Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! I have never seen so many stars in my entire life and having a professional who was super knowledgeable made it the perfect experience! We went as a group of eight and had a blast! My one piece of advice would be to dress SUPER warm! I've never been so grateful for layers!!! (They provide parkas/jackets but dress warm under!). Definitely recommend! read more

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This tour was EPIC! We are so grateful to have experienced this in our lifetime. We saw many shooting stars, constellations, a nebula, Pinwheel Galaxy, Andromeda! James and Dylan are knowledgeable; true experts. And they are fun! We had a memorable time, felt inspired, and feel moved by the perspective of where we are in our galaxy. 1. Booking experience: James was great at communicating, very detailed and responsive. 2. Getting there: the road was nicely paved, easy drive. The location was felt private, like you're on another planet, it's so neat. James was so kind to include the jeep in the photo too! Plan ahead with directions and texts, as you get higher, you may lose WiFi. Driving back at night to Kona side after the experience felt safe, as well! 3. The photos: such a cool way to remember the experience. James is an incredible photographer. I still can't believe he was able to capture these, and that we are able to have photos by him! read more

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Great experience, and an amazing view of the stars. James knows where to go to avoid clouds and lights, and he takes photos so you can concentrate on the stars instead of trying to take pictures with your phone. We opted for this instead of one of the 8 hour summit/sunset/stargazing tours, because it focuses on the stargazing experience. It starts later than other tours, so the sky is darker. We also did not want to spend the whole day in a tour van. The high resolution photos are worth it. read more

ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING! Pricey but worth every penny, my husband and I really enjoyed this experience. James was very knowledgeable and did a great job taking our pictures. Would recommend the stargazing tour to anyone visiting the Big Island! read more

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My boyfriend and I loved this tour with James and the photos we got! We actually live on the island, so are no strangers to the dark nights that lack light pollution, and yet it still takes my breath away every time we reserve an evening to envelop ourselves in an open sky. What makes the stargazing even better is the expertise James provides, pointing out various constellations (many from the southern hemisphere can be seen here!), the stories, fun facts, and the close-up images we get to view in real time. He even showed us an ENTIRE galaxy! Which might make one feel small if he didn't remind us that we are all made of the same substances as everything we were looking at, just stars in different forms....all unified, all one. I have been very fortunate to have many friends that are amazing photographers, getting pictures with beautiful backgrounds, however, the pictures we got from this tour are some of my absolute favorites! Highly recommend getting the photo upgrade, it's definitely worth it! Pictures last longer than any event you experience, so they mean a lot to me as a memento. And rarely do pictures look like what your eyes actually saw, but these will! I came with several ideas for poses that we wanted to do and wore a red dress as his website suggests for color contrast. I especially love silhouette shots so this was the perfect opportunity. We never felt rushed and he guided us if we need to move in certain ways or adjust so that we could get the image we were trying for. Long story short....10 out of 10 recommend =) read more

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If you want to see stars in a relaxed uncrowded atmosphere this is the tour for you. We left Hilo to meet the tour in a driving rainstorm at 10:30 at night to meet James out in the saddle road. I was think I had to be whacked, no way were we going to see anything that night. James took us up to one of his secret spots at about 8,500 feet and sure enough there was the night sky in all its glory. James did his photo shoot, then we all just laid out for an hour or so soaking it all in. We got back to Hilo around 2:30 AM, completely satisfied with the experience. read more

My wife and I geek out about the night sky, but living in Honolulu or on Oahu for that matter gives us little opportunity to stargaze. When we had a staycation on the Big Island 2 years ago, we tried to book a Mauna Kea summit trip and found that no tours take children because it is recommended they not go higher than the visitor center. This time, I tried again and although I had no luck finding a summit tour, I did stumble across Epic Tours and so happy I did! Not only did we get to have a very similar experience, we were able to have photos to remember it by! James was great! He does a great job staying in touch and working with you, as well as keep you updated on the conditions, since the tour is dependent on the weather and lighting conditions. Since we went on Halloween, James was dressed up as a unicorn and he made the trip fun. He focused on a few subjects in the sky to give us great blown up views and seemed very knowledgeable. The tour starts at a meeting point between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. There is no hotel pickup, but I actually preferred this because of social distancing reasons. We opted to caravan from the meeting point anyway for this reason. It also gave us more freedom before and after the tour to do our own bit of stargazing and watching for shooting stars. We saw a lot since the moon had already set for the night. If you take this tour, I would suggest booking in advance and booking towards the beginning of your trip in case weather is not good, there is a chance to reschedule. The high resolution photo upgrade is also worth it if you ever decide to get a print of any of the photos. Otherwise, if you are good with only posting to social media, the low res photos Jame's shared with you will do. read more

