Things to Do in Big Island in 2025 – Tours & Activities | HawaiiActivities.com

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All Reviews for Waimea in Big Island

Overall Rating

4.86 4.86 / 5

Reviews

90 reviews

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

Great choice

Reviewed by: Kara

The Mauna Kea volcano tour is a great balance of nature, science, and culture.

Local customer service: 5

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 5

Equipment & facilities: 5

Comfort & well-being: 5

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Families
Posted on: 2025/11/22
Activity Date: 2025/07/10

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

Good experience

Reviewed by: Yoyo

Our guide was from Hawaii, born on Maui, and has been living on the Big Island for two years. He was handsome, had a great voice, and was genuinely kind. The weather wasn’t ideal — it was cloudy, though we did see the sea of clouds and a bit of sunlight breaking through. It still felt magical watching the sunset above the clouds, even without a clear sky. Unfortunately, we couldn’t see any stars that night, probably due to the season (I went in late October). But the next day, on another tour, I did see a sky full of stars — so it’s still possible! Be prepared for altitude sickness; I felt lightheaded at the summit and was glad we descended soon after sunset. Overall, it was a good experience despite the bumpy mountain road — and it felt great to have “checked off” the highest mountain in the world (from base to peak).

Local customer service: 5

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 5

Equipment & facilities: 5

Comfort & well-being: 5

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Friends
Weather: Cloudy
Posted on: 2025/11/02
Activity Date: 2025/10/27

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

Extremely memorable tour!

Reviewed by: KB

Our guide Wes was incredible! We learned so much and enjoyed the sunset and stargazing on Mauna Kea so much! Wes was knowledgeable, friendly, and patient. Thank you for an unforgettable experience!

Local customer service: 5

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 5

Equipment & facilities: 4

Comfort & well-being: 5

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Couples
Weather: Cloudy
Posted on: 2025/10/11
Activity Date: 2025/10/09

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

it was amazing

Reviewed by: Chuck

It was absolutely amazing. Our tour guide was so informative and polite it made the trip that much better.

Local customer service: 5

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 4

Equipment & facilities: 4

Comfort & well-being: 5

Tips and suggestions

The only recommendation if you want to see the stars schedule your trip when the moon is near the ne

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Couples
Weather: Sunny
Posted on: 2025/10/08
Activity Date: 2025/10/03

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

The tour was amazing

Reviewed by: Dave and Nancy

James, our guide, was very knowledgeable, funny and the added stories he told us were add treat. James made sure we got to see all the views on our way up the volcano. Seeing the views from the summit were amazing. And the star gazing after crazy. Again James showed us all the constellations that were in the sky. The tour also has a telescope were we got top see the moon up close. We even got to see Saturn

Local customer service: 5

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 5

Equipment & facilities: 5

Comfort & well-being: 5

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Couples
Weather: Sunny
Posted on: 2025/10/02
Activity Date: 2025/10/01

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

Beautiful way to see the sunset.

Reviewed by: Brenda San Diego

This was our first time doing this excursion. It did not disappoint. Wes, our guide was so knowledgeable and very impressive with explaining things in English and Japanese. The views were breathtaking.

Local customer service: 5

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 5

Equipment & facilities: 5

Comfort & well-being: 5

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Couples
Weather: Cloudy
Posted on: 2025/09/24
Activity Date: 2025/09/18

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

Otherworldly!

Reviewed by: C. Foerg

An amazing experience watching the sun set into the clouds at the summit of Mauna Kea, breath taking. Followed up with an evening of incredible stargazing, to hard to explain the beauty of it. James was an excellent tour guide diving into Hawaiian history, culture, and his knowledge of the observatories, their work and the constellations that we could see during our star gazing experience made the evening even better.

Local customer service: 5

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 5

Equipment & facilities: 5

Comfort & well-being: 5

Tips and suggestions

Warm Jackets are provided but bring a sweater as well.

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Couples
Weather: Sunny
Posted on: 2025/09/16
Activity Date: 2025/09/15

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

perfect experience

Reviewed by: Song Z

We enjoyed a perfect sunset and stargazing was cold, but worth it. The tour guide and driver were very good, professional and enthusiastic.

Local customer service: 5

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 5

Equipment & facilities: 5

Comfort & well-being: 5

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Friends
Weather: Sunny
Posted on: 2025/09/04
Activity Date: 2025/08/29

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

Einzigartiges Erlebnis

Reviewed by: Mieli

Viel Zeit auf dem Gipfrl vor Sonnenuntergang, um alles anzuschauen, toller Sternenhimmel mit Erklärungen, sehr gute Organisation , super Guide, James

Local customer service: 5

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 5

Equipment & facilities: 5

Comfort & well-being: 5

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Families
Weather: Sunny
Posted on: 2025/08/20
Activity Date: 2025/08/18

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

Great memories were made!

