4.7 2 Days 
Puno Tours
Puno Tours: Lake Titicaca Islands, Sillustani and a 1–3 Day Plan
Lake Titicaca and the altiplano
Nine tours run from Puno by our local team: the Uros, Taquile and Amantaní islands on Lake Titicaca, and Sillustani, Chucuito, the Aymara Route, Pukara and the city on land. Compare them by lake or land and by the time you have, from about 3 hours to 2 days, with prices from US$55.
4.7 2 Days 
4.7 1 Day 
4.7 1 Day 
4.7 1 Day 
4.7 1 Day 
4.7 1 Day 
4.7 Half Day 
4.7 2 Days / 1 Night 
4.7 1 Day Our Puno tours cover Lake Titicaca and the land around it: on the lake, the Uros floating islands, Taquile and Amantaní, in a full day or with a night in a family home; on land, Sillustani, Chucuito and its Inca Uyo temple, the Aymara Route, Pukara and a city tour of Puno. The lake lies at 3,810 m (12,500 ft), according to PromPerú, and our tours start at US$55. Below, all nine sorted by lake or land and by the time you have, with a 1-to-3-day plan.
- 3,810 m(12,500 ft): Lake Titicaca. Puno sits on its shore at roughly 3,800–3,830 m, about 400 m higher than Cusco.
- 9 tours4 on the lake and 5 on land, from about 3 hours to 2 days and 1 night.
- From US$55for a full day on land (Aymara Route); lake day tours start at US$75, with island entrances included.
All our Puno tours, by lake or land
Lake tours leave early from the port of Puno; land tours go by road. Each name opens the full itinerary; a dash means the tour page gives no fixed time.
| Tour | Duration | What you visit | Schedule | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On the lake · full day | ||||
| Uros – Taquile Full Day | 1 day | A Uros floating island, then about 2 hours by boat to Taquile, with lunch on the island | Hotel pickup at 6:45 a.m.; back in the afternoon | US$80 |
| Taquile, Luquina and Uros by speed boat | 1 day | The south side of Taquile, Luquina Chico with a buffet lunch on the shore, and the Uros | — | US$75 |
| On the lake · 2 days / 1 night | ||||
| Lake Titicaca 2D/1N | 2 days / 1 night, plus 2 nights on the bus from Cusco | Uros, a homestay on Amantaní, and Taquile on day 2 | Bus from Cusco at 10:00 p.m.; boat at 7:40–8:00 a.m.; back in Puno about 4:00 p.m. on day 2 | US$120 |
| Kayak Tour: Uros, Amantani, Taquile | 2 days / 1 night | About 1 hour of kayaking from Esteves Island to the Uros, a homestay on Amantaní, and Taquile on day 2 | Hotel pickup at 7:00 a.m.; back in Puno in the afternoon of day 2 | US$95 |
| On land · half day | ||||
| City Tour Puno | About 3 hours, private | Plaza de Armas, the cathedral, the Carlos Dreyer Museum, the Yavari ship and the Puma Uta viewpoint | You choose the start time | Ask us |
| Chucuito Fertility Temple | Half day | Inca Uyo, the church and sun clock of Chucuito, and a fish farm | — | Ask us |
| On land · full day | ||||
| Sillustani with the Fertility Temple | 1 day, private | The Sillustani burial towers and local houses, then Inca Uyo in Chucuito | — | US$80 |
| Aymara Route | 1 day | The Aramu Muru doorway, the Molloco towers, the Thunco geoglyphs and Chucuito with Inca Uyo | — | US$55 |
| Tour to Pukara | 1 day | Sillustani, the colonial town of Lampa, and the Pukara museum and archaeological complex | Pickup at 8:00 a.m.; back around 5:30–6:00 p.m. | US$180 |
Puno tours are paid in full when you book. We do not run a short 2–3 hour Uros-only boat trip: the shortest lake option is a full day. Kayaking needs no experience: an instructor and a motorboat go with the group.