Epic Tours - Our little family as we view the beautiful night sky from Mauna Kea - Bus Tours Near Me

Stargazing with Epic Tours was an unforgettable experience. Words really can't adequately express how stunning the stars are from that location on Mauna Kea. They supply coats and blankets, but it's cold up there, so don't forget to dress as warm as you can. I loved being able to learn about the stars and planets and constellations and galaxies and ask all the questions I wanted to ask of Dylan. They use a laser pointer to show us everything, and if you have a question, they hand it to you to point out what you're talking about. They are so knowledgeable and have really thought of it all to make the experience special. James has some really impressive camera equipment and took some of the most stunning pics I've ever seen. (I tried to take a couple with my phone, but they were all blurry, so I was so happy to have a bunch of gorgeous pics sent to me.) The whole experience was absolutely beautiful and I would do it again in a heartbeat. read more

This is an unforgettable, sublime experience. James was fantastic. He was knowledgable, accommodating, entertaining, and fun. he made sure that everyone's experience was sublime and special. The views are so spectacular it is difficult to put into words. This is a must-do adventure when on the big island. read more

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Epic Tours is a MUST if you are visiting Kona! The Stargazing tour was absolutely breathtaking. I am over the moon with our pictures! Do not let the early start time (4am) deter you. It is WORTH IT. James was amazing and accommodating. He offers to take you to the stargazing location in his vehicle or you can drive yourself and he has jackets for you at the summit (it is FREEZING). He educated us about the constellations and took the most amazing photos. The group is small and intimate making it all the more worthwhile. We received our photos less than 24 hours from our excursion, so we were able to share immediately with friends and family. I cannot recommend this tour more! read more

If you have to pick one tour on the big island, this is the Big Kahuna. James does an amazing job of personalizing and altering this "all in one" tour, depending on the weather and Madame Pele's mood. He was constantly watching the sky and the clock, to make sure that we were able to fit in all the best that the island had to offer in the time we would be spending together. He keeps the group size small, seven or less, which keeps the tour moving and allows him to spend quality time with everyone. Giant lava tube that requires flash lights? Check Secluded water falls with locals pointing out safe swimming spots? Check A hardened lava field between the two largest volcanoes in the islands? Check Iconic waterfalls that are surprisingly not crowded? Check Huge banyan tree you can walk amongst? Check and for the grand cherry on top: The most incredible star gazing you will ever experience in a lifetime. It's truly mind blowing. We saw the biggest shooting star we have ever seen. I will leave some of the fun little touches he adds, so as to not spoil all of the surprises. His photography skills are one of a kind and the fact that he includes them as part of the tour package price is incredible. James is an incredibly safe driver and I felt safe and comfortable the entire tour. I am usually a nervous Nelly on the roads. My usually particular, Debbie Downer husband after James dropped us off at the end of the tour: Him: "What did you think of that tour?" Me cautiously: "I liked it. Did you?" Him: "I LOVED it. That was incredible." Big smiles all around. You will not be disappointed. Thank you so much James, for the tour of a lifetime! read more

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What a great once-in-a-lifetime experience. As a vet teacher, I must say I was thoroughly impressed by Jame's ability to struck the great balance of both "educational" and fun with his content. Do wear light colors tho if u don't wanna end up "blending into the sky" ha! Big Thanks to James n Charlotte read more

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Despite the clouds, James was super flexible and found a clear spot to get the amazing experience we'd had in mind when we booked a trip to Big Island. We found it well worth it, and I'm now wishing I could just step outside every night and see that view again. His photos are incredible and he was so easy to work with - very knowledgeable, too. read more

