3-day Easter Island tour: Moai, Rano Raraku, Anakena Beach

Fifteen standing moai overlooking the Pacific at Ahu Tongariki

A 3-day private tour of Easter Island combining two half days and one full day, with a guide who speaks English, Spanish or French. You start exploring the moment you arrive, visiting Orongo Ceremonial Village, Tahai, Rano Raraku quarry, Ahu Tongariki, Anakena Beach and Ahu Akivi across the three days. Hotel pickup and drop-off, lunch and private transportation are included. The national park ticket (80 USD per person) is separate.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Half Day Tour Highlights

• Visit Orongo Ceremonial Village
• Explore Rano Kau volcano crater
• See ancient platform construction
• Tour Tahai Ceremonial Complex

Day 2: Full Day Island Exploration

• Visit southeast coast ceremonial center
• See Ahu Tongariki moai platform
• Explore Rano Raraku quarry
• View largest moai at Ahu o Paro
• Relax at Anakena Beach
• Enjoy included lunch

Day 3: Half Day Morning Tour

• Watch sunrise at Ahu Tongariki
• Visit Ahu Akivi platform
• Explore Puna Pau quarry

The experience

The tour is built around the constraint of a midday arrival and third-day departure, so you don't lose a full day waiting at the airport. Your guide picks you up as soon as you land and takes you straight to Orongo Ceremonial Village, perched on the Rano Kau volcano crater where the Birdman ceremony was once celebrated. That first half day also covers Tahai, a restored ceremonial complex with three principal ahu near town, a popular spot for sunset photos, and the crater itself, which holds the island's largest reserve of endemic plants and once served as the main source of drinking water.

The full day focuses on the moai themselves. You see Rano Raraku, the volcanic cone quarry where the statues were carved from tuff stone, and then Ahu Tongariki on the southeast coast: the largest reconstructed platform on the island, with fifteen visible standing moai facing away from the Pacific. Nearby is Ahu o Paro, an 11-meter moai weighing about 90 tons: the largest ever transported from the quarry. You also visit Anakena Beach, the island's main beach with warm turquoise water and coral sand, where the royal Miru Araki family once lived and where the refined Ahu Nau Nau stands. The third half day starts before dawn at Ahu Tongariki to watch the sunrise behind the platform (October to March) or over Poike volcano (the rest of the year), then moves to Ahu Akivi, one of the few ceremonial platforms inland, whose seven restored moai are positioned to look toward the setting sun and show astronomical alignment.

Your guide is a professional who speaks your language and knows the Rapa Nui history behind each site. Private transportation means the pace stays yours, and lunch is included each day. The only cost not covered is the national park ticket, which runs 80 USD per person and you arrange separately.

What’s included

• Private transportation by vehicle.
• hotel pickup and drop-off on all three days.
• professional guide in English, Spanish or French.
• lunch each day.
• access to all seven major sites (Orongo Ceremonial Village, Tahai, Rano Raraku, Ahu Tongariki, Anakena Beach, Ahu Akivi and Puna Pau).

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 14:00 and 15:30

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (5 to 80 years) · Under 5: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and French

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 17 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats available

Operated by Kava Kava Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you arrive midday and depart early on day three. You'll explore starting the moment you land and catch the sunrise at Ahu Tongariki before heading to the airport, rather than losing a full day to travel timing.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and French.

What is Rano Raraku and why does it matter on Easter Island?

Rano Raraku is the volcanic cone quarry where the moai were carved from tuff stone before being transported to the ceremonial platforms (ahu) across the island. It's the only quarry of its kind on Easter Island, and visiting it shows how the ancient builders scaled up their work and where the statues came from.

Can I see the moai sunrise at Ahu Tongariki on this tour?

Yes, the third half day starts before dawn at Ahu Tongariki. The sun rises behind the platform from October to March. During the rest of the year it rises over Poike volcano. Wintertime skies are more likely to be unclear, but the tour goes regardless of weather.

Is lunch included, and what about the national park ticket?

Lunch is included each day of the tour. The national park ticket (80 USD per person) is not included and you pay it separately when you enter the park.

What if I arrive late or need to leave early on the third day?

The tour is designed for a midday arrival and third-day departure, so you start exploring right when you land and finish with the sunrise half day before you need to leave. If your flight times differ, contact the operator to discuss adjustments.