Maui Stargazing
Maui Stargazing
5
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Full view
About
Maui Stargazing offers sunset and stargazing tours within Haleakala National Park for a science-based telescope adventure. We meet at the Kula Lodge and you hop aboard our luxury Mercedes Sprinter passenger van for the ultimate, off-the-grid visitor activity on Maui - and it's fun for all ages! Haleakala is among the best places on Planet Earth to observe celestial objects! At the 10,000 foot elevation, Haleakala Summit reaches above the clouds and is well away from light-polluted resorts. Learn the wonders of the night sky from an astronomy expert. We use the largest portable telescope on Maui, a 12-inch aperture Dobsonian, allowing the best views of deep sky objects including the visible planets, nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters. We supply all the warm outerwear you will need to stay warm, as well as hot beverages and snacks. Observing sites offer restrooms and shelter from wind.
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(47 reviews)
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
401 reviews
Excellent
365
Very good
16
Average
8
Poor
8
Terrible
4
Marilyn S
San Diego, CA60 contributions
Feb 2022 • Couples
What an amazing evening! From start to finish, it was so well organized. First, we explored the area near the Haleakala crater and waited for the sun to set. We were well above clouds settling in below us. Beautiful! At 10,000 feet Haleakala can be quite cold and windy. Jan had jackets, gloves, hats, ski pants to loan everyone. We stayed plenty warm. When darkness settled in, out came the telescopes. With just a sliver of a moon, we were able to see so many objects! Spectacular! Afterwards, Jan emailed us a detailed guide of what we had seen along with some time-lapse photos she took that evening, Nice souvenirs. Best stargazing experience - small group, knowledgeable guide, great location!
Written February 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Mahalo Marilyn for the lovely thoughtful review!
Written February 27, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jake M
Ashburn, VA9 contributions
Oct 2021
This is a MUST do if you find yourself in Maui. Heading up 10,000' to learn about the volcano, have a picnic dinner, watch the sunset above the island and then finishing off with an amazing view of the cosmos. Jan has an incredible knowledge and appreciation for the land and the sea. Dress warm and get ready for anyone you meet back at the resort to be jealous of your excursion.
Written October 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Robert T
2 contributions
Sep 2022
Jan handles the 12" Dobsonan Reflector like the master at sky observing that she is. She brings deep knowledge of the details of the unbelievable sky at Haleakala at 10,000 ft, and skill at quickly selecting objects and giving everyone a chance to see them through the telescope. In addition, her laser pointer tour of the constellations is unparalleled. Worth every minute of the long ride up to the summit and down from it at night.
Written September 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Mahalo!
Written January 16, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
michael s
4 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
Jan has figured it out! From the pace of trip, warm jackets at night, hot cocoa, location to view sunset one of a kind telescope and her knowledge she did just an amazing job.
From the moment you meet her you can tell she is focused on providing everyone on trip an unforgettable experience. She knew all our names, ran a very tight ship and made sure all were taken care of.
Highly recommend it. In fact don’t miss out on this
From the moment you meet her you can tell she is focused on providing everyone on trip an unforgettable experience. She knew all our names, ran a very tight ship and made sure all were taken care of.
Highly recommend it. In fact don’t miss out on this
Written January 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Mahalo Michael for your kind words. We have refined the tour over the years to make it memorable for our guests. Haleakalā and the night sky are unforgettable when the weather cooperates and we aim to please with our customer care.
Written March 7, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Darrell B
1 contribution
Jan 2022
Jan is a very knowledgeable astronomer and knows her way around. You can tell she has been doing this a long time and has worked out the details to make sure your tour is first class. Not only are you getting a great view at the top of the volcano but the sunset is just something not to be missed. When darkness falls Jan has her telescopes set up and ready and begins with a short talk about the stars. She has made sure you are comfortable and prepared for the colder temps as the sun goes down. Once dark the clear skies present you with a view few places can offer a person, and the views through her telescope are clear and sharp. I had a great time and it was nice to talking to someone so knowledgeable in the subject.
Written January 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Thanks Darrell!
It was a fun night indeed!
Jan
Written February 27, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
rnnocs
Chicago, IL123 contributions
Mar 2021
This tour was my favorite thing we did on Maui. Jan is a great driver and navigated the roads like a pro. She brought us up to several viewpoints and then later on we settled on a location that was less crowded for sunset and stargazing. Jan is an expert and her knowledge of the stars was astounding. It is obvious while speaking with her she is passionate about astronomy and Haleakala. Although this tour is pricey, in my opinion it is worth every cent.
Written March 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Nathan
1 contribution
Nov 2021 • Couples
We had an absolutely fantastic experience with our guide Jan. She is such a pro. Great communication from the beginning, very organized and made it easy to meet up. We grouped near the bottom of Mt. Haleakala then drove to the summit in a caravan. Tour includes some time during the day to tour the summit, then regrouping to watch the sunset and set up the telescope. She has a supply of hot drinks and warm clothes for those that forget their own. Try and be prepared for the cold, it is chilly up there! Truly a world class view of the stars, in the high altitude and darkness. Jan showed us dozens of planets, star clusters, and nebula, as well as a tour of the constellations with her laser!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Written November 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Mahalo plenty as they say in Hawaii!
Written February 27, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Katie W
24 contributions
May 2021 • Couples
Jan is truly a wealth of knowledge! We had a delightful evening experiencing a gorgeous sunset followed by a night under the stars exploring planets, constellations and star clusters. The warm attire provided was perfect for our evening on Haleakala- it gets very cold so definitely bring layers. Overall a lovely experience with a caveat- make sure you research when the moon is shining the brightest as this is not ideal for stargazing. Also, we apparently took our tour in between stargazing seasons so there was a lot of emphasis placed on what we unfortunately wouldn’t be able to see- which undersold the experience a bit for us. Still amazing to see the stars and moon with her telescope and fantastic to hear about our galaxy from a passionate expert!
Written May 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Mahalo for the kind words.
Written June 2, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Richard H
2 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
I agree entirely with the comments made by those who have already left 3 star reviews. Please read these as they are more useful than the extreme ratings. Undoubtedly the experience is over-priced: it is actually almost $220 per person once taxes and various little extras are added at checkout.
Basically you're being driven in a van to the highest suitable parking lot on the mountain and then shown several objects through a large amateur telescope. Fair enough, and some of the sights were impressive (notably the moon), but the experience is definitely not worth $220! You won't see anything like the first pictures in the promotional selection above. She's running a bit of a scam here for gullible tourists caught up in the excitement of the remote Maui location. The roads are actually very good, so you can drive to the summit easily in your own rental car, although frankly on the night we went up we'd have seen just as much from sea level. This would have avoided the extreme cold winds near the summit which also detracted from the experience. In fact, on the way back down we saw other stargazing tours operating at a much lower elevation, and probably a much lower price level too! Overall we were left with a nagging feeling that we'd been exploited. Avoid.
Basically you're being driven in a van to the highest suitable parking lot on the mountain and then shown several objects through a large amateur telescope. Fair enough, and some of the sights were impressive (notably the moon), but the experience is definitely not worth $220! You won't see anything like the first pictures in the promotional selection above. She's running a bit of a scam here for gullible tourists caught up in the excitement of the remote Maui location. The roads are actually very good, so you can drive to the summit easily in your own rental car, although frankly on the night we went up we'd have seen just as much from sea level. This would have avoided the extreme cold winds near the summit which also detracted from the experience. In fact, on the way back down we saw other stargazing tours operating at a much lower elevation, and probably a much lower price level too! Overall we were left with a nagging feeling that we'd been exploited. Avoid.
