Reviewed by: Saro
It’s funny to say, but a tour to the summit of a snowy mountain was the highlight of our Hawaii trip! Hiro was the best guide anyone can ask for. He also does the Lava walk tour which I’ll be sure to book with him next time we’re back to the islands.
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | Standard Package |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2021/12/13 |
Activity Date: | 2021/12/11 |
Reviewed by: Adventure Grandma
This tour was Amazing! We have traveled to many fabulous places around the globe with lots of adventure & this tour was right up there with the best! Our guide, Gage, was fun, informative, patient, and an all-round delightful young man! Having to reschedule due to the Kona Low & Mauna Kea blizzard was easy & ultimately a better tour due to lots of beautiful snow at the summit! Our guide prepared us well for the seriously high altitude and checked on everyone frequently! Be sure to pack hats & gloves and the tour provided parkas were plenty warm. A couple e of things to keep in mind before going: bring a refillable water bottle, remember to nose in & slow pursed lip breathing out, bring your camera or cell phone for pictures, visit the restroom at the visitor center so you won’t have to go at very high elevation, and eat before the tour begins (the provided dinner is pretty simple). Just pack a smile and enjoy the “high”! The stargazing with the telescope was extra special! Who knows, we saw a Jedi, a snowman, & a crazy snowboarder so maybe you will too! Thanks for a great memory!
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | Mauna Kea Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Dinner |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2021/12/11 |
Activity Date: | 2021/12/09 |
Reviewed by: Amanda
Derek had so much knowledge and an amazing personality! He made the tour personal and fun! This tour really takes you through some of the coolest parts of this island. Coffee farms, bakeries, black sand beaches with sea turtles, volcano glow, lava tubes, the most spectacular view of the stars, and so much more. It’s well worth the experience. The food was not so great, but everything else was beyond amazing so it made up for it. 10/10 would recommend this tour!
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | Standard Tour |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2021/12/02 |
Activity Date: | 2021/11/30 |
Reviewed by: Christina E.
Shoyi and Hiro were wonderful! Very knowledgable and patient with many questions that were asked. We learned so much! Shoyi's photography was a bonus! This was a fantastic tour and an experience we will never forget. Thank you!
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | Standard Package |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2021/11/29 |
Activity Date: | 2021/11/21 |
Reviewed by: Mike
Dastan was a wonderful guide, very knowledgeable with a great sense of humor. Had some much knowledge of everything Hawaiian. Enjoyed all parts of the tour, was a long day and glad we were the first stop on returning!!!!
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | Standard Tour |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2021/11/19 |
Activity Date: | 2021/11/17 |
Reviewed by: Sanidhya
Very unique. Views of a lifetime!
The host was amazing. Very informative and helpful. Really enjoyed my time on this tour. Will definitely recommend!
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | Mauna Kea Sunset & Stargazing Tour (Dinner not included) |
Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
Posted on: | 2021/11/09 |
Activity Date: | 2021/11/07 |
Reviewed by: Polly
Shawn was an excellent tour guide. He answered all of our questions, and was very knowledgeable about a range of subjects. We were confident in his driving ability, especially in the dark downhill with the goats :-)
Overall, best part of our trip so far!
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | Standard Package |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2021/11/06 |
Activity Date: | 2021/11/04 |
Reviewed by: Jonathan
Our tour leader Stephan was exceptional in that he does great photography and is an excellent tour guide and leader. He shared interesting info about the area as we traveled and then took great sunset photos our our group of 3 and airdropped them to us. The parkas provided were an essential and welcome addition since it was quite cold at the mountain top. Wonderful trip!
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | Standard Package |
Attended as: | Families |
Posted on: | 2021/10/22 |
Activity Date: | 2021/10/19 |
Reviewed by: Nicole
This was such an amazing experience and our favorite activity that we did on the Big Island! Hiro was a wonderful tour guide, shared lots of great information and was super funny and personable. They have everything covered from making sure you're acclimated to the altitude, stopping for spectacular views, warm winter gear, food, water/hot chocolate/tea, the most amazing star-gazing I've ever seen, etc. Dress warm and don't forget your cash tip money because they will go above and beyond and you'll want to show your gratitude for the incredible experience. Do not miss this activity!
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | Standard Package |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2021/10/17 |
Activity Date: | 2021/10/07 |
Reviewed by: Jessi
This activity was great. Our tour guide gave us informative details on our stops we visited. Getting to view the stars, the moon and the planets were stellar! My 7 year old had a blast. We would do it again. The area we stopped at had a restrooms and nice little playground. The sandwiches were good and the hot coco was yum!
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | From Hilo - Rainbow Falls, Kaumana Caves, Solar Viewing & Stargazing with Dinner |
Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
Posted on: | 2021/10/13 |
Activity Date: | 2021/10/11 |
Reviewed by: Jacqueline Lorah
Ok, this is honestly one of the best tours I have ever taken. The van was super comfy, and our guide Arthur was informative, friendly, and honestly just plain fun! Obvious he LOVES this tour.
