Easter Island (Rapa Nui)
Easter Island: The Majesty and Mystery of Rapa Nui
Program No. 16342RJ
See More Photos
Participant Reviews
Based on 50 Reviews
SHOWING
Rapa Nui is truly a magical place, a tiny dot of an island, 2300 miles west of Chile and 2500 miles east of Tahiti. Famous for its silent sentinels, the Moai, it is remote, but welcoming. Our Guide, Alvaro, was top notch, anticipating our needs and spurring on our sense of wonder for this unusual place. He secured Cristian, one of the current experts on all things Rapa Nui. Cristian gave us multiple levels of understanding, explaining the history, culture and environment of Rapa Nui. His story-telling was riveting. I feel lucky that I was able to participate on this trip. My sixteen compatriots were fabulous, an eclectic bunch, with knowledge, insights and humor that enhanced the trip.
Thank you Alvaro, Cristian and my 16 companions for an unforgettable trip. Maururu and Iorana!
— Review left March 4, 2026
Five Stars! Experiencing Easter Island (Rapa Nui) fulfilled a long time goal of mine. Road Scholar provided an excellent adventure. Our guide, Alvaro, was very caring and approachable. Cristian, our local expert with roots to the Rapanui culture, provided background information that only a few people could provide. He related the history through stories, similar to how his relatives may have told the history. The food was outstanding. We experienced all the major sites of moai and swimming at the beach at Anakena was so refreshing! If you are looking for an extraordinary experience, this is it!
— Review left March 3, 2026
This was a very nice tour and I enjoyed meeting the other travelers as well. I learned a lot of things that I didn't know which was the reason I wanted to go to Easter Island. I thought about it for a long time and decided it was now the time to go...and I was glad I actually made the trip. It was a birthday gift to myself on my 80th
The native people on the island were so nice to everyone, especially the "elders". The festival itself was just wonderful, and I was very happy that I was able to go on this tour. It was a gift to myself on my 80th B.D. ...and it was the best present I have ever gotten!
— Review left February 13, 2026
This trip had always been on our "Bucket List" and it definitely is a spectacular setting with a fascinating history. The guides, Claudio and Christian, were exceptional and the hotel Otai was well located near the center of town. Unfortunately, our flight from Miami to Santiago, Chile on Latam Airlines was cancelled the night we were to leave due to "operational difficulties" which led to complications including missing the first two days of the program. Also, beware of scammers at the Santiago International Airport who posed as Road Scholar guides whom we did not pay but led to our missing the connecting flight to Rapanui. Also, we ended up needing to utilize our Road Scholar travel insurance AON which we had never used before and are making the process somewhat difficult. We would not use them again.
The Island of Rapanui is delightful and the it is true that some of the hiking is a bit strenuous though worthwhile and hiking poles are helpful at a few of the sites. Food at the hotel and in the town was quite good. The weather was quite good but do bring sunscreen
and head covering as it was their "summer" on our January trip,
— Review left February 11, 2026
This was an exceptional tour. I do research on my travel destinations beforehand, and I was very surprised by how much more I learned on this trip.
— Review left February 3, 2026
Easter Island was on my "bucket list" for as long as I can remember.
Road Scholar, our extraordianry guide, Claudio, and the historian, Christian, made our experience delightful & memorable!
— Review left January 30, 2026
Fantastic trip of a lifetime!
— Review left January 30, 2026
I thoroughly enjoyed this trip to Rapa Nui and learned a lot about the moai statues and the local inhabitants and their culture. It was a very active trip as we walked around town and hiked all around the island sites. Our guide Claudio and our lecturer Christian were both wonderful. The weather cooperated right up until the last day, so we enjoyed the warm winds, sunny skies, and a couple clear nights for star gazing. We had a relaxed pace in keeping with life on a Pacific island. I highly recommend this trip.
— Review left January 22, 2026
The ultimate way to experience Easter Island. When you are finished you will have seen it all!
— Review left January 21, 2026
The Easter Island adventure was the trip of a lifetime! Truly unique, beautiful and inspiring!
— Review left January 21, 2026
The Rapa Nui / Easter Island trip was fantastic. The Road Scholar and island guide were the best I have encountered. It was my dream to get there and I was excited and fulfilled every day. Great trip.
— Review left October 21, 2025
This is a fantastic and eye-opening trip. Not only to see the sites, you experience then through and learned eyes of people who,have made Rapa Nui a life work. I highly recommend this to anyone with a desire to learn about a unique and fascinating part of history
— Review left October 7, 2025
I totally enjoyed my Easter Island adventure. Claudio is the best!
— Review left September 25, 2025
The trip to Easter Island/ Rapa Nui was the adventure of a lifetime.
Our guide Alvaro Romo was great, as was the presenting scholar Cristia'n.
The food, service and accommodations were also better than what I expected. I have never been to South America so I did not know what to expect!
I learned so much about the Rapa Nui culture and how outside influences impacted both the people and the ecology of this distant island.
However, there were a few aspects that could be improved.
* First on the rainy day day hikes it would be good to know how long we were going to be in the field. there was one in particular right before dinner at a restaurant which was close to the Ahnu, but we were out in the heavy rain for too long. Some of the information could have been shared at the hotel Otai prior to see the Ahnu.
* Second also pretainting to the lectures, there should have been a few visuals . One in particular was the location /migration of the polynesians , melanesians, and micronesians to Easter Island a basic 18"x24" map would have worked or something on a laptop, but I do not think everything need technology to be valid or shared. Another visual aid would have been a diagram showing the construction of the Ahnu and its use as a cemetary.
The Hotel San Francisco and Hotel Solace were excellent.
This one trip everyone should take.
— Review left April 30, 2025
If you want to get up close and personal to pre-colonial icons, this is the trip for you!
— Review left March 28, 2025
If you have been curious about the statues on Easter Island you need to take this trip. Photos, books and videos are great, but being there is so much better. It’s a long journey but with the effort.
The staff couldn’t have been better. Starting with Claudio who got us started in Santiago. Then Alvaro took good care of us on Easter Island and Christian, the historian and filled us with great information and stories. They were all great.
— Review left March 19, 2025
If you have ever wondered about Rapa Nui (Easter Island), this program will answer most of your questions and present new questions to think about.
— Review left March 19, 2025
after 20+ years of waiting to visit Easter Island, I was happy that my initial visit fell through. It would never have been as good an experience as this one was. I feel very fortunate to have had this opportunity to travel with Road Scholar.
— Review left March 8, 2025
Fantastic and fun experience in a remote and mysterious place. We enjoyed it immensely.
— Review left February 17, 2025
The Easter Island trip is a magical experience. You learn about the island and its long and colorful history and leave with an appreciation of the people, their customs, and their issues. I'd highly recommend it!
— Review left February 16, 2025
This was a wonderful program. The guide, Claudio, was one of the best I have had on a group trip, and imparted so much information, while being kind and fun. The lecturer, Cristian, was brilliant and engaging. The program would not have been as good without his expertise. I felt the activity level was a little low, and would have enjoyed a more physically active program. I did pay a guide to take me hiking in my free time. Food and accommodations were great. Overall, an excellent program.
— Review left January 23, 2025
I have ALWAYS wanted to visit Rapa Nui, and knew it would be incredible, but the excellent group leader, Claudio, made it even better! He was fun, knowledgeable, always upbeat, and his creative rearrangement made it possible to see everything in spite of the weather. The lecturer Cristian was also great, scholarly and entertaining.
