4-Day Easter Island Itinerary: Must-See Moai, Hidden Gems, and Travel Tips

Post summary: A complete 4 day Easter Island itinerary

Easter Island (Rapa Nui) is one of those places that feels like a dream even when you’re standing right there, staring up at the towering Moai statues. It’s an island packed with history, mystery, and landscapes that feel untouched by time. But getting the most out of your trip requires a little planning – especially since new rules require a guide for most sites on the island.

If you’re wondering how to structure your visit, this 4-day itinerary covers everything you need to see. It includes the island’s most famous Moai platforms, stunning volcanic craters, and hidden beaches.

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A Brief History of Easter Island

If you really want to get the most out of your trip to Easter Island, you need to know at least a little bit of history.

The history of Easter Island is detailed and complex, so your guide will fill you in once you’re there. But here’s a quick SparkNotes version so you have some background before you go.

The Moai Building Period (year 1250 AD to 1500-1600)

Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, was settled by Polynesians around 1200 AD. Over time, they built a thriving society based on ancestor worship, which inspired the creation of the island’s famous Moai statues. These massive statues represented ancestors and held mana, a spiritual energy that provided protection.

But things didn’t stay peaceful forever. As the population grew, resources started running low, tensions rose between clans, and internal conflicts broke out. At some point, rival groups started toppling the Moai. This marked the end of the Moai building period on Rapa Nui.

The Birdman Competition (year 1500 – 1800)

How to Find a Guide on Easter Island (Rapa Nui)

One of the most important things to know before arriving is that you can’t just show up and explore on your own.

Most of Rapa Nui is protected within Rapa Nui National Park and recent changes now require you to have a certified guide to visit most archaeological sites. This is kind of a bummer if you planned on just renting a car and driving around, but TRUST ME, you’ll be so glad you had a guide because you’ll learn so much more about the history and people of Easter Island than you would have ever learned on your own.

Private guides are usually more flexible (which is also better for photo opportunities), while group tours are generally more budget friendly. Expect to pay anywhere from $150 per person per day for a group tour to $300+ per person for a private tour. This is IN ADDITION to the cost of your national park pass, which costs $80 per person and allows you one entry to each site.

There are three main ways to find a guide to show you around Rapa Nui: 

1. Hire a certified guide through the Rapa Nui National Park Website – best for private tours. Every guide on this list is a certified local Rapa Nui guide with knowledge of the island’s history. Finding a guide this way is definitely the most work because you have to email all of them separately and wait for them to respond, but many of the people on this list are freelancers and can arrange flexible, private tours for you at a fair price. This is how I found our guide, Christopher, who was the best of the best!
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2. Through a tour company like Green Island Tours or by choosing one of the many options on Viator.
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3. Through your hotel. Many hotels have local connections for tour guides. Send a message upon booking and ask if they can connect you or make the arrangements for you.

Regardless of which option you choose, it’s crucial to book in advance because tour guides do sell out (we saw many people who flew all the way there and were stuck without a guide). This is especially true if you want a sunrise or stargazing tour, as these experiences are highly sought after and require special permits.

How to spend 4 days on Easter Island

Rapa Nui is a really small island. But even though it only takes about 40 minutes to drive from one end to the other, there’s a lot to see, do, and learn while you’re there.

If you ask me, four days is the perfect amount of time to experience the best of Rapa Nui without feeling rushed.

This gives you 1 day to arrive and get settled, 2 full days of touring the island, and 1 day to decompress before flying back to Santiago. Many guides offer 2 day packages that include transportation.

Itineraries vary, but most guides structure 2 day tours such that one day is all about the Moai and the Moai building period. The next day shifts to the island’s later years, covering the conflicts that led to the Moai toppling, ancient astronomy, and the intense Birdman competition that took over as the island’s main tradition.

This post is the itinerary that we followed with our guide. Our goal was to see the highlights of Easter Island, optimize photo opportunities, and see a few places off the beaten path. If you book a “highlights of Easter Island” tour, you will likely follow a similar itinerary.

