Peru in 9 Days: Nazca, Machu Picchu and Two Andes Hikes
A 9-day Peru tour from Lima: the coast and the Nazca Lines, Machu Picchu by train, then Rainbow Mountain and Humantay Lake from Cusco. From US$1,660 per person.
From, per personUS$1,660
Lake Titicaca and Puno
The lake on the Peru and Bolivia border at 3,812 m (12,507 ft): the Uros reed islands, Taquile and the Aymara shore, reached from Puno.
12,510 ft3,812 m above sea level
15 packagesinclude this destination
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Lake Titicaca is a lake of about 8,372 km² (3,232 sq mi) at 3,812 m (12,507 ft) on the border of Peru and Bolivia, the largest lake in South America by surface area and, at that height, usually called the highest navigable lake in the world. Puno, on the Peruvian shore, is the base: a city of about 130,000 at roughly 3,830 m (12,560 ft), eight to ten hours by road from Cusco. This agency carries the lake's name because we think it is the part of southern Peru that travelers skip and then wish they had not.
Where it is and how high
The lake sits in the Altiplano, the high plain between the two Andean ranges, about 390 km (242 mi) southeast of Cusco. The border runs through the water, and the Peruvian side holds Puno, the Uros and Taquile, while Copacabana and Isla del Sol are in Bolivia, 2.5 hours from Puno by road. The altitude is higher than Cusco by about 400 m (1,300 ft), which is why the lake goes last on every itinerary and why the light on the water burns skin in under an hour. Our Lake Titicaca facts guide covers the geography, the depth and the two countries' shares.
| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Surface altitude | 3,812 m (12,507 ft) | en.wikipedia.org |
| Surface area | about 8,372 km² (3,232 sq mi) | en.wikipedia.org |
| Maximum depth | 281 m (922 ft) | en.wikipedia.org |
| Countries | Peru (west) and Bolivia (east) | en.wikipedia.org |
| Puno altitude | about 3,830 m (12,560 ft) | |
| Uros from the Puno pier | about 30 minutes by boat | |
| Taquile from Puno | about 3 hours by boat | |
| Taquile weaving, UNESCO listing | UNESCO intangible heritage, proclaimed 2005, inscribed 2008 | ich.unesco.org |
| Cusco to Puno | about 390 km (242 mi), 8 to 10 hours by road |
The islands
The Uros are floating islands made of totora reed, 30 minutes by boat from the Puno pier, where families keep the islands alive by laying fresh reed on top as the bottom rots. Our Uros guide explains how they are built and how a visit is organized. Taquile is a natural island about three hours out, with stone terraces, a village at the top of a 30 to 40 minute stairway, and a textile tradition on UNESCO's intangible heritage list. Amantani, beside it, hosts overnight homestays. Our Taquile and Amantani guide compares the two for a day visit or a night.
Getting there from Cusco
Three ways. The tourist bus takes about ten hours with guided stops at the Andahuaylillas church, the Raqchi temple and the La Raya pass at 4,335 m (14,222 ft), and it is the way our packages use because the stops turn the drive into a day. The night bus takes about seven hours and saves a hotel night, which the 5-day ceremony trip does. The flight goes to Juliaca, about 45 minutes from Puno by road, in under an hour from Cusco or Lima. Read how to get from Cusco to Lake Titicaca for the timetables.
When to visit, and the mistake
May to September is clear and cold, with nights in Puno near 25 F (minus 4 C) and the bluest water. November to March brings afternoon storms and warmer nights. The mistake is giving the lake one night: you arrive at 6 p.m., the boat leaves at 7:30 a.m., and you leave the same evening without seeing Puno or the shore. Two nights is the minimum, and the Lake Titicaca tours page compares every trip that spends them.
Packages that include Lake Titicaca
Every trip below reaches the lake: the day routes from Puno along the Aymara shore, the 5-day Cusco to Lake Titicaca trip with the offering ceremony, the 9 to 15 day Peru itineraries and the Peru and Bolivia routes that cross to Copacabana. Day tours start at US$127.
Lake Titicaca and Puno in photos
Photos: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); H.dav.are, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); Miro Denck, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); Jonny Green, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); Unukorno, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); Abelchristian111, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); Kala Chuymani, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source)
Where it is
Interactive map loads from OpenStreetMap when the page is online.
Packages that include Lake Titicaca and Puno
Grouped by type of trip. Prices per person in a double room.
Peru vacation packages
Peru in 10 Days: Lima, Nazca, Machu Picchu and the Andes
A 10-day Peru tour from Lima at an easier pace: Nazca, Machu Picchu by train, Rainbow Mountain, the South Valley and Humantay Lake. From US$1,720 per person.
From, per personUS$1,720
Complete Peru in 15 Days, from the Coast to Machu Picchu
A 2-week Peru tour that climbs slowly from the coast: Nazca, Arequipa, the Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca, Cusco and Machu Picchu by train. From US$2,084 per person.
