Today, take your flight to Easter Island (the natives call their island Rapa Nui or Te Pito o Te Henua, "the navel of the earth") from Santiago, Chile. Easter Island has captivated the attention of navigators, historians, scientists, and travelers from all around the globe ever since its "discovery" on Easter Sunday in 1722. This remote island in the Pacific Ocean is considered "the most island-like island," and it's easy to see why. The gigantic stone statues, known as moai, are awe-inspiring, and the still-undeciphered writing of the Rongo Rongo symbols only adds to the island's mystery. The story of inhabitants who were on the brink of disappearing only adds to the island's allure.

After a warm welcome, you will be transported to your hotel in Hanga Roa where you can begin to explore this fascinating island.
 

Explore the wonder of Easter Island's ancient megalithic past with a tour of three incredible sites on today's full day adventure: Tongariki, Akahanga, and Tahai. Starting with Tongariki, learn about the largest reconstruction on the island and in all of Polynesia. The site boasts 15 restored Moai, which were swept away by a massive tsunami before being restored between 1992 and 1995. Situated in front of the Rano Raraku volcano, approximately 2 km away, Tongariki is a testament to the island's ancient inhabitants' incredible megalithic culture.

Next, uncover the mysteries of Akahanga, also known as "The King's Platform." Here, you'll find four platforms with 12 Moai of various sizes and eight Pukao headdresses. The site is believed to be the final resting place of Hotu Matu'a, the island's first king, with a cave in the Akahanga sector possibly holding his tomb. You'll also be fascinated by the aligned stones made of red scoria, a type of iron-rich volcanic stone used to create headdresses, tombstones, boarding stones, and more. While exploring the site, take a moment to admire the petroglyphs along the front of the main Ahu platform, and note how the ancient culture was skilled at recycling and reusing materials, as evidenced by the head of an old statue incorporated into the back wall.

After a lunch break to refuel, the tour culminates with a visit to Tahai, a ceremonial complex restored in 1967/1968 by archaeologist William Mulloy. The complex boasts three different Ahus or altars, including Ahu Ko Ko Te Riku, featuring a towering Moai standing at 4.73 meters in height. Between Ahu Ko Ko Te Riku and Ahu Vai Ure, the Ahu Tahai dates back to the year 690 AD, making it one of the oldest sites on the island. 

Rapa Nui National Park, a wildlife sanctuary that spans most of Easter Island and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, contains about 900 moai sculptures, as well as 300 ahu, or ceremonial platforms, on which the carved figures stand. Carved from solidified volcanic ash, these statues are believed to represent the spirits of ancestors and high-ranking members of each tribe. Today you will have two half day private tours to explore within the park.

This morning, travel south with your guide into the park to Ahu Tahai, a ceremonial platform that features a unique moai, a stone giant that stands alone and imposing at more than 4 meters tall. Continue north to Puna Pau to see variations of the moai designs. Here the moai feature pukao or topknots made of red scoria on their heads. It is believed that the volcanic rock was used to impress rival tribes. Approximately 30 pukao are found in or near the Puna Pau quarry, the source of the red slag. From here, drive to Ahu Akivi, where you will see the famous line of seven moai facing the ocean. The moai here are 16 feet (5 meters) tall and weigh approximately 18 tons each.  It is an unusual sight to see Moai facing out to the sea instead of inward on the island and the reasoning for their positioning remains a mystery today. One theory behind their unusual position is these moai symbolize the seven explorers from the Polynesian homeland of Hiva sent by the chief to find the island of Rapa Nui. According to this hypothesis, these statues face the ocean in the direction from which they came. The morning will conclude with a visit to the Ahu Huri a Urenga, a solitary moai with two sets of hands, found in the interior of the island, overlooking an agricultural area and human settlement.  From here, head back to your hotel for time to rest and fuel up on lunch before your afternoon tour begins. 

This afternoon, you will head to the Vinapu Ceremonial Center, home to the largest ahu on Rapa Nui and an architectural structure resembling the Incan construction techniques seen in Cusco and other Peruvian ruins. Continue south to explore Ana Kai Tangata, a coastal cave and the only one on the island that contains ancient paintings of the fabled birdman competitions. Many believe this cave was the starting point for the annual Tangata Manu (Birdman) ritual, practiced until around 1800. As you listen to the rhythmic crashing of waves against the cliffs and hear ancient legends, imagine selected men from each tribe leaping from the cave to swim to the islet of Motu Nui, aiming to retrieve the first egg laid by a sooty tern. Many perished in the attempt, either drowning or falling victim to sharks. The first man to return with the egg was rewarded with honors and riches by his tribe for the rest of the year. From the cave, you can see the distant Rano Kau volcano and its crater lake. Your final stop this afternoon is the village of Orongo, where you’ll learn more about the birdman competitions held from 1600 to 1866, with village structures adorned with petroglyphs depicting the birdman.

The evening is yours to relax or explore as you please. 

 

Your full day adventure today begins by heading to Ahu Akahanga. Unlike most ahu, Akahanga has not been restored, allowing you to stumble upon the area as European explorers first did. The platform, about 59 feet (18 meters) long, originally contained about a dozen moai and is believed to be the burial place of the Polynesian king Hotu Matu'a.

Continue your day traveling inland to Rano Raraku, where, on its volcanic slopes, ancient Rapa Nui sculptors carved moai from volcanic stone before moving about a third of them to various ahu throughout the island. Many of the island's more than 800 moai remain in the quarry and scattered nearby. As you walk with your guide to the stone pit, you'll see peeking out from the grassy ground hundreds of moai heads and partially buried torsos.

Here you will stop and have lunch before continuing on to the North coast of the island this afternoon. 

Along the north coast, arrive at your last stop at Anakena and explore the seven extremely well-preserved moai at Ahu Nau Nau, four of them with pukao. At this site, archaeologists located a nearly complete coral eye, encrusted with red volcanic scoria stone. Your sightseeing for the day complete, opt to swim or stroll along Anakena, one of the few white sand beaches on the island, for about 30 minutes before being transported back to your hotel. Or feel free to stay longer, and your guide will arrange a cab ride for you (at your own expense) when you are ready to return to your accommodation. Changing rooms with showers are available on site for a small fee.

Let your trip planner know if you would prefer to spend one day or afternoon doing something more active. It is possible to tailor these days to include horseback riding on the island or take a boat out to Los Motus where you can snorkel among the protected inlets. 

 

Today after breakfast, your transfer will pick you up to take you to Mataveri airport for your flight back to Santiago, Chile.