Puno & Lake Titicaca Tour

Upon arriving in Puno Juliaca Airport you will be transferred to your comfortable hotel where you will be able to relax. Located next to Lake Titicaca, Puno gives visitors the feeling of being on top of the world. The region plays a very important role in the history of the Inca and is an important folklore center. Legend has it that the Inca creator deity Viracocha (the Sun), emerged from the lake and sent his children Manco Capac and Mamo Ocllo to found the Inca dynasty.

Puno is at a higher altitude than Cusco and if you haven’t already sufficiently acclimatized it is a good idea to take it easy and rest for a couple of hours after arriving. In the evening you’ll be given some free time to explore the area around your hotel and eat in one of the many restaurants in the area.

Following breakfast you will undertake a full day’s tour of Lake Titicaca. This incredible mass of deep blue and green water is the highest navigable lake in the world and is situated at 3,890 meters (12, 379 ft) above sea level. The lake is host to an abundance of wildlife such as flamingos, ducks and many rare species of fish.

During your tour you will visit 2 to 3 of the Islands of Uros. There are an estimated 32 islands of Uros and are populated by islanders – some friendly to tourists, others more isolated. The islands themselves are constructed from many layers of 'totora' reeds, an ancient process continued today. These islands float around Lake Titicaca and are truly a wonder to view. On some of the islands you will be given the chance to pick up some traditional local handicrafts.

Following this you will be led to the Island of Taquile which is located about 45km from Puno and is full of numerous pre-Inca and Inca ruins. The local islanders still maintain many ancient traditions with their clothing and beautiful handicrafts. Interestingly on this island it is the men and not the women that have historically woven material. You will be guided around the island to all of the most important sites, such as a museum of traditional costumes, and the ruins at the highest point of the island where you might catch an incredible sunset.

See our Puno Guide for more information about the city, including recommendations of great Puno restaurants.

After breakfast at the hotel you will be transferred to the airport for your flight back to Lima and onwards home. Or if you wish to continue your Peruvian Adventure you could head into the Amazon on another of our amazing tours.

• 2 nights at comfortable hotels based on US standards.
• Guided visits with English speaking tour guides.
• All transfers and entrance fees.
• 2 breakfasts. 4-star and up hotels offer breakfast buffets.

As an upgrade to a normal airport transfer:

As part of a group tour, roundtrip Puno-Sillustani-Puno*:

Enjoy an overnight stay with an Andean family on the Amantani Island of Lake Titicaca.

Day 1: Your day will begin with an early morning pickup at 8am from your hotel and then transfer the pier where you will board your boat. After a 40 minute boat ride you will reach the man-made reed Islands of Uros. Here you will learn how the ancient Aymara people constructed these islands to escape persecution from Inca soldiers. After learning about their culture and every day life style, you will board your boat once more and sail towards Amatani Island. Your host family will greet you upon your arrival, who will then take you to your new home for lunch and a short rest. In the late afternoon you will enjoy a tour of the ruins located at the top of the island. From this point you will be able see both Peru’s and Bolivia’s shores of Lake Titicaca. From there you will return to your home for dinner and a short rest before attending the optional party of music and dancing with Amatani residents. There ends your night on the island.

Day 2: Enjoy an early breakfast before you are back on the boat for a two hour trip to Taquile Island. Here you will hike towards the main town for a delicious lunch. Then you will continue on a challenging* hike to the other side of the island where your boat to Puno awaits.

It is important for travelers to remember that while the Amantani Island homestay is a beautiful and well-worth experience, they should be prepared for the most basic of accommodations and meals. The houses of the Amantani people are humble but warm and clean. In some cases, bathrooms are outhouses.

*This part of the tour features many up and downhill stairs. Though not extremely strenuous, the region’s high-altitude may make the journey difficult for some. Therefore this tour might not be appropriate for travelers with walking difficulties and/or senior citizens.

The two tours below are conducted on a luxury Catamaran Cruise Ship, the second of which gives you the opportunity to spend a night onboard. Both tours begin in Puno and both offer the choice of returning to Puno afterwards or continuing by land to La Paz, Bolivia, the world’s highest capital city.

Lake Titicaca Catamaran Tour- Full Day

Take an early land transfer to Copacabana Sanctuary where you will board the Catamaran Cruise Ship. Snacks are provided on-board while sailing to Sun Island, the legendary birthplace of the Inca Empire. Visit the Inca Garden and then the Inti Wata Cultural Complex including the Ekako Underground Museum, the traditional medicine and the Titikaka Reed Shipbuilders display centers, the Pachamama agricultural Inca terraces, a handicraft center, the Intica lounge and the Manco Capac lookout.

Catamaran Cruise Ship to Chua harbor while enjoying a lunch buffet on board, land transfer to La Paz.

Lake Titicaca Catamaran Tour- 2 Days/1 Night

Take the Catamaran Cruise to Sun Island’s isolated Challapampa Village while enjoying lunch on board. Visitors have the opportunity to interact with one of the most unspoiled indigenous Lake Titicaca villages through an innovative program organized with the local community. You may visit their own museum, chapel, school, a typical house, sail in their vessels to an Inca holy temple and walk on Inca trails. In the evening you will have a romantic candle-lit dinner and spend the night on board the Catamaran in cabins with lake views and private facilities.

Catamaran Cruise Ship sails across the lake while guests enjoy breakfast and the breath-taking panorama. Land transfer to La Paz city or back to Puno before noon.

Also available:
Optional trekking on Sun Island
Alternative hydrofoil tour with overnight on Island