Looking to make your next vacation special with a trip to Easter Island?
This remote island is home to one of the most mysterious cultures on Earth and boasts the world-famous moai head statues. These incredible statues are among the world’s greatest classical treasures—and draw millions of tourists every year.
If you’re reaching for your own Easter Island vacation, however, there are a number of steps you must take in order to reach your destination. Due to the island’s geographic isolation, travel to and from the island is limited, so it’s important you know what you are getting into if you decide to visit the island.
How Do You Get There?
Officially, Easter Island is considered part of Chile. Despite this, it is over 2,000 miles from the Chilean mainland—roughly five hours by plane. This means that—despite the fact that tourism is the main industry of the region—there aren’t many routes that will bring you to Easter Island.
In fact, there are only two.
Specifically, you can fly to the island from the Chilean capital Santiago—which means you won’t need to show your passport when you reach your destination—or you can fly from Tahiti. In the latter case, you will need to bring your passport and show it to customs agents.
What this means is that—unless you are a Chilean resident already—you must expect to fly double to reach the island. This likely means a flight to Santiago from your home country and another flight to and from the island.
What’s more, because there is only one major airline that will take you to the island, you may be faced with higher rates than you initially expect. In general, you can expect to spend ten hours round trip getting to the island and coming back.
Keep in mind that flights to and from Santiago operate daily. Flights from Tahiti, however, occur only once a week. For this reason, make sure to plan in advance when preparing for your trip.
Take a Cruise
While flying is by far and away the most popular way to get to Easter Island, some individuals opt to get to the destination by boat. Specifically, the New Zealand cruise ship Soren Larsen takes an annual voyage to the island. Taking this “scenic” route, however, costs about thirty-five days.
For this reason, it’s best to keep in mind the duration of your trip when you are planning your route. Whatever method you choose, though, you can be sure to enjoy your time on the remote island!
The Bottom Line
Easter Island is one of the most visited destinations in Chile.
Despite this, getting to the island may not be as simple as you think. Because travel to and from the island is heavily limited by geographic factors, it’s crucial that tourists plan ahead and find the route that’s best for them.
In general, travelers can fly to the island or go by annual cruise. Specifically, daily LAN flights from Santiago offer the cheapest and easiest way to reach the island.
With this guide, you can make your next Chile vacation the best time of your life! So don’t wait! Look ahead to your own Easter Island trip today!
