“Pack your bags, baby! We’re going to Easter Island!”
That’s what I told Bruno after we got back from walking inside a volcano in Argentina. During that adventure, we overheard a guy casually mention that flights to Easter Island were dirt cheap. Naturally, I couldn’t resist. The second we got home, I opened my laptop and… surprise, surprise: he wasn’t lying.
Without hesitation, I booked the tickets.
When Bruno got out of the shower, I hit him with the news, and his jaw hit the floor. We couldn’t believe we were actually going to see the legendary Moai statues in person!
Cue the deep dive into planning: What can you do in 5 days? How do you see the statues? Wait, do you need a guide? Is cash a thing there? The more I dug around, the more outdated and conflicting the advice became.
So after we got back from the island, we did what we do best: we turned our frustration into action and created a First-Time Traveler’s Guide to Rapa Nui (check that out first!), a list of the best things to do, and now we’re back with the ultimate 5-day itinerary to help you make the most of this incredible destination.
Note: this itinerary considers 5 full days on Easter Island, counting the day of arrival since all flights from Santiago get here by late morning/early afternoon.
Day 1: Turtles, Sunset & Ceviche
On your first day, let’s familiarize you with the island’s main and only town: Hanga Roa.
☀️ Morning: your whole morning/early afternoon will be dedicated to the flight to get here. After all, you’re heading to a tiny island in the Pacific Ocean, considered one of the most isolated inhabited places on Earth!
Flights from Santiago typically touch down around 11:30 AM or 2 PM. As you arrive, someone from your accommodation will most likely greet you with a warm smile and a traditional flower collar and take you to your hotel.
😎 Afternoon: now, let’s get the day really started! Head to the Avenida Atamu Tekena, the town’s main street to find most of the restaurants, cafes, and shops. Stop at Mercado Artesanal for local crafts and souvenirs.
Then, make your way to Caleta Hanga Roa where you can spot the most beautiful sea turtles! Rapa Nui people believe sea turtles are symbols of fertility and good luck, and since the island is a popular feeding ground for them, you can spot them very easily around here.
From here, you can follow the Policarpo Toro street to a small palm-tree-lined beach named Playa Poko Poko. If it’s sunny and hot enough, this is the perfect place for a little dip in the cold Pacific waters. This street is also filled with seafront bars and restaurants, which are a little bit on the pricier side but perfect for a little end-of-day drink.
Near sunset time, head over to Ahu Ko Te Riku, the best sunset spot in town!
🌙 Evening: time for some delicious tuna ceviche at the Aloha Food Trucks. This open-air food truck spot is super budget-friendly and you can find all kinds of food here. But the real star is the famous Polynesian tuna ceviche which is absolutely delicious.
Day 1 = Complete. You’re officially in island mode!
Day 2: Full-Day Moai Tour
If you’ve already read our first-time visitors’ guide, you know by now that there are over 900 Moai statues on the island and that seeing most of them requires both a National Park ticket and either a guided tour or a private guide.
This guarantees that you’ll learn the history of the island while visiting the historical sites as well as preserving the amazing Moais.
🚌 The itinerary for this day will depend on the tour you book. We opted for Mahinatur’s full-day tour as it covers the most iconic Moais on the island, such as the Rano Raraku, the volcanic crater where the Moai were carved, and Ahu Tongariki, the most famous Moai platform. We booked it on the spot one day before the tour.
It’s important to note that this specific tour only runs on some days of the week, so if you want no surprises, we recommend booking in advance one of the following tours instead, which cover the same sites as the one we did:
🌙 Evening: when you’re back from your tour, you’ll need to rent and pick up a car for the next day! We rented ours with O Nei Rent a Car (location here).
Hot tip: if the skies are clear at night, go for a short drive around the island to see the stars. The island’s remote location and lack of light pollution allow for clear visibility of constellations.
Day 3: Beaches, Culture & Empanadas
Today is all about the Northern part of the island, where the beaches are! They’re so beautiful Royalty kept the entire area secluded from commoners, which led to social unrest and, eventually, a civil war. But first, let’s start the morning with something iconic:
☀️ Morning: prep all your courage and jump out of bed at least one hour before sunrise, get in the car, and drive to Ahu Tongariki.
This is the largest ceremonial platform on the island featuring 15 statues standing in a row. This very spot was hit by a tsunami in 1960 that destroyed the statues, which were only restored 30 years later.
The platform is perfectly aligned with the summer solstice, and it’s the most perfect spot to watch the sunrise from. You won’t be able to enter the site without a guide, as you already know, but you can watch it from outside the walls.
