Photo: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0 on Wikimedia Commons
Five days on Rapa Nui, the island of the moai: the harbor and the museum in Hanga Roa, the quarry at Rano Raraku and the fifteen statues of Tongariki, the white sand of Anakena, the birdman village of Orongo and a slow last day by the sea. One headline a day, and the rest at island pace.
From average weather, 2021 to 2025: days that are warm but not hot, with few rainy days, score highest. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
A gentle start in the island's only town. Walk the harbor, learn the story in the museum, then take the short path to the statues of Tahai at sunset. Go slowly, since the rest of the trip is on the road.
The small working harbor of the island, with fishing boats, surf breaking on the black rock and the town behind. A good place to get your bearings and watch the swell.
Go when Morning, when the fishing boats are in and the light is soft.
Local tip Stay back from the rocks when the swell is big, since the waves can reach higher than they look. Watch the surfers from the wall.
A small museum about how the island was settled and how the Rapa Nui lived, with carvings, tools and photographs. Read it first, since the sites on the next days make more sense afterward. Check ahead for visiting times.
Go when Midday, out of the sun, before you see the sites.
Local tip Read the panels on how the island was settled and how the statues were moved. It makes the next days richer. Check ahead that it is open.
Tuna comes in from the boats that leave the harbor, and ceviche is the simple way to eat it: raw fish cured in lime with onion and herbs. Look for it on the small menus around the harbor in Hanga Roa.
Local tip Order a small plate to share, and eat it while it is cold.
A restored ceremonial site on the coast just outside town, with three platforms and several statues, one of them given back its eyes of white coral. Stay on the paths and keep back from the stones as the sun goes down over the sea.
Go when Evening, around sunset (about 9:01 PM), when the statues stand dark against the sky.
Local tip It is a short walk from town along the coast. Keep to the paths and never step on a platform, since the stones are sacred to the Rapa Nui.
The pisco sour is the classic Chilean drink, made with pisco, lime and sugar. A glass at the end of the day suits the light over the sea.
Local tip Keep to one glass if you are driving or riding a scooter the next morning.
The headline day. Reach the fifteen statues of Tongariki at first light, then go on to the volcano slope where the moai were carved. Start before dawn and bring water and a hat for the long open hours.
Fifteen statues in a row on one long platform, raised again in the 1990s after a tsunami had scattered them. The sun comes up beyond them over the sea. These are sacred ancestors, so stay behind the line and never touch them.
Go when First light, when the sun comes up beyond the statues.
Local tip Arrive before dawn and bring a warm layer, since the wind can be cool at that hour. Stay behind the markers and never touch a statue.
Empanadas de atun are baked or fried pastries filled with tuna, a staple snack of the island. Buy a few in town the evening before, since there is little to eat near the quarry.
Local tip Pack them with water and fruit, and carry out all your rubbish.
The volcanic quarry where the moai were carved from the rock, with hundreds of statues, finished and unfinished, standing and lying on the grassy slope. Stay on the paths, and never touch, climb on or sit on a statue.
Go when Late morning, when the light is on the slope.
Local tip Walk the marked path slowly and look for the unfinished statues still in the rock. Never touch, climb on or sit on a statue, and keep to the paths.
A still lake of reeds inside the crater of the same volcano, with statues looking down from the inner slope. Quiet, green and very different from the open coast.
Go when Afternoon, after the quarry, when the crowds have thinned.
Local tip Take the path up to the crater rim and look down on the reeds. The slope can be slippery after rain, so wear shoes with a grip.
A day on the north side. A site inland where seven statues face the sea, then white sand and palms at Anakena, where tradition says the first settlers landed, and a swim to cool off.
Seven statues standing in a row on a hillside, set inland yet looking out to sea, which is unusual on the island. Quiet and open, with the long grass of the plateau all round.
Go when Morning, on the way north.
Local tip It is a short stop beside a quiet track, so keep it short. Look at how the seven statues face the sea from far inland.
Sweet potato (camote) and banana have been grown on the island for a long time, and they still turn up on the table, boiled, baked or fried. A simple plate, filling and warm.
Local tip Ask for them alongside grilled fish for a simple lunch.
The island's best known beach, with white sand, palms and calm turquoise water. Tradition says the first settlers landed here. Swim, rest in the shade and give the hottest hours to the water.
