How to get to Easter Island from the UK in 2025
Wondering how to get to Easter Island from the UK?
You’ve come to the right article as I’m going to give you a complete guide to get from the UK to Easter Island.
Easter Island, the home of the Moai is infamous around the world, making this Chilean island on the bucket list of so many travellers.
Seeing these huge human head statues in real life would be an unparalleled opportunity, but for many British travellers, it seems so far away that it’s impossible to get there.
Well, it’s not. But this leaves the question of “how can you get to Easter Island from the UK?”
After lots of research and visiting Easter Island myself, I’ve created an in-depth guide that will take you from your front doorstep to Ahu Tongariki.
Where is Easter Island
Owned by Chile (pronounced chee-lay), this island is west of the mainland. Easter Island is in the Pacific Ocean, specifically the southeast.
It’s over 1000 miles from the eastmost point of French Polynesia and over 1400 miles from South America.
Put bluntly, it’s in the middle of nowhere. Quite literally.
It’s such a remote place, yet such a desirable visit. If you are on Google Maps, you have to keep zooming in for quite a while to find Easter Island!
Why you should visit Easter Island
Well, the obvious reason is to see the Moai stone statues!
These are famous around the world, and seeing them with your own eyes is an unmissable experience
It’s such a unique thing to do and definitely a must-do for any traveller.
I remember seeing one in the Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. and I knew instantly I had to visit Easter Island.
Of course, there are plenty of other reasons to visit Easter Island. There are amazing hikes to do here, especially in Rapa Nui National Park, which is one of the most breathtaking places ever seen.
Easter Island is also home to some incredible landscapes, with plenty of volcanoes (inactive), lava tunnels and a wealth of caves! There are endless reasons to visit this tiny remote island.
How to get to Easter Island from the UK
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So, now that you know where Easter Island is and why you should visit. How can you get there?
Obviously, there are no direct flights from the UK, so unfortunately, it’s not as simple as hopping on a flight and making your way there.
There is only one airline that flies to Easter Island (which is pretty much the only way to get there, due to its remote nature) which is LATAM. The flight is from Santiago, the capital city of Chile, and takes about 6 hours to reach the island.
Therefore, to get from the UK to Easter Island, first, you must reach mainland Chile!
Getting to Chile
The cheapest way to fly to Chile from the UK is to fly into Santiago itself, this is convenient for getting to Easter Island as you will be in the right place you need to be to make the connecting flight.
You can expect a flight from the UK to cost about £400 one-way. Sometimes, you may find flights for slightly cheaper if you use sites like SkyScanner and you are flexible with your travel dates.
Flights from the UK to Santiago typically take between 14 and 15 hours, which is a pretty long flight, but definitely worth it to carry on your journey to see the moai.
There are a number of airlines that make this flight including British Airways, KLM and LATAM themselves.
Getting to Easter Island
The huge benefit of flying into Santiago is that you are in the right place to get a flight straight to Easter Island. You can expect a flight from Santiago to Easter Island to cost around £300 if you are flexible in the dates that you can fly, again using sites like SkyScanner.
As said above, it’s a 6-hour flight to Easter Island with LATAM and it’s a relatively small plane.
If you aren’t a fan of flying, the good news is the return flight is only 4 hours due to strong winds! You will land at Mataveri International Airport which is considered the most remote airport in the world.
How much will a trip to Easter Island cost?
If you’re a Maths kind of person, you might have already figured it out. If not, I’ve done it for you!
Here is a table showing expenses for a one-week trip to Easter Island, straight from the UK.
| Flights there | £700 |
| Accommodation | 7x£20 |
| Activities | £500+ |
| Flights home | £700 |
As you can see, Easter Island isn’t exactly going to be the cheapest trip of your life, but it is definitely worth the money.
It’s the definition of a “once-in-a-lifetime” trip.
As a minimum (finding the cheapest flights, staying in a hostel dorm and doing limited activities) you will spend about £2200 per person for a one-week trip.
Visa Requirements for Chile and Easter Island
As a UK citizen, you can stay in Chile (including Easter Island) for up to 90 days without a Visa.
This makes a trip to the land of the moai very easy, as it’s unlikely you would be staying for longer than 90 days.
You should ensure that your passport is valid for the entirety of your trip, and if possible, have at least 6 months remaining on it.
