Stargazing in Maui: Everything You Need To Know

Maui is an absolutely beautiful place for any vacation, and you’ll never be at a loss for things to do. You’ll find plenty of great places to eat, rest, and even gaze up at the sky. The last one might not sound like something everyone does in Maui, but did you know that stargazing in Maui is one of the best places for a little late night sky surfing?

Picture this:

You come back from a long day of fantastic Hawaiian adventures, and as night falls you feel a bit lost. Then, without warning, your eyes take you skyward and you notice something shocking…you can see almost all of the stars perfectly. No, not the cluster of little white dots you’re used to…but the shapes and colors that paint an unadulterated night sky in pristine clarity. What if there was a way to see this more deeply? That’s what you’ll know once you finish reading this.

This is why, today, we want to show you everything there is to know about stargazing in Maui. We’ll be taking you on a tour of one of the world’s best stargazing hot-spots. So if you have a little stargazing in you – or even if you’re looking for something new to try out – you’ll definitely want to pay very close attention to what we have to say.

Now, keep in mind that we’ll be going through quite a bit of information. Feel free to skip around at your leisure, but we always recommend that you read each and every section to stay well informed. With that being said, here is a brief look at what we’ll be going over:

The best time of the year for stargazing in Maui
The best locations to start stargazing in Maui
The guided tours you can embark on for stargazing in Maui
The best gear to bring with you for stargazing
Some solid places to hang your hat and dine in Maui
Things to do while you’re not stargazing in Maui
A brief recap of everything we’ve gone over so far

Now that you know about what’s on the menu, let’s dive right in and take a look at how to start stargazing in Maui.

Sit back, relax, and get ready to have your mind blown.

Best time of year for stargazing in Maui

Everyone loves a vacation to Hawaii right? It’s a great place to have a meal, enjoy a nice night view, and a wonderful place to explore. Plus, to be quite honest with you, Hawaii is a popular place to visit all year long. The summer may be a bit on the hot side, but Hawaii makes up for this with beautiful beach side resorts.

While Hawaii may be a great place to go all year round, the same rules don’t exactly apply for stargazing in Maui. So in this section, we’ll show you how to enhance your vacation schedule in a way that lines up perfectly for stargazing in Maui.

So what is the best time?

There is no exact time of the year where you’ll see the most stars, but you should always keep an eye on the moon. This is due to the fact that a new moon – or anytime after a full moon really – will be the best time to do some stargazing in Maui. The moon will actually add some light pollution so you’ll want to avoid that. Aside from that, you’ll really be able to go during anytime of the year!

If you really want to get some good viewing, try to look for a meteor shower. This will create some really cool experiences, and you’ll be left with a night sky that really blows your mind away.

Best locations for stargazing in Maui

If you want to do some serious stargazing in Maui, you’ll definitely need a game plan. This means that you should map out some location to go, this way you’re keeping the amount of light pollution to a minimum. Therefore, in this section of our in depth guide, we’ll be taking a look at some of the best places to go. Before jumping right in, please keep in mind that most of these locations require a bit of travel, so make sure you’re ready for an adventure.

Haleakala Summit

If you want to get the most out of stargazing in Maui, drop everything (except you’re favorite telescope), and head up to Haleakala Summit. This volcanic trip will take you roughly 10,000 feet above sea level, and in doing so, you’ll be in a perfect place to do some stargazing. Make sure you’re ready for the hike, because it can be a bit taxing, but you’ll soon discover that making the trip is well worth it. Trust us on that one.

Kalahaku Overlook

Kalahaku Overlook is a must-see spot for stargazing in Maui. This is due to the fact that region puts you in an excellent spot for stargazing. You’ll be hanging out on a volcano, which is pretty cool, and you’ll also be over 9,000 feet above sea level. So when it comes to looking at the stars, this is definitely an experience that you don’t want to miss.

Lipoa Point

This is more of an exclusive location, and if you’re not the type of person who wants to hike up a volcano, Liopa point is absolutely breathtaking. You’ll want to bring a telescope or binoculars for the best view, but you won’t have to worry about light pollution in Liopa Point. You can really get creative with this spot, because there are some really interesting angles you can get on the night sky.

Honomanu Bay

If you’re someone who loves to watch a sunset, you’ll definitely want to checkout Honomanu Bay. This is due to the fact that the sunset will be absolutely breathtaking, and once the sun finally sets beneath the water you’ll be met with a gorgeous view of the Maui night sky. It’s not as high up as some of the other locations we mentioned, but this is definitely a great spot to partake in some casual stargazing.

Star Lookout

As the name suggests, Star Lookout is must-see spot when it comes to stargazing in Maui. This is due to the fact that the location is far away from light pollution, and light pollution aside, you’ll be almost 3,000 feet above sea level. The height is great because you don’t need to do too much climbing to see the stars in a really impressive way.

When it comes to stargazing in Maui, there are so many beautiful locations to set up shop. This is due to the fact that Maui has beautiful volcanoes, beaches, and even farmland.

