Tour Easter Island for a 12-day exploration with Far Horizons.
Our Easter Island tour is crafted to provide an immersive experience, combining cultural festivities with archaeological discoveries for a truly memorable adventure.
Easter Island is a windswept and remote destination at the southeastern edge of the Polynesian triangle. Surrounded by an endless, deep blue ocean, it feels far removed from the world. Located 2,300 miles west of Santiago, Chile, the island is incredibly isolated. It spans just sixty square miles of rocky grasslands and extinct volcanic cones. Steep ocean cliffs further emphasize the island’s dramatic landscape.
Easter Island, called Rapa Nui by its Polynesian inhabitants, is a unique open-air archaeological museum. It is home to nearly a thousand towering moai statues, which gaze enigmatically across the landscape. The island also features numerous intricate petroglyphs, adding to its cultural richness. Visitors can explore these deep mysteries through a captivating Easter Island tour. This journey offers an unparalleled experience for history and archaeology enthusiasts.
Those who join will have the pleasure of traveling with Dr. Sidsel Millerström, a specialist in archaeological art and architecture. She has worked on excavations across Polynesia, including Easter Island, Fiji, the Marquesas, and Tahiti. In addition to her expertise, Dr. Millerström is known for being a kind and wonderful person. Exploring with her is truly a joyful and enriching experience.
Our meticulously planned Easter Island journey coincides with the vibrant Tapati Festival, a cultural celebration that showcases the rich traditions of the Rapa Nui people. This festive time pays homage to the island’s history through traditional performances, including the mesmerizing cat’s cradle chant, a method of preserving and passing down the lore of the land through generations.
Accompanied by a small group of just 13 guests. This tour extends beyond Easter Island to include a three-day visit to Santiago, Chile’s capital. Here, you will explore the Natural History Museum, the Pre-Columbian Art Museum, and the picturesque coastal city of Viña del Mar.
You may also join our optional pre-extension trip to Northern Chile’s Atacama Desert.
Easter Island Main Tour Itinerary at a glance:
Start with a tour of Valparaiso, a UNESCO World Heritage city. Then, travel to Easter Island, where you’ll visit the ancient Tahai, the beach at Anakena, and the iconic Ahu Nau Nau and Ature Huki statues.
Explore the sacred village of Orongo and the quarry at Rano Raraku, where the famous moai statues were carved. Discover Ahu Huri A Urenga, the seven moai of Ahu Akivi, and the Puna Pau quarry. Tour the historic site of Vaihu before returning to Santiago to visit Cousiño Palace and Pablo Neruda’s House Museum.
OPTIONAL Pre-Trip Extension: Atacama Desert
In northern Chile, soaring volcanoes, stark lava fields, and rolling, trackless sand dunes give startling contrast to a seemingly endless desert. The early artists who lived here perhaps thousands of years ago left behind spectacular pictographs and geoglyphs – huge ground drawings akin to the “Nazca Lines” in southern Peru.
These enormous representations of hunters, camels, eagles, condors, and herds of llamas with their shepherds cover the surface of hills, and, unlike those in Peru, are easily visible from the ground. But there’s more! Experience charming villages on desert oases, colonial adobe churches, unusual vegetation, the largest salt lake in Chile, home to spectacular flamingos, and in Arica, see displays of the world’s oldest mummies.Atacama Desert Itinerary
Optional Pre-Trip Extension: Atacama Desert
A visit to the archaeological site of Tulor, an ancient San Pedro de Atacama village. Explore the Cerros Pintados, home to ancient geoglyphs and the historic port city of Iquique.
Discover the Tamarugal National Forest and the cultural heritage of Tiliviche. Visit the Lluta Valley and the Chinchorro mummies, some of the world’s oldest. Finally, explore the historic Cathedral of San Marcos in Arica before continuing to Easter Island for the main part of the tour.
