Take the morning plane to Easter Island (the natives call their island Rapa Nui or Te Pito o Te Henua, "the navel of the earth") from Santiago, Chile. You are met at the local airport and transferred the short distance to your family-style hotel minutes from Hanga Roa, a small township where Easter Island's 2,500 inhabitants live. Or send your luggage ahead, and stroll to the hotel on foot, enjoying your new tropical home for the next few days.

After breakfast you will be collected from your hotel and visit Rano Kau. It is one of three principal volcanoes which created the island. Inside this beautiful volcano you will see one of three crater lakes on the island. This lake is covered with a type of bulrush reed which is also found in Lake Titicaca in Bolivia.

Then we will visit the ceremonial village of Orongo is one of the most visually spectacular sites on the island. On one side of the village you see the beautiful caldera of Rano Kau and on the other you see the ocean and the mysterious islets of Motu Nui, Motu Iti , Motu Kao Kao. It was these islets in connection with the village of Orongo where the amazing ancient Tangata Manu or Birdman Ceremonies were held. Orongo is also the best site to view the petroglyph carving of the island. This site is yet another site restored by Dr. Mulloy in 1976.

Finally, we will visit Ahu Vinapu, well known for the amazing statues that once stood on its platform but instead for the platform itself. It is the perfect stonework of the Ahu Vinapu that has been compared to the stone walls of Peru.

Today, horseback ride the North Coast trails visiting many archaeological sites such as ceremonial platforms, petroglyphs and ancestral boat house foundations. The ride begins at Pikera Uri Eco Lodge going through Moai a Morito, Maitaki Te Moa, Para Aringa O Hera, Ana Eu, Moai a Metraux, culminating at the white sand beach of Anakena. Transfer Anakena to Hotel

At an arranged time, you will be collected from your hotel and will get your first look at the amazing statues that make Easter Island famous. Ahu Akivi is often noted to be the only platform whose Moai look to the ocean. Also, you will visit Ana Te Pahu is one of literally hundreds of lava tube caves on the island. Here you will see the ancient islander’s tradition to use some of this cave as protection for their gardens as well as a great source of fresh water.

Finally, we will visit the Puna Pau, that is a small secondary volcano which served as the main source of the volcanic stone Red Scoria. By the end of the day you´ll have a brand new understanding of the Eastern Island culture. After lunch you will visit the following places:

RANO RARAKU
This stop could very well be one of the most amazing sites in the world.  The volcano of Rano Raraku is also known as the statue factory.  It was from the volcanic stone of Rano Raraku that 95% of all of the statues on the island were carved.  There has been 397 Moai at Rano Raraku.  Some were completely finished and left waiting on the slopes of the volcano for their transportation while others are in various stages of completion still connected to the mother rock of the volcano.  You will have the opportunity to hike to the top of the volcano and see the beautiful crater with its fresh water lake. 

AHU TONGARIKI  
The Ahu Tongariki is noted to be the largest monolithic monument in all of Eastern Polynesia.  This amazing platform holds 15 of some of the largest statues on the island.  With the surrounding sea cliffs and beautiful ocean background Tongariki is truly one of the most incredible site on the island. The unrestored Ahu Tongariki had been completely flattened and its 15 huge statue slid about as a result of a tsunami which occurred in 1960.  Needless to say the restoration of this Ahu in
92-96 was definitely considered to be an engineering feat led by the Chilean archeologist Claudio Cristino.

AHU AKAHANGA
Ahu Akahanga is one of many unrestored ahu sites on the island.  Here you will learn about the turn of events which caused this incredible monolithic culture to literally come crashing down around the people.  You will see a group of 17 Moai which were systematically brought down from their platform along with the ruins of the corresponding village. 

Enjoy a relaxing morning in Hanga Roa before taking the flight back to Santiago, Chile.