Words just cannot describe the beauty of this tour. From the drive up, to the spectacular sunset, to the jaw dropping star gazing......endless beauty. Plus, Arthur made sure we stayed safe, and kept us informed about what we should do and what to expect. I felt comfortable and at ease.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this amazing experience. If you do one thing on the Big Island......do this.
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | Mauna Kea Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Dinner |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2021/10/06 |
Activity Date: | 2021/10/04 |
Reviewed by: Gabriella
This was such an awesome experience! The sunset was beautiful being that high up and the stargazing was amazing. It was our favorite experience on the island. Our guide Gage was so great! He was so knowledgeable on the island, the history there and the stargazing. He also helped us feel comfortable and safe on the drive up and back down. We highly recommend this experience!
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | Mauna Kea Sunset & Stargazing Tour (Dinner not included) |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2021/10/02 |
Activity Date: | 2021/09/24 |
Reviewed by: Art Goldberg
The coastal tour was perfect. The staff was all very friendly and helpful. Marco our pilot made everyone very comfortable and was a great tour guide and pilot. I highly recommend Blue Hawaiian Helicopters!
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | Kohala Coast Adventure |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2021/10/02 |
Activity Date: | 2021/09/30 |
Reviewed by: H. Shoenfield
Tour Guide was an enthusiast, patient, native who shared culture, history, science, jokes and Hawaiian myths and songs. You can't ask for more from a guide. Try to book for a moonless night for best view of stars. They use an automated 11 inch telescope. The food was surprisingly very good (vegetable lasagna), the brownie decadent and the hot chocolate and biscotti at the end a nice touch. Had an issue finding the pick up spot, but a phone call resolved this since we were close. If you miss the sign for the international market (if that's your pick up spot), look for the 76 gas station, enter there and drive to the back. Dress warmly and bring a refillable drink. Cold (but not terribly) even with the given parka and gloves. A very enjoyable 8 hour afternoon & evening l
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | Mauna Kea Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Dinner |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2021/09/30 |
Activity Date: | 2021/09/28 |
Reviewed by: Sergio G
Pickup by the crew was timely, and the vans comfortable, in good condition and clean. The sandwich was delicious, and the two hosts super friendly, accommodating and knowledgeable. Thank-you, Stephan.
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | Standard Package |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2021/09/26 |
Activity Date: | 2021/09/21 |
Reviewed by: Jeff Barnes
This was a rally fantastic trip. Be prepared because this trip is over 10 hours. (We ran closer to 11) and requires a lot of walking. That being said, the day was EXCELLENT. Tour guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining. Would definitely do it again.
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | Twilight Volcano & Stargazing Tour |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2021/09/24 |
Activity Date: | 2021/09/22 |
Reviewed by: Pat from Houston
Pilot, Kai, was knowledgeable, friendly and great. Learned a lot!
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | Big Island Spectacular (1 hr 45 mins) |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2021/09/17 |
Activity Date: | 2021/09/14 |
Reviewed by: Nanci Granow
Sean did a wonderful job at making this tour be a terrific experience !!! He was always making sure everyone had an enjoyable and comfortable time !!
This experience was above my expectations . I appreciate his help capturing many pictures of this experience!!
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | Standard Package |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2021/09/16 |
Activity Date: | 2021/09/14 |
Reviewed by: Soham Shah
Our tour guide Krystal was amazing. She had background in Astronomy and physics with lots of stories from Big Island. We observed entire milky way galaxy with powerful telescope and it was out of the world experience. Our best part was watching all planets and moon with craters. Thank you Krystal for wonderful explanation and experience.
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | Test Package |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2021/09/16 |
Reviewed by: Cortney
This experience was unreal! Dominic was our guide and he was fabulous throughout. We got to go to the top of the worlds tallest mountain, Mauna Kea, to watch the sunset. When we got up there we had some time to walk around and look at the landscape/telescopes. After that, we watched the sunset and Dominic took photos of us. Once the sun set, we went down the mountain a bit for stargazing. Dominic and the other guide, Hiro, set up and telescope so we could see Saturn and then Hiro gave a great talk on all of the stars. It was absolutely breathtaking! You could see so many stars, planets and the Milky Way! It’s also freezing up there but the tour provides gloves, winter coats and ski pants. This is an absolute must do!
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | Standard Package |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2021/09/14 |
Activity Date: | 2021/09/11 |
Reviewed by: David H.
Great Views, both sunset and star gazing. Food was OK but we weren't going for the Food. The telescopes were OK but they could invest in some better telescopes. They could also work on the routing to save gas.
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | Standard Package |
Attended as: | Friends |
Posted on: | 2021/09/13 |
Activity Date: | 2021/08/18 |
Reviewed by: Giselle + Saul
Rich was the best guide. He was incredibly knowledgeable about everything we saw, and even when it was cloudy on Mauna Kea, he told us ancient Hawaiian stories until the clouds cleared and we could see everything we came out to see. A++++ would go again in a heartbeat. Thanks Rich!!!
