2-Day Private Tour Easter Island: Ahu Tongariki & Rano Raraku

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/15

Duration13h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Ahu Tongariki's 15 restored moai rise against the ocean after centuries buried by tsunami.

A 2-day private guided tour of Easter Island's archaeological sites, with hotel pickup and transport included. You visit Ahu Tongariki, Rano Raraku, Orongo Ceremonial Village, Ahu Akivi, Anakena Beach and other major monuments across two full days with a single guide who adjusts the pace to your questions. The itinerary is timed to catch the best light and avoid crowds. You'll need a national park ticket (bought on arrival at the airport) and should bring it with you each day.

13h

Step-by-step itinerary

The Experience

Ahu Tongariki anchors the second day — 15 massive moai restored after an earthquake and tsunami toppled them inland. The guide explains how they were rebuilt and what the statues meant to the island's ancient society. The first day moves through Anakena Beach, where the capital of the ancient civilization stood and the most perfectly preserved moai still stand in the sand after centuries of burial. From there the tour reaches Puna Pau, the small volcano where red scoria stone was quarried for the moai topknots, then Ahu Akivi, the only monument with moai facing the ocean — some say they represent the first seven settlers who arrived a thousand years ago.

Rano Raraku is where virtually all the statues were carved. Hundreds remain unfinished in the volcanic crater, abandoned mid-work as if the carvers simply stopped one day. The guide walks you through the site and explains the scale of production that once happened there. On the first day you also see Orongo Ceremonial Village, built on the ridge of Rano Kau volcano and dedicated to the birdman competition, with views into the crater lake that was a crucial water source in ancient times. Tahai, Vinapu and the coastal blowhole at Hanga Poukura round out the stops, each with its own history of construction technique or spiritual significance.

The guide speaks English or Spanish and arrives at your hotel for pickup. Transport is by air-conditioned minivan, and bottled water is provided throughout the two days. The 13-hour itinerary is structured to catch the best light at each site and minimize the crowds you encounter. Because you're traveling with a private guide rather than a group, you can linger where your interest takes you and ask as many questions as the time allows.

What’s included

Hotel pickup and drop-off.
air-conditioned minivan transport.
a private guide speaking English or Spanish.
bottled water throughout the two days.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Easter Island Travel

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you're staying at a hotel on Easter Island without a rental car — the guide picks you up and handles all the driving, so you spend two full days learning the archaeology and history instead of navigating the island yourself. The private format means you move at your own pace and ask questions without a group waiting.