Our Easter Islands holidays & tours
Our Easter Island holidays introduce you to one of South America’s most fascinating, and mysterious, destinations, a five-hour flight from Chile. The haunting moai monoliths fashioned by the island's ancient Rapa Nui people and hauled from an atmospheric quarry at Rano Raraku, have become iconic, yet no one knows for sure why they stand sentinel around the coast. Our expert local guides are the best way to understand Rapa Nui culture and why it died out, and the theories behind the moai, with visits to key locations including Aky Akivi. Tours are designed to avoid the peak time crowds and relieve the pressure on these fragile places. Elsewhere, peer into the crater of the extinct Rano Kau volcano, then visit the tribal village of Orongo, where you can hear stories of the Birdman cult. If you come late January or early February, the Tapati Rapa Nui festival brings a carnival vibe to the main settlement of Hanga Roa, adding a colourful canvas to your stay here.
Our top trip
Easter Island to Atacama holiday in Chile
From archaeological wonders to the world's driest desert
From
US $5680
12 days
ex flights
Tailor made:
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
Contact Us
Call us for a chat about our holidays. We are happy to discuss your holiday and help in any way we can. No bots, queues or awful hold music.
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Easter Island map & highlights
Despite its remoteness, Easter Island is far from inaccessible. A five-hour flight from Santiago will get you there, and longer tours of Chile often feature a few days here. Given that this almost turtle-shaped island is just 25km by 12km, you can get around easily and visit all the must-see locations in a tailormade tour that lasts around five days. You’ll stay in locally owned accommodations, usually around the main town Hanga Roa, and get around either by hire car on tailormade itineraries or shared vehicles on small group tours, accompanied by guides from the Rapa Nui community. The early settlers knew Easter Island as ‘the navel of the world’ – here’s how you get innie and outie, and what to do inbetweenie.
Ahu Akivi
1. Ahu Akivi
The seven moai here are unusually positioned looking out to sea, said to be sentinels awaiting the arrival of the king Hoto Matu’a. They also serve as a kind of celestial observatory, facing sunset during the Spring Equinox and with their backs to the sunrise during the Autumn Equinox. There are also some volcanic caves nearby that can be explored.
Ahu Tongariki
2. Ahu Tongariki
Probably the best place to see sunrise on the whole island, there are 15 well preserved moai at Ahu Tongariki, restored to the seated position after the site was devastated by a tsunami. These include an 86 tonne moai that is the heaviest ever erected on the island. A popular location for photographers, Ahu Tongariki ranks among the most important megalithic monuments in all Polynesia.
Anakena
3. Anakena
Easter Island has a handful of sandy beaches, and Anakena is a classic Polynesian paradise. It’s said to be where the Polynesian king Hotu Matu’a first landed in a canoe to settle Rapa Nui, or as the original inhabitants knew it, Te Pito O Te Henua (the navel of the world). It’s a great spot for swimming, especially in the mornings when it’s not crowded.
Hanga Roa
4. Hanga Roa
The capital of Easter Island and the main town, indeed the only town, Hanga Roa is in the southwest of the island. The majority of the population lives here and the main street, named for a former ruler who signed the annexation treaty with Chile, is lined with hotels, restaurants and shops. A number of moai can also be seen in the area.
Orongo Ceremonial Village
5. Orongo Ceremonial Village
This clifftop settlement was the centre of the Birdman cult, and the finish line for the annual egg race, with many petroglyphs featuring the ancient gods. A cluster of round stone houses with low roofs blanketed in grass makes it one of the island’s most significant archaeological sites. The Ana Kai Tangata caves nearby feature cave paintings of the manutara bird, key to the Birdman cult.
Rano Raraku
6. Rano Raraku
The moai were carved in this volcanic crater before being transported to the coast. Nearly 400 statues remain here, in varying stages of completion – the tallest 21m in height, almost twice that of any other and weighing an estimated 270 tonnes. The quarry was active for several hundred years before being abandoned, and it’s definitely among the island’s must-see locations.
Our Easter Island holidays reviews
5
2Easter Island holidays reviews
Jemma Chapman28 Oct 2023
Brilliant experience with amazing contrasts.read more
