“The sky was clear and dark down there and we saw everything! Saturn's rings, Jupiter's moons, and many other stars and galactic structures.”
Verified Review
This one-hour stargazing tour on West Maui’s Ironwood Beach invites you to look up with intention. In a group of no more than 15 guests, you’ll explore stars, planets, galaxies, and nebulae through both the naked eye and a high-powered Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. Led by a seasoned guide, the experience weaves together astronomy and Hawaiian cultural stories, bringing context and wonder to the cosmos. The location—quiet, remote, and free of city lights—offers pristine conditions when the skies are clear. Perfect for curious minds ages 6 and up, this tour is both educational and deeply meditative.
GUEST REQUIREMENTS
For ages 6+, group size limited to 15 guests.
ACTIVITY LEVEL
Easy
WHAT TO BRING
Jacket, BYOB if you’d like,
CANCELLATION POLICY
Changes or cancellations must be made 48 hours prior.
WHAT GUESTS ARE SAYING
5.0★ from 30+ reviews on TripAdvisor
Guests say Stargaze Maui is a magical break from the usual island itinerary — a gentle way to spend an hour on the sand looking up instead of out to sea. Many appreciate how approachable the guides make astronomy, mixing cosmic facts with Hawaiian stories that give the stars local meaning. The powerful telescope is a highlight, but so is simply sitting together under the sky with warm drinks or a bottle of wine. It’s a small-group vibe that feels more like friends gathering than a formal tour.
Do you ever look up at the night sky and wonder whatʻs out there?
On this 1 hour guided stargazing tour, youʻlll explore the cosmos with a seasoned professional using both the naked eye and a powerful Schmidt=Cassesgrain telescope.
What's included
Learn about planets, stars, star clusters, nebulae, galaxies, as well as Hawaiian history and mythology connected to the night sky. This experience offers a perfect blend of science, culture, and incredible celestial views.Stargaze Maui is a boutique astronomy tour operator offering small-group stargazing sessions on Maui’s quieter west side beaches. Run by passionate astronomy educators, they guide guests through planets, star clusters, nebulae, and distant galaxies using high-powered telescopes and easy stories that blend science with Hawaiian navigation lore and mythology. Each night, they share the dark coastal sky in an unhurried, welcoming circle — an experience that feels part science lesson, part quiet ritual.
Location: Ironwoods Beach Public Parking, Kapalua, Maui, HI 96761
Check-In: Meet your guide at the public parking area. They’ll walk you down to the beach where telescopes and chairs are already set up for your tour. Arrive a few minutes early to settle in and adjust to the night air.Customers will receive a full refund with at least 48 hours notice of cancellation. Customers will also receive the option to rebook or get a full refund in case of operator cancellation due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. No-shows will be charged the full price.
Weather Policy
Stargazing is a weather-dependent activity, and in Kapalua, conditions can change in an instant. Your guide will determine whether the tour will proceed, often making the decision as close to the start time as possible to allow for the chance of clearing skies—which happens frequently. If the trip is canceled, you are welcome to rebook for another night or receive a full refund. If the tour begins and reaches the halfway point before being canceled due to weather, refunds will be issued at the guide’s discretion, with a possibility of a partial refund.
FOLIO TRAVELOGUE
Stargazing on Ironwood Beach: Celestial Stories Under Maui’s Night Sky
Maui’s night sky feels different when you’re standing barefoot in the sand, a red torch in hand, and the ocean murmuring just beyond the dunes. The tour begins quietly, at the edge of Ironwood Beach in Kapalua. You’ll meet your guide in the parking lot, then follow them to a simple setup: chairs in the sand, a telescope angled skyward, and a soft hush over the group as night fully arrives.
The telescope—large, powerful, and expertly handled—opens the sky in a new way. You might glimpse Saturn’s rings, the moons of Jupiter, a star cluster that’s traveled for millions of years to reach your eyes. But what stays with you just as much are the stories. Your guide doesn’t just point out constellations—they share how Hawaiians once navigated using these same stars, and what meaning those shapes held in Hawaiian mythology.
“Under the same stars that once guided Polynesian voyagers, you find your own sense of direction.”
There’s no rush. No laser pointer shows or booming voiceover. Just quiet awe. You sip your water (or maybe a discreet glass of wine), pull your jacket tighter, and lean back in your chair, letting the weight of the day dissolve into the sweep of the sky.
And if clouds roll in—as they sometimes do on Maui’s northwest coast—you wait a little, hoping they’ll clear. Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don’t. But even then, the act of gathering, listening, and looking upward feels like a ritual worth keeping.
