Easter Island: how to get there via Santiago and what you need to enter the park

Easter Island sits in the most isolated part of the Pacific Ocean. The Chilean coast is almost 3,800 km away. The nearest inhabited land, Pitcairn Island, lies roughly 2,000 km away. There are no casual tourists here.

There are no direct flights from Europe to the island. All routes converge in Santiago, where LATAM flights take you to Mataveri Airport. The journey is long and expensive, so it is best to plan it several months in advance.

Below we cover two ways to get there, travel times, and the visiting rules for the national park.

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Why Easter Island is worth seeing

💡 In short:

• Easter Island lies almost 3,800 km from the Chilean coast, and you can mainly get there by plane.
• All routes go through Santiago, and LATAM flies from there.
• Entry to the national park is paid, and the rates were revised on October 1, 2025.

Rapa Nui National Park was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1995, and the park itself was established back in 1935 (as of 09/2026, official park website). The island has more than 900 moai, and you will see them everywhere along the roads.

The stone giants were carved in the crater of the Rano Raraku volcano. About 400 unfinished statues still lie in the quarry, and every route around the island stops there. The second must-see site, Ahu Tongariki, greets you with the island's largest platform and 15 restored moai.

A separate story is the village of Orongo on the rim of the Rano Kau crater. This is where people worshipped Tangata Manu, the birdman, and the cliff offers a view of three rocks in the ocean.

Anakena: the only sandy beach

Anakena Beach lies 18 km from Hanga Roa, at the end of the island's main road (as of 09/2026, island guide). It is the only white-sand beach on Rapa Nui and the landing site of the first Polynesian settlers.

© Rivi · CC BY-SAPhoto: Rivi, CC BY-SA (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/), Wikimedia Commons

On the shore stand the restored moai of the Ahu Nau Nau platform, and there is shade from palm trees, toilets, showers, and food stalls. The stalls serve fresh fish and seafood dishes.

Come in the morning. After lunch, the wind picks up and drives sand along the shore.

How to get there: the main route via Santiago

The route is built around the Chilean capital: first you fly to Santiago, and from there you take a ticket to the island. Sometimes Lima in Peru serves as a second entry point, but Santiago is more convenient.

How the route via Europe works

The main part of the journey is covered by flights with one stopover. You can change planes in Paris, Madrid, or Amsterdam. The trip to the Chilean capital takes from 19 to 26 hours including layovers.

You arrive at Arturo Merino Benitez Airport (SCL). This is Santiago's only international airport, so the rest of your route is built around it. Book round-trip tickets right away: the return flight in high season costs noticeably more, and individual seats sell out quickly.

• The catch: a stopover in Europe sometimes adds an overnight stay if the flights do not line up by time.

The seasons here are reversed compared to Europe. Flight prices depend on the month, so compare dates in advance.

Flight from Santiago to the island

The second leg of the journey is shorter. The flight from Santiago to Easter Island takes about 5 hours 45 minutes (as of 09/2026, flight schedule). The route is served by LATAM, and it is the only airline on this route.

The plane lands at Mataveri Airport (IPC) near Hanga Roa. From here, most sites are no more than half an hour away by car. Flight schedules change by season, so align your dates with your overnight stays.

© Dennis G. Jarvis · CC BY-SAPhoto: Dennis G. Jarvis, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0), Wikimedia Commons

Book the entire route as a single order. That way the connection in Santiago lines up by time, and you do not end up without a ticket to the island because of mismatched dates.

• The catch: if you split the booking, the island ticket is purchased separately, and the price goes up.

Getting to the island: yacht, cruise, or ship

You can also reach Rapa Nui by sea, but there is no regular passenger service. The Chilean Navy ship Aquiles, which once carried passengers from Valparaiso over seven days, has not taken civilians since 2019 (as of 09/2026, overview of sea options). Chile's Ministry of Defense banned transport on armed forces vessels and aircraft.

Private yachts and cruise ships remain the options. Your own yacht brings you into Hanga Roa Bay, where there is a sheltered anchorage. Twenty miles from the island, the vessel contacts Pascua Radio on VHF channel 16, and entering Hanga Piko port requires a pilot.

Cruise ships call at the island several times a year as part of long Pacific and round-the-world itineraries. The catch here is obvious: the ship stays at anchor for only a few hours, and you see the program in a group on a fixed schedule. Book a separate shore excursion in advance if you want to see more than one site.

Tickets, park rules, and opening hours

Visiting Rapa Nui National Park is paid, and every person needs a ticket. On October 1, 2025, the Ma'u Henua community revised the entry rates. Check the exact price on the official website on the day of purchase; it depends on the season and ticket category.

You need to buy the ticket before entering the area. An accredited guide is mandatory: without one, you will not be allowed into the park (as of 09/2026, rules and tickets on the park website). Group and individual tours with a local guide satisfy this requirement.

The ticket has a restriction. Rano Raraku and Orongo can only be visited once per ticket, so do not waste your visit on a quick dash. Opening hours change by season: in summer the park is open longer, in winter it closes earlier.

Violations are fined from 5 to 100 UTM. Campfires, overnight stays, drones without a permit, and alcohol are prohibited. You cannot approach the moai closely or touch them: walk only on marked trails and viewing platforms.

Easter Island tours on GetYourGuide cover the essential set of sites for a first visit: Rano Raraku, Ahu Tongariki, Orongo, and Anakena. That way you cover both the ticket and the guide requirement.

Easter Island on the map

The island is triangular in shape, and a road connects Hanga Roa with Anakena Beach and the Rano Raraku volcano. Using the map below, you can easily calculate distances: most points are reachable within half an hour by car.

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

How long is the flight to Easter Island from Europe?

With one stopover, the journey takes from 19 to 26 hours to Santiago, plus about 5 hours 45 minutes to the island. Allow at least a full day for the entire trip. Flight schedules to the island change by season, so choose your connection with a generous buffer.

Can you get to Easter Island without a stopover in Santiago?

There are no direct flights from Europe, and the only airline on the route serves the Santiago connection. Either way, you cannot avoid a stopover on the mainland.

When is the best time to visit Easter Island?

The calm season falls in November and March, when the weather is milder and tourist traffic is lower. In July it is cool and windy here. Flight prices depend on the month, so flexible dates save a noticeable amount.

Do you need a guide to visit the national park?

Yes, the park only admits visitors with an accredited guide from the Ma'u Henua community. The ticket is also purchased in advance, before entry. A tour with a local guide satisfies both requirements and usually includes Rano Raraku and Ahu Tongariki.

Can you get to Easter Island by ship?

There is no regular passenger service, and the Chilean Navy ship has not taken civilians since 2019. Private yachts and cruise ships remain the options, and they call at the island several times a year.

In short: what to book

Logistics for Easter Island should be sorted out in advance. If you have a short vacation, book a flight to Santiago on Kiwi.com and add the island segment to the same order. If you are staying for several days, Easter Island hotels on Trip.com are easier to find near Hanga Roa. To see the main sites, book a guided tour in advance.