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STOP! Don't screw up and make the mistake of booking a six-hour free crappy dinner trip to see the universe in its grandeur. James is a frigging analog astronaut and charming to boot. His knowledge level and sensitivity to the desires and curiosity of tourists makes this, by far, the best investment of time and money you can make in your astronomical aesthetic experience. read more

A TRULY Epic Tour that is worth both your time and money - I will recommend this tour to everyone that visits Big Island. Even if you ever hope to visit Big Island, put this on your bucket list! James, your guide, is a true expert on the stars and Big Island. He was knowledgeable, friendly and funny AND he has the right camera equipment to ensure you will receive amazing high-res photos you won't be able to get anywhere else. The icing on the top is that you do not go to the summit of Mauna Kea so for those worried about the high altitude at the top - this would be a great option for you! (See altitude warnings below). James also will cancel and fully refund your tickets if there is a full moon that will ruin the ability to see the stars, not like many companies that will continue with the tour if the skies are not optimal for stargazing. We actually could have gotten a different stargazing tour for FREE (through Chase points) and I don't regret having to pay for this one (detailed below why we switched). DATE OF VISIT: End of April 2022 PRICE FOR EXPERIENCE: 5/5 stars TOUR GUIDE: 5/5 stars COMMUNICATION PRIOR TO TOUR: 5/5 stars There are tours that are longer for the same price as this one, so I was hesitant to book this. However, timing the tours to the summit that are 6-8 hours and start at 4pm and end at 10-11pm was very difficult with our itinerary. Not to mention the possibility of altitude sickness (see more below). So, I was very happy to find this tour for 2 hours that is 8000-9000 elevation, as compared to 12-13,000 at the summit. You will almost feel like your in outer space with how pitch black it is with no other cars around you. Such an experience, like none other ALTITUDE: Warning that many can get altitude sickness and this is a warning for every tour. In fact, our tour guide said that he used to guide summit tours and they would always result in someone in the group passing out. Yikes. I get quite sick while traveling up any mountain (even just in the car), so I brought oxygen canisters that I bought on Amazon just in case, but didn't have to use them and felt fine during our tour. DRESS WARMLY: James has comfy and warm jackets for you, but the cool air and breeze still bites - similar to lake effect in Chicago. I brought thicker leggings, t-shirt and sweater and used one of the jackets and was freezing within the first several minutes. You can always escape to James' van or your own car, but then you'll miss such great parts of the tour. ADJUSTMENTS TO MEETING SPOT AND TIME and POSSIBLE CANCELLATION: Just note that it is a possibility your tour will be cancelled based on the conditions of the sky that night. It is recommended to book the tour towards the beginning of your time on the Big Island in case you can reschedule for later that week. James texts whoever booked the tour with the exact location and time as the tour gets closer (so note there may be adjustments but the changes are not far from the original estimate). PHOTO OPS: You will have PLENTY of time for photo ops and I 100% appreciate James' patience and willingness to get everyone the shots that they want. There was a couple that wanted to copy a pose that a couple after them did, and James was willing to get another shot of them. Be ready with how you'd like to pose under the stars PHOTO PACKAGE: We did not book the high-res photo package originally and James was super easy to work with to upgrade our photos TOUR GUIDE/RIDING IN THE VAN: We opted to ride in James' van where others followed in their own car. I would recommend riding in the van, as it's not that far from the original spot and you do miss out on information on the way there/back. As mentioned above, James is extremely knowledgeable and even shares about his time training for Mars. He has amazing camera equipment and a telescope to capture the moving stars and not look blown out - not available on your own or on other tours. He also makes it exciting and entertaining - not like some tours that start and it's the most awkward 2 hours of your life lol. BATHROOMS: There will NOT be bathrooms where you meet James. However, there is the Mauna Kea State Recreation Area (put it in Google or Waze) that is open 24 hours and has bathroom stalls, soap, sinks and even paper towels! And it's not far from where you will meet James read more

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Amazing. Authentic. Unique. Absolutely worthy of the name EPIC. This was the highlight of our 10 day trip to Hawaii. James is as engaging as he is smart - and he's wicked smart. He's also totally focused on YOUR experience. He thinks of everything! We were overwhelmed by the beauty of the night sky and how awe inspiring it is. You'll never see the sky like this or think about the stars in the same way. James taught us about the stars and about the relationship between the ancient Polynesians, their relationship with the sky and the discovery of Hawaii. The combination of the setting - remote; the conditions - no ambient light; and your guide an astronomer and analog astronaut make this a totally unique experience. Worth every penny. Pro tip: bring a hat and maybe some gloves, it is chilly. Also the meeting time and place may change. Don't freak out - James works hard to ensure there's no cloud cover from where you'll be viewing, and he does a great job of communicating to let you know. read more

