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Trip ideas  /  South America  /  Chile  /  Easter Island, Rapa Nui  /  3-day itinerary
Archie
Culture & Discovery
Easter Island, Rapa Nui: 3 days on Easter IslandPhoto: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0 on Wikimedia Commons
Culture & Discovery MarvelOff the Beaten Path FindTrip idea · Easter Island, Rapa Nui

3 days on Easter Island

The 5-day plan, rearranged for 3 days: the best-ranked places stay, and each day keeps to one part of town.

3 daysAnyoneEarly February9 places
Copy this plan to your own trips, then change anything you like.
Easter Island
Photo: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0 on Wikimedia Commons
Easter Island
Photo: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, CC BY-SA 3.0 on Wikimedia Commons
How many days?Pick yours and the plan rearranges.
Rearranged from the 5 day plan. See it as written

Best time to go

January, March and May to November are the most comfortable months for walking around.
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Arrival day

Before Day 1. The island is small and the pace is slow, so keep the first evening easy.Details
Flying in
Flights reach Mataveri airport from Santiago only, across about 3,500 km of open Pacific. The airport sits beside Hanga Roa, so the ride into town is short. Check ahead on schedules and baggage limits.
Getting around
A rental car or a scooter gives you freedom, and a local guide adds the history and the stories. Horses and cattle wander onto the roads, so drive slowly and stay on the roads and tracks.
Sun and water
There are few trees and the sun is strong, even on a cloudy day. Bring a hat, sun protection and a bottle of water for each site, and a light rain layer for the showers that come and go.
Park ticket
Most sites lie inside Rapa Nui National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and need a ticket. Check ahead on how to buy it, what it covers and how many visits it allows. Day 1 is in town, so you can sort it out first.

Day 1. Rano Raraku and Tongariki

3 stops · 1.6 km

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

  1. 1
    MorningWorth the time

    Ahu Tongariki

    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.

    Ahu Tongariki, Easter Island
    Photo: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, CC BY-SA 3.0 on Wikimedia Commons
    About 15 min walk1.2 km
  2. 2
    MiddayWorth the time

    Rano Raraku

    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.

    Rano Raraku, Easter Island
    Photo: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, CC BY-SA 3.0 on Wikimedia Commons
  3. Lunch

    Empanadas de atun

    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.

    Empanadas de atun
    Photo: Tamorlan, CC BY 3.0 on Wikimedia Commons
    About 4 min walk0.3 km
  4. 3
    AfternoonWorth the time

    Rano Raraku Crater Lake

    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.

    Rano Raraku Crater Lake, Easter Island: A volcanic crater lake with patches of green vegetation and blue water surrounded by rocky cliffs
    Photo by Timothy Cohen on Unsplash
If it rains. Everything today is outdoors, so swap this day with a drier one if you can.

Day 2. The north coast and Anakena

3 stops · 28.0 km

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

  1. Travel from Rano Raraku Crater LakeAbout 25 min by car or transit10.8 km
    Where Day 1 ended.
  2. 1
    MorningWorth a short stop

    Ahu Akivi

    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.

    Ahu Akivi, Easter Island
    Photo: Arian Zwegers, CC BY 2.0 on Wikimedia Commons
    About 22 min by car17.1 km
  3. 2
    MiddayWorth the time

    Anakena

    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.

    Anakena, Easter Island
    Photo: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, CC BY-SA 3.0 on Wikimedia Commons
  4. Lunch

    Sweet potato and banana

    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.

    Sweet potato and banana
    Photo: Llez, CC BY-SA 3.0 on Wikimedia Commons
    About 2 min walkunder 0.1 km
  5. 3
    AfternoonWorth a short visit

    Ahu Nau Nau

    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.

If it rains. Everything today is outdoors, so swap this day with a drier one if you can.

Day 3. Hanga Roa and the southwest, Rano Kau and Orongo

3 stops · 25.0 km

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

  1. Travel from Ahu Nau NauAbout 28 min by car or transit12.3 km
    Where Day 2 ended.
  2. 1
    MorningWorth the time

    Father Sebastian Englert Anthropological Museum

    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.

    Father Sebastian Englert Anthropological Museum, Easter Island
    Photo: Uncommon fritillary, CC BY-SA 3.0 on Wikimedia Commons
    About 17 min by car or transit6.5 km
  3. 2
    MiddayWorth the time

    Orongo

    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.

    Orongo, Easter Island
    Photo: American at German Wikipe…, CC BY-SA 3.0 on Wikimedia Commons
  4. Lunch

    Grilled fresh fish

    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.

    Grilled fresh fish
    Photo: www.elbpresse.de, CC BY-SA 4.0 on Wikimedia Commons
    About 16 min by car or transit6.1 km
  5. 3
    EveningWorth the time

    Ahu Tahai

    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.

    Ahu Tahai, Easter Island
    Photo: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, CC BY-SA 3.0 on Wikimedia Commons
  6. Dinner

    A fish dinner by the sea

    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.

If it rains. Father Sebastian Englert Anthropological Museum is covered, so keep it. Move Orongo and Ahu Tahai to a dry day if you can.

Departure day

After Day 5. The airport is close to town, but the flight to Santiago is the only way off, so leave a wide margin.Details
The last hours
If your flight is late in the day, ask where you are staying to keep your bags and spend the hours on foot in Hanga Roa, with a last look at the sea and the market stalls.
The car or scooter
Return a rental before you head to the airport and top up the tank the day before. The island has only a few places to buy fuel, so check ahead on their hours.
Leave it as it lies
Do not take stones, soil or old carved pieces home, even small ones. The rock of the island belongs to the island. Buy a carving from the person who made it, and ask what may travel.
The flight
Flights go back to Santiago only, so check ahead on schedules and baggage limits, and arrive at the airport in good time.

Questions people ask

When is the best time to visit Easter Island?

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.

How many days does this plan cover?

It covers 3 days in Easter Island, planned for early February. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.

Who is this plan for?

It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.

Is anything on this plan booked?

No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.

Can I plan my own days like this?

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.

Can I change this plan?

Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.

How much walking is there?

Each day has about 1.6 to 17.2 kilometers between its stops, and 31.4 kilometers in all across 3 days. A short hop is a walk and a longer one a ride. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.

Keep exploring

More like this

More Culture & Discovery trips ›More trips in Chile ›

More guides to Easter Island

Another guide with a page about Easter Island. It opens in a new tab.

Photo: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, CC BY-SA 3.0 on Wikimedia Commons

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A trip idea · Updated October 2026

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