Itinerary overview

• Day 1: Arrive and explore
• Day 2: Sunrise tour at Ahu Tongariki, full day guided tour of the northeast side of the island, stargazing tour
• Day 3: Full day guided tour of the southwest side of the island and traditional Polynesian show
• Day 4: Fly back to Santiago, Chile

Here’s a map of some of the main points on the island to help you orient yourself before you get there 

Map of Rapa Nui by Bek Cruddace

Keep reading for a detailed day-by-day itinerary.

Day 1: Arrival and Beach Time

There are several flights per day from Santiago – usually one in the morning and one later in the afternoon. If you take the earliest flight, you can get to Rapa Nui around noon, which gives you a half-day to settle in. After checking into your hotel or guesthouse, take some time to adjust to island life.

Stop 1: Drive to Anakena Beach or explore Hanga Roa

If you have a rental car, drive up to Anakena Beach (no guide required). With its striking blend of history and natural beauty, Anakena Beach is easily one of the top places to see on Easter Island. There is truly no better way to kick off your trip.

Your first glimpse of Anakena Beach is like stepping into a tropical paradise movie scene. A wooden boardwalk guides you across a stretch of vibrant green grass, through a grove of towering palm trees, and onto soft, powdery pink sand that meets the shimmering blue waters of the Pacific. The horseshoe shaped bay is framed by dramatic headlands that create a natural, sheltered cove where gentle waves roll onto the shore.

Adding to the magic of the scene, eight Moai statues stand watch over the landscape. The seven Moai platform of Ahu Nau Nau and a single moai of Ahu Ature.

This is the perfect spot to grab a casual lunch at one of the beachfront food stalls, take a dip in the Pacific, and relax after your flight.

Rapa Nui is a volcanic island and most of the beaches here are rocky and not good for swimming.  So the soft sand and gentle waves at Anakena make it a very special place for both tourists and locals to swim and soak in the sun.

If you’re not renting a car, spend the afternoon exploring Hanga Roa. It’s the only town on the island and you walk mostly everywhere from your hotel. Stroll through the artisan market and walk along the coast to Ahu Tahai for your first close-up look at the Moai.

Stop 2: Dinner at Makona Restaurant

Easter Island is very isolated and most food is either grown on the island or brought in by barge. So it should come as no surprise that food options can be limited. Fresh fish (especially tuna) is everywhere, but empanadas, pizza, and steak are also staples.

There are plenty of great restaurants on the island, but Makona Restaurant was the one that really stood out as a favorite among the locals. We ate here at the recommendation of our ecolodge and WOW – it was so good that we ate here 3 times during our time on the island. It’s a laid back spot with friendly service, amazingly fresh seafood, and very fair prices.

I highly recommend the ceviche sampler and cocktails.

Day 2: Origins of the Moai & Island’s Mysteries

Today is all about the Moai, their origins, purpose, and why they’re such an important part of Rapa Nui’s history. You’ll take a full day tour of the northeast side of the island, starting with a sunrise tour at Ahu Tongariki in Rapa Nui National Park, and ending with sunset in Hanga Roa.

Stop 1: Sunrise at Ahu Tongariki

Start the day with a sunrise tour at Ahu Tongariki. This is the most famous Ahu (Moai platform) on the island, where fifteen massive Moai stand silhouetted against the rising sun. This is one of the most iconic experiences on the island, and seeing the first light of day creep over these statues is unforgettable.

Rapa Nui National Park opens at 9AM, but Ahu Tongariki is the only spot that opens early for sunrise tours. Most tours don’t include a sunrise here, so you have to book a special tour separately or tell your guide you’d like to add it to your itinerary (likely for an extra cost).

 Our guide picked us up at our lodge about an hour before sunrise and drove us to Tongariki. We arrived in the dark, checked in at the ranger booth, and found the best spot to wait for the sun to come up. We settled on a spot behind the larger tour groups. They were set up closer to the statues with their chairs and hot chocolate. It wasn’t long before the rising sun painted the sky in all shades of vibrant orange. Despite the amount of people there for sunrise, everything was quiet as everyone watched in awe.