How many days in Puno? A 1-to-3-day plan
Two full days after your arrival cover the lake and one land tour; a third lets you sleep on Amantaní. Our lake tours pick you up between 6:45 and 8:00 a.m., so don’t book one for the day you arrive.
- Day 0, arrival: take it slowly. If you arrive early, the private City Tour Puno takes about 3 hours and starts when you choose. After the 10.5-hour train from Cusco, keep the evening free.
- Day 1, the lake: the Uros – Taquile Full Day, or the speed-boat tour with Luquina, which lands on the south side of Taquile to skip the long walk up to the main square.
- Day 2, on land: Sillustani with the Fertility Temple (private), the Aymara Route south along the lake, or Pukara, a longer day north toward Juliaca.
- 3 days with a night on the lake: days 1 and 2 on the Lake Titicaca 2D/1N or the kayak tour, both with a homestay on Amantaní; day 3 for Sillustani or the Aymara Route.
- Only one day: choose Uros and Taquile. With no spare nights, the Lake Titicaca 2D/1N includes the overnight bus from Cusco and back: it leaves at 10:00 p.m., and you are back in Cusco by about 6:00 a.m. after the second night on the bus.
How to get from Cusco to Puno
- Train: the PeruRail Titicaca train takes about 10 h 30 min. It runs from Cusco to Puno on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, and from Puno to Cusco on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with a stop at the La Raya pass, and it arrives less than 10 minutes from the lake.
- Bus: travel time varies by company and type of service. On our Lake Titicaca 2D/1N the reclining-seat bus is included.
- Flight: the airport for Puno is in Juliaca, about 40 minutes from Puno by road, according to PromPerú.
Puno also sits between Cusco and Arequipa, so it fits a loop through southern Peru: see our Cusco tours and Arequipa tours.
Altitude and acclimatization
Lake Titicaca lies at 3,810 m (12,500 ft) and Puno at roughly 3,800–3,830 m (12,500–12,600 ft), about 400 m above Cusco (about 3,400 m / 11,200 ft). On our 2D/1N, the walk to the temples on Amantaní tops out at about 4,150 m (13,615 ft). The easiest way to arrive is from Cusco after two or three days there, already acclimatized; flying from Lima to Juliaca takes you from sea level to the Altiplano in one step.
The CDC Yellow Book names a gradual ascent as the best way to prevent altitude illness, and advises going down if symptoms get worse while resting. Keep your arrival day light and leave the lake for the next morning. More in our guide to altitude sickness and what the CDC says.
Things to do in Puno: the islands and sites in brief
Uros floating islands. The Uros build their islands from layers of totora, a reed that grows in the lake, and some islands are only about 20 m (66 ft) long. PromPerú puts them about 20 minutes by boat from Puno. Their number changes over time and there is no official count. All four of our lake tours stop here.
Taquile. At 3,927 m (12,884 ft) according to PromPerú, the island is known for weaving and knitting by both women and men. “Taquile and its textile art” was proclaimed by UNESCO in 2005 and inscribed in 2008 on its list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity: it is living heritage, not a World Heritage Site. UN Tourism also named Taquile one of its Best Tourism Villages in 2023.
Amantaní. About 3 h 30 min by boat from Puno, according to PromPerú, Amantaní is where our two-day tours stay overnight with local families. The walk up to the Pachamama and Pachatata temples takes about an hour, and on the kayak tour it is timed for sunset.
Sillustani. A pre-Inca burial site by Lake Umayo, with funerary towers called chullpas built of large stones, many over 12 m (39 ft) tall and wider at the top than at the base. You visit it on the private Sillustani tour and on the Pukara day.
Chucuito and Inca Uyo. Chucuito is 18 km (11 mi) south of Puno, about 20 minutes by road. Its Inca Uyo, the “Fertility Temple”, is a walled enclosure of Inca-style stonework at 3,873 m (12,707 ft); many of its phallic stones were set up during a 20th-century restoration. Read Puno’s “Fertility Temple” without the myths.
