Itinerary

Day 1

Miami/Santiago.Depart Miami to Santiago. Overnight flight.

Day 2

Santiago/City Tour.After passing through immigration and customs, proceed to the reception area, where our inbound services representative will be holding a sign with your name on it. You will be greeted and then transferred to your hotel.In the afternoon, you will have a panoramic city tour of Santiago, which will include Parque O'Higgins, Plaza de Armas (the city's historic center), Palacio de la Moneda, ex-National Congress, Mapocho Station Cultural Center, Santa Lucia Hill, the place of Santiago's founding in 1541,and the Bohemian district of Bellavista. Overnight in Santiago. (B)

Day 3

Santiago/Folkloric Dinner
Show.Free day to enjoy an optional excursion (not included). You may want to consider an excursion to the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, the artisans' village at Centro Artesenal de Los Dominicos, or a nearby vineyard.In the evening, you will have a folkloric dinner show with traditional dancers from northern and central Chile, and Easter Island and Polynesia. Overnight in Santiago. (B,D)

Day 4

Santiago/Easter Island.Transfer to the airport for your flight to Easter Island. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Easter Island. (B)

Day 5

Easter Island/Anakena Beach (Moai Culture).Today our guide will take you back in history to show you the remains of a once powerful culture. The first stop after leaving the village of Hanga Roa will be the bay of Hanga Te'e and the unrestored platform of Ahu Vaihu. You will see how a culture built over hundreds of years was totally destroyed by its own people in a very short time. Then you will proceed along the south coast towards the volcano Rano Raraku where you will visit the “Moai factory". You can still see their 397 statues in different stages of completion, some erected, some almost sunk in waiting for their transport, some still lying unfinished on the volcanic rock. From Rano Raraku you can already see the next highlight, Ahu Tongariki. This platform is from the most recent restoration, 1991-1995, and as you will see, it's the most impressive, a construction of almost 1,000 feet long. Fifteen statues, the tallest almost 33 feet high, were re-erected, the heaviest weighing approximately 87 tons. One Moai is still wearing his Pukao, the topknot. Next you will proceed to the east coast and "the Navel of the World" with Ahu Te Pito Kura. Last but not least you will be taken to the beautiful beaches of Ovahe and finally to Anakena. The area is surrounded by palm trees, white corral sand, and one of the most beautiful restored platforms, Ahu Nau Nau, with seven Moais, four of them with Pukaos, as well as Ahu Ature Huki with one restored statue. There will be time for a swim in the warm waters of the Pacific before you take the road via Vaitea back to your hotel in Hanga Roa. Overnight in Easter Island. (B,L)

Day 6

Easter Island/Orongo (Bird Man Culture).On this half-day tour you will leave Hanga Roa, taking a short drive up the extinct volcano Rano Kau and stop for a wonderful view of the whole island. Here our guide will thoroughly explain the geography and geology of Easter Island. Our next stop offers a breathtaking view into the crater lake of Rano Kau. After a short drive you will finally arrive at the ceremonial village of Orongo, center of the Bird Man Cult. The village consists of 53 restored houses built with flagstone and used by representatives of the tribes during ceremonies related to the bird man competition. At Mata Ngarahu you will see rocks with more than 300 petroglyphs of Tangata Manu, the god Make Make and others. There is an outstanding view of the three islets: Motu Iti, Motu Mui and Kao Kao, situated opposite Orongo in the Pacific Ocean. Our guide will share all that is known about the Tangata Manu, the competitors' swim to Moto Nui, where they risked their lives to get to the egg of the Sooty Tern and swim back with it to win a chance at their tribe's power over the whole island for one year. On the way back to the village you will visit the cave of Ana Kai Tangata with paintings of marine birds. At the end you will visit Ahu Vinapu, still viewed by many as remains of pre-Incan architects because of its remarkable stonemasonry. Overnight in Easter Island. (B)

Day 7

Easter Island/Ahu Akivi (Moai Culture).This half-day tour brings you to the interior of the island. Ahu Akivi and its seven Moais is one of the few platforms where the statues are looking towards the ocean. According to oral tradition, these statues represent the first seven explorers sent from Hiva, to explore the unknown land for their new king Hotu Matua. Afterwards, you will visit Ana Te Pahu cave, a large lava tube created by volcanic activity. This cave has been used as a tribal shelter in ancient times, and you can appreciate plantations of bananas, avocados and taro in the cave's interior. You will also visit Puna Pau, the quarry where the red topknots for the statues were carved. If weather conditions allow, you can also visit the unrestored Ahu Tepeu, situated close to the coast, where you can see the biggest hare paenga, remains of an old boathouse. Overnight in Easter Island. (B)

Day 8

Easter Island/Santiago/Miami.
Transfer to the airport for your return flight to Miami. (B)

Extra Information

Inclusions -

Local, English-speaking tour guides.

Exclusions -

Gifts, personal items, and travel insurance.

Extras -

PASSPORT/VISA: U.S., Australian, Canadian, and EU (except Greece and Romania, which require a visa) citizens require a passport valid for at least six months from date of entry and return ticket for stays of up to 90 days. U.S., Australian, and Canadian citizens are required to pay a reciprocity fee (considered a multiple entry visa) of $131, $61 and $132 respectively in cash upon arrival (subject to change without notice due to currency fluctuations or other reasons). Citizens of other countries are advised to contact the Chilean embassy in their country before traveling.TRAVEL INSURANCE: In order to protect your travel investment from unforeseen circumstances that may arise before or during your trip, we strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance. We offer Access America’s Classic Comprehensive and other plans. The Benefits, Coverage Limits, and rates are summarized on our website at Call your travel counselor if you have any questions or to purchase a plan.TO BOOK THIS TRIP: We require a non-refundable deposit of $1,800 per person. The balance of the trip cost is due 60 days prior to departure.