Tip: Stay as long as you can after the sun rises to capture some amazing shots once everyone leaves.

Stop 2: Rano Raraku Moai Quarry

After sunrise, head to Rano Raraku Moai Quarry, located on the side of the Terevaka volcano. This is the volcanic quarry where almost every Moai on the island was carved and arguably the most interesting site on the whole island.

Rano Raraku opens at 9 AM, making it the perfect second stop after sunrise at Ahu Tongariki. 

Most tours visit later in the day, so arriving early gives you a chance to have the place to yourself. We had the quarry to ourselves for an hour, enjoying uninterrupted views and capturing Moai in beautiful morning light.

This was one of our very favorite stops and (in my opinion) the BEST place to visit in Easter Island. Walking through Rano Raraku feels like stepping back in time.

Dozens of half-buried Moai scattered over the hillside, frozen in various stages of carving. Some are still partially attached to the bedrock, abandoned mid-process, while others stand completely upright, having never made it to their intended destination.

Our guide explained all the theories on how these massive statues were transported across the island to their final resting place. One of the major theories is that they were “walked” to their final locations.

Keep walking through Rano Raraku to the trail behind the volcanic crater, where you’ll get an incredible view of the ocean and Ahu Tongariki in the distance.

Like the other archaeological sites that require guides, your national park pass only gives one entry to Rano Raraku. There’s a lot to see here so make sure you’re totally satisfied with your visit before you leave, because you’ll have to buy another park pass for $80 and hire another guide if you want to come back.

Stop 3: Vaihū

Next, visit Vaihū and Ahu Hanga Te’e. Vaihu used to be a village that has since been restored so you can see how the Rapa Nui people used to live and farm.

Nearby is Ahu Hanga Te’e, a platform that used to hold 8 Moai that were toppled during the civil war. They were left that way and still lay exactly how they fell during the civil war, all facing the ground with their Pukao (top knots) scattered.

Stop 4: Te Pito Kura (The Navel of the World)

Before heading back, stop at Te Pito Kura, known to locals as the “navel of the world”. This spot is home to the island’s largest Moai ever transported and the magical “Magnet Stone“. It’s a large, perfectly round rock, that is said to have been brought to the island by Hotu Matu’a, the first chief and original founder of Easter Island, from his homeland of Hiva.

What’s crazy is that this particular rock is not native to Easter Island, which does support the idea that someone brought it a long way.

This rock is believed to have Mana – special spiritual power – and influenced fertility of the girls on the island (fertility is a theme you’ll notice a lot of on Easter Island).

Today, there’s a wall built around the stone to protect it, but you can put your hands on a designated rock on the wall and make a wish!

Stop 5: Afternoon at Anakena Beach and dinner in Hanga Roa

Spend the afternoon back at Anakena Beach, a well-earned break after a day of exploring. If you finish your tour early enough, your guide will probably take you here to learn about the Moai. You’ll also have a chance to grab lunch.

Head back to Hanga Roa and catch sunset at Tahai, the Moai located on the coast next to the village of Hanga Roa (no guide required). This is the most popular place for sunset on Easter Island, so you definitely won’t have it all to yourself. But it’s one of the best places to see on Easter Island and a beautiful spot to watch the sun go down.

When you get hungry, I highly recommend Mama Nui restaurant – they have the friendliest staff and best food we had on the island!

Stop 6: Stargazing

If the sky is clear, end the night with a stargazing tour. Rapa Nui’s remote location means it’s one of the best places in the world to see the stars. Seeing the Milky Way stretch across the sky above the Moai is absolutely unreal.

This stargazing tour takes you to different spots around the island, including Anakena Beach where you can photograph the Milky Way over Ahu Nau Nau. Anakena Beach closes to the public after dark, but you can still enter as part of a stargazing tour or with a special photography permit to photograph the 7 Moai. It’s the only archaeological site that allows special entry after dark in Rapa Nui National Park.