Titicaca National Reserve. According to MINCETUR, the reserve covers 36,180 ha (about 89,400 acres) in two sectors, Puno and Ramis, and was created in 1978.
What is included, and what you pay separately
Island entrances are included on all four lake tours, and site tickets on most land tours. What changes from tour to tour is lunch and a few extras:
| Tour | Entrances included | Meals included | Not included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uros – Taquile Full Day | The islands | Lunch on Taquile | Snacks and water, travel insurance, tips |
| Taquile, Luquina and Uros | Uros, Luquina and Taquile | Andean buffet lunch | The optional reed-boat ride at the Uros (S/10–15, according to the tour page) and pickup outside central Puno |
| Lake Titicaca 2D/1N | The islands | Lunch and dinner with your host family, breakfast, and lunch on Taquile | Snacks and water, travel insurance, tips |
| Kayak tour | Uros, Amantaní and Taquile | Lunch, dinner and breakfast on Amantaní; lunch on Taquile | Tips |
| City Tour Puno | Entrance fees | None | Tips |
| Chucuito Fertility Temple | Tickets for every visit | None | Food and drinks, tips |
| Sillustani with the Fertility Temple | Inca Uyo | None | Lunch. The Sillustani entrance is not on the tour’s list, so confirm it when you book |
| Aymara Route | Aramu Muru, Molloco, the geoglyphs and Inca Uyo | Lunch on the way | Snacks, drinks and shopping |
| Tour to Pukara | Sillustani, Lampa church, the Pukara museum and complex | Andean lunch, water and snacks | Breakfast, alcoholic drinks, tips, travel insurance |
Bring some cash in soles for extras and crafts, plus warm layers and sun protection for the boat.
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need in Puno?
Two full days after your arrival day: one on Lake Titicaca (Uros and Taquile) and one on land (Sillustani, the Aymara Route or Pukara). With three days you can spend a night on Amantaní. If you only have one day, choose Uros and Taquile.
Can I take a lake tour on the day I arrive?
We don’t recommend it: our lake tours pick you up between 6:45 and 8:00 a.m., and a quiet first day helps with the altitude. The exception is the Lake Titicaca 2D/1N, built around the overnight bus from Cusco.
What is the best way to get from Cusco to Puno?
The PeruRail Titicaca train (about 10 h 30 min, from Cusco on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays), a bus, whose time varies by company, or a flight to Juliaca, about 40 minutes from Puno.
Will the altitude affect me in Puno?
It may: the lake is at 3,810 m (12,500 ft), higher than Cusco. Arriving from Cusco after a few days there is easiest. Keep the first day light, and go down if symptoms get worse while resting, as the CDC advises.
Are the island entrance fees included?
Yes, on all four of our lake tours. On the speed-boat tour with Luquina, the optional ride on a reed boat at the Uros is extra: S/10–15 according to its tour page.
How long is the boat ride to the Uros and Taquile?
About 20 minutes from Puno to the Uros, according to PromPerú. On our full-day tour, Uros to Taquile takes about 2 hours, and on the 2D/1N, Uros to Amantaní takes about 3 hours. On the kayak tour you paddle for about an hour to the Uros.
Half day, full day or a night on Amantaní?
We don’t offer a half-day Uros trip. A full day covers the Uros and Taquile. A night on Amantaní adds a homestay with a local family and the walk to the island’s temples, with Taquile the next morning.
Taquile or Amantaní?
Taquile for its textile tradition in a single day. Amantaní for the night with a family. You don’t have to choose: both of our two-day tours visit the Uros, Amantaní and Taquile.
Is there a free walking tour in Puno?
We don’t run a free tour. Our City Tour Puno is a private, guided tour of about 3 hours at the time you choose, with transport and entrance fees included; ask us for the price.
Do any of these tours go to Bolivia?
No. Copacabana and the Isla del Sol are on the Bolivian side of the lake; all nine of our tours stay in Peru.