Guided tours available for stargazing in Maui

If you’re new to stargazing, or not too sure about where to go, make sure you hop on one of the various tours that Maui provides. Not every tour is going to be stargazing oriented, but that doesn’t mean that you’re out of luck. In this case, we have two excellent tours that come to mind. Let’s take a quick look.

Hyatt Rooftop Tour

The Hyatt Regency Hotel is one of the many resorts that will provide you with a great tour of the stars. This is due to the fact that they have a rooftop that is 9 floors up, and to be quite honest with you, the location is a great spot for some stargazing. So if you do decide to stay at the Hyatt, be prepared for a tour that can change your life. The good news about this tour is that a lot of the equipment will be provided, so if you’re looking for some casual viewing this is definitely a great destination.

Celestial Cruise

One of the best ways to get a great look at the night sky is to do it on the water. Who doesn’t love a trip out to the ocean right? Luckily, in Maui, the Pacific Whale Foundation will actually allow you to journey out with them for stargazing. The times and schedule does vary, but most of the tours will leave around sunset. Therefore, to be honest, you’ll get a beautiful sunset and excellent stargazing experience with this tour.

Book an astronomer!

The beauty of stargazing in Maui is the fact that there are plenty of astronomers to go around. Everyone knows this is one of the premier spots in the world to do some serious stargazing, so booking an astronomer to journey with you to a place like Haleakala Summit shouldn’t be too difficult. The prices do vary, so just make sure that you keep this in mind when looking into a tour.

With so many astronomers at the ready, and popular tourist locations, you should have no trouble finding a tour that is perfect for you in Maui.

Best astronomy gear to bring with you for stargazing in Maui

When it comes to stargazing in Maui you definitely want to be prepared, right? Sure, anyone can look up at the night sky and see some stars, but if you really want to enhance your experience you’ll need to bring some gear with you. Luckily, Amazon is a great place to stock up on all sorts of gear, so we’ll be showing you some pretty great products in this section. So let’s dive right in, and take a look at some great telescopes, binoculars, and even guides.

The Orion SpaceProbe

If you’re looking for a telescope that is both portable and efficient, you’ll definitely want to give the Orion SpaceProbe a look. This telescope has plenty of excellent features to enhance your experience, and it won’t give you too much trouble if you’ll be on the move.

Here are some of the features you’ll love to see in the Orion SpaceProbe:

EQ-2 mount for easy controls
5.1 inch aperture for a wide range of viewing
The tube is only 2 feet long making it great for transportation
It comes with it’s own mount
26-power viewing
Everything you need to get started is right in the box
65-power viewing with the 10mm eyepiece

While these features may be great on their own, one of the main reasons we love the Orion SpaceProbe is due to the fact that it comes with Starry Night Software. With access to this software, you’ll be able to have some help along the way, and plenty of interesting viewing locations and guides. All in all, the Orion SpaceProbe gives you everything you need at a fair price. You can find it on Amazon here.

The Celestron AstroMaster

How could you have a list of telescopes without featuring Celestron? The Celestron AstroMaster comes with everything you need for a good night of viewing, and to be blunt, for what you get it’s most definitely worth the price.

Let’s take a look at some of the features the Celestron AstroMaster boasts:

20mm and 10mm eyepieces
45-power and 25-power viewing
A very lightweight frame making it very portable
Equilateral mount
Tripod
Viewing software

The beauty of this telescope is that it also comes with the Starry Night package. Therefore, everything you need to start stargazing in Maui can be done with ease. You’ll be able to experience a vast database of stars, locations, and viewing locations. Not bad for a telescope, right? You can find the Celestron AstroMaster on Amazon here.

Celestron Skymaster Binoculars

If you really want to blow your mind, and not lug a telescope up a volcano, you’ll definitely want to checkout the Celestron SkyMaster Binoculars. These binoculars come with everything you need for a little stargazing in Maui, and their portability makes it easy to set up your stargazing adventure in any location.

Here are some features you’ll love to see:

Includes a tripod to make prolonged use easy as can be
25-power viewing
70mm lenses
The optics are multi coated for easy viewing with little to no strain on your eyes
Rubber eye covering to keep things comfortable

When push comes to shove, if you want to keep things casual while stargazing in Maui, you should definitely give the Celestron AstroMaster Binoculars a look. You’ll be able to stargaze from whenever you please, and their very portable. You can find the Celestron AstroMaster on Amazon here.

The Orion 20×80 binoculars

We love to hype up Celestron, but Orion is another brand that really knows how to make stargazing a breeze. This is why it’s no surprise that we have the Orion 20×80 binoculars featured on this list. With plenty of viewing potential, and a really portable design, you can’t go wrong in Maui with these binoculars.

