Easter Island

Post-Trip, 6 Days

Follow your Antarctica expedition with a visit to one of the most mysterious places on earth — Easter Island. Home to silent sentinels of a long lost culture, this tiny island is located 2,300 miles west of Chile in the Pacific Ocean and almost 1,200 miles from its nearest island neighbor. Learn from key archaeologists, who have worked on uncovering the islands great 600 ton moai statues, and discover some of the theories of how early adventurers came to settle the island and the Rapa Nui culture they created.

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Itinerary - 6 Days

Day 1 — Ushuaia, Argentina/Santiago, Chile

Today we disembark National Geographic Explorer in Ushuaia and fly to Santiago, where we check in to the Grand Hyatt Santiago Hotel.
(B,L,D)

Day 2 — Santiago, Chile/Easter Island

This morning we fly to Easter Island and check in to the Taha Tai Hotel, our base for the next three nights.
(B,L,D)

Days 3 & 4 — Easter Island

Visit the Tahai Archaeological complex and museum to learn about the pre-history of the island, and the Rano Kau ceremonial site of Orongo, sited magnificently at the very edge of a volcanic crater. Explore Ahu Te Pito Kura, Punapau red stone quarry, and Ahu Akivi, one of the latest constructions on the island with seven moai 14 feet tall. See Rano Raraku, where most of the stone statues were carved. Visit Ahu Tongariki, the largest ceremonial altar in Polynesia.
(B,L,D)

Day 5 — Easter Island/Santiago

We have the day to continue our explorations of Easter Island before our flight to Santiago, connecting to home-bound flights.
(B,L)

Day 6 — Santiago/U.S.

Arrive in the United States.