James was super knowledgeable about the night sky and took fantastic photos. It's clear he takes great pride in what he does; he kept us updated on the conditions of the sky before our tour up Mauna Loa. We were fortunate the moon was barely visible during our visit, so we saw more stars than we had ever seen before. Even though half of our tour group decided to leave early, he stayed with us and another couple the entire time taking tons of great photos :D read more

Highlight of our honeymoon! Incredible stars like you've never seen, extremely knowledgeable expert guide, priceless memories.

James had to move our trip to later in the evening due to cloud cover, but it was worth the wait! I have never seen so many stars. It was beautiful! The photos he took were also amazing! James is so knowledgeable and he made sure we were all warm with blankets and jackets. read more

We didn't think that we would need parkas for our trip to Hawaii, but this was worth the chills. Coming from an urban east coast environment, the opportunity to see the night sky in all of its glory was a rare treat. I was fortunate enough to see the Milky Way 30+ years ago in Montana, but my kids have never had the chance and sitting at 9K feet on Mauna Kea presented such an incredible opportunity. James is excellent and has a great sense of humor. He also has the process of introducing us to the phenomena of the stars down pat. Not only did he take us on a visual laser tour of the constellations, be also explained that in our particular case and time we were able to explore both northern and southern constellations and winter and summer. The best part is that James has the photography down to a science as well. We have stunning pictures of the family with the Milky Way as a back drop--and in our case we lucked out because the Perseid meteor shower show up as streaks in our pictures. We agreed as a family that this was one of the highlights of our Hawaii trip--despite being a bit on the chilly side. read more

Aloha, If you are considering seeing the beautiful lava caves of Hawaii, breathtaking waterfalls, and beautiful galaxy. Look no further than an EPIC TOUR with James. He looks like Beto O'Rourke and my cousin mentioned he reminded her of Blipii. James does not only show you cool places a regular tourist wouldn't see, but he also includes amazing photos with the deal. My cousins and I have extremely different personalities and James was still capable of making us all engaged with his tour. Moreover, he also gave us snacks at the end of the tour which was a major plus. read more

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Amazing tour. A once in a lifetime experience. Likely never going to be able to see the stars and galaxies this clearly ever again. Thank you James! Definitely worth the trip in the middle of the night. I'd do this again in a heartbeat if I ever make it back to the Big Island. read more

Epic Tours - Milky Way Galaxy from Mona Loa July 2022 - Bus Tours Near Me

One of the best tours I've ever taken! More stars than you'll see with the naked anywhere, except maybe that high desert mountain in Chile. James was a highly knowledgeable guide, with fancy telescopes and cameras, pointing out constellations, planets, and nebula--some millions of light years away. read more

James is very thorough and made sure we got our moneys worth. He scoped out multiple locations to ensure that the spot we ended up with had the best view for the stars. During the tour, he was very nice and answered all of the questions anyone had. He made everyone laugh all the while doing what he does best. Highly recommend for an one of a kind star-gazing tour! read more

James is an amazing tour guide and an amazing astrophotographer. My wife and I did this tour on our honeymoon and it was the experience of a lifetime. We'll cherish the photos forever. If you're in Big Island, this is a must-do. read more

