6-Day Private Easter Island Archaeology and Hiking Adventure

Start your Easter Island adventure with a light hike to the highest point of the island, volcano Terevaka, 511 m above sea level. From here you will be able to enjoy a 360° unobstructed view of the horizon.

At the most beautiful beach of the island, the capital of the ancient society was located. In the sand stands a monument with the best preserved restored moais of the entire island. Quite recently they were dug up after centuries of having been buried in the sand. If interested in having a swim or enjoying some beach time, we suggest coming back on your own, as the tour will mainly focus on the archaeological and historical aspect of this area.

The tallest moai that was ever successfully transported to its ahu can be found in this area. It was an amazing 9.9 m tall. Just like all other statues it was toppled in ancient times, and today it is still unrestored. There is also a round magnetic rock in this area that some say has magical properties.

Small volcano where the red scoria stone was quarried for the moai statue topknots - the so called pukao. All of the moai statue pukaos come from this place.

The only monument with moais that are looking out towards the sea. Some rumors talk about how they were built to represent the seven explorers that first came to this island a thousand years ago.

The tribesmen of this village were remarkably ambitious and hard-working. They raised several statues at three different ahu platforms. A ramp was made to enter the ocean from within the area.

The crater of volcano Rano Kau is one of the most stunning views of the whole island. Its crater lake was one of the most important sources of drinking water in ancient times.

Ceremonial stone village dedicated to the birdman competition, located at the ridge of volcano Rano Kau. From within Orongo we will have a fantastic view of the crater of this volcano.

The most perfectly fit rock wall, Ahu Tahira, is found in this area. It was engineered with such skill that many draw conclusions on contact with the Inca Empire.

Hanga Poukura: Close to Vinapu we have the area of Hanga Poukura. This is a beautiful coastal area of interesting, rough lava rock formations has several unique features. Several statues are in a strange and mysterious manner buried in a line, with only the backs being visible. The ahu is one of the most well-made ever with blocks that are cut for a better fit. Hanga Poukura area also has an amazing natural phenomena that has been occurring constantly since this these areas were created by lava flows almost a million years ago - a blowhole. The blowhole of Hanga Poukura is one of the best ones of Rapa Nui, and when the ocean is right, water will spurt up into the air as waves come in.

This area has a replica of an ancient village built up in modern times. We will be able to see examples of how ancient plantation techniques work, and we will have the opportunity to enter replicas of the ancient "boat houses" that were used hundreds of years ago.

This was one of the biggest village in ancient times. Here we can see many well-preserved foundations for houses, a cave and a big ahu platform with many fallen statues. Legends say that the great king Hotu Matu'a, who led the colonization of this island, was buried here a thousand years ago.

The volcano that was converted into a mass production factory of gigantic megaliths. Virtually all statues were carved here. One day the workers stopped, and the hundreds of statues that were left behind haven't moved since.

The biggest and most impressive monument of Rapa Nui with its 15 mighty moais.

Maunga Vai a Heva: This is a hill on the way up towards to the top of volcano Poike. It has a huge face carved into it the rock wall that gathers rain water in the mouth. There are many tiny caves on this hill, and an amazing view can be enjoyed from the top.

Basalt moai: On the way up towards the top of volcano Poike we stumble across one of the first moai statues that was ever built a long time ago. It is one of the very few statues made of the extremely hard, basaltic rock.

Pū a Katiki: The crater at the top of volcano Poike offers one of our most stunning views, from where you can see the whole island in front of you.

Trachyte moais: At the back of volcano Poike we have several statues that are totally unique and highly interesting, because they are the only moai on the whole island made of a white rock called "trachyte". These statues have some stunning details that are very well preserved.

A hidden path along the outside of the cliffs lead to the legendary Ana o Keke, often known as "The Virgin Cave". Young virgin girls were secluded here for months to obtain a fair skin, to later be offered as a prize to the winner of the so called "Birdman competition". The girls carved petroglyphs into the rockwall of this lava tube, that can still be seen today.

The entrance to this coastal cave is basically a hole in the ground, artificially made small by the ancients to block out the winds. Its tunnel ends in two windows looking out over the ocean.

The inhabitants of this cave sure had a sense for cleanliness. Ana Te Pora has one big open, clean space with a table in the middle and beds along the sides.

The isolated location of the village of Te Peu has left its archaeological remains untouched. Many hare paenga, or "boat houses", of good condition can be seen here - all built around and facing the two great ahu platforms in the lower parts of the area. In such a complete village it is not hard to imagine the every day life of its former inhabitants.

Ma'itaki Te Moa: The valley of Ma'itaki Te Moa is a settlement with a few hare paenga and a very interesting ahu. The back of this wall is made by rocks of a remarkable size and well cut rectangular blocks. An even more astonishing feature of the ahu of Ma'itaki Te Moa is an entire moai statue that, in spite of its perfect condition, has been used as a building block for the monument, instead of standing on top of it. This statue is one of the few moais that is not made out of the yellowish tuff from the main statue quarry Rano Raraku.

Vai Matā: The inhabitants of this astounding village had extraordinary ambition and creativity, and perfection was their only acceptable result. Here we find the largest statue of the whole north coast area. The ahu is made from huge blocks, cut with a nearly unmatched precision and care for a perfect fit. The "boat houses" of Vai Matā are noteworthy for being exceptionally well preserved, though one house stands out more than any other: Ana O Haro. This is a man-made subterranean dwelling, built like a cave from recycled boat house foundation blocks.

Omohi: The tribe that lived here had a thing for remembering events. Several petroglyphs - markings in rocks - can be found here.

Ana o Heu: Also known as the "Make-Make Cave". Petroglyphs is surprisingly uncommon in caves of Rapa Nui, but this small dwelling has the ceiling covered in carved images of the creator god Make-Make.

Black basalt moai: This is one of the very few moai statues that were made out of hard basaltic rock instead of the much softer tuff.

Ahu Atanga: This is one of the most perfectly astronomically aligned constructions of Rapa Nui, pointing to the astronomical north with an extreme precision, only 0.2° off. Ahu Atanga is located in the northernmost tip of the island and is the biggest ahu poe-poe (ramp shaped ahu) of Easter Island with its 25 m in length.

Hanga O Teo: This is historically an important bay, since it is one of the few places that has easy access to the ocean. Here are several ancient constructions left behind by the tribesmen that lived here.

Ana Papa Tekena: This small cave just by the ocean has a quite peculiar shape, like a tunnel that extrudes from the ground.

Anakena: End this journey through time at the most tropical and relaxing beach of Easter Island - Anakena. Have something to eat and drink or have a well-deserved swim in the refreshing ocean. We offer an optional add-on to end this day with a BBQ at the beach with drinks included.

Start the day early by watching the sun rise behind Ahu Tongariki; the largest and most impressive monument of Easter Island with its 15 giant moai statues. Take a while and meditate on everything you've seen, all you've learnt and all the new great memories you've made.

Moai transporation road hike: Hike along the historic statue transportation path going from the moai quarry Rano Raraku towards the west. Many statues were transported along this road in ancient times. Several of them fell, and we can see them still laying there today.