Fodor's Expert Review Mauna Kea Summit Adventures

The first company to specialize in tours to the mountain is a small outfit that focuses on stars. Cushy vans with panoramic windows journey first to the visitor center, where participants eat dinner on the lanai and acclimatize for 45 minutes before donning hooded arctic-style parkas and ski gloves for the sunset trip to the 14,000-foot summit. With the help of knowledgeable guides, stargazing through a powerful Celestron telescope happens midmountain, where the elevation is more comfortable and skies are just as clear. The tour includes dinner, hot cocoa and biscotti, and west-side pickup; it runs 364 days a year, weather permitting. Book at least one month in advance, as these tours sell out fast.