From, per personUS$2,084
Peru and Bolivia tours
Aymara Route Day Tour from Puno, Chucuito to Juli
A day south of Puno on the Aymara shore of Lake Titicaca: Chucuito, the Molloco burial towers, raised fields, the carved rock of Amaru Muru and Juli. US$127.
From, per personUS$127
Puno to Copacabana by the Aymara Route, Border Included
A one-way day from Puno to Copacabana, Bolivia, along the Aymara shore: Chucuito, Amaru Muru, Juli and the Kasani border crossing with your guide. US$127.
From, per personUS$127
Peru and Bolivia in 10 Days, from Machu Picchu to Uyuni
Ten days from Lima to the Uyuni salt flat: Machu Picchu by train, Lake Titicaca, the border at Kasani and La Paz, ending at Uyuni airport. From US$1,817 per person.
From, per personUS$1,817
Peru and Bolivia in 11 Days, with Uyuni and Laguna Colorada
Eleven days from Lima: Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, La Paz, the Uyuni salt flat and a day south to Laguna Colorada, ending in La Paz. From US$1,647 per person.
From, per personUS$1,647
Peru and Bolivia in 12 Days with the Full Uyuni Circuit
Twelve days: Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, La Paz and the full three-day Uyuni circuit with the salt flat, the lagoons and the geysers at dawn. From US$2,047 per person.
From, per personUS$2,047
Machu Picchu and Uyuni in 13 Days, Overland Through the Andes
Thirteen days in the Andes: Machu Picchu, the daytime Route of the Sun to Lake Titicaca, La Paz and the full Uyuni circuit. From US$3,247 per person.
From, per personUS$3,247
Peru and Bolivia in 2 Weeks, from the Pacific to the Salt Flats
Two weeks across Peru and Bolivia: the Ballestas coast and Huacachina dunes, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, La Paz and the full Uyuni circuit. From US$3,247 per person.
From, per personUS$3,247
Peru and Bolivia in 15 Days with Rainbow Mountain and Uyuni
Fifteen days with the high points of both countries: Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain, Lake Titicaca, La Paz and the full Uyuni circuit. From US$3,057 per person.
From, per personUS$3,057
Andean ceremonies
Cusco to Lake Titicaca in 5 Days, with an Andean Ceremony
Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, then a night bus to Puno and two days on Lake Titicaca with a lakeshore water ceremony and a night with a family on Amantaní.
From, per personUS$917
Aymara Ceremony Tour: Lima, Cusco and Lake Titicaca in 8 Days
Eight days from Lima: the city and the Paracas coast, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, then Lake Titicaca with a water ceremony and a night on Amantaní.
From, per personUS$1,097
Aymara Ceremony Tour: Lima, Cusco and Lake Titicaca in 10 Days
Ten days from Lima to Lake Titicaca: the coast, Cusco and Machu Picchu, a farming day with a Sacred Valley community, the daytime Sun Route to Puno and a lake ceremony.
From, per personUS$1,347
Aymara Ceremony Tour, Complete: Peru in 12 Days with Rainbow Mountain
Twelve days from Lima to Lake Titicaca: the coast, Cusco, Machu Picchu, a farming community, Rainbow Mountain, the Sun Route and two lake days with a water ceremony.
From, per personUS$1,377
Questions about Lake Titicaca and Puno
Where is Lake Titicaca?
In the Altiplano of the central Andes, on the border between Peru and Bolivia, about 390 km (242 mi) southeast of Cusco and 2.5 hours by road from the Bolivian town of Copacabana. The Peruvian city of Puno sits on its western shore and is the base for the boats to the Uros islands and Taquile. Juliaca, 45 minutes from Puno, has the airport.
Is Lake Titicaca in Peru or Bolivia?
Both. The border crosses the lake, and the larger western part is Peruvian, with Puno, the Uros and Taquile, while the southeastern part is Bolivian, with Copacabana and Isla del Sol. Our tours start from Puno, and the Peru and Bolivia packages cross the border at Kasani, on the southern shore, to continue to Copacabana and La Paz.
How high is Lake Titicaca?
The surface is at 3,812 m (12,507 ft), about 400 m (1,300 ft) higher than Cusco. It is widely called the highest navigable lake in the world. Because of the height, every itinerary visits it after Cusco, and the Taquile stairway is the one climb that reminds you where you are. Sunscreen matters more here than anywhere else in Peru.
How do I get from Cusco to Lake Titicaca?
By tourist bus in about ten hours with guided stops, which is what our packages use, by night bus in about seven hours, or by air to Juliaca in under an hour plus 45 minutes by road to Puno. The Andean Explorer train runs on set days and is a hotel on rails rather than a transfer. Plan two nights in Puno whichever way you arrive.
Is the altitude a problem on the lake?
Only if you arrive from sea level. Puno is above Cusco, so every package puts it after two or three nights in Cusco, and by then the lake feels fine. The boat day is flat except for the Taquile stairway, which takes 30 to 40 minutes at a slow pace. Drink water, cover up against the sun and take the stairs at the guide's speed.