And of course, check the British Government website for the most up-to-date information.
Where to stay on Easter Island
I have found the best place to stay is Kona Tau. Located right in the centre of the island, this hostel is the place to be!
It’s extremely affordable at only £20 a night for a dorm bed, or £70 a night for a private room. You aren’t finding prices like this anywhere else on the island!
The hosts are also extremely welcoming, offering free pickup from the airport. On top of this, you can also pay for them to be your guides (which is now a requirement to see a lot of the main sights) for a very fair price!
👉Booking a trip to Easter Island? Make sure to stay at Kona Tau. You can book your stay in just a few clicks by clicking here.
How to get around Easter Island
Getting around Easter Island is pretty easy, it’s a small island after all.
Getting from one side of the island to the other takes about half an hour in a taxi. They can be pretty expensive so I wouldn’t recommend this way of travelling.
An alternative can be to rent a car, which costs around £60 a day. This also gives you the freedom to do whatever you want whenever you want.
👉Interested in renting a car on Easter Island? Make sure to rent from Discover Cars for the best prices and the widest variety of cards. Rent today by clicking here.
However, the best way to get around Easter Island in my opinion is on a bicycle.
You can rent these for as cheap as £10 a day, and it only takes about an hour to cycle from coast to coast. It’s a great way to see the island too, as you cycle the roads and paths taking in the view.
It’s worth noting that there’s no public transport on Easter Island.
Things to do on Easter Island
Visiting Easter Island is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, realistically, you’re probably only going to visit here once.
So you’re going to want to make sure to do everything there is! Here are 5 MUST-DOs when visiting:
- Visit Rapa Nui National Park
Okay, this one is pretty obvious, but it is a MUST-DO. Visiting the World Heritage Site and seeing the statues for yourself, it’s indescribable.
It’s a true pinch-yourself moment. It does cost $80 to get in for the day, but it is so worth it.
👉Interested in visiting Rapa Nui? I recommend booking through Viator, as you need a guide for most of the park! Book today by clicking here.
- Go Scuba Diving
Did you know there’s a sunken moai head at the bottom of the ocean?! Okay- it’s a movie prop.
Nonetheless, this diving experience is so unique and should be on your list for visiting Easter Island!
Being such an isolated part of the world, it’s a pretty cool place to go scuba diving.
👉Interested in going Scuba Diving? I recommend the Shared Scuba Diving Experience. It has free hotel pickups and they include photos FOR FREE! Book today by clicking here.
- Explore the caves
Easter Island’s caves offer a different perspective on the place.
With graffiti (ancient graffiti, not the spray paint kind) in places, it makes you wonder what the story behind the island really is.
Taking a trekking tour through the caves is a great way to learn about its history.
👉Interested in seeing the caves? I recommend taking this tour on Viator. They use a local guide who tells stories of local folklore, as well as educates you on the history. Book today by clicking here.
- Horse Ride past the Heads
This is one of the most unique things you can do here, but who doesn’t love animals, right?
Horse riding through the hills and mountains of Easter Island gives a view like no other. Seeing the moai from above, along with the rest of the island, is a view not to be forgotten.
It’s one of the best panoramic views I have ever seen, and being on the back of a horse made it all the more special. It is a moment I’ll never forget.
👉Interested in going horse riding? I recommend taking this tour on Viator. Once you reach the summit, you plant a tree, having a real positive effect on the world while having fun! Book today by clicking here.
- Stargaze over the Moai
The moai are incredible, aren’t they? Now imagine them at dusk, with a beautiful purple sky behind them, filled with hundreds of bright stars shining down.
It would be one of those moments you treasure forever, it would be a core memory.
And I promise you, it does not disappoint.
👉Interested in stargazing? I recommend taking this tour on Viator. Hotel pickup and drop off are included and offer souvenir photos! Book today by clicking here.
How to get to Easter Island from the UK: Conclusion
Well, there you have it, a complete guide to getting to Easter Island from the UK.
Remember, you need to fly into Santiago and then fly to Easter Island. The return journey is the opposite- fly to Santiago and then fly to the UK.
There are so many things to do on Easter Island and even though it’s expensive and hard to reach from the UK, it’s an unforgettable experience.
So what are you waiting for? Book the flights and make the trip of your life a reality!
Learn more about visiting Chile:
