Easter Island: Eclipse of a Lifetime

Day 1 (Saturday, September 28): US/Santiago: Depart from your home city on an overnight flight to Santiago, the capital of Chile.

• Note: Airfare to and from Santiago and to and from Easter Island is not included in the tour price. Overnight flight (meals inflight).

Day 2 (Sunday, September 29): Arrive Santiago: Arrive in the morning in Santiago and transfer to our 4-star hotel, Hotel Pullman El Bosque, located in one of the most exclusive areas of Santiago. After a short afternoon orientation and city tour, you’ll travel to Cerro Calán Observatory for a welcome reception and evening stargazing before returning to the hotel.

Day 3 (Monday, September 30): Fly to Easter Island: After breakfast, you’ll transfer by bus to Santiago airport and fly to Easter Island. Upon arrival, transfer to our 5-star resort, a short distance from the airport. Lunch and afternoon on your own. Watch the sunset from Ahu Tahai, then return to our hotel and group dinner.

• Note: Airfare to and from Easter Island is not included in the tour price.

Day 4 (Tuesday, October 1): Tours of Easter Island: After breakfast, you’ll set off on a full-day tour of Easter Island. First, drive to the south coast and visit Rano Raraku, the quarry where nearly all moai originated. Then, visit Ahu Tongariki, the most recent and biggest restoration on the island, with 15 re-erected statues. Drive to the east coast and visit the biggest statue on the island: the Moai Paro. Enjoy a picnic lunch in a private home, then visit the beautiful beach of Anakena with six of the best preserved moai standing guard. After returning to the hotel, enjoy dinner on your own.

Day 5 (Wednesday, October 2): Annular eclipse: Relax in the morning and find that perfect spot to observe the eclipse—either on the resort grounds or at another location (perhaps a moai site) by special arrangement. Later in the afternoon, take a walking tour of the town of Hanga Roa or enjoy the hotel facilities. End the day with a celebratory group dinner.

• Note: The eclipse begins at 12:24 pm local time and ends at 3:52 pm.

Day 6 (Thursday, October 3): Easter Island/Santiago: Before dawn, guests can drive to Ahu Tongariki to see the beautiful sunrise. Then, return to the hotel for breakfast, check out, and transfer to Mataveri Airport for the flight back to Santiago.

• Note: This flight returns to Santiago too late to make connections to your international flight home, so you’ll be met after landing and (after claiming your luggage) transfer the short distance to the Holiday Inn Santiago Airport.

Day 7 (Friday, October 4): Valparaiso/US: After breakfast, you’ll begin a day trip to the colorful port town of Valparaiso. We will also visit Viña del Mar, a seaside resort town near Valparaiso known for its beautiful gardens, beaches, and tall buildings. After the tour ends, you’ll return to the Santiago airport, where you’ll be assisted with check-in for the overnight flight back to the US. (If you’re taking the optional extension to Patagonia, you’ll be escorted to the airport and for assistance with check-in for your flight to Punta Arenas.)

Day 8 (Saturday, October 5): Arrive home: After an overnight flight from Santiago and your connecting flight, you return home with wonderful memories of the annular eclipse and the time you spent with Easter Island’s iconic moai.

Optional post-trip extension to Chilean Patagonia (October 4-9, 2024)

Located at the southernmost tip of Chilean Patagonia, the stunning Torres del Paine National Park is a world of unique contrasts. The park’s magnificent mountains—especially its namesake trio of massive granite peaks—tower above a landscape of turquoise lakes, evergreen forests, and vast ice fields. No wonder that this region has been named a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.

In this stark-yet-verdant landscape you’ll find abundant evidence of the glacial erosion that shaped it over millions of years. Large populations of guanacos and pumas run freely on the plains nestled among the mountainous peaks, while condors and more than 400 other species of birds soar overhead.

Our optional 5-day/4-night extension affords you ample time to explore this unique landscape at the very tip of South America. 

Day 1 (Friday, October 4): Overnight Santiago: After returning from Valparaiso, overnight in Santiago before a flight to Patagonia the next morning. Holiday Inn Santiago Airport

Day 2 (Saturday, October 5): Santiago/Punta Arenas and Torres del Paine: After breakfast and check out, your guide will escort you to the Santiago airport for a morning flight to Punta Arenas. Upon arrival there, a representative of Las Torres Lodge will join you for a scenic 5-hour drive northward through the expansive Patagonian pampas. Stop for lunch along the way at the private estancia (ranch) Cerro Negro, then continue to Torres del Paine National Park, arriving at your hotel in the early evening. Hotel Las Torres Patagonia or similar (B, L, D)

Day 3 (Sunday, October 6): Torres del Paine National Park: Choose from an extensive array of half- and full-day excursions in the surrounding parkland led by expert guides. Torres del Paine National Park is surrounded by impressive mountains, including spectacular granite peaks that seemingly erupt from the landscape to heights of more than 8,000 feet. Additionally, you may explore the organic garden or the working stables of the hotel. Hotel Las Torres Patagonia or similar (B, L, D)

Day 4 (Monday, October 7): Torres del Paine National Park: After breakfast, continue your exploration of this remarkable landscape. You’ll again have many options: Grey Glacier and lake with its blue iceberg; Salto Grande, a glacial waterfall set against majestic peaks; hike or ride horses with an expert guide; or simply relax in the park and its surrounding wilderness. Hotel Las Torres Patagonia or similar (B, L, D)

Day 5 (Tuesday, October 8): Punta Arenas/Santiago/US: After breakfast, transfer by motor coach to the Punta Arenas airport (about 5 hours); a box lunch will be provided en route. The return flight to Santiago offers, weather permitting, magnificent views of the Andes and its snow-capped peaks, glaciers, and ice fields. Upon arrival in Santiago, local guides will help you check in for your overnight flight back to the United States or wherever you call home. Overnight flight (B, L, meals aloft)

Day 6 (Wednesday, October 9): Arrive in US: Arrive back in US and transfer for flights home.