Easter Island 2 Day Private Tour of Moai and Rapa Nui Highlights

5.0 (2 reviews) 2 days Free cancellation Private tour

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2 reviews

5.0

Easter Island 2 Day Private Tour of Moai and Rapa Nui Highlights — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Easter Island 2 Day Private Tour of Moai and Rapa Nui Highlights, photo 2 — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

Discover Rapa Nui through the eyes of expert local guides who bring its history, archaeology, and living culture to life. This private 2-day experience goes beyond simply visiting archaeological sites, connecting each place into a fascinating journey through the island’s story, from the first Polynesian settlers and the moai era to the Birdman tradition.

Our knowledgeable guides offer engaging storytelling, fluent English and Spanish, and personalized attention throughout the experience.

Two full days with an expert local guide
Completely private experience with a flexible pace
Explore Rapa Nui’s most important archaeological sites
Discover the stories and culture behind each place
Private transportation with hotel pickup and drop-off

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At a glance

Duration: 2 days
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Your group only
People per booking: 1–8
Guide: English, Spanish
Operated by: Kohau Experience

Ages: Infants (0–2 years) · Children (3–12 years) · Adults (13–99 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Private transportation
Included: Bottled water
Included: In-vehicle air conditioning: Air-conditioned vehicle

Not included

Not included: Meals: Lunch is not included, but we’ll be happy to take you to a recommended local restaurant, where you can enjoy a meal at your own expense.
Not included: Entrance fees: Rapa Nui National Park entrance ticket (USD 100 per person) is not included and must be purchased separately.
Not included: Gratuities

Itinerary

Day 1 · Tangata Manu: The Sacred Path

Anakena Beach

50 min Admission not included

Begin your journey at Anakena, where Rapa Nui oral tradition places the arrival of King Hotu Matu’a and the first Polynesian settlers. Walk along the white-sand beach and discover Ahu Nau Nau, with its beautifully preserved moai, and Ahu Ature Huki. Here, your guide will introduce the origins of Rapa Nui culture and the beginning of the island’s remarkable story.
Ahu Te Pito Kura

40 min Admission not included

Discover Te Pito Kura, home to Paro, the largest moai ever successfully transported and raised on an ahu. Although now fallen, its enormous size reveals the extraordinary ambition and engineering skills of the Rapa Nui people. Nearby, see Te Pito o Te Henua, a distinctive rounded stone surrounded by local traditions.
Puna Pau

40 min Admission not included

Visit Puna Pau, the small volcanic crater where the Rapa Nui carved the red scoria pukao placed on top of many moai. Walk through the quarry and see unfinished pukao still resting along the slopes while learning how these massive stone pieces were carved, transported, and raised onto the statues.
Ahu Akivi

40 min Admission not included

Meet the seven restored moai of Ahu Akivi, one of Rapa Nui’s most distinctive ceremonial platforms. Unlike most moai, which face inland toward their ancestral communities, these seven appear to gaze toward the ocean. Discover the stories associated with the monument and its place within the island’s cultural landscape.
Rano Kau

20 min

Reach the spectacular Rano Kau volcano and look across its vast crater, now filled with a freshwater wetland. From the rim, take in one of Rapa Nui’s most dramatic landscapes while learning how this extraordinary natural setting became connected to the island’s later ceremonial traditions.
Orongo

one hour Admission not included

End the journey at Orongo, the ceremonial village dramatically perched between the crater of Rano Kau and the Pacific Ocean. Explore its stone houses and learn about the Tangata Manu, or Birdman, competition that marked a new chapter in Rapa Nui society. Look toward Motu Nui, the offshore islet at the heart of this remarkable tradition.

Day 2 · The Living Stones of Rapa Nui

Ahu Vinapu

40 min Admission not included

Begin the day at Vinapu, where massive stone blocks were shaped and fitted together with remarkable precision. Explore its ceremonial platforms and discover a different expression of Rapa Nui engineering, setting the stage for a day dedicated to understanding the people, techniques, and traditions behind the island’s monumental stone culture.
Ahu Vaihu

one hour Admission not included

Continue along the south coast to Vaihu, where fallen moai remain exactly where they came down centuries ago. Explore the large ceremonial complex and its unrestored remains while your guide explains the changes and conflicts that eventually brought the era of standing moai to an end.
Ahu Akahanga

50 min Admission not included

Explore Akahanga, an extensive archaeological complex with the remains of ancient houses, earth ovens and a large ceremonial platform with fallen moai. According to oral tradition, this area is also associated with the burial of Hotu Matu’a, the founding king of Rapa Nui.
Rano Raraku

1 h 15 min Admission not included

Enter the legendary quarry where nearly all of Rapa Nui’s moai were carved. Walk among dozens of statues standing along the volcanic slopes and discover unfinished giants still connected to the bedrock. Learn how the moai were carved and hear the theories and traditions surrounding how these enormous figures were transported across the island.
Ahu Tongariki

one hour Admission not included

Finish at spectacular Ahu Tongariki, the largest restored ceremonial platform on Rapa Nui. Stand before its iconic line of 15 moai and learn about the history of the site, its destruction by a tsunami, and its remarkable restoration. With Rano Raraku rising in the background, it is a powerful finale to your journey through the world of the moai.

Meeting point and pickup

The operator picks every participant up from their accommodation or the points below.

Pickup points

Taura'a Hotel
Hotel Tiare Pacific
Casa del mar Rapanui
Hotumatua
Kaimana Inn Hotel & Restaurant
La Casa De Hatirenga
Hotel Maea Hare Repa
Mana Nui Inn
O'tai Hotel
Hare Maea
Easter Island Eco Lodge
Hotel Taha Tai

and 22 more pickup points

Your private guide will pick you up directly from your accommodation in Hanga Roa at the scheduled time. Please wait at the reception or main entrance of your hotel or accommodation. We will contact you via WhatsApp before the tour to confirm the exact pickup time and details. Pickup is included on both days of the tour.

Using your ticket

No separate ticket is required to redeem this tour. Your Viator booking voucher confirms your reservation. Please note that this voucher is NOT the Rapa Nui National Park entry ticket. The National Park ticket must be purchased separately and is required to enter the archaeological sites included in the tour.