Written January 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Thank you Richard for your feedback and my apologies for the less than optimal conditions on the night of our tour. Guests give the best reviews when the weather is more pleasant which isn’t always predictable. My guests prefer observing higher on the mountain but we do go down slope if the winds are too strong. I asked my Japanese astronomy tour colleagues and they said it was challenging lower on the slope that night as well. They had rainy fog for much of the evening as well as wind to contend with. At least we had clear skies up higher. And I'm sorry you feel the tour is over priced. The national park permit costs $40,000 annually and Maui Stargazing tours are the least expensive astronomy tour on Haleakalā. Our tour is the best value with wind proof insulated pants, the most deep space objects and the largest telescope.
Written January 8, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Maggie M
1 contribution
Oct 2021
This was a 5 Billion Star experience! Literally! Jan walks you through the night sky and puts astronomy at a level anyone can access and appreciate. She has fine tuned this experience to make you comfortable in the cold and make her telescope accessible to everyone. This was one of our highlights in Maui and Jan is incredibly knowledgeable.
Written November 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
SPNYC111
Jersey City, NJ15 contributions
I'm not understanding the price of this tour when one is required to drive themselves up and back. Safety wise, it defeats the purpose of a 'tour' and there is no way that the knowledge equates to $225 pp. Others have questioned the price in the past which includes the Mercedes RT etc. This is highway robbery.
Theresa B
Syracuse, NY13 contributions
My husband thinks $195/person sounds like a lot for the described tour. How can I justify the price to him?
AnneAsh
Edinburgh, UK10 contributions
This trip is so worth it - you will probably never see a night sky like it again. We are still talking about the experience four months later whenever we look up at the evening sky. It was amazing!
Kelly M
Portland, OR1 contribution
Is the altitude a problem? My wife is concerned about potential altitude sickness. How many people have had issues with the altitude on this tour?
Allison L
1 contribution
My husband is very sensitive to altitude and didn’t have any trouble on this tour. There is no exertion, so that might help. Also, you can feel free to drink plenty of water because the tour guide plans bathroom stops at frequent intervals. I think that helps a lot too.
tomiannie
Alpine, UT63 contributions
How scary is the drive? Are there lots of steep drop offs or bumpy unpaved areas? I have an anxious 13-year-old who is dying to do the stargazing but absolutely paralyzed by those. Thanks so much!
joygreensunshine
Omaha, NE6 contributions
They show a video about the national park in the van on the way up, and I was distracted by that most of the time. It was also extremely cloudy when we drove up, so it wasn't possible to see far for stretches of the drive. I don't remember the road being bumpy, but had it been clear, I think we would have been seeing drop-offs. It certainly felt safe, and I didn't feel afraid at all. Jan is a safe driver.
taravarney
Euless, TX
What is the phone number for Maui Stargazing? Is there a website?
JanRoberson
4 contributions
Reach us at 808-298-8254
Miles S
Henderson, NV56 contributions
How visible are the stars with just the naked eye?
JanRoberson
4 contributions
Stars are nice on a clear dark night. If you want to see galaxies and other deep space objects and details on Jupiter’s surface then a telescope is needed. The larger the mirror on the telescope the better the object looks through the telescope
zzirvingj .
24 contributions
I noticed a few close up photos of the moon/stars; I am wondering how did people take these? Did they put a camera up to the telescope? I am considering going star gazing and want to be able to take some close up photos so was curious about this.
JanRoberson
4 contributions
Just noticed your question. In order to take photos of the derp sky objects, one needs a telescope that tracks along with the rotation of the earth. You remove the eyepiece and mount a DSLR camera to the back of the telescope with a special mounting bracket, and take long 30-Second exposures which gather more light than you can see with your eyes alone. Our telescope is a field telescope and we look through the eyepiece. So we cannot take photos with it.
TL252015
Sydney, Australia3 contributions
Will you pick up and drop off at my hotel?
JanRoberson
4 contributions
Apologies but we do not transport guests.