Mauna Kea Above the Clouds Sunrise Tour

After hotel pickup, start with a scenic drive to Mauna Kea and cross through unforgettable volcanic terrain along the way. Travel up the coast over desolate lava flows for about 30 minutes before proceeding up the rolling pasturelands on the flanks of Mauna Kea. Turning onto the Saddle Road that travels the island between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, you’ll see a dramatic and diverse landscape of subalpine dry forest and rainforest with striking features such as cinder cones, lava flows, lava tubes and kipuka.

Your guide will make sure you first spend some time acclimating at the 9,200-foot (2,804-meter) level with a breakfast of hot oatmeal and coffee. Then, with a jacket in hand, you’ll make the 30-minute drive to the top. As your make your way up, you’ll be fascinated by your guide’s interpretation of Hawaii’s remarkable natural, cultural, and geologic history.

The vehicle will climb to the summit above the clouds, reaching 13,796 feet (4,205 meters) in elevation amid dozens of craters. Once there, you are afforded spectacular views of the horizon, Haleakala on Maui, Mauna Loa and Hualalai via a world-class array of telescopes. 

Mauna Kea is actually the world’s tallest mountain, rising more than 32,000 feet (9,753 meters) from the ocean floor, and is considered by many Hawaiians to be the most sacred place in all of Polynesia. You’ll stand in awe at both nature’s sublime creation and the astonishing technological achievements of humankind.

Finish your 7-hour tour with the return drive and hotel drop-off.