Here are some of the features we know you’ll love:

20-power
17 mm rubber eye relief for comfort
Includes a carry case
A dust cap is also included
These 80mm lenses allow a great deal of light to be absorbed

With these binoculars you can start stargazing in Maui from virtually anywhere, and when it comes to the price, it’s hard to beat these binoculars. If you want to give these binoculars a look, check them out on Amazon here.

Bonus item: Night Watch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe

If you’re new to stargazing, or are someone who is really into finding the perfect location, you’ll want to give this manual a look.

This guide does a great job showing you all about the many different viewing options, and aside from that, it will show you where to point that telescope of yours. We definitely recommend looking at this guide if you’re new to stargazing. You can find this guide on Amazon here.

Some solid places to hang your hat and have a nice meal

Now, if you’ll be heading down to Maui with a bunch of equipment and an idea, you’ll need a place to rest and eat. Luckily, being the very popular vacation spot that it is, Maui has some really good island cuisine and resorts. Plus, if you plan things out right, some of these resorts will actually all be pretty well suited for stargazing as well.

Hyatt Regency Hotel

As we mentioned in our tour section, you’ll notice that the Hyatt Regency Hotel is really the place to be in Maui. If you’ll be doing anytime of stargazing in Maui, you’ll definitely want to consider this hotel. As we previously mentioned, you’ll find a great tour, an even better view of the island, and a great place to rest your head and drift away.

Joey’s Kitchen

So you want to eat a crazy Hawaiian meal, huh? If you do, please do yourself a favor and head on down to Joey’s Kitchen. This place will blow your mind with some crazy menu items, one of which is a burger patty slapped on a bed of delicious white rice. The sauce is good, the food is even better, and you’ll be craving this place for years to come.

Ululani’s Hawaiian Ice

Have you ever had a Hawaiian ice? If you have -and just thought it was a brand of ice- well then you’re sadly mistaken. For some reason Hawaii is really great at making tasty ice, so while you’re there, you should definitely give this popular dessert location a try. It can help cool you off, but it will also make your tastebuds dance.

MauiGrown Coffee

Did you know that Maui is a coffee hotspot? This means that they actually grow their own coffee down in Maui, and when you’re up all night enjoying the night sky you’ll need a recharge. This is why it’s an absolute must to head on down to MauiGrown Coffee. You’ll be able to see beautiful coffee farms while you choose from around 50 flavors of coffee. Not a bad way to start your day, right?

With some really great places to stay and eat, stargazing in Maui is really one of the best places to stargaze in the world.

Things to do while you’re not stargazing in Maui

When you’re in Maui, it’s like you’re in a different world. The island provides some great places to checkout the night sky, but it also has a lot of great things to do during the day. Plus, you obviously can’t be stargazing the entire time, so in this section we’ll be taking a look at some great things to do during the day.

Hike a volcano

If you’re someone who loves to do a bit of adventuring, feel free to hike any of the volcanos that we mentioned. During the day the experience can be quite interesting, and you’ll also shed off some calories from all the fantastic meals. Climbing a volcano is not like climbing a mountain, which means that you’ll have a truly unique experience.

Black sand beaches

The beauty of Maui is that the location features some of the most popular black sand beaches. The sand is a really interesting shade, and to be quite honest with you it’s something you’ll be dying to get back too. The landscape surrounding most of the beaches makes photography an excellent choice, so if you want to take a break (or selfie) head on down to the coast for a really great beach experience.

Do you like surfing?

The typical stigma around Hawaii in general is that the “surf is up.” So if you’re a surfer, or even if you want to give surfing a try, take some time to head on down to Kaanapali surf school. The instructors there are great, and they can really have you shredding the waves in absolutely no time at all.

Lahaina Historic Trail

If you’re a history buff, or someone who loves to learn, please take a tour of the Lahaina Historic Trail. Keep in mind that there is a lot of walking involved, but you’ll be welcomed by a page right out of history. Starting at the Lahaina museum, you’ll be able to experience the vast history of Hawaii. If you will be doing this activity, just make sure that you plan a whole day.

Haleakala National Park

Haleakala National Park is an excellent place to watch the sun rise. The crater will reflect some awesome colors, and if you want a beautiful picture in Maui this is the place to get it. The volcanic perimeter makes for some really great camera angle, and it’s very difficult to find a better view anywhere on the planet. So do yourself a favor, and head on down to Haleakala National Park. Plus, once the day is done, hike up the volcano for some great stargazing.

Stargazing in Maui is a great thing to do. There is so much fun and adventure to be had during the day that you can really have a well rounded vacation and experience.

Stargazing in Maui – Recap

We know that we went over a lot of information today, so make sure that you take some time to soak it all in. If you’ll be heading out to do some stargazing in Maui, you want to make sure that you’re prepared. Preparation is essential when it comes to getting the most out of stargazing, so make sure that you always have the right equipment.

Well I hope we’ve equipped you with some good and relevant information in this article. Stargazing in Maui should be on every enthusiasts bucket list. If you enjoyed this article, check out some of our other articles below: