Lake Titicaca Full Day Tour
Lake Titicaca is one of the prides of Peru. During this tour you’ll explore the lake’s floating Uro Islands and encounter an indigenous Quechua-speaking group on Taquile Island.
- Duration:
- 8 hrs
- Available Days:
- Every day
- Schedule:
- 7:00 AM, 7:30 AM
- Hotel Transport Included
- Mobile Ticket Included
- Offered in English, Spanish
The Uros Islands are probably unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. The islands, which are about a 20-minute boat ride from Puno, are made up of giant piles of reeds that are anchored to the lake bottom. The reed, or tótora, is cut and continually replaced to keep the lake afloat. The scenery here – with the bright blue waters of Lake Titicaca shining in the background – is absolutely spectacular.
The Uros people are thought to have fled to these islands to escape forced labor in the Spanish mines. The locals still have a simple existence, fishing in huge tótora rafts adorned with dragon heads.
After visiting the Uros Islands, your tour continues on to Taquile Island, which is located about 22 miles (35 km) from Puno. The island is inhabited by about 2,000 Quechua speaking locals and offers travelers a good look at indigenous life. The island is small and has a few beaches and simple pre-Inca ruins. While here you’ll admire some impressive handicrafts and enjoy lunch.
Attraction Visited
At a staggering 12,467 feet (3,800 m) above sea level, Lake Titicaca seems to nearly touch the sky. Maybe this is why the Inca believed that it was here that Viracocha, the creator god, created the sun. According to Inca legend, other Titicaca natives include the first Inca king, Manco Copac. One of the highest lakes in the world, surrounded by mountains on either side, Titicaca is an obvious candidate for the stuff of legends.
Read more:Lake Titicaca
What to Bring
Hat, sunscreen, and camera.
What's included
Transportation, guide, and lunch. Includes also a short ride in a totora raft between 2 Uros floating islands.
Transportation
Many of our tours and activities offer transportation pick up & drop off options from several locations and destinations. Options vary by tour, see “BOOKING REQUEST” for full details.
Traveler Comments
Nancy was very nice, getting us to the boat, helping us buy water on the way. Carlos was an AMAZING guide. Absolutely knowledgable, thoughtful, insightful, could answer every question. He clearly knew the island communities well. People were greeting him everywhere we went. He was speaking multiple languages, slipping between them seemingly without effort. Showed us many things that we didn’t expect. Would have been nice to know ahead of time that we could leave things on the boat, that we would be stopping to buy coffee/snacks, a little more of the specific itinerary. We did expect that we would need cash for handicrafts. We also brought colored pencils and few gift items for families there.
The best guide we had in the whole trip.
There was so many things to coordinate like checking out of accommodation, leaving luggage somewhere, getting back to accommodation on time to get luggage and then getting to airport and everything went according to plan seamlessly.
Similar things to do
Lake Titicaca is an enormous lake with islands that are home to indigenous people. On this 2-day tour you will meet some of these natives, and even spend a night at the home of a family that lives on Amantani Island. On your tour of the lake, you’ll also learn about the history and mythology of Lake Titicaca.
Visit the pre-Incan burial grounds of Sillustani on this tour. The tombs, or chullpas, of Sillustani stand above the ground on a bluff overlooking Lake Umayo.
During this full-day tour you’ll ride a luxury train from Puno to Cusco, one of the most scenic routes in all of Peru. This is one of the highest passenger trains in the world.
