Self-Launched Rapa Nui (Easter Island) & Chilean Patagonia Adventure
8 days · Easter Island & Chilean Patagonia, Chile
Signature DMC charges £2,010
No-markup version: ~£1,180 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An independent 8-day version of Signature DMC's Rapa Nui & Chilean Patagonia tour — same moai sites, the same Rano Raraku quarry, Anakena beach, Torres del Paine and Grey Lake, but self-booked on hostels/guesthouses and shared tours rather than a packaged group itinerary. Fly into Easter Island (Mataveri), base yourself in Hanga Roa, then jump via Santiago to Puerto Natales in Patagonia and finish with an onward bus to Punta Arenas. All costs are approximate backpacker/mid-range rates per person in GBP and exclude the long-haul international flights, which you'll need to book separately.
Day-by-day
Arrive Rapa Nui (Easter Island) — Hanga Roa & Tahai sunset
Hanga Roa, Easter Island
Land at Mataveri Airport (IPC) — the world's most remote inhabited island. On arrival you must show your pre-purchased Rapa Nui National Park entry ticket (buy it online in advance via the official CONAF/Marama portal, ~USD 80 / £65) before leaving the airport. Check into a Hanga Roa guesthouse or hostel and spend the afternoon walking the small town, then head to the Tahai ceremonial site just 15 minutes' walk north of the centre to watch the sun set behind the lone moai Ahu Tahai — one of the most photogenic spots on the island. Grab dinner at a local restaurant on Hanga Roa's main street (ceviche, tuna empanadas, or a traditional curanto).
🚌Arrival flight into Mataveri (IPC); everything in town on foot
🛏Hanga Roa guesthouse / hostel private or dorm room
- →Mataveri Airport arrival & park ticket check
- →Walk Hanga Roa town centre & waterfront
- →Sunset at Tahai archaeological site
Full-day Rano Raraku & Anakena moai route
Eastern & northern Rapa Nui
The island's highlight day. Book a shared small-group full-day tour (the same format the operator uses — around 15 pax, different travellers each day, local guide) or rent a car if you're confident navigating. The classic loop hits Ahu Akahanga (burial platform on the south coast), Rano Raraku volcano — the quarry where nearly all moai were carved, with 400 statues still in place — and Ahu Tongariki, the island's largest platform with 15 towering moai. Lunch stop is a local family house in Hanga Roa-style rural setting where you'll learn about native trees, flowers and traditional vegetation. Continue to Te Pito Kura (the 'navel of the world' rock and the fallen Paro moai), then finish at Anakena beach with Ahu Nau-Nau — the one white-sand beach where you can actually swim, so bring a towel. Shared tour cost roughly £90–110 incl. lunch with a licensed guide.
🚌Shared guided minivan tour (island-wide)
🛏Hanga Roa guesthouse / hostel
- →Ahu Akahanga archaeological site
- →Rano Raraku moai quarry
- →Ahu Tongariki platform
- →Lunch at a local family house
- →Te Pito Kura rock & Paro moai
- →Anakena beach swim & Ahu Nau-Nau
Rano Kau, Orongo & the island's second moai circuit
Southwestern Rapa Nui
Second full-day shared tour covering the sites often missed by day-trippers. Start at Orongo ceremonial village perched on the rim of the Rano Kau volcano crater — the dramatic viewpoint over the birdman cult site — then peer into the crater lake itself. Move to Vinapu platform with its famously precise carved stonework, Ahu Akivi with its seven moai facing the sea (the only ones that look toward the ocean), Ana Te Pahu lava tube cave (do the short underground scramble), and the Puna Pau pukao quarry where the red scoria 'topknots' were carved. Another shared day tour of ~£85–100. Evening: try a hammock or stargaze — this is one of the darkest-sky islands on earth.
🚌Shared guided minivan tour (island-wide)
🛏Hanga Roa guesthouse / hostel
- →Orongo ceremonial village & birdman cult site
- →Rano Kau crater
- →Vinapu platform
- →Ahu Akivi seven moai
- →Ana Te Pahu lava tube cave
- →Puna Pau pukao quarry
Fly Easter Island to Santiago
Hanga Roa → Santiago
Morning at leisure — last walk along Hanga Roa's coast or pick up souvenirs from the craft market. Flight (typically LATAM, often with a stop) from Mataveri to Santiago is around 5.5–6 hours. Land at Santiago's Arturo Merino Benítez airport and take the Centropuerto or TurBus shuttle into the city (roughly CLP 2,000–3,000 / ~£2–3), or a shared taxi transfer (~£8). Stay near Barrio Bellavista or Providencia for easy food and transport connections. Note: internal flights on this route cost roughly £350–450 return if booked in advance — budget it as a lump sum rather than per segment.
