Santiago & Easter Island: Best Itinerary Ideas

How many days do you need in Santiago & Easter Island?

• Most travelers spend 6-9 days in Santiago and Easter Island combined
• Visiting Santiago and Easter Island in 5 days is possible, but it will feel rushed
• With 10 or more days, most travelers choose to add more stops to their trip
• The most common extensions are the Atacama Desert and Torres del Paine

How Many Days to Spend in Chile

Recommended Itineraries for Santiago & Easter Island

Recommended Itinerary for 6 Days

Discover Easter Island on this weeklong itinerary that also includes two nights in Santiago. Formed of volcanic rock 2.5 million years ago, you'll get to explore Easter Island's major archaeological sites. First, fly into Santiago and experience the culture of the capital city as well as the seaside city of Valparaíso. Next, you'll then hop on a flight to Easter Island, where you'll stay for four days, immersing yourself in its rich cultural heritage and natural beauty. Read more

Recommended Itinerary for 1 Week

On this adventure, you'll explore remote Rapa Nui—the Chilean territory also known as the legendary Easter Island. Fly into Santiago to experience the culture of the capital city and seaside Valparaíso. After a wine tour and an excursion into the Chilean mountains, you'll finally hop on a flight to Easter Island, where you'll hang out with the famous stone moai statues that are found nowhere else on Earth. Read more

Recommended Itinerary for 8 Days

This eight-day Chilean adventure begins in the capital, Santiago. Explore the city and surrounding region, including the neighboring cities of Viña del Mar and Valparaíso. Next, hop on a flight to Easter Island. This Chilean territory, formed of volcanic rock, is 2.5 million years old. As you tour this ancient, Polynesian destination, explore the many moai figures, along with beaches, volcanoes, and significant archaeological sites. Read more

Recommended Itinerary for 9 Days

Enjoy a cultural adventure through Chile on this nine-day vacation. Start in Santiago to tour the landmarks and markets and take advantage of the burgeoning restaurant scene. Then, venture to Easter Island to explore the history and moai of the ancient Polynesian destination. Next, return to Santiago, and venture out on day trips to Viña del Mar and Valparaíso, as well as the Casablanca Valley—for a grand finale of wine tasting. Read more

Extended Itineraries

12-Day Itinerary Including the Atacama Desert, Puerto Natales & Torres del Paine

This 12-day itinerary combines ancient culture and ancient landscapes with the profound natural beauty of Chilean Patagonia. From the northern deserts of the Atacama region to Torres del Paine National Park, you'll experience the full spectrum of Chile's natural beauty. This also includes a jaunt to Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island. Here you'll walk in the footsteps of ancient cultures and marvel at the great stone idols—the moai—that were built to honor ancient tribal chieftains and which still stand today. Read more

13-Day Itinerary Including the Atacama Desert

This 13-day trip combines two bucket-list items in Chile, rarely visited by tourists. Kick off with a day in Santiago before you're jetting off again—this time to the South Pacific. Halfway between Tahiti and Chile, Easter Island is graced with white sand beaches and 600+ mysterious statues carved from volcanic rock. The second half of the trip takes place in a high-altitude desert on the mainland for sand dunes, geysers, hot springs, and starry skies—perfect for sipping Chilean wine. Read more

13-Day Itinerary Including Atacama Desert, Torres del Paine & Punta Arenas

Is it possible to experience the highlights of a famously diverse and beautiful country like Chile in just under two weeks? In this instance, yes. Over 13 days, you can visit all the wonderful sites that have graced the covers of travel magazines for years. You get it all: the northern Atacama Desert, Patagonia—even the far-flung mystical island of Rapa Nui, better known as Easter Island to us foreigners. So pack a bag, get your hiking gear ready, and prepare for the adventure of a lifetime. Read more

How to travel between Santiago & Easter Island

How to get to Santiago de Chile
Santiago is one of the most visited cities in Chile and in South America. Depending on where you're coming from, the city may be best reached by car, plane, and sometimes by bus. Read more

How to get to Easter Island
Getting to Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean is best done by taking a flight to Mataveri International Airport (IPC), and it's fairly easily done if you're traveling from Santiago or some of Chile's surrounding countries, such as Argentina and Peru. Read more