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100 percent, this is a must-do experience for Big Island and one of our most memorable moments on this island... with pictures that captured the magic of this night too! We had an amazing time on the Stargazing Experience on Mauna Kea, from learning about the night sky, to hearing about the Analog Astronaut Mars Missions taking place near our star-gazing spot, to starring (pun intended) in beautiful night photos that James uses his special equipment to take so thoughtfully and patiently. Meeting up was exactly as described with his excellent instructions, and immediately we knew it was going to be a great time from James' warm, awesome, positive vibe. As a former analog astronaut and current scientist, James knows the best spots for stargazing including access to some spots on private property where you can't normally go, as well as a fabulous depth of knowledge regarding the science behind it all. He weaved cool stories about the constellations, pointing them out with his nifty laser and answered our many questions thoroughly. After stargazing, he pulled out his night-time photography equipment (which track the stars and move with them as our planet turns so that the stars do not blur in the long exposure night photos!!! wow!!!) and took us over to one of his favorite night time spots that perfectly captures the Milky Way in the background. He so patiently took photos of us and another couple on the trip, working with us both to personalize the photos. He also took photos of constellations and planets and galaxies that he pointed out earlier in the tour as well for our memories. These photos are truly stunning art and are wonderful mementos of this experience and our trip to Big Island. And he uploaded him so quickly for us to download not even 24 hours later! We thank James so much for a really unique, educational, fun and personable time - bravo - and are recommending this to all of our friends and family... and YOU! Tip: wear your warmest clothes! It does get quite cold at night, so you'll be a lot more comfy if you do! read more

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This was an amazing experience. I went solo and my guide was so accommodating, knowledgeable, and fun - the moon wasn't out so the stars were incredibly visible! James, our guide, pointed out many interesting things and did a great job! This is one of the most unique things I've done on the Island of Hawai'i! I highly recommend this - nowhere else have I seen a night sky like this! read more

Absolutely stunning experience! It's no lie that this is one of the best spots in the world to experience the night skies! James knew so much and was able to answer any and all questions! He seriously goes above and beyond as a guide in order to provide the best possible experience. There were three couples total the night that we went (4-6 in the morning). He took the time to get all of the pictures that we all wanted; and the group itself was full of fun people! ("Do it for the 'gram!") BE PREPARED! It's cold. It's windy. Don't complain on that- you know what you're getting into! The fact that James brings parkas for everyone is just another example of how we went above and beyond! Once in a lifetime experience! Would definitely recommend! *note that I took screenshots of the images James sent in order to reduce the size. He sends the full resolution images! read more

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BOOK THE TOUR!! We cannot recommend this tour enough!!! It was absolutely amazing! I have never seen a sky this beautiful! James was not only a knowledgeable guide but we did not stop laughing the whole night! Not to mention his talent for photography! It was an amazing night and unforgettable experience on our honeymoon trip! Mahalo! read more

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Amazing tour. Safe, educational and great photos. I would do it again and recommend it highly to friends.

CONTEXT I'm writing this review in reference to the "Waterfall, Lava Cave and Stargazing + Photos" package. Let me lead off by saying that I was very apprehensive about signing up for a tour. My only experiences with tours were when I was younger with my parents. Those tours were generally with an older crowd, slow, tourist-trappy, and overall pretty lame. This is not that kind of tour. GENERAL TOUR Going on this tour felt a lot more like going to hang out with one of my college friends. It wasn't just about having a list of To-Do items and knocking them off one by one. We explored what tickled our fancy; we climbed a tree to pick a singular ripe mango that we happened to cross; we walked barefoot in a lava cave (that was mostly James though, either his feet or his mind are made of steel); we stumbled upon some random Coqui frogs and got to see them up close. Sure, the destination spots were cool, but the journey itself was also a lot of fun. TOUR GUIDE A lot of that experience can be attributed to James himself. He's a chill freakin' dude - helpful, nice, curious, funny. He genuinely enjoys what he does and it shows. Bonus: He literally followed me back home completely out of his way since I was driving on an empty tank for forever (There are no gas stations in inland Hawaii, as I unfortunately found out too late), just to make sure I made it home. WATERFALL I thought the trees before you hit the waterfall were pretty cool. Some trees were basically strangling the crap out of some other trees and it reminded me of the forest in Avatar, minus the neon lights. The waterfall itself was just alright. Perhaps it's just not my cup of tea. I wouldn't go back. LAVA CAVE I was not expecting this to be as cool as it was. I felt like an explorer going to uncharted territory. James specifically picks times such that you get to go to these things when there aren't a million tourists around. We were literally the only people in there, and it absolutely MADE the experience. If you were to go there on your own during the day while sharing it with large tour groups, I am almost certain that it wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable. He has some cool antics in the cave. I won't spoil it. STARGAZING Breathtaking views. The conditions were absolutely perfect. This is the main reason I signed up in the first place, and I'm very glad I did. A few cars did drive by us, which forced me to cover my eyes as to not mess up my night vision and have to recalibrate, but those were few and far between. Tip: Bring a red headlamp, get your pictures done first, walk away from the group a bit so that it's quieter, lie down on the road, look up, and then revel in the fact that you're a tiny speck of dust flying on a slightly larger speck of dust in an unfathomably large universe. Bliss. TL;DR Fun trip. Worth the money. Go. Enjoy. read more