Reviewed by: TL

Tour guide was informative. Ride was comfortable. BLT bacon was really good. Veggie burger was more filling than the BLT. Stargazing was minimal due to full moon but fun. Best not to go during around full moon time. Download a star app like Night Sky to help enhance the experience. Dress for cold wind. You are going to want to take a lot of pictures so if if your hands get cold easily, bring mitts!

Local customer service: 5

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 5

Equipment & facilities: 5

Comfort & well-being: 5

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Families
Weather: Sunny
Posted on: 2025/08/09
Activity Date: 2025/08/06

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

Excellent Tour Guide, Some disappointment

Reviewed by: L&H

No doubt of the beauty of Hawaii and God’s Creation. Tour Guide (Francis) was excellent…knowledgeable, fun and caring (we had one participant having trouble with altitude so had to return to welcome center taking about 1 hour of the group’s time to go back and travel back up, however, care extended by Francis is to be commended).
Disappointed in that part of the tour was to look through a telescope (explicitly listed as part of the tour) but that did not happen. Vans were “dated” but did the job. Overpriced in our opinion of what the experience provided.

Local customer service: 4

Location & environment: 4

Schedule & duration: 2

Equipment & facilities: 2

Comfort & well-being: 5

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Couples
Weather: Sunny
Posted on: 2025/08/07
Activity Date: 2025/08/02

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

Terrific trip up the volcano!

Reviewed by: MC

We had a fantastic time on the nighttime stargazing and sunset tour with James! We learned so much and had a memorable night - the sandwiches, sunset and stars were top notch!

Local customer service: 5

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 5

Equipment & facilities: 5

Comfort & well-being: 5

  • Awesome sunset

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Families
Weather: Sunny
Posted on: 2025/08/03
Activity Date: 2025/07/30

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

Pictures don’t do justice!

Reviewed by: Johnsons

Such an amazing experience! Pictures don’t do justice of being up so high above the clouds. The sunset was gorgeous, the sandwich was good, the stars were incredible!

Shoyo was very kind and took great pictures!

Local customer service: 5

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 5

Equipment & facilities: 5

Comfort & well-being: 5

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Couples
Weather: Sunny
Posted on: 2025/07/30
Activity Date: 2025/07/28

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

Really great tour and tour guide!

Reviewed by: Jonah

This was a great experience. Getting to see the observatories and look out over the clouds above everything on the Big Island was really amazing. Watching the sunset and then doing some star gazing was awesome. Very happy with everything.

Local customer service: 5

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 4

Equipment & facilities: 5

Comfort & well-being: 5

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Solo Travelers
Posted on: 2025/06/22
Activity Date: 2025/06/20

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

Pretty good

Reviewed by: Fei

The shuttle was late by 15min because of "an issue with some customers at the previous pickup location." I personally don't think the shuttle should wait if someone is late by more than 5min.

But James was a cool tour guide, told us a lot about the island and his personal experience/stories. A funny guy to talk to and helped take pictures, gave us sandwiches, served hot cocoa, and adjusted the telescope for us when someone wanted to look at a specific star

Local customer service: 5

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 4

Equipment & facilities: 5

Comfort & well-being: 5

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Solo Travelers
Weather: Cloudy
Posted on: 2025/06/12
Activity Date: 2025/06/10

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

Guides

Reviewed by: BJJ

Francis was a very knowledgeable and talkative guide. Very much enjoyed our conversations!!

Local customer service: 5

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 5

Equipment & facilities: 5

Comfort & well-being: 5

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Families
Weather: Sunny
Posted on: 2025/06/09
Activity Date: 2025/06/07

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

Exceptional experience , Wes was a great tour guide

Reviewed by: Abdul

Exceptional experience , Wes was a great tour guide

Local customer service: 5

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 5

Equipment & facilities: 5

Comfort & well-being: 5

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Solo Travelers
Weather: Sunny
Posted on: 2025/05/31
Activity Date: 2025/05/29

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

Fun trip

Reviewed by: Mags

Awesome tour! James, our guide, was excellent! Appreciated his knowledge and enthusiasm! Highly recommend!

Local customer service: 5

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 5

Equipment & facilities: 5

Comfort & well-being: 5

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Families
Weather: Sunny
Posted on: 2025/05/29
Activity Date: 2025/05/27

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

Had a great time

Reviewed by: Kara

As older folks we were nervous about elevation, but this tour makes sure your comfortable and taken care of.

Local customer service: 5

Comfort & well-being: 5

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Families
Posted on: 2025/05/07
Activity Date: 2025/05/01

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

Mauna Kea is a Must!

Reviewed by: Jennifer

My husband and I had a tour with James through Hawaiian Eyes Tours and absolutely loved it!! The sunset was beautiful and the star gazing was such an eye opening experience! James was very knowledgeable about the sights and Hawaiian culture. Highly recommend!

Local customer service: 5

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 5

Equipment & facilities: 5

Comfort & well-being: 5

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Couples
Weather: Sunny
Posted on: 2025/04/27
Activity Date: 2025/04/23

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

Great experience !!