The Milky Way over Ahu Nau Nau at Anakena Beach

Best spots to see the stars on Rapa Nui without a tour guide: 

• Ahu Tahai near Hanga Roa
• Anywhere along the coast on the north shore, where the skies are darkest away from Hanga Roa’s lights
• Rano Kau Volcanic Crater. Our guide told us the Milky Way reflects in the water inside the crater on extra clear nights.
• Right from your hotel! If you don’t have a car, you don’t even have to leave your hotel in Hanga Roa to admire the night sky. If you happen to be on the island during a new moon (like we were!), it’s dark enough that the lights from Hanga Roa won’t ruin your photos.

Day 3 of 4 days on Easter Island: Wars, Astronomy, and the Birdman Competition

Today’s tour is of the southwest side of the island, with a focus is on the island’s later history, including its wars, celestial alignments, and the famous Birdman competition. Wrap up today by attending a traditional Polynesian show, which is the perfect capstone to everything you’ve learned about Rapa Nui culture.

Stop 1: Ahu a Kivi

Start with Ahu a Kivi on the northwest side of the island. This is the only platform where Moai face the ocean instead of inland. Traditionally, every other Moai on the island faces toward the land to watch over their village. But these seven identical Moai stare out to sea.

There are a few theories as to why these Ahu a Kivi is unique. One theory suggests the village was too close to the sea, leaving no space for Moai behind it. Another theory claims they represent the first Polynesian explorers, with the Moai facing where they came from. A third theory is that these Moai represent each of the 7 clans on the island (which is why they’re identical) and used as a meeting place to discuss island politics on neutral territory.

Despite the different theories, this is a beautiful spot that is well worth a visit!

Stop 2: Puna Pau Moai Topknot Quarry

One of the first things you’ll notice about the Moai is that most of them are wearing a “hat”. But despite what it looks like, these are not hats – they’re actually “top knots”, a distinctive hairstyle worn by the people of Rapa Nui. The rocks that depict those hairstyles were carved from the scoria rock found in the small, red volcanic crater of Puna Pau.

These massive stone topknots (pukao) were then somehow transported miles across the island and then lifted onto the Moai’s head. Chances are, you’ll look across the island and (like me) wonder how the heck that was possible. It’s yet another unsolved mystery of Rapa Nui.

Stop 3: Ahu Huri a Urenga

Stop at Ahu Huri a Urenga, an ancient Moai with four hands, thought to be connected to Rapa Nui’s complex astronomical knowledge. The platform aligns perfectly with the winter solstice sunrise, proving that the island’s builders were master astronomers.

Stop 4: Ahu Vinapu

Next up is Vinapu, a fascinating site where the stonework looks shockingly similar to the precise, interlocking stones of the Inca in Peru. Some people believe this is evidence of a connection between Rapa Nui and South America.

Stop 5: Rano Kau Crater and Orono

Finally, spend the afternoon exploring Rano Kau, the biggest volcanic crater on the island. Easter Island is home to three volcanoes, but this one is by far the most impressive. Its steep cliffs plunge down to a massive freshwater lake.. The best thing to do here is to walk around the rim of the crater and take in the views.

Right next to the crater is Orongo, a historic stone village perched high up on the side of Rano Kau. Here you’ll find over 50 stone dwellings that face the island of Moto Nui (not to be confused with the fictional island of Moto Nui in Moana – yes, I asked if they were the same).

Orongo is the place where the famous Birdman competition was held. It was an intense contest where men from each clan competed in swimming to the offshore islet of Moto Nui. Their goal was to retrieve a sacred egg. The winning clan would then win power over the island for the following year.

At first glance, Orongo looks like a pile of ruins, but you’ll quickly learn that it offers one of the most fascinating insights into the history of the Rapa Nui people.