We really enjoyed our "Epic Island Volcano Journey" mostly because our guide, Taro, was extremely knowledgeable. We asked him questions about so many aspects of Hawaii and Hawaiian culture and he was able to answer so much. (Questions included: Where are the wild donkeys? How old is this lava field? What kind of tree is that? What's the difference between volcanos that spew lava and those that explode? Where's a good place to eat?) This company was very professional and detail oriented. I would definitely use them again. read more

What an amazing experience! James was a wonderful guide, full of knowledge and humor! There were many "aha" moments for us during the tour, like how quickly it transitioned from cloudy/foggy to crystal clear while driving up the volcano or just how quiet and calm it is in night sky + volcano . We will never forget stepping outside of our car for the first time to see the beautiful sky lit up with SO MANY STARS. We felt so small and all our problems seemed to have vanished during the 2 hours we were on Mauna Kea (except for the fact it was very chilly - bring extra layers to wear underneath the provided parka!). Thank you James for the experience to see our world in a whole new way! read more

We did the star gazing tour with free photos package. James was a very knowledgable tour guide. We met at the recreation area and then he took us up to the stargazing spots. Don't worry too much about weather and clouds because James has multiple spots for looking out at. He provided jackets which you will definitely want. He also showed us almost all the constellations. He's very patient when it comes to taking pictures and is great at taking photos. The photos are honestly gorgeous and you'll definitely want them because your iPhone camera just can't capture it. If you're ever on the big island take this tour! read more

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Truly one of the best experiences I have had. James is so knowledgeable and kind and took us to a remote area to view the stars. We had an incredible time. I chose this tour because out of all of them, it seemed James would be more hands-on and I loved that we would be going off the beaten path. I HIGHLY recommend this tour when you are on the Big Island. It is a night you won't soon forget. read more

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The stargazing tour is amazing since we have seen so many fantastic stars on the sky via professional telescope and camera. James is really knowledgeable and taught us a lot about the star, planet, Mauna Kea, and other volcanos in big island. It is super awesome to see these on your own. Highly recommend this tour if you gonna stay in the big island at least one night. One thing to note is that it could be really cold at night, so you really need to dress accordingly. read more

Don't ever use this guy. We booked with him and prepaid a photo package and his tip. Our rental car broke down on the Saddle Road that night which made it impossible to get to Mauna Kea. We had to limp back home and walk almost 2 miles before we got help (at night in the pitch dark on the Big Island). We asked him to reschedule, but he only had one very late slot for a night we were already booked for dinner with friends. He then told us that our only chance was to wait every night at 6pm to see if he had a cancellation. Not only did he keep the base fee, he kept the tip and the photo package money. Really poor business practices and really bad customer service. We spent almost $800 with this guy for nothing. read more

Fantastic experience stargazing with James. He took us to the ideal spot far away from light pollution and took time to explain everything we could see. He had an incredible telescope and camera and provided everyone with amazing photos of our night. He also comes prepared for chilly temps and loans jackets and picnic blankets to those who need them. read more

Epic Tours - My husband and I looking at the Milky Way. Photo by James - Bus Tours Near Me

Awesome. Informative and fun overview of the sky, framing worthy personal pics, clear logistical info (since you know, middle of the mountain at night). I also liked pairing naked eye gazing with live camera images to see what our eyes can't. Highly recommended! read more

We did the waterfalls, lava cave and stargazing tour! We loved it! James is a really nice guy. He drove us around through all the island in his SUV and gave us a lot of insight about where to go in the island. Ask him all the questions regarding your interests because he really knows his way around. Waterfalls were gorgeous! Lava fields and tubes are super interesting. Star gazing is amazing...I've never seen so many starts! It all makes for some great photo ops and memories! I would do this if i were you... money well spent! read more