Reviewed by: Quinn

Great experience overall, our guide James is very nice, he is knowledgeable and funny, definitely would recommend it to my friends

Local customer service: 5

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 5

Equipment & facilities: 4

Comfort & well-being: 4

Tips and suggestions

The mic connection be having issues sometimes.

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Couples
Weather: Sunny
Posted on: 2025/02/27
Activity Date: 2025/02/25

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

Amazing experience. Must do

Reviewed by: Hawaii lovers

This was truly awe inspiring. It is absolutely a must do, our tour guide Wes was incredible. We can’t rave enough about it

Local customer service: 5

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 5

Equipment & facilities: 5

Comfort & well-being: 5

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Couples
Weather: Sunny
Posted on: 2025/02/15
Activity Date: 2025/02/13

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

Memorable and Informative

Reviewed by: Oscar

Riding up to the top of Mauna Kea with James, our tour guide and driver, was interesting and entertaining! James is very knowledgeable about the Hawaiian culture and history; volcanic geology; the telescopes on Mauna Kea; and the night sky. And he always paid close attention to all his customers. A better telescope would have made this tour perfect.

Local customer service: 5

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 5

Equipment & facilities: 3

Comfort & well-being: 4

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Couples
Weather: Sunny
Posted on: 2025/02/07
Activity Date: 2025/02/03

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

Cold but gorgeous

Reviewed by: Obarc

James was a great tour guide, very informative. Didn't care for the sandwich choices. Was nice to have the hot chocolate though. The view was amazing.

Local customer service: 5

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 5

Equipment & facilities: 4

Comfort & well-being: 4

  • Sunset

  • Some of the telescopes

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Others
Weather: Snowy
Posted on: 2025/02/05
Activity Date: 2025/02/02

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

The sites we went to were excellent.

Reviewed by: AG

Sites we went to was brilliant, and transport was all ok

Local customer service: 4

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 5

Equipment & facilities: 4

Comfort & well-being: 4

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Families
Weather: Sunny
Posted on: 2025/01/25
Activity Date: 2025/01/04

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

Excellent Tour!

Reviewed by: Jerry

The driver-and-guide James has a rich knowledge of history of volcanoes and history of hawaii, and also provides expert guides on the stars.

Local customer service: 5

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 5

Equipment & facilities: 5

Comfort & well-being: 5

Tips and suggestions

Take your warm shoes with you.

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Couples
Weather: Sunny
Posted on: 2025/01/20
Activity Date: 2025/01/19

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

Amazing stargazing!

Reviewed by: Joe

My tour guide, James, was great! He was informative, kind, patient and made the experience fun. Seeing the sunset on a volcano summit and then stargazing afterwards is a bucket list thing that everyone should do! Unforgettable!!!

Local customer service: 5

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 5

Equipment & facilities: 5

Comfort & well-being: 4

Tips and suggestions

The altitude is a bit much. I felt dizziness several times, but it was manageable.

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Solo Travelers
Weather: Sunny
Posted on: 2025/01/06
Activity Date: 2024/12/22

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

Outstanding experience!

Reviewed by: Seema

We had a wonderful time with James! He explained things thoroughly! He did not try to rush us in any way, and took lots of nice pictures! I would highly recommend taking stargazing tour with Hawaiian eyes!

Local customer service: 5

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 5

Equipment & facilities: 5

Comfort & well-being: 5

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Families
Weather: Sunny
Posted on: 2024/12/29
Activity Date: 2024/12/25

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

Breathtaking sunset and star gaze!

Reviewed by: Ziying C

We took the tour on 12/24/2024. It was a full car but very friendly and nice guests together! The eruption was very stunning and the star gaze - wow!
Our guide James is very helpful patient and good at photo shooting as well. He can also speak a little Japanese. Parka jackets saved our lives for sure.
The overall trip experience was excellent. The sandwich was surprisingly good as well.

Local customer service: 5

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 5

Equipment & facilities: 5

Comfort & well-being: 5

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Couples
Weather: Sunny
Posted on: 2024/12/26
Activity Date: 2024/12/24

Mauna Kea Summit Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Meal, Transportation & Guide

Awesome experience

Reviewed by: Swapped

Host was really good, very polite and understanding.

The sandwiches were good, and the hot coco while stargazing, was delicious cherry on top of the whole experience.

The only issue I would complain about is the vehicle, because the space was really cramped up and it was a struggle to get in and out of the vehicle. Many from the back of the vehicle complained about the air conditioning, but I didn’t feel any discomfort, even though I was in the last row

Local customer service: 5

Location & environment: 5

Schedule & duration: 5

Equipment & facilities: 4

Comfort & well-being: 4

Tips and suggestions

I would recommend adding details of the vehicle, and leg space availability.

Helpful
Rating:
Packages: Standard Package
Attended as: Couples
Weather: Sunny
Posted on: 2024/12/23
Activity Date: 2024/12/21
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