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | From Hilo - Rainbow Falls, Kaumana Caves, Solar Viewing & Stargazing with Dinner |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2021/09/11 |
Activity Date: | 2021/09/09 |
Reviewed by: MS & AG
Marcus our tour guide was Amazing! Really knowledgeable about the stars and facts regarding them. He was very friendly and patient with the kids! The only reason this doesn’t have a 5 star rating is because the food was blah.
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | From Kona & Waikoloa - Solar Viewing & Stargazing with Dinner |
Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
Posted on: | 2021/09/06 |
Activity Date: | 2021/09/04 |
Reviewed by: Deb P
This was a very interesting adventure. Our tour guide, Don, was fantastic. and helped make it a very enjoyable trip. He was very accommodating and made sure we saw as much as time would allow. Very long day but lots of good information and local lure.
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | Elite Volcano Hike from Hilo Hotels |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2021/08/30 |
Activity Date: | 2021/08/18 |
Reviewed by: Kasandra
Toshi was PHENOMENAL! He was very engaging and made us feel so comfortable. You could tell he has such a warm spirit. The flight itself was nothing short of amazing, and I actually cried while flying through the valley because of how beautiful it is, later to find out Toshi made the playlist and it hit perfectly. There are no scenic roads to take you to where this helicopter goes, the helicopter ride is the only way to see these parts of Hawaii 1,000% worth it.
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | Big Island Spectacular (1 hr 45 mins) |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2021/08/16 |
Activity Date: | 2021/08/14 |
Reviewed by: Spencer
This experience was unforgettable! Being on top of Mauna Kea above the clouds was the best sunset I’ve ever seen. The photos the crew took were very professional and the star gazing was great!
Aloha, Spencer
Thank you for participating in our tour. I am very happy that the weather was nice and everybody enjoyed the spectacular view from the summit of Mauna Kea.
Please join us on our tour next time again !!
Mahalo,
Hawaiian Eyes Tours
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | Standard Package |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2021/08/14 |
Activity Date: | 2021/07/24 |
Reviewed by: Jenn HM
From the time we were picked up to when we were dropped off at our resort, we had a fantastic time on our tour with a awesome tour guide Shoyo. He was very knowledgeable and we learned a lot, and not just about Mauna Kea, the Observatories and stargazing but also about the Big Island and the area we drove through. This was a bucket list item for me and it did not disappoint in any way.
We went up to the visitors center for a half hour to acclimatize, then up summit (13,800 feet) and got our first taste of elevation. It is definitely a different experience! And it was surprisingly cold but they have cozy warm jackets to keep you comfy. The sunset is amazing as you are above the cloud line, which also makes for awesome photos!
Speaking of photos, our guide took some great ones of us, both on the summit during the sunset and of the stars, as well as amazing photos of the stars themselves. We were super lucky and got perfect weather and viewing conditions, not even any moon light to deal with.
The only thing that might surprise some is the amount of time you spend in the van driving back and forth and especially up to the summit. Totally worth it of course, and there was great commentary to make the time fly.
Aloha, Jenn,
Thank you for participating in our tour. I am very happy that the weather was nice and everybody enjoyed the spectacular view from the summit of Mauna Kea.
Please join us on our tour next time again !!
Mahalo,
Hawaiian Eyes Tours
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | Standard Package |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2021/08/08 |
Activity Date: | 2021/08/06 |
Reviewed by: Heather
We had a great time viewing the sunset with our amazing guides Kekoa and Travis. There are a lot of companies that run these tours, but our guides made this one the best of them all. They were both very knowledgeable with a great sense of humor. Most of all, however, Kekoa and Travis have big smiles and even bigger hearts. They brought the spirit of Mauna Kea and o'hana into this experience. The sunset from the summit was miraculous, the lasagna and brownie absolutely delicious and the star gazing was out of this world!
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | Mauna Kea Sunset & Stargazing Tour with Dinner |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2021/08/06 |
Activity Date: | 2021/08/04 |
Reviewed by: Margaret and Gary
An awe inspiring experience, even for my amateur astrophotographer husband. Beautiful photos worthy of placing on our walls.
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | Stargazing Tour - Starting times between 07:00 PM - 11:30 PM |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2021/07/31 |
Activity Date: | 2021/07/05 |
Reviewed by: S. Rowland
Great pilot and staff - very warm and made us feel comfortable for our first helicopter ride. Loved all the sites, learning about the Island and seeing the transitions of the landscapes - so beautiful. We would definitely recommend Blue Hawaiian!
A couple thoughts:
- Can you add another bathroom to have the lines more manageable?
- You mentioned in the notes it can get chilly on the helicopter (thus I thought there might be open windows!). In fact I found it a little too warm. I relaxed and got comfortable, but found that info slightly misleading.
Thanks,
S. Rowland
Rating: | |
---|---|
Packages: | Big Island Spectacular (1 hr 45 mins) |
Attended as: | Couples |
Posted on: | 2021/07/15 |
Activity Date: | 2021/07/07 |
Tips and suggestions
Reply from activity provider
An unexpected error has occurred. Please go back to the previous page and try again, or wait a few minutes and try once again.
Thank you for participating in the tour.
Shawn is good guide. He can do everything.
Please join us for other tours the next time you visit the Big Island of Hawaii.
Mahalo !