🚌LATAM flight ISC→SCL approx. 6 hrs; airport shuttle Centropuerto/TurBus to city centre
🛏Budget hotel or hostel in Santiago (Bellavista / Providencia)
- →Free time in Hanga Roa
- →Afternoon flight to the mainland
- →Evening in Santiago (Bellavista or Providencia)
Santiago to Puerto Natales
Puerto Natales, Chilean Patagonia
Early domestic flight from Santiago to Puerto Natales (PNT) — usually via Punta Arenas or a direct seasonal flight, around 3.5–4.5 hours, roughly £150–200 one way if booked ahead. Skipping Punta Arenas saves you the 3-hour land transfer. Check into a Puerto Natales hostel or guesthouse (Cosmo, Kau Lodge-style budget options are plentiful) and spend a relaxed afternoon: the town sits on the Last Hope Sound with views to the mountains. Pop into the Erratic Rock information centre — the legendary free daily 'Torres del Paine briefing' at 3pm covers trailheads, transport and park logistics for independent hikers. Dinner in town: fresh king crab (centolla) or the town's famous pizza-and-pisco scene.
🚌Sky Airlines / LATAM flight SCL→PNT approx. 4 hrs
🛏Puerto Natales hostel or guesthouse
- →Domestic flight to Puerto Natales
- →Erratic Rock info briefing (free, 3pm)
- →Waterfront walk on Last Hope Sound
Torres del Paine National Park day tour
Torres del Paine National Park
Join a shared small-group day tour into Torres del Paine (again, small-group shared format of ~15 pax). En route stop at the Cueva del Milodón Natural Monument — a vast cave once home to the giant prehistoric ground sloth — then views of Sofía Lagoon and Porteño Lake, and the Lago del Toro viewpoint. Inside the park, walk the short trail along the Grey Lake shore (glacier-carved, blue-grey water with icebergs floating in view). Optional lunch stop at one of the park's coffee shops (the operator uses similar). Throughout the day you'll get a chance to spot guanacos, rheas (ñandú) and condors. Day tour including park entry is roughly £85–110 per person.
🚌Shared guided minivan tour to/from Torres del Paine
🛏Puerto Natales hostel or guesthouse
- →Cueva del Milodón Natural Monument
- →Sofía Lagoon & Porteño Lake viewpoints
- →Lago del Toro viewpoint
- →Short hike on Grey Lake shore
- →Torres del Paine park entry
Choose your own adventure: Balmaceda glacier boat or Base Las Torres hike
Puerto Natales & surrounds
Day built around your appetite. Option A — a full-day boat excursion from Puerto Natales to Puerto Bories, Guanaco Island, Balmaceda Glacier and Serrano Glacier, ending with a whisky-on-the-rocks tasting and a Patagonian lunch (usually run Sundays in the low season, waiting list if minimum group size isn't met; ~£90–120). Option B — the famous Base Las Torres hike (12.4 miles / 20 km, high difficulty, departing 7:00am Monday, 13–14 hours round trip — a serious day out, only worth doing if you're hill-fit and the weather window is good). Option C — a medium-intensity 8-hour Sarmiento & Amarga Entrances trek (Tuesdays, departing 9:00am), or a half-day Cerro Benítez hike with transport and guide (daily). Whichever you choose, book the day before locally.
🚌Shared boat (Option A) or guided minivan transfer to trailhead (Options B–D)
🛏Puerto Natales hostel or guesthouse
- →Option: Balmaceda Glacier & Serrano Glacier boat trip with whiskey tasting
- →Option: Base Las Torres full-day hike (20 km)
- →Option: Sarmiento & Amarga Entrances trek
- →Option: Half-day Cerro Benítez guided hike
Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas (departure)
Puerto Natales → Punta Arenas
Final morning in Puerto Natales. Take a regular bus from the Rodoviario Puerto Natales bus station (Avda. España) to Punta Arenas — the operator ends its tour exactly the same way. Buses (Bus Sur / Buses Fernández) run several times daily, take about 3 hours and cost roughly CLP 8,000–10,000 (~£7–9). From Punta Arenas you can either fly out via Presidente Carlos Ibáñez del Campo airport or continue overland to Argentina. If you have time in Punta Arenas, the cemetery and the waterfront Magallanes strait walk are worth a couple of hours before your flight.
🚌Bus Sur / Buses Fernández public bus Puerto Natales→Punta Arenas approx. 3 hrs
🛏Not included — onward travel / flight home from Punta Arenas
- →Bus transfer to Punta Arenas
- →Optional time at Punta Arenas waterfront / cemetery
- →Onward departure
Self-launched vs. Signature DMC
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Signature DMC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,180 | £2,010 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £830 per person (41%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Signature DMC-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,180
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Rapa Nui (Easter Island) & Chilean Patagonia Adventure cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,180 per person for 8 days in Easter Island & Chilean Patagonia, Chile. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Signature DMC?+
Yes — Signature DMC charges around £2,010 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,180 — a saving of roughly £830 (41%) per person.
How long is the Easter Island & Chilean Patagonia, Chile trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Easter Island & Chilean Patagonia, Chile.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, adventure, hiking trip through Easter Island & Chilean Patagonia, Chile, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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