Right: Ancient petroglyphs at Orongo; Left: The island of Moto Nui

Stop 6: A Traditional Dance Show in Hanga Roa

Wrap up your final full day on Easter Island by attending a traditional Polynesian dance show, which dedicated to preserving and showcasing the rich cultural heritage of Rapa Nui through traditional music and dance. Music and dancing are super important to the people of Rapa Nui and a dance show is the perfect capstone to everything you learned about Rapa Nui over the last few days.

We made a last minute decision to see Mana Ma’ohi perform at Te Moana, a cute restaurant right on the water in Hanga Roa.

Our guide was actually part of this dance group and set us up with an advanced reservation (the shows do sell out so best to book ahead of time if you can!). Our ticket was $35USD per person and included traditional face painting and a welcome drink. The show started at 7:30PM and lasted about 90 minutes, where we were guided through the history of the Moai building period through song and dance.

The shows are very high energy and totally captivating. Make sure you come with a fun attitude and some dancing shoes because they encourage the crowd to get involved!

Note: We really enjoyed the show by Mana Ma’ohi, but Kari Kari is another dance group with a great reputation on the island.

Day 4: Lunch & Fly Back to Santiago

Spend your final morning at a relaxed pace. Grab lunch in Hanga Roa and pick up any last-minute souvenirs. Soak up the last views of this magical island before heading to the airport for your afternoon flight back to Santiago.

Don’t forget to stamp your passport with a Moai before you leave! If you’re flying from Chile to Easter Island, you won’t get an entry/exit stamp because Rapa Nui is a territory of Chile. However, you can ask for a tourist stamp at the post office in Hanga Roa or ask at the airport check in desk. We didn’t even know this was an option until we saw someone ahead of us ask for the stamp at the airport, so it feels like a bit of a secret tip, which makes the stamp even cooler.

How to Get Around Easter Island

You’ll mostly rely on your guide for transportation during tours. However, I highly recommend renting a car so you can explore outside of guided tour hours, which typically run from 9:00AM – 2:00PM. That way, you can revisit some of your favorite places, stop at the spectacular lookouts around the island, and visit off the beaten path locations, like Ovahe Beach.

The island’s roads are mostly paved, but watch out for potholes and wild horses, which roam freely across the island. There’s only one gas station, so fill up whenever you pass through Hanga Roa!

The average cost for a car rental in Easter Island is about $75-100 USD per day. While gas is pricey, you don’t need much fuel to get around because the island is so small. We drove around for nearly 4 days and only used 1/2 a tank of gas.

What To Do on Easter Island Without a Guide?

If you can’t find a guide on Rapa Nui, there are still plenty of ways to enjoy your trip. I recommend hiking, snorkeling, scuba diving, horseback riding, or taking a boat tour around Motu Nui.

You can also rent a car and drive around the island. While a guide is required to enter archaeological sites, you can still drive around the island and take in the sights on your own. You can even see Tongariki from the road. There are also sites like Ahu Tahai, Anakena and Rano Kau Crater that don’t require a guide.

Another option is to walk around Hanga Roa, enjoy the restaurants, go souvenir shopping at Mercado Artesanal, and see a traditional dance show at Te Moana. The shows are spectacular and intended as a way to preserve the island’s culture.

Final Thoughts

Easter Island is one of those places that stays with you long after you’ve left. Whether it’s the Moai, history, or landscapes, this island feels almost otherworldly. Four days is just enough time to see the highlights without feeling rushed, but I promise—you’ll be dreaming of coming back before you even leave.

If you found this guide helpful, let me know in the comments or share your own Easter Island experience!

Did you find this 4 Day Easter Island Itinerary helpful? Let me know in the comments!

More South America Adventures: 

Easter Island: How to Visit Easter Island (Rapa Nui): Everything You Need to Know

Easter Island: 27 Photos to Inspire You to Visit Easter Island (+ Photography Tips)

Ecuador Road Trip: Ecuador 2-Week Itinerary: The Ultimate Travel Guide

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