Sample itinerary
Four nights and three full days is the realistic minimum to see the main sites without rushing. What follows is not a fixed departure — it is the sequence we would build for a couple arriving on a standard midday flight, and the reasoning behind each choice.
Read this first
The USD 100 national park ticket is valid for 10 consecutive days, but Rano Raraku and Orongo each allow a single entry. If you visit Rano Raraku in driving rain, that was your visit. There is no second attempt and no refund.
Everything about the ordering below follows from that one constraint.
What this assumes
Your flights will differ. That is the point of sending us your actual times rather than copying this page.
Day by day
The 'why' column is the part worth reading. Any operator can list these sites; the order is what determines whether you actually enjoy them.
Why this day: The flight from Santiago lands around midday, so a full day is impossible. Tahai is minutes from town, needs no long drive, and gives you your first moai at the best light of the day. It also does not use either single-entry site while you are still tired.
Why this day: Orongo goes early in the trip and in the morning, because cloud tends to settle into the Rano Kau crater later in the day. This spends the first of your two single entries on a day whose weather is easier to predict.
Why this day: The big one, and deliberately not on day 2. Keeping a spare day between arrival and the quarry means that if day 3 opens with heavy rain we can swap it with day 4 and still not lose your single Rano Raraku entry. This is the whole reason the itinerary is ordered this way.
Why this day: The flight out leaves mid-afternoon, so this is a morning of quieter inland sites close to town with no risk of being caught far from the airport. It is also the day we hold in reserve as the weather swap for day 3.
What this costs
| Two full guiding days | $480 |
|---|---|
| Two half guiding days | $290 |
| Guiding total for the group | $770 |
| Park tickets (2 adults, paid separately) | $200 |
| Flights, accommodation, meals | Booked by you |
Roughly $385 per person for guiding across four days. See the full rate card for other party sizes.
What we change
Same logic, applied to your actual arrival and departure rather than a sample.