— Review left January 22, 2025
Five Stars! This was another great Road Scholar learning adventure, ranking right up there with my trips to the Galapagos Islands, Bhutan, Crete, and the wilds of Africa. Fortunately the hikes were not too challenging for my old legs and with the help of walking sticks I kept up with everybody and enjoyed every minute. If you decide to take this tour, don't think you're going to learn the answers to all the mysteries of Easter Island (or Rapa Nui as you'll soon begin calling it) because much about the place is either yet to be proven or never to be known. But learning why this might be the case turned out to be just as fascinating as solving all the puzzles. All I can say is, don't believe everything you read. Just go and see for yourself and have a unique, unforgettable experience thanks to the good people at Road Scholar and the lovely people you will meet on Easter Island. If you'd like to see what I saw, copy and paste this link into your browser: https://paintrock.net/easterisland/ I hope you are fortunate enough someday to make this wonderful trip.
— Review left November 10, 2024
This was a great trip with in-depth look at the culture and the artifacts that were left. It will so make you think and try to really understand how those Moais were made and transported to the locations they are currently found. Fascinating and mind boggling.
— Review left October 18, 2024
Traveling to Rapa Nui (Easter Island) was a “bucket list” item for me. Traveling with Road Scholar made this come true in the best way possible. The small group experience was really valuable. We had a very knowledgeable local guide who spent six days with us, telling stories and answering questions about the people, past and present of Rapa Nui. Our accommodations were great and the food was even better. The overall trip was beyond my expectations.
— Review left October 18, 2024
Five Stars! This trip is amazing. Visiting Rapa Nui is an extraordinary experience. If you have any interest at all, just go. Seeing the most remote inhabited island on earth is an adventure not to be missed. There is so much to do and each day is unique and interesting.
Our group leader Alvaro did an amazing job and made sure everyone was doing well and enjoying themselves and the local expert Christian was informative and answered lots of questions.
The hotel Otai is lovely with luscious grounds where you can relax on your private patio and watch the chickens or take a swim in the pool. The food was delicious with fresh local fish and plenty of fruits and vegetables. And there was always desert.
I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Easter Island and Santiago and recommend it highly.
— Review left October 18, 2024
What an adventure!! From my first glimpse of the island from the plane to climbing up the volcano to see the moai nursery! Trekking poles were very useful -- lots of uneven ground. I would also recommend light jacket and/or rain gear. And be prepared for the wind when up high! I could take this trip again and not be bored! Claudio and Cris are both gems and absolutely make the program! I highly recommend this program!
— Review left September 29, 2024
Great trip--this one of my bucket trips did not disappoint. Excellent lecturer on Easter Island. Guide was also really good and friendly.
Food was so-so (especially breakfast)--however did not have high expectations).
Friendly small group--everyone got along so well.
Enjoyed the hotel where we stayed. The hosts there were also friendly and obliging.
— Review left June 22, 2024
Easter Island is a fascinating place to visit and the guide and lecturer were exceptional.
— Review left March 31, 2024
What a wonderful trip! Excellent activities and lectures and information. This fulfills a lifelong dream. The uphill walking at times was rather strenuous but worth it!
— Review left March 29, 2024
If you've ever read about, thought about, or wondered about Rapa Nui/Easter Island and the moai, this is the trip for you. It was a truly wonderful experience in a truly magical place.
— Review left March 25, 2024
Regarding RS trip to Rapa Nui - go it you can! It's a life changing experience. And if you're fortunate enough to have Claudio LeRoy as your group leader and Christian Pakarati as your instructor count yourselves lucky.
— Review left March 19, 2024
Spectacular voyage to Rapa Nui, one of the most majestic, mysterious places I have been in the world. Great, knowledgeable trip leaders, and a truly memorable week.
— Review left March 2, 2024
A sunny, peaceful, tranquil land with rolling green hills and no traffic lights. I am wondering if the cars here even have horns. Kids ride their horse to the succor field bareback and doubled up. Every morning the roosters awake before you do, and they won’t let you forget it. A weeklong chance to fully immense yourself in a culture that has traditionally been isolated from all others.
Supersized hibiscus flowers (ssshhh, we won’t tell the Hawaiians), some colored fire engine red, others in vibrant yellow or pink. A lone cotton tree about eight feet tall bursting its bolls. The catch of the day travels only a few blocks from the sea to your plate which it shares with bright, succulent veggies from a nearby garden.
