warmly, it gets cold. But, they do provide parkas and jackets. Make sure to pee before you go, although there is a restroom when you get there it is way more comfortable to do that in your hotel room pre tour. The tour: Dylan, our astronomer covered various topics during the tour and showed us stars, shooting stars, many constellations and telescopic photos of galaxies and nebulas. He also touched on spectroscopy, which is the technology used to visualize these galactic entities. Mind you, I am a scientist of the opposite spectrum, i sit on a microscope at work, and it amazes me that the same technology is also applied to identify bacteria through MALDI. It is insane to me how the same technology used to visualize vast galaxies is also applicable to identify microscopic organisms. Crazy, as a fellow nerd, I am mind blown. As the tour goes on the stars shine brighter, more asteroids pass by, and you will just be captivated by the starry sky. Never in my 37 years of life have i seen such a magnificent display of stars, and shooting stars. I did have 2 pending questions i wanted to ask but i felt were too nerdy, one was about the red star that was as big as the distance between the sun and Jupiter, is it dying since it’s red? And if so how long before it dies? And the other one was about meteor showers, if asteroids come from the asteroid belt where do meteor showers come from and how come they are expected every so and so years? Anyway… back to the tour, we took portraits in between the first and second half. The flash on your phone will be covered with a red film so that you can use it as a flashlight without interfering with the telescope. We are waiting for the photos now, can’t wait. They show you a preview of them and it is crazy with the stars in the background. So here is the takeaway: Overall, would i recommend it? YES. Would I do it again? YES. Is it worth the money? YES. Should you tip them? YES (I am currently waiting for the picture email they said we can venmo the tips through there) As i remember the night sky now, it brings me to tears how beautiful it was. It reminds you of how huge this universe is and how little you are, so don’t worry too much, live your life, and enjoy every second of it. If you are going to spend money anyway, spend it on a unique experience like this, you won’t regret it.

via Viator

Unforgettable experience

Amazing experience. Dylan and his crew were great and gave an great talk.

via Tripadvisor

Nothing but the highest level of integrity and looking out for clients

Even though I actually never went on the tour with the company I need to write a review on their behalf. They were thinking of cancelling the tour due to clouds and were very communicative around that sending constant updates. I was going to summit on my own anyway for sunset (not via tour) and when I got up there, it was above the cloud line and clear. They decided to continue with the tour at a later time, but when I told them it was clear near the summit, rather than trying to 'earn the fee/make the sale' they suggested I cancel the tour, stay at summit, and offered a full refund. This was awesome and cant thank the tour company enough. Would highly recommend the company in terms of communication and integrity and I am sure the tour itself is excellent and worth the money. Because of their thoughtfulness and generousity I was able to stay near summit and get excellent milky way photos. Could not recommend this company enough based on their honesty and thoughtfulness.

via Tripadvisor

Not Worth It

Would not recommend this tour. Save yourself the money and drive up to Mauna Kea on your own. To be fair, the staff were friendly, knowledgeable, and did a good job getting everyone safely to the viewing location. We also lucked out with excellent weather. Unfortunately, those were the highlights. The experience itself was surprisingly chaotic. While the lead astronomer, Dylan, was trying to give his presentation, the photographer was constantly lining groups up for Milky Way photos just a few feet away. Between the photography, people talking, and others getting up for pictures, it was difficult to hear or stay engaged. If you're expecting a peaceful evening learning about the night sky, this isn't it. Dylan was clearly knowledgeable, but his presentation felt more like a stand-up comedy routine with astronomy mixed in than an actual guided stargazing experience. Instead of focusing on the stars and constellations we were actually looking at, much of the discussion revolved around black holes, nebulas, and other astronomy topics that had little connection to what was visible in the sky that night. It was entertaining at times, but not what we signed up for. The telescope felt especially misleading. The website advertises that one is provided, but guests never actually get to use it. Instead, we were shown images on an iPhone that were presented as if they had just been captured, only to later discover they had been taken weeks earlier. That left a bad taste and felt unnecessarily deceptive. By the end of the night, we genuinely couldn't figure out what our nearly $300 per person had paid for. The viewing location was on public land just minutes off the highway with no special access, we never looked through the telescope, and the astronomy portion rarely focused on the sky above us. In the end, it felt like we paid hundreds of dollars for hot chocolate, a folding chair, and two professionally taken Milky Way photos. Mauna Kea is breathtaking and absolutely worth experiencing. This tour, however, added very little value and actually detracted from what should have been a memorable, peaceful night under the stars.

Response from the operator: Mahalo for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re genuinely sorry the experience didn’t meet your expectations. I’d like to clarify a few points for future guests (new telescope coming soon!). One of our telescopes is equipped with a built in imaging system designed for deep space objects such as galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters. Rather than viewing through a traditional eyepiece, guests watch live images captured by the telescope as they develop. We also occasionally show examples from previous nights to show what other objects are visible throughout the year. In addition, we sometimes include bonus 30 minute long exposure images in our galleries at no extra charge. These images are carefully captured, processed, and edited over multiple nights to showcase faint deep sky objects at their best. While they may not have been taken that evening, they’re an added bonus that stargazing companies don’t provide. We include them because we want guests to leave with beautiful astronomical images they can enjoy long after the tour. Regarding the timing of the Milky Way photos, on nights when clouds are in the forecast or approaching the horizon, we sometimes choose to take group photos earlier in the evening. We’ve learned from experience that if we wait until after the astronomy presentation, clouds can roll in before everyone has a chance to be photographed. Taking photos first helps ensure guests don’t miss out on one of the highlights of the tour. Our viewing location is intentionally selected well away from the busy public access road, with approximately 99% less traffic than the popular roadside viewing areas. This gives guests a quieter experience, darker skies, and a location that is typically miles from the nearest vehicles. We also intentionally built in a one hour cloud delay this particular night as conditions warranted. Rather than rushing into marginal weather, we’ll often wait for clouds to clear so guests can enjoy the best possible skies. Without that flexibility, we could simply end up sitting in the clouds for an hour. We also stand behind our tours with our Clear Skies Guarantee. If conditions don’t allow for quality stargazing, we’ll cancel the tour and offer guests the option to reschedule or receive a full refund. As mentioned briefly avice, we are also excited to share that we’ll soon be adding a new telescope with eyepiece, which will provide incredible live views of the Moon and planets while complementing our deep sky imaging system. Finally, if any guest has concerns during the experience, we always encourage them to let us know while we’re together or reach out afterward. We truly want the opportunity to make things right and are constantly working to improve. Guests who book reach out through Instagram @EpicTours can also save up to 25% compared to third party booking platforms. We appreciate your feedback and will continue working to provide an even better experience for future guests.

via Tripadvisor