Outdoor daytime tour at the Roque de Los Muchachos Astrophysical Observatory and Sun observation through an H-alpha telescope.
Due to COVID-19 security restrictions, guided tours inside the telescopes are not available until further notice.
Description:
Discover the telescopes of the Roque de Los Muchachos Astrophysical Observatory, a prestigious scientific research center worldwide in the wonderful natural landscape of the Caldera de Taburiente National Park.
An astronomer and Starlight Guide will accompany you on this daytime visit at the very top of the highest mountain of La Palma, explaining in detail the characteristics of all the telescopes that we will find during the tour.
How these instruments work, what images are obtained, how astronomers work... are some of the many questions that we will answer during the visit.
We will start with a Sun observation through a portable amateur H-alpha telescope, equipped with a special astronomical filter, which protects our eyes while offering us a homogeneous illumination of the solar disk. In a totally safe way, we will be able to enjoy some phenomena that occur on the surface of our star, such as sunspots and protuberances*.
Astronomers also work during the day and not only overnight! There are astronomers specialized in observing the Sun and, in fact, at the Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory we have famous solar telescopes all over the planet.
We will continue the visit explaining why La Palma is a special place to enjoy its starry skies... in fact, the largest optical-infrared telescope in the world is right here!
Do not miss the opportunity to learn first-hand the most interesting anecdotes of the Gran Telescopio Canarias, or the most exciting scientific discoveries of the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo or the William Herschel Telescope.
In addition, we will approach on foot** the giant mirrors of the Cherenkov telescopes (MAGIC and LST-1), protagonists of High Energy astronomy.
Here we will take a very original souvenir photo: perhaps one of the most curious photos of your visit to the Roque de Los Muchachos telescopes! Would you like to find out which photo it is? Don't wait any longer, book this experience with us.
*The observation is subject to weather conditions. In case of cloudy sky, it is possible to observe the Sun live through NASA's SDO platform, to contemplate the above mentioned phenomena in detail.
**Short trail with uneven ground, approximately 50 meters long.
Dates*
PRIVATE TOUR: Contact us to consult availability.GROUP TOUR: Consult the dates available on our calendar further down this page.
* (Updated to March 2022)
Schedule
The tour lasts approximately 2 hours.PRIVATE TOUR: Contact us to consult available hours.
GROUP TOUR: Consult the schedule on our calendar further down this page.
Location
The tour takes place at Roque de Los Muchachos area.
Meeting point: parking lot at Roque de Los Muchachos visitors Center.
Conditions
It is necessary to book in advance. Please see our cancellation policy below.GROUP TOURS: The deadline to reserve is 24 hours prior to the beginning of the tour. For reservation inquiries after the deadline, please contact us. The minimum group to carry out the tour is 4 people. The maximum group is 10 people.
Transfer
We do not provide any transfer service. Own car or taxi is required. Consult the public taxis and private buses/minibuses telephone numbers on our FAQ's section.
Prices*
PRIVATE TOURS: total price €150GROUP TOURS: base rate €20 per person
* (Updated to March 2022)
Warnings
Outdoor activity. Keep in mind that the temperature can vary a lot from one place to another on the island and especially in mountain areas. Please, take warm clothes with you (even in summer), comfortable shoes (avoid sandals and heels), water and snacks. There are no gasoline pumps at the ORM, so it is recommended to fill the tank before the trip. Take into account that fuel consumption is usually bigger at 2,400 m. a.s.l. than the sea level.
Visitors health
The Astronomical Observatory is situated at 2,400 m. a.s.l., consequently oxygen level is lower than the AT sea-level. For this reason, we do not recommend this tour to babies, people with anaemia, heart diseases, breathing problems and people over 70. In case of appearing symptoms of dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath or headache, please inform your guide immediately. Medical assistance is NOT available at the ORM. We are not responsible for any health damage as a consequence of altitude or non-observance of our recommendations.
Languages
PRIVATE TOURS: can be carried out in English, Spanish or Italian.GROUP TOURS: can be carried out in one or two languages simultaneously (habitually English and Spanish).
More information
Restrooms and vending machines available at the visitor center. Check their opening hours in advance. COVID pass required to access the visitors center.
For more information please visit our FAQ’s section.
Quality
Our Company has a team of Starlight guides, astronomers and amateur astronomers with a broad experience in the tourism sector and science outreach. We offer the best quality in customer service and exclusive tours. We provide advanced and powerful amateur telescopes.
First-rate opinions on TripAdvisor. Certificate of Excellence 2019.
All our material will be previously disinfected before the beginning of the tour. We provide hydroalcoholic gel to disinfect hands.
How to book (group tour):
Before booking, please read carefully our cancellation policy at the bottom of this page.
Enable tours are highlighted in green on the calendar below. Available places are shown by clicking on "Quantity".
If you have an email address with a hotmail, outlook or msn domain, in order to correctly receive the tickets of the tour, before proceeding with the reservation please add the address noreply@booketea.com to your contacts, or write another email address.
After a few minutes from the purchase, you will receive an email including your ticket and all the details of the tour. If you do not receive it, please check your spam inbox or consult our FAQ’s section.
In case of full group during your stay on La Palma, or if the tours dates have not been published yet, please click here in order to be included in our waiting list.
Cancellation policy:
The Company reserves the right to modify the conditions or cancel the tour due to causes outside the sphere of its foreseeable control or events of force majeure.
CANCELLATION OR CHANGES BY THE COMPANY:
The tour could be cancelled due to weather alert or prealert, landslide or ice on the road, thunderstorm or if the minimum group of 4 people is not reached at the deadline. In any of the cases mentioned above, you will be noticed as soon as possible (please, remember to check your email and mobile phone on the same day of the tour before going to the Observatory). A reschedule (subject to availability) or a refund will be offered to you.
CANCELLATION OR CHANGES BY THE CUSTOMER (PRIVATE TOUR):
The cancellation of the reservation implies the loss of the deposit paid.
Free rescheduling until 48 hours before the beginning of the tour. Afterwards, changes requested by the client imply the loss of the deposit paid.
To modify their reservation the client must send us a written request via email only, indicating the date of the tour, name and surname, specifying their request: cancellation, reschedule (subject to availability) or other request.
In case of changes in the reservation (both by the customer and the Company), the above-mentioned cancellation policy will be applied: the client can modify their booking until 48 hours before the new date set for the tour. Afterwards, changes requested by the customer imply the loss of the deposit paid.
CANCELLATION OR CHANGES BY THE CUSTOMER (GROUP TOUR):
The customer can cancel his reservation at a charge of 50% of the total amount until 48 hours before the beginning of the tour. Afterwards, cancellations requested by the client will not be refunded.
The client can request changes to the date or the number of participants at no additional charge up to 48 hours before the beginning of the tour. Afterwards, changes will not be accepted.
To modify their reservation the client must send us a written request via email only, indicating the date of the tour, the booking number, name and surname, specifying their request: cancellation, reschedule (subject to availability) or other request.
In case of changes in the reservation (both by the customer and the Company), the above-mentioned cancellation policy will be applied: the client can modify their booking until 48 hours before the new date set for the tour. Afterwards, changes requested by the customer imply the loss of the amount paid.
By reserving the tour and paying the corresponding amount, you confirm that you have read and accepted our cancellation policy.
Refunds will be made exclusively via the same payment method within 7 working days.
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