Go when Midday, for a swim in the calm water.
Local tip The sun is strong and the shade is thin, so bring a hat and sun protection and rest under the palms. Respect the area around the statues behind the sand.
Statues on the edge of the beach, kept in good condition because sand once covered them. Some wear red topknots, and carved designs show on their backs. Look from the paths and keep off the platform.
Go when Afternoon, once the sun has dropped a little.
Local tip Look closely at the carved designs on the backs of the statues. Stay on the path and never touch them.
The umu is the traditional earth oven, where meat, fish and vegetables are cooked on hot stones under leaves. Some families and guides still prepare an umu meal for visitors, often with song and dance. Check ahead and book.
Local tip Go as a guest, ask before taking photos, and listen to the stories told around the meal.
The southwest corner. A huge crater with a lake inside, the stone village on its rim where the birdman cult took place, and a platform with some of the finest stonework on the island.
A vast crater, wide as a small valley, with a reed-covered lake in the bottom and the sea beyond the rim. Stop at the lookout and let the size of it sink in.
Go when Morning, when the crater is clear and the air is cool.
Local tip The wind at the rim can be strong, so hold on to your hat. Stay behind the edge and on the marked path.
A ceremonial village of low stone houses on the cliff edge between the crater and the ocean, with carvings of the birdman in the rock. Each year, men competed here to bring back the first egg of a seabird. Access can be limited, so check ahead.
Go when Midday, when the light is high on the rock carvings.
Local tip Walk the path through the stone houses and look for the birdman carvings in the rock. Visiting rules can change, so check ahead, and never walk on the walls.
A platform with neatly fitted stones, quite unlike the other ahu on the island. Fallen statues lie nearby. It is quiet and often empty, a good place to sit a moment and reflect.
Go when Afternoon, with few other visitors around.
Local tip Look at how tightly the large stones are fitted, then compare with other platforms you have seen. Keep to the paths and leave the stones where they lie.
Fresh tuna and other local fish are grilled and served with potato or sweet potato and a salad. A simple, filling lunch in the town after a morning out on the crater.
Local tip Ask what came in that morning, and order the fish of the day.
No long drives today. A sea cave on the coast, the craft market in town and a last sunset at the water. Keep it loose, with time for a swim or a last visit to a site you liked.
A cave at the water's edge with old paintings of birds on the ceiling, close to the airport. Waves hit the rocks outside. Access can be limited because of falling rock, so check ahead.
Go when Morning, when the light reaches into the cave.
Local tip Stay out of the cave if the waves are rough, and do not step under loose rock. Access has been limited at times, so check ahead.
Take the last lunch slowly, with a plate of fish, a fruit juice and a table with a view of the sea. There is nothing else to reach today.
Local tip Order one more of the dishes you liked, and ask for a fruit juice made on the spot.
Stalls of carved wood and stone, jewelry and cloth, made by people from the island. Ask about the maker and the materials, and ask what may be taken out of the country.
Go when Afternoon, when you have no site to reach.
Local tip Talk to the makers and ask what a piece is made of. Buy a carving from the person who made it, and ask what you may take out of the country.
A smaller bay at the south end of town, with rocks and the open sea in front. A quiet place to watch the sun go down on the last evening.
Go when Evening, around sunset (about 9:01 PM), to watch the sky over the sea.
Local tip Stay back from the wet rocks, and bring a light layer, since the breeze picks up when the sun goes down.
Finish with a plate of the local catch, a salad and something sweet, in town on a quiet street near the shore. Ask where you are staying for a table with a view.
Local tip Book a table if it is a busy night, and ask for the fish of the day.
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, January, March and May to November are the most comfortable months for walking around Easter Island. This plan is built for early February, which is a good month. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
It covers 5 days in Easter Island, planned for early February. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
Each day has about 1.6 to 17.2 kilometers between its stops, and 28.3 kilometers in all across 5 days. A short hop is a walk and a longer one a ride. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
Another guide with a page about Easter Island. It opens in a new tab.
Photo: XLR8TION at English Wikip… on Wikimedia Commons
Make it yours in a minute, then move days around and add what you want.
A trip idea · Updated October 2026
Want your own days planned like this? Plan your own trip on the web or get the Archie app.
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}