8 days -May 29-June 5, 2012
$2835 ppdo Includes airfare from LAX and all taxes!

Easter Island, listed and described by author Patricia Schultz in her bestseller, 1,000 Places To See Before You Die….A tiny windswept piece of land called Rapa Nui continues to captivate and mystify a curious world long after its “discovery” by the Dutch West India Company in 1722, on Easter Sunday.  Surrounded by a million square miles of Pacific Ocean, it’s the world’s most remote inhabited island—over 1,200 miles from its nearest populated neighbor, Pitcairn Island.  Called the “Navel of the World” by early settlers, Easter Island is an ancient open-air 50-square-mile museum of natural history, home to some of archaeology’s most valuable treasures.  It is most often identified today with its famous moai, more than 600 huge, eerie, elongated stone figures that stare eyeless at the distant horizon.  Many are 30 to 50 feet tall and weigh up to 250 tons.  They were carved from the island’s volcanic tufa, transported for miles, and raised onto stone altars called ahu.  Believed to date from somewhere between the 9th and 17th centures A.D., these silent figures are best viewed outdoors in all their primitive splendor at Ahu Tongariki, the largest excavated and restored religious monument in Polynesia.  Were they conceived and carved by Polynesian people who first landed on the island around A.D. 500, or by pre-Incan stone carvers from Peru?  The answer remains elusive.

Day 1: Depart Los Angeles.
 Your exciting journey begins today when you fly from Los Angeles overnight to Easter Island.

Day 2: : Easter Island. 
Easter Island, or “Rapa Nui,” sits on the edge of Polynesia, 2,500 miles off the Chilean coast.  Considered the world’s largest open-air museum, it displays 600 giant and mysterious stone statues, Moais, left behind by the ancient Polynesian inhabitants.  Check into your centrally located hotel and take time this morning to rest and admire the lush, serene surroundings.  In the afternoon, visit the Ahu Complex-Tahai, a ceremonial complex and one of the oldest dated sites (6th century).  Also stop at the nearby Englert Museum, and tour the town of Hanga Roa.   OTAI HOTEL

Day 3: Easter Island. 
Begin the day with a visit to Anakena Beach and then the Tahaira archaeological region.  See Ahu Vinapus with its incredible stone walls, similar to those built by the ancient Incas.  Afterwards, drive to the southernmost volcano on the island, Rano Kau, and tour “birdman cult” ceremonial village of Orongo.  Afternoon at leisure.   (B)

Day 4: Easter Island. 
Morning excursion to visit five ahus (Vaihi, Akahanga, Tongariki, Te Pito Te Kura and Nau Nau).  Tour the volcano of Rano Raraku, the site where 95% of all moai were carved.  Today you will find 394 statues in various stages of completion.  Visit also the magnificent Ahu Tongariki, showcasing 15 Moai.  Afternoon at leisure.  (B)

Day 5: Easter Island.  
This morning, learn about Dr. William Mulloy, restorer of many ahu’s, and make a stop at the Ahu Uri A Urenga, one of his last projects.  Also visit sea caves with exquisite ancient wall paintings.  Afternoon at leisure.  (B)

Day 6:  Easter Island/Lima, Peru. 
Final morning at leisure on the island of Rapa Nui.  At noon, fly to Peru’s vibrant capital, Lima, a.k.a. “City of the Kings.”  Rest of the day at leisure.  BRITANIA MIRAFLORES HOTEL or similar  (B)

Day 7: Lima. 
City tour includes the historical center, the cathedral, and districts of Miraflores and San Isidro.   (B)

Day 8: Lima/Los Angeles.  Morning transfer to the airport for your flight back to LAX, arriving the same day. (B)

Extend your vacation in Peru to Cuzco and Machu Picchu  $895ppdo

Day 8:  Lima/Cuzco. 
Fly to Cuzco this morning and explore the magical capital of the Incas on a guided tour, showcasing the Plaza de Armas and the Santo Domino Monastery, built over the Sun Temple.  Explore nearby Inca ruins. MUNA WASI HOTEL (B)

Day 9:  Machu Picchu/Cuzco. 
Travel by train to Machu Picchu, “The Lost City of the Incas,” for a full day guided tour.  (B,L)

Machu Picchu

Day 10:  Cuzco. 
Travel to Urubamba, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, to visit Pisac, renowned for its handicrafts market.  After an included lunch, continue to the fortress of Ollantaytambo, built just as the Spanish arrived, and stroll the still-intact quaint streets.  (B,L)

Day 11: Cuzco/Lima/LAX. 
Morning flight from Cuzco to Lima and connection with your flight to LAX.  (B)