Once sunrise is over, we recommend getting back in town for breakfast. If you haven’t yet, head to O Te Ahi bakery for the BEST empanadas de horno ever! If you’re not vegetarian, ask for the mechada one and you won’t regret it.
At around 10 AM, add Anakena Beach as your Google Maps destination and drive for about 45 minutes until you reach it. This is one of the few places on the island where you can admire Moai statues for free and without a guide. Plus, it’s one of the few places on Earth with pinkish-hued sand!
Fun fact: the statues at Anakena are called Ahu Nau Nau and they still wear their red rock “crowns” which actually represent hair. These were carved from volcanic scoria, a red stone found on the island.
Note: Anakena has pretty good amenities next to it, including bathrooms and restaurant,s so you can spend a good amount of time around here enjoying the beach.
😎 Afternoon: By 3 PM, you have the option to visit a much quieter and secluded beach called Ovahe. You might consider going back home for a nap, but if you can push through it, we definitely recommend visiting it.
Tucked away behind red volcanic rocks, Ovahe Beach is not a touristy spot, so chances are you’ll be all alone or alongside a few locals when visiting. You’ll need to hike for about 10-15 minutes to get to the beach.
Important: Ovahe holds cultural significance as it’s located near a sacred burial site. Please respect this area (and the island as a whole) by keeping noise levels low and ensuring no litter is left behind. Swimming is not recommended here unless the sea conditions are perfectly calm due to the sharp volcanic rocks.
As your evening plans begin at 7:30 PM, you’ll want to allow enough time to drive back to town, shower, and prepare for your night out. To stay on schedule, aim to wrap up your time at Ovahe and begin the drive back no later than 4 PM.
🌙 Evening: tonight, you will be diving into the vibrant culture of Easter Island by attending the Kari Kari Ballet, a performance that showcases the island’s rich Polynesian heritage. Through traditional dances, music, and storytelling, the talented performers bring to life the Rapa Nui people’s ancestral traditions. It’s a celebration of their history and spirit!
Tip: The show is only available on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and since it’s a very popular activity around here, we recommend booking it in advance on their website.
Day 4: Birdman Cult & Cave Tours
You’ve seen Moai statues, beaches, sea turtles… what else is there to see? So much more! So, for the fourth day in Rapa Nui, we recommend booking two more tours of the National Park:
Hot tip: this full-day tour combines both attractions.
1️⃣ Half-day tour to Orongo in the morning: a huge volcano crater that houses the Orongo Ceremonial Village and tells the story of the Birdman Cult and its fascinating rituals.
Competitors would race, jump off cliffs, and swim hundreds of meters to retrieve an egg from an islet and become Bird-Man for the year (aka the island’s leader). It was not just a physical challenge but also a significant spiritual and political event. It’s our favorite site on the island due to its history and a must-visit!
2️⃣ Half-day tour to the Caves in the afternoon: remember how the royals kept the entire northern part of Rapa Nui (aka all the beaches) just for themselves which eventually led to civil unrest and war?
Well, during this chaotic time, the royals had to find places to hide. The island’s caves were the natural shelters that became their refuge, and you can visit them all in this half-day tour.
Day 5: Snorkeling & Horseriding
☀️ Morning: We hope you enjoy swimming in cold waters, as this morning you’re hopping on a boat to snorkel around the same islets the Birdman competitors would swim to as part of their annual challenge.
We didn’t expect much from snorkeling here, but we were blown away by how clear (and cold!) the water is. We even spotted Needlefish swimming near the rocky islets! While it’s not exactly a Thailand-level snorkeling experience, it’s still absolutely worth it for the unique setting.
Pro tip: diving is also a big thing here, so if you want, you can exchange this activity for a diving experience.
We did our tour with Make Make (location here) which we booked on the spot a day before, and highly recommend them. In case you want to book a snorkeling tour in advance, or in case you want to do a diving tour instead, we recommend these ones:
😎 Afternoon: put some pants on and get ready to be picked up at 6:30 PM to go horseback riding during sunset to the top of Terevaka, the highest point on Easter Island with @poeravacabalgatas.
The tour takes around 3 hours and takes you to the only place on the island where you can enjoy 360-degree panoramic views. Here, you become aware of just how remote Easter Island is from any other inhabited place on Earth.
🌙 Evening: time to pack your bags and check underneath your bed (aka the famous sock’s black hole) before saying goodbye to this island paradise!
Also read: What to Do on Easter Island: Top 10 Must-Do Activities
