Visitors heading to Easter Island will be required to transit through Santiago, Chile. From the Chilean capital, they will then proceed to the Rapa Nui island. Despite the distances and a few administrative formalities, the journey is ultimately quite straightforward. Here are some tips and tricks to find your flights to Easter Island.
How to Get to Chile
Flights to Chile From Europe and North America
Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in Santiago, Chile is very well connected from Europe. Several direct flights are available from Paris, London, or Madrid. Count on a flight of about 14 hours. In February, there is a time difference of 4 to 5 hours with Western Europe. Therefore, with a night flight, you will arrive the next morning at your destination. Depending on the time of year, the price of round-trip flights to Chile from Europe is between $950 and $1400 in economy class.
Air connections are also very good with North America. Several airlines offer direct flights to Chile from Los Angeles, New York, or Toronto. The journey takes about 11 hours and the price of the round-trip ticket is $750 to $1100 for economy seats.
Flights with a layover are often cheaper. In any case, we recommend using the Skyscanner comparator to find the best prices available.
Flights to Chile From the Polynesian Triangle
Easter Island is a territorial entity belonging to Chile, but it is originally Polynesian land. It forms the eastern corner of the Polynesian Triangle, delimited by Hawaii and New Zealand, and also including French Polynesia, Tonga, and Samoa Islands. However, reaching Easter Island from these territories is almost impossible.
Several airline routes were discontinued during the 2020-2022 pandemic. Now, flights from Honolulu or Tahiti always stopover in Los Angeles or Lima. The journey takes more than 24 hours for an often exorbitant price. As for the Samoa and Tonga Islands, connections to Chile are non-existent.
The only exception, New Zealand at the southeastern tip of the Polynesian Triangle, maintains direct flights with Chile from Auckland. The duration of flights fluctuates between 11 and 12 hours. However, the prices remain very high: more than $1665 for a round-trip ticket.
Flights to Easter Island
Once in Santiago, Chile, your journey does not stop there: Easter Island is more than 2300 miles away! Your international flight will probably arrive in the morning and you can then take a direct flight to Easter Island. This means almost 6 more hours on a plane. Think about your itinerary and perhaps it will be more prudent to start your stay with a few days in the Chilean capital.
Only Latam Airlines is authorized to serve Easter Island, with several direct flights weekly. Prices are quite high: between $350 and $900 depending on the time of year.
When checking in at Arturo Merino Benitez airport, you will have to comply with very strict entry conditions on Easter Island. In addition to the usual identity checks, you will also have to provide a list of personal documents, transport tickets, and approved accommodation reservation. The Chilean authorities will then verify each piece of information. The waiting time can be quite long and you should be patient. More details in our article: how to get to Easter Island.
Discover Easter Island Now!
After the question of transport comes that of accommodation. Choose your accommodation from the best hotels on Easter Island. The activities on Easter Island are numerous and offer a beautiful immersion in a mysterious past. Contact us now to organize your stay in the Polynesian Triangle.
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