You stare at the moai and they stare right back at you, or through you, or past you. Singular moai or clusters are placed along the perimeter of the island facing inland with one notable exception. Other moai lie supine, frozen in the process of emerging from their rocky repository.
Indigenous people, the Rapa Nui, honor and celebrate their long history in storytelling, sport, and song and dance. Each year the tradition climaxes in the week of the Tapati Festival. Daily activities center on water sports, arts and crafts. At night a hundred dancers on the starlit stage sway rhythmically in unison as if they are all one body and one mind moving in time with the ever pounding drumbeat. Can it be they are in communion with ancestors who came before them and did the same so long ago? And they bring you with them into their world for a few moments of your life—it is a privilege to participate in this experience.
— Review left February 24, 2024
The opportunity to join the Rapanui people in their yearly Tapati festival is an experience to be treasured. Added to the excellent historical presentations and trips to the historical sites, this was a one-of-a-kind experience.
— Review left February 18, 2024
We recently went to Easter Island/Rapa Nui with Road Scholar--it was a wonderful trip. We enjoyed very much being in Santiago and especially value the very authentic experiences we had on Rapa Nui. The Pre-Colombian Art Museum in Santiago is a world-class museum and is an absolute must. We learned so much about the statues/moai on Rapa Nui during many wonderful and informative field trips.
— Review left October 31, 2023
So interesting and, I think, thorough. I am now the "expert" on Rapa Nui in my friend community!!!
— Review left October 21, 2023
Claudio, the tour guide, was exceptional. Christian, the local expert, gave excellent lectures. We learned a lot about Rapa Nui culture and history from them. I highly recommend this excellent tour to a remote and unique island.
— Review left October 16, 2023
My trip to Easter Island fulfilled a long term goal. I had planned to cruise in. That would have allowed a short few hours visit. This trip was 9 packed days of learning, seeing, and experiencing. Truly an experience of a lifetime
— Review left March 15, 2023
Need to stress the physical requirements to the participants
— Review left March 14, 2023
Amazing experience to visit the most remote place where a unique civilization existed!
— Review left February 2, 2023
I was extremely satisfied with my first Road Scholar trip experience!
— Review left January 31, 2023
Do not miss this once in a lifetime chance to explore this unique island, it's history and the people today!
— Review left January 23, 2023
A truly unique place to visit that can be even more special by the excellent guides that Road Scholar employs. Seeing the Moai on Rapa Nui fulfilled a lifetime dream.
— Review left March 25, 2019
This was a fabulous program. Yes, you can go to Rapa Nui on your own but you will miss out without learning from the expert guides. Go with Road Scholar!
— Review left March 24, 2019
Easter Island has always been a bucket list travel destination and Road Scholar gave me the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream. The guide and instructor were both top of the line and the local insight and knowledge they provided was priceless. Our photos show some of the great experiences we had and can be seen at https://www.mitchandmarthaadventures.com/2019/01/day-1-easter-island-rapa-nui-with-road.html. If Easter Island is on your must see list Road Scholar is a great way to enjoy it.
— Review left February 26, 2019
Trip to Easter Island was a fascinating and delightful. Very knowledgeable guides provided historical background at every stop.
— Review left February 10, 2019
This trip was well organized with enough free time, no very early departures once on the island. Included food was good and plentiful.
— Review left January 28, 2019
Besides visiting all key sites at an unhurried pace, the "Majesty and Mystery of Rapa Nui" program provides excellent historical and cultural explanations that enable participants to appreciate what they see.
— Review left January 27, 2019
An absolutely fascinating trip. Indeed, the trip of a lifetime. We saw many sites. Our tour guide, Tai Crouch, and expert lecturer, Christian Pakarati, were superb, loaded with knowledge and were able to communicate that knowledge so that the culture and history of Rapa Nui came alive. Highly recommend the trip.
— Review left January 18, 2019


