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All 166 Kailua-Kona Attractions »

Mauna Kea Summit

Kailua-Kona, Island of Hawaii, HI
Ranked #1 of 69 attractions in Kailua-Kona
4.5 of 5 stars 330 Reviews
Type: Mountains
Description: At 13,796 feet, this peak offers an incredible view of lava, desert, the valley and Mauna Loa.
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330 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
    267
    51
    7
    3
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Date Rating
Lakeland, Florida
Top Contributor
62 reviews 62 reviews
Reviews in 18 cities Reviews in 18 cities
13 helpful votes 13 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 27, 2012 NEW

We went with Mauna Kea Summit Adventures, and the guides knew their stuff. It was very cold at the summit - make sure you dress warmly (socks, close toed shoes, jeans) - those parkas and gloves were a lifesaver! More

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See 10 more reviews by ImeldaMario for Kailua-Kona
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Senior Contributor
21 reviews 21 reviews
Reviews in 17 cities Reviews in 17 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 25, 2012 NEW

The view s on the way up and the top are awesome! I have done this several times and only once was there so much fog/clouds that no view was possible. Going with the visitor center people is great as you get a guide without the big $. Some people have a problem with the elevation. I have not but... More

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Riverside, California
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 24, 2012 NEW

We went with Hawaii Forest and Trail. The tour guide, Jon, was very knowledgeable and pointed out flora and fauna along the way. His star show was excellent. More

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See 5 more reviews by Toni S for Kailua-Kona
Suffield, Ct
Senior Contributor
29 reviews 29 reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
24 helpful votes 24 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 21, 2012
3
people found this review helpful

With four of us traveling, spending $800 for a summit tour was pretty much out of the question. We opted to roll the dice and rent a vehicle from Harper's Rental Agency in Kona. It is the only rental company that allows its vehicles to the summit. We arrived at Harpers and the check out procedure was almost intimidating. The... More

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See 4 more reviews by DawnCt for Kailua-Kona
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 19, 2012
1
person found this review helpful

Views not to be missed at the summit. And telescopes too! Morning is best as the clouds start to roll into the saddle by afternoon. Not much to see at the visitor center, but it is a good stopping point for altitude acclimatization before proceeding to the summit. And take the altitude adjustment seriously. I live at 7500 ft, but... More

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See 3 more reviews by NMSojourner for Kailua-Kona
utah
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 19, 2012

Cold but there are no words to describe. If you have the opportunity to watch the sunset then you would be a fool to miss it. Make sure to wear warm clothes More

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See 2 more reviews by powdergirl for Kailua-Kona
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 18, 2012

We went to the summit with Hawaii Forest and Trail's Mauna Kea Summit & Stars Adventure Tour and would highly recommend this tour. Our tour guide was great! And it turned out to be the perfect place for my now husband to pop the question. Getting engaged at sunset while wearing a parka in Hawaii is something I will never... More

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herndon, va
Senior Contributor
45 reviews 45 reviews
Reviews in 26 cities Reviews in 26 cities
19 helpful votes 19 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 16, 2012

this is a very novel adventure b/c you can drive up in winter months to see snow in hawaii! :) you may be told otherwise, but it is usually fine to drive up in a standard car (aka: non 4-wheel drive). we took a ford mustang convertible to the summit (w/ the top UP, of course! LOL!). just drive very... More

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Bayfield, Wisconsin
Senior Contributor
22 reviews 22 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 16, 2012
1
person found this review helpful

loved it, check it out on the way to the national volcano parks... More

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See 7 more reviews by charleshaycock for Kailua-Kona
Chandler, Arizona
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 15, 2012
1
person found this review helpful

We only made it to the visitors center because our child was under 2, but we hiked a little bit across from the visitors center and the view was amazing. More

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See 4 more reviews